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Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

June 17, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50 Maintaining high-quality natural grass tennis courts is no easy task, particularly when they are expected to withstand weeks of intensive play during a packed summer schedule. At Rye Lawn Tennis Club in East Sussex, Head Groundsman Adam Stunt has spent the past 16 years ensuring the club’s eight […]

Drought-tolerant Johnsons mixtures stand up to coastal challenges

June 16, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Drought-tolerant Johnsons mixtures stand up to coastal challenges Located on the exposed Llandudno coastline, North Wales Golf Club has been shaped by the elements since its establishment in 1984. The traditional links course faces relentless wind, sand splash, naturally free-draining conditions and increasing pressure from dry summers – making drought tolerance a critical consideration when […]

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

June 17, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Drought-tolerant Johnsons mixtures stand up to coastal challenges

June 16, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

June 17, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

Maintaining high-quality natural grass tennis courts is no easy task, particularly when they are expected to withstand weeks of intensive play during a packed summer schedule. At Rye Lawn Tennis Club in East Sussex, Head Groundsman Adam Stunt has spent the past 16 years ensuring the club’s eight grass courts remain among the finest in the region and MM50 grass seed plays a key role in that success.

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

Founded in 1922, Rye Lawn Tennis Club boasts a diverse range of facilities, including eight grass courts, three artificial clay courts, two padel courts, squash courts, a croquet lawn and a gym. However, it is the club’s renowned grass courts that continue to attract praise from players and visitors alike.

According to Adam, the transformation in the quality of the playing surfaces began around 15 years ago when the courts were laser levelled and a greater emphasis was placed on court preparation and maintenance.

“The club has always hosted a major open tournament at the end of the summer,” he said. “Years ago, some of the feedback from players wasn’t particularly great because they were playing at clubs with higher-quality surfaces. Since the courts were laser levelled and more focus was put on maintenance, that has completely changed. Most people who play here now feel the standard of the grass courts is right up there.”

Central to that maintenance programme is MM50, a specialist perennial ryegrass mixture.

“It’s what we’ve used for the entire time I’ve been here,” said Adam. “It’s something that we massively respect and rely on because of the quality of the seed and the results that we get year after year.”

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

MM50 delivers a fine-textured, hard-wearing sward with excellent shoot density, close-mowing tolerance and rapid recovery from wear. The mixture is treated with Headstart® GOLD, helping to promote fast establishment and strong early growth.

For Adam, the speed of germination remains one of the product’s standout features.

“That is something that’s always amazed me,” he said. “The speed at which germination happens is unbelievable. The quickest I’ve had over the years is about five days from seed going in. Obviously that’s not full growth, but you’re definitely seeing it sprouting. It’s something we really can’t fault.”

Each autumn, following the playing season, Rye Lawn Tennis Club undertakes a comprehensive renovation programme across all eight courts. Depending on conditions and requirements, this may involve fraise mowing or more intensive Koro renovation work to remove accumulated thatch and organic matter before reseeding.

Adam’s maintenance programme continues throughout the winter with regular mowing and nutrition applications to maintain plant health. As spring arrives, Adam carries out a further overseeding programme using MM50 to ensure maximum density heading into the playing season.

“When weather allows, usually around the middle of April, we’ll overseed again at a lighter rate, apply a light top dressing and some fertiliser, and then let it come through before the season starts.”

The demands placed on the courts are significant. During the club’s annual open tournament and associated tennis festival, all eight courts can be in constant use from morning until evening for several consecutive weeks.

“During our busiest period, all eight courts can be in play from 9.30 in the morning until 8 o’clock at night,” said Adam. “That’s during our three-day open tournament, but it’s followed by junior events and club tournaments, so for two or three weeks they are absolutely hammered. By the end of it, they definitely look like they need a rest.”

Despite the intense wear, MM50 continues to deliver the durability and recovery required to maintain playing standards.

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

The club purchases its seed through Fine Turf and, given his experience with the product, Adam has no hesitation in recommending it to other tennis clubs.

“I would definitely recommend MM50 to anyone involved in tennis. For us, the system isn’t broken, so we’re not trying to fix it. The perennial ryegrass works perfectly because of its hardiness, wear tolerance and ability to cope with close mowing. We wouldn’t use anything else.”

With rapid establishment, exceptional wear tolerance and proven performance under tournament conditions, MM50 continues to provide Rye Lawn Tennis Club with the consistency and reliability needed to produce championship-quality grass courts year after year.

Visit the new and improved MM Seed website at www.mm-seeds.co.uk

You can also follow the company on X: @MM_Seed.

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Drought-tolerant Johnsons mixtures stand up to coastal challenges

June 16, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Drought-tolerant Johnsons mixtures stand up to coastal challenges

Located on the exposed Llandudno coastline, North Wales Golf Club has been shaped by the elements since its establishment in 1984. The traditional links course faces relentless wind, sand splash, naturally free-draining conditions and increasing pressure from dry summers – making drought tolerance a critical consideration when it comes to the clubs choice of grass seed. Demonstrating outstanding resilience and tolerance of both high traffic and the climatic conditions site-wide are mixtures from Johnsons Sports Seed.

Drought-tolerant Johnsons mixtures stand up to coastal challenges

Head Greenkeeper Gareth Tibbetts joined the club in July 2025, taking on the maintenance of challenging links terrain with the assistance from a team of five. “I’d used Johnsons mixtures at my previous club which, albeit was parkland, was also incredibly free draining so I knew they were more than capable of performing in low moisture situations and hardy enough to cope with the demands of a busy course.”

The transition to Johnsons Sports Seed had already begun when Gareth came on board, but the programme was refined through consultation with DLF’s Regional Technical Manager Stuart Yarwood. “On our fairways, we opted for Johnsons J Sustain Fairway which, it’s clear, was formulated for the exact challenges we see here and excels in links conditions.”

The five Fescue blend, including resilient Hard and Sheeps Fescue, delivers excellent playability, density and visual appeal under low-input management and sites prone to environmental extremes. Together with outstanding drought performance, J Sustain Fairway also provides superior salt tolerance, disease resistance and resilience to stress.

“We’ve done two sowings of the J Sustain Fairway since I arrived and the whole team have noted that the seed germinated well, comes through a lot healthier than other mixtures and copes with the dry conditions very well.” Gareth continues, “It was a particularly dry summer last year so it really put the seed to the test but our fairways more than survived, they thrived!”

Johnsons seed is also delivering equally impressive results in other areas of the course. “We use a bent/fescue blend on our greens which gives us the colour we need and the robustness to cope with an average of 200 rounds per day.”

“The reliability and cleanliness of the Johnsons mixtures give us confidence in every bag and every overseed” he adds. “Together with a focus on cultural practices including aeration, we’re now achieving consistency in our surfaces in what is always going to be an unpredictable environment.”

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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)

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

Drought-tolerant Johnsons mixtures stand up to coastal challenges

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

Drought-tolerant Johnsons mixtures stand up to coastal challenges

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Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

Rye Lawn Tennis Club Relies on MM50

Drought-tolerant Johnsons mixtures stand up to coastal challenges

Drought-tolerant Johnsons mixtures stand up to coastal challenges

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