Specialist sports turf contractors Djuke are celebrating a major milestone after completing their 1000th Hydrowick golf green installation.
The significant achievement was reached during recent works at Burford Golf Club and comes less than nine years after the 100th install at Beaconsfield Golf Club who – close to a decade on – are reporting that the innovative drainage system is working better than ever.
Built in 1936, Burford Golf Club is a private members’ course, featuring traditional clay push-up greens typical of the era – and designed to hold water! “In my first ten years here, we were forever pushing water off the greens and nearly always ended up playing on temporary greens every winter” explains Head Greenkeeper Richard Hitchman.
That all changed when the club discovered Hydrowick, and called in the team at Djuke to trial the system on a couple of problematic greens. “The thing we noticed straight away was the minimal levels of disruption compared to other drainage systems available. The day after it went in, we could have had the greens back in play.”
“When we got the rainfall, the results then spoke for themselves. Areas that were once the wettest on the course became the driest, so then it was just a case of how quickly we could get Hydrowick installed on all the other greens!”
A programme of multiple installations per year then commenced, with the final four completed in August 2025 – also proudly marking the 1000th green install for Djuke in the UK. “It’s no exaggeration to say Hydrowick has transformed our greens” Richard emphasises. “Now that they’re not laying wet or under stagnant water, they’re happier, healthier and not showing any signs of anaerobic stress. We’ve all but eliminated the use of temporary greens completely over the last two years, despite seeing 1.1m of rainfall last winter.”
The transformative benefits now evident at Burford Golf Club, are something that’s been enjoyed at Beaconsfield Golf Club in Buckinghamshire since 2016. Course Manager at the time, Stuart Langhorn, became one of Hydrowick’s earliest adopters but continues to be blown away by the results.
“Since the installation of Hydrowick, we’ve become known as a true 12-month club, which has seen a huge surge in demand for membership” says Stuart. “The process was so straightforward and the price so competitive that we came to terms with the fact it might only serve us well for a few years, and we’d have still been happy. Nearly 10 years on, it’s just getting better and better – the greens are drier which means we can conduct cultural practices year-round to build further on the impressive drainage we’re now achieving across all 18 greens.”
Hydrowick Drainage is one of the most efficient and effective drainage systems on the market, utilising both a gravity and capillary action to quickly ‘wick’ surface moisture and disperse excess water. The rope and fibreglass construction provides a durable, long lasting solution for a range of turf areas including golf greens, tees, fairways, parks and residential and commercial landscaping.
“From Beaconsfield’s 100th to Burford’s 1000th, Hydrowick continues to prove itself as the go-to, low-disruption drainage solution for turf managers” comments Djuke Managing Director Cameron McMilan. “This milestone reflects the trust the clubs place in us and the system, and we’re delighted to be playing our part in supporting healthier, more resilient playing surfaces across the country.”
