Grass seed mixtures for every part of the golf course

Nowhere are the demands on grass as high as on the golf course. The turf not only has to look even, weed-free and fresh green; it must also be able to withstand regular foot traffic and the antics of less gifted golfers. Preferably without driving up the cost of maintenance, watering and fertilisation, of course. “Especially in the golf sector, the specific grass choice is decisive and sensitive,” believes Thomas van Tetering, product & marketing manager Benelux at DLF. “This is why we have developed a separate portfolio for golf.”

“We see that golf courses are quickly being overseeded up to five times a year,” Van Tetering continues. “This is often more cost-efficient than betting on extra maintenance and fertilisation, and it guarantees that new grass seeds are always ready to germinate even when the turf is damaged. Moreover, it is a great way to systematically renew and strengthen your turf. After all, there is a lot of innovation in breeding, and in the renewed Masterline golf portfolio, too, we are putting a lot of effort into finer grasses, better germination and rooting, higher disease tolerance, and so on. As long as you stick to the same grasses, you can overseed perfectly with better varieties.”

Each zone its own blend

The Masterline golf portfolio was developed especially for the sector, with different mixtures composed according to the various parts of the golf course and the local climate in Belgium and the Netherlands. “We already had the different species and varieties in our range, but the composition per mixture has been completely renewed and specifically tailored to the different zones on the golf course. After all, a different type of grass is used on each section.”

“Everyone gets to the tee, of course, and although an experienced golfer will usually not cause damage when teeing off, this is different for less-trained golfers. So here you need a grass species that is resistant to walking on and short mowing, and also recovers quickly from the damage caused by teeing off. This is why our TeeMaster and GolfMaster mixtures always contain 4turf®, an iron-strong tetraploid ryegrass with a special recovery capacity.”

The demands are also high on the green. “The green is the crème de la crème of the golf course. It really has to look perfect at all times. In other words, you want the finest grass, such as 100% ostrich grass. Unfortunately, the other side of the coin is that this also requires a lot of maintenance, which is why the use of red sod has become standard for this. Other greenkeepers, on the other hand, consciously choose the best ostrich grasses, tailored to their specific needs and maintenance programme, and mix them themselves. We offer the necessary solutions for that too.”

The DLF mixtures for the fairway further emphasise red fescue and field meadow grasses with tight ornamental value and good weed suppression, thus requiring less maintenance. The RoughMaster mixture just contains more tussock-like grasses such as sheep grass, combining high ornamental value with additional natural value.

Continuous innovation

Several DLF innovations also play an important role in the Masterline golf portfolio. Besides the 4turf® tetraploid ryegrass that features in various mixtures, the GreenMaster mixture, for example, also uses ProNitro®, a seed coating consisting of nitrogen and a wetting agent that helps the seed germinate more vigorously and establish faster, as well as reducing the need for fertilisation and irrigation.

“We can of course explain it all very well,” Van Tetering laughs, “but it is much better to back up our story with independent research. That is why all our mixtures contain varieties listed in the Dutch Grass Guide and the English STRI varieties list. For example, our CobraNova and Arrowtown ostrich grasses are also well listed on the STRI list.”

Closer to the greenkeeper

Meanwhile, DLF continues to innovate. “We do this in ever closer contact with the greenkeepers in the field. In order to further support our customers, we have recently taken Erik Dolstra under our wing, a recreational grass specialist who himself worked as a greenkeeper for ten years and can thus provide our customers in the Benelux with the necessary advice. 

In addition, we recently conducted a survey among all golf courses in Europe to find out what they consider the biggest challenges for the future, and we are planning more and more tests and demos at local level. Today, for example, we are already testing the added value of using Microclover® on the driving range at various golf courses.”