Tag Archive for: Bent

DSV’s PRO Bent Delivers Exceptional Results at Millbrook Golf Club

DSV’s PRO Bent Delivers Exceptional Results at Millbrook Golf Club: Millbrook Golf Club’s greens are thriving thanks to the use of DSV’s PRO Bent grass seed, which has aligned perfectly with the greenkeeping team’s ethos of continuous improvement.

Chris Jones, Deputy Head Greenkeeper at Millbrook, reflects on the transformation since incorporating the PRO Bent seed, working closely with Craig Rodwell from Soil Biology Ltd – a DSV distributor, to ensure the best results for the course.

DSV's PRO Bent Delivers Exceptional Results at Millbrook Golf Club

DSV’s PRO Bent Delivers Exceptional Results at Millbrook Golf Club

Located in the scenic Bedfordshire countryside, Millbrook Golf Club is a course rich in history and renowned for its beautifully maintained greens. The club, nestled between the village of Millbrook and Woburn Forest, boasts year-round playability due to its elevated position on the Greensand Ridge and its free-draining sandy soil. The course is a mix of heathland and links-style features, with indigenous pine and silver birch lining many of the holes, creating a challenging yet enjoyable environment for golfers.

Chris Jones has been with the club for 18 years and shares a deep connection with it. “The majority of the people who work here tend to stay here. We’re always trying to improve and push the course forward. The course is unrecognisable from what it was when I started; literally, every hole has had some improvement, whether it’s the putting surface, bunkers, or new tees. We’re not just maintaining – we’re here to improve and push it further and further,” he said.

When their previous seed supplier underwent changes, Chris and the team began looking for alternatives. It was then that Craig Rodwell, a consultant from Soil Biology Ltd, introduced them to a range of nutritional products and DSV’s PRO Bent grass seed. From the start, the results were impressive. “By the end of the summer, we noticed remarkable improvements in the greens, including better root systems, healthier plants, and a reduction in thatch. We even went through the winter virtually disease-free,” Chris explained.

PRO Bent is part of DSV’s EuroGrass range, a collection of high-performing seed mixtures developed to meet the specific needs of golf courses and sports pitches. PRO Bent, made up of 100% Browntop bentgrass, is particularly suited for summer and autumn overseeding, as well as species exchange operations. It offers excellent density, drought tolerance, and is ideal for close mowing—making it perfect for maintaining high-quality greens.

Chris highlighted how they overseeded all 18 greens at Millbrook. “We got very quick germination—almost 100%—in just six days, even while people were still playing on the course. By the weekend, the greens were already a good putting surface.”

The positive feedback from both members and visitors has been overwhelming. “We’ve had a lot of compliments about the greens not just from members but also from visitors. It’s great to be recognised, especially since there are so many good golf courses around us. The hard work is really paying off,” Chris said.

The results have been so impressive that Millbrook has expanded its use of DSV products beyond the greens, applying them to the tees and fairways as well. “Once we saw the germination, we quickly realised this was money well spent. The most important thing is getting good seed strike, and that it’s surviving the winters. It’s been progressing each year, and that’s the hardest part with overseeding—getting the cultivars to thrive,” Chris added.

DSV's PRO Bent Delivers Exceptional Results at Millbrook Golf Club

DSV’s PRO Bent Delivers Exceptional Results at Millbrook Golf Club

The success at Millbrook has also been bolstered by the guidance and expertise of Craig Rodwell, who has provided invaluable support throughout the process. “Craig has been fantastic. He has a lot of knowledge and is always there to offer advice,” Chris said.

Craig also praised the EuroGrass range for its suitability to Millbrook’s conditions: “DSV has some excellent cultivars that are healthy and wear tolerant. They’ve really fitted the bill for this type of course.”

Thanks to DSV’s PRO Bent and the ongoing collaboration with Soil Biology, Millbrook Golf Club’s greens are in top condition, demonstrating that continuous improvement and the right products can truly elevate the quality of a golf course.

Chris concludes, “From the results we’ve had, I’d recommend DSV’s PRO Bent to anyone. It’s been a game-changer for us, and we’re excited to see how it continues to improve the course year after year.”

Please visit www.dsv-uk.co.uk for more information.

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J All Bent to the rescue

J All Bent to the rescue: When previous attempts to get a practice putting green back into play at Vicars Cross Golf Club in Cheshire had failed, in stepped new Golf Course Manager Richie Stephens, armed with the J All Bent mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed.

A few short months from seeding, and with some favourable assistance from mother nature, the USGA spec green was in business – with the programme then implemented on the construction of a new chipping green that enjoyed similar success!

J All Bent to the rescue

J All Bent to the rescue

Upon joining Vicars Cross just over 12 months ago, Richie was tasked with the completion of the putting surface which had been out of action for close to two years. Keen to unlock the solution, he spoke to DLF’s Stuart Yarwood. “I’ve known Stuart for years and his greenkeeping background means he gives not only technical advice, but the right advice for our situation as he understands the challenge having been in our shoes” Richie says. “We opted to overseed with a 100% bent mix in the form of Johnsons J All Bent.”

The blend of three top-rated browntop bent cultivars in J All Bent delivers a hard-wearing, visually-striking sward, equipped to cope with close cutting and a range of environmental stresses. Its reduced reliance on chemical inputs makes it a popular choice for clubs pursuing a fast but sustainable greens strategy.

“We got it in the ground in May, we were fortunate with the weather and it came through really well. In August we then built a chipping green which overran the original schedule and meant we didn’t get seed until mid-November. Despite this, we still saw fantastic strike before Christmas, even coverage and strong visual impact. The speeds we’re achieving on the putting green is now comparable to what we’re achieving on our regular greens.”

The other 18 greens are overseeded annually during summer renovations with J All Bent, a programme introduced by Richie to try and promote an increase in the bent populations across the site. Elsewhere, it’s PM45 Tee and Fairway Plus from DLF’s Masterline range. “We use this on areas off the greens which has proven very successful.”

“The club, the players and my team have all noticed how far the surfaces have come on since we introduced the DLF mixtures and we’re definitely coming out of winter in a stronger, better position than we have before.”

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