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Pinehurst Cuts Water Use By Going Back in Time

March 25, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Pinehurst Cuts Water Use By Going Back in Time Pinehurst No.2’s dramatic renovation in 2010 could prove to be a blueprint for future golf course sustainability, a new episode of Syngenta’s Green Report YouTube documentary series reveals. Returning the four-time U.S. Open venue to its natural and historic characteristics, as envisaged by original designer Donald […]

Stratford Oaks Golf Club enjoys growth with Suståne

March 25, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Stratford Oaks Golf Club enjoys growth with Suståne: Like most, the objective for James Cleaver – Course Manager at Stratford Oaks Golf Club – is to achieve year-round consistency when it comes to plant health and play quality. A steady, reliable nutrition programme has become a key part of that effort and, over the last […]

Pinehurst Cuts Water Use By Going Back in Time

March 25, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Stratford Oaks Golf Club enjoys growth with Suståne

March 25, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Pinehurst Cuts Water Use By Going Back in Time

March 25, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Pinehurst Cuts Water Use By Going Back in Time

Pinehurst No.2’s dramatic renovation in 2010 could prove to be a blueprint for future golf course sustainability, a new episode of Syngenta’s Green Report YouTube documentary series reveals.

Returning the four-time U.S. Open venue to its natural and historic characteristics, as envisaged by original designer Donald Ross, has yielded remarkable sustainability benefits, including a 50% reduction in water consumption.

Pinehurst Cuts Water Use By 50% By Going Back in Time

And while the return to sandy waste areas and native wiregrass by renowned golf course architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw wasn’t universally popular at first, the renovation is now being seen as a visionary ‘back to the future’ sustainability success story.

“The idea behind the renovation was to present the golf course the way Donald Ross intended it to be,” John Jeffreys, Course Superintendent, tells presenter Gary Firkins.

“It had lost its character by Bermuda grass encroaching out and becoming the predominant rough species.

“We restored and replanted 200,000 wiregrass plants and allowed the sand to present itself again outside the fairway edges. We removed 35 acres of irrigated Bermuda grass rough and restored the center-line irrigation that was present in a 1943 aerial photograph, which allowed us to reduce the number of irrigation heads from 1,500 to 500.”

Joining John on the course walk is Danesha Carley, Professor of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University, who was advisor on the 2010 restoration.

Prof. Carley said: “Golf courses can be ecologically rich, biodiverse areas. They can be places where endangered species live, support pollinator habitats and are wonderful places for resource use such as reclaimed water, which a lot of golf courses have moved to.”

Mark Birchmore, Global Head of Marketing, Turf & Landscape for Syngenta, said: “In many ways, Pinehurst is re-pioneering golf course sustainability.

“Blending innovation and new technology with an approach that learns from natural and historical precedents creates opportunities that, in the case of Pinehurst No.2, demonstrably delivers clear sustainability benefits.”

The new episode will be released at 12PM ET / 5PM CET today, and will be free-to-watch for all golf industry professionals and stakeholders on YouTube.

To watch all episodes of The Green Report and for more news, features, videos and case studies on sustainable golf, as well as links to the Changing the Business of Golf podcast, visit Syngenta Golf.

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Stratford Oaks Golf Club enjoys growth with Suståne

March 25, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Stratford Oaks Golf Club enjoys growth with Suståne: Like most, the objective for James Cleaver – Course Manager at Stratford Oaks Golf Club – is to achieve year-round consistency when it comes to plant health and play quality.

A steady, reliable nutrition programme has become a key part of that effort and, over the last 18 months, Suståne’s 5-2-4+Fe slow-release naturel base fertiliser has played an increasingly important role.

Stratford Oaks Golf Club enjoys growth with Suståne

Rounds are high at the private members club located on the outskirts of Stratford-Upon-Avon, with James and a team of six working hard to retain high performing greens despite high levels of wear and often challenging climatic conditions. To source an organic ‘base feed’ which would keep the greens healthy year-round and, in particular, provide a boost over the winter months, James spoke to Nathan Scarff at GBR Amenity.

“When it’s wet in the winter and difficult to get a sprayer round, switching to a natural-based granular product meant fewer trips around the course and less reliance on spraying during those periods” says James. “After trialling Suståne’s 5-2-4+Fe in autumn 2024, we emerged in the spring in a healthier place which then encouraged us to up the applications to four or five times a year – focusing on the high disease pressure windows.”

Noting the success of their Suståne applications, James highlights one particular result which came following last year’s severe drought. “We had one green which really struggled without irrigation. I spoke to Suståne’s Russell Riley who suggested putting down some extra 5-2-4+Fe to help with the recovery and, interestingly, we’ve noticed that this is the only green which has emerged into 2026 disease-free. Obviously we can’t say for certain that Suståne is the sole reason but it’s the only thing that was done differently and something we’re looking to explore further.”

“Another great thing with this product is it doesn’t trigger a massive flush of growth like you get with some other fertiliser products. Application is also easy – the small prill quickly gets into the sward so, when applied in conjunction with predicted rainfall it doesn’t disrupt our mowing programme.” James continues, “I also appreciate the honest help and advice we get from both Nathan and Russell who actively encourage you not to over-apply products. It’s a refreshing change from the ‘more the merrier’ approach you get from some sales reps!”

5-2-4+Fe is the original Suståne formula, developed in 1988. Its all-purpose nature makes it ideal for a range of sports turf and landscape applications, providing a quick green up followed by long lasting slow-release organic nitrogen. For more information on this, and other products in the professional range, visit www.sustane.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Pinehurst Cuts Water Use By Going Back in Time

Stratford Oaks Golf Club enjoys growth with Suståne

Pinehurst Cuts Water Use By Going Back in Time

Stratford Oaks Golf Club enjoys growth with Suståne

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Pinehurst Cuts Water Use By Going Back in Time

Pinehurst Cuts Water Use By Going Back in Time

Pinehurst No.2’s dramatic renovation in 2010 could prove to be a blueprint for future golf course sustainability, a new episode of Syngenta’s Green Report YouTube documentary series reveals.

Stratford Oaks Golf Club enjoys growth with Suståne

Stratford Oaks Golf Club enjoys growth with Suståne: Like most, the objective for James Cleaver – Course Manager at Stratford Oaks Golf Club – is to achieve year-round consistency when it comes to plant health and play quality.

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