Trump International trust Consolidate Products: Maintaining world-class playing conditions on a rugged coastal Links course is no easy task. At Trump International, Scotland, Course Manager Eddie Irvine and his team face the relentless challenge of keeping their renowned course pristine year-round, all while preparing for the grand opening of the New Course in the Summer
of 2025.
The new New Course joins the existing 18-hole Old Course, which stretches along the dramatic Aberdeenshire coastline. With breathtaking views of the North Sea on nearly every hole, the course demands playing surfaces that match its striking scenery. For over 12 years, Head Greenkeeper of the Old Course Eddie Irvine and his team of 14 have been committed to delivering exceptional Links conditions while preserving the course’s natural beauty.
Trump International trust Consolidate Products
Achieving the perfect balance of firmness, speed, and healthy colour is a constant challenge in Links golf. Eddie first explored Consolidate products through the Scottish distributor GroGreen Ltd, working closely with Kenny Liddell to trial Consolidate Links to see how well the product could penetrate the plant during cooler temperatures, which is a vital factor in Scotland’s climate.
“The initial trial was a success,” Eddie explains. “We saw immediate improvements in colour and turf health using Consolidate Links, and from there, we expanded to using Consolidate Plus+ and Fairway. We’ve now integrated them into our annual agronomy programme across the entire Old Course and our grow-in plan for the New Course.
“Getting that colour and the surfaces to still be firm and fast is a great achievement. We were looking for the colour to be right. Obviously, we’re a Links course, but we still want to maintain the healthy colour on the surfaces, and that’s why we spoke with Kenny and trialled Consolidate.
“Our overall experience with GroGreen and Consolidate made using their products on the New Course an easy decision. Construction of the new course started in May last year, and we’ve been using Consolidate products on it since the end of 2024.”
At Trump International, Scotland, the entire course needs to be immaculate all year round, including the walkways. For Eddie, one of the key strengths of working with Consolidate products is the ability to have custom mixes.
To keep their extensive network of ultra-fine rye walkways pristine all year round, Consolidate formulated a bespoke mixture which could help elevate quality despite the harsh conditions and high foot traffic.
“The guys from Consolidate came up with a bespoke mix for our walkways to help us maintain them to the highest standards and keep their colour and the plant growth,” Eddie explains.
“We are impressed with how it’s worked and the speed at which they can provide us with the product. Generally, we’re able to receive new products within a couple of days, and that’s really important for us.”
Head Greenkeeper for the New Course Luke Ebersold and his team plan to continue to use Consolidate’s range of products to uphold their high standards and work to provide what Trump International, Scotland, claims will be ‘the greatest 36 holes in golf’.
Optimising Turf Health with Consolidate at Highwoods Golf Club
With a career spanning 20 years, Jamie Melham, Head Greenkeeper at one of the finest in Sussex, Highwoods Golf Club, brings his experience and collaboration with specialist for Consolidate Turf, Rob Welford, to enhance the health and aesthetics of the golf course. He is keen to understand the science behind turf health and to implement the means to maintain it. e is the fact that the club.
Jamie began his greenkeeping journey two decades ago, accruing experience at Dale Hill Golf Club and Lamberhurst Golf Club before joining Highwoods Golf Club, where he has been for over eight years leading a team of six greens staff. His role involves not just maintaining the course but also continuously experimenting with and refining turf management practices.
Jamie’s partnership with Rob Welford from Consolidate Turf www.consolidateturf.com started 3 years ago and has been instrumental in transforming the nutrient management approach at Highwoods. Rob’s expertise and responsiveness have provided Jamie with confidence and reliable support, and the use of consolidate products played a big part in the presentation of the course, when the club celebrated its centenary year in 2024.
One specific challenge Jamie faced was the inconsistency in fertilizer prill size from a different supplier. Initially, Rob assessed the golf course’s overall plant health, leading to the transition from granular to liquid fertilizers for more consistent results, using Consolidate Plus to kickstart the greens early in the season. This approach has proven successful for three consecutive seasons.
Jamie explains “I began by applying Consolidate products to the approach areas and soon extended their use to the greens. I am now on a full annual package of Consolidate liquids, including seaweed, potassium, magnesium, and other nutrients, which are customised yearly to meet the specific needs for growth, colour and overall turf health.”
“Like all our customers we have a bespoke programme for Jamie,” explains Rob “The use of the Consolidate nitrogen source gives the turf an efficient food source to make the building blocks of proteins and amino acids to deliver healthy results on the greens without any of the associated drawbacks of conventional nitrogen sources. The liquids provide the control needed to deliver the correct dosage. We do leaf analysis to check the plant is receiving everything it needs. This is coupled with a programme for approaches and fairways, tailored for his individual needs and requirements in these different areas.
For the approaches, Jamie maintains a treatment schedule of every three weeks, a practice he also applies during the winter to prevent disease. “The results speak for themselves” said Jamie “With consistent progress across every area treated. Improvements in colour, grass strength and wearability, less disease and faster recovery.” This has led to expanding these practices to the fairways, using Consolidate products across all key areas of the course and making ongoing adjustments based on Rob’s recommendations.
In addition to using Consolidate products, Jamie incorporates feedback from the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) into his maintenance program. STRI provides annual soil analysis, which Jamie, and Rob review to adjust the nutrient program, as necessary. This collaboration ensures that the turf management practices are continuously optimized based on scientific data.
The structured and scientifically backed approach to turf management, combined with Rob’s products and STRI’s analysis, provides reassurance to the club’s board, allowing Jamie to focus on maintaining his own ambitious standards.
For further information visit www.consolidateturf.com
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