As
one extensive improvement project comes to an end, another unexpectedly begins
at Stockport’s Reddish Vale Golf Club – and once again, Johnsons Sports Seed is
playing a key role in recovery and renovation.
For
the past few seasons, J Premier Tee has been transforming tees and aprons,
bringing big benefits to play and praise for Head Greenkeeper Aaron Watkinson
and his team.
However,
widespread flooding over the New Year period means a major recovery programme
is now underway on the fairways – with the tried and tested Johnsons J Fairway
ready to come to the rescue.
“I’ve worked with Johnson’s
mixtures for many years and know it’s a range I can rely on” comments Aaron.
“We set about some long-overdue improvements on the tees and aprons by firstly
removing some of the tree coverage and identifying the key characteristics we
were going to need from our choice of seed– these were wear tolerance, quick
recovery, strong colour and an ability to withstand drought stress due to our
aging irrigation system.”
Ticking all of the boxes has been
a combination of J Premier Tee and J Fairway from the Johnsons Sports Seed
range. Featuring 4turf® tetraploid ryegrass, J Premier Tee is ideal for rapid
establishment on high-wear areas and sustainable shade tolerant tees. “We
previously had some tees which were virtually unplayable come the end of
September, but thanks to overseeding the last few years we now have a strong
sward, delivering quality all year round. The members have undoubtedly noticed
the improvements.”
For certain tees, Aaron also
incorporated additional strength and drought tolerance with the 100% fescue
blend of Johnsons J Fairway. It’s proven performance on the tees and aprons is
now set to be extended as the team embark on a large-scale flood-recovery
project. “We came back in January 2025 to find five of our holes under six to
eight foot of floodwater from the River Tame. Once it receded, we were left
with hundreds of tonnes of silt and sewerage contamination – all removed by the
three of us, by hand!”
Alongside their hard work, it’s
been the resilience and performance of Johnsons J Fairway that has underpinned
their recovery. “Thanks to the incredible team effort some areas have already
bounced back incredibly well, and those that need a bit of a helping hand will
get an overseed with J Fairway which will help to complete the restoration in
the coming weeks.”
The new J Fairway mix has been
carefully selected to help restore Reddish Vale’s traditional heathland
character and deliver cost-effective, intelligent turf management. “The blend
combines high-quality chewings and slender creeping red fescues for density,
visual merit, salt tolerance and drought resilience, alongside two strong
creeping red fescues chosen for shoot density and disease resistance. A final
5% of browntop bentgrass gives this mixture a real edge in terms of longevity
and visual quality,” adds Stuart Yarwood of DLF Seeds, who advised Aaron during
the post-flood planning.
Aaron concludes, “We’re keeping
positive and using this recovery as an opportunity to replicate the high
standards we’ve delivered with Johnsons on the tees across our flood-hit
fairways. We’ll get there!”
