PROTECTING DROUGHT-HIT FAIRWAYS

After one of the hottest, driest springs on record, turf managers are facing fairways left stressed by drought, traffic and hydrophobic soils.

According to Stuart Yarwood, regional technical manager at DLF Seeds, the key to resilience isn’t a single grass type - but the right balance of species.

“Each grass brings its own strengths,” he explains. “When blended intelligently, they create swards that can withstand extremes, recover faster and maintain presentation.”

Fescues, for example, offer deep rooting and natural drought tolerance, with slender and strong creeping types helping recovery through rhizomes. Chewings adds fineness and root mass, while hard and sheep’s fescues give density on poorer soils. Bentgrasses provide creeping stability and wear tolerance at low input, while ultrafine ryegrasses deliver rapid establishment and traffic resistance where quick recovery is essential.

Stuart describes this botanical diversity as an insurance policy. “If one species struggles in the conditions, others can step up to maintain cover.”

With autumn bringing warm soils, cooler air and dews, he highlights the season as an ideal overseeding window. His advice:

• Walk fairways and assess which grasses have survived, matching seed choice to site conditions.
• Relieve compaction and aerate once soils soften, encouraging deeper rooting.
• Use wetting agents to re-wet profiles where necessary.
• Protect seedlings from traffic and set realistic recovery expectations with golfers.

“2025 has been brutal,” Yarwood says, “but overseeding now with the right mix of species is your defence. It’s not just repair — it’s an investment in resilience, playability and sustainability.”