Two highly respected, yet hugely contrasting UK golf venues — Trump International, Scotland and Highwoods Golf Club in Sussex — are setting new benchmarks in turf health and course presentation through their strategic use of Consolidate Turf products.
At Trump International Scotland, Course Manager Eddie Irvine has spent over a decade maintaining the world-class standards of the links along the dramatic Aberdeenshire coastline. With the eagerly anticipated opening of the new MacLeod Course just weeks away, Eddie and his team have extended their agronomic strategy to include Consolidate Products across both courses.
Eddie first trialled Consolidate Links through Scottish distributor GroGreen Ltd, working closely with Kenny Liddell, to see how well the product could penetrate the plant during cooler temperatures, which is a vital factor in Scotland’s climate.
“he initial trial was a success. We saw immediate improvements in colour and turf health,” Eddie notes. “We’ve since adopted Consolidate Plus+ and Fairway into our full annual agronomy programme across the entire Old Course and grow-in plan for the MacLeod Course.”
From firm, fast greens to vibrant, healthy walkways, Consolidate’s ability to offer bespoke mixtures has been crucial. “They developed a custom blend for our ultra-fine rye walkways,” Eddie explains. “It’s helped maintain top quality despite high foot traffic and tough conditions.”
Luke Ebersold, Head Greenkeeper for the New Course, plans to continue the partnership with Consolidate, supporting the resort’s bold ambition to deliver “the greatest 36 holes in golf.”
RAISING THE BAR AT HIGHWOODS
Meanwhile, Highwoods Golf Club in Sussex, under the direction of Head Greenkeeper Jamie Melham, has also seen transformative results from its ongoing three-year collaboration with Rob Welford, the technical sales manager at Consolidate Turf.
After struggling with inconsistent fertiliser results, Jamie shifted to a full liquid Consolidate programme tailored annually to meet the club’s unique needs. “We’re now using liquids that include seaweed, potassium, and magnesium, supported by regular leaf analysis,” he says. “The results speak for themselves — improved colour, stronger grass, faster recovery, and less disease.”
This scientific approach, grounded in analysis from the Sports Turf Research Institute, allows Jamie to confidently present a pristine course. The programme was especially vital during the club’s 2024 centenary year, delivering elite conditions across all key playing surfaces.
Consolidate Turf technical sales manager Rob Welford emphasises the value of customisation: “Like all our customers we have a bespoke programme for Jamie. 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.”
For more information visit www.consolidateturf.com