Testimonials - all-round-winner

Until recently, greenkeepers avoided using traditional coarse-leaved perennial ryegrass on golf greens. But now, thanks to a Barenbrug breeding programme which has developed an exceptionally fine-leaved ryegrass called Bargold, this is changing, and much more ryegrass is now being successfully used in fine turf situations.
Confidence in this new cultivar has increased following the construction of Kingennie Golf Course, at Broughty Ferry near Dundee. It has been designed by Graeme Webster of Team Niblick - who has designed more golf courses north of the border than any other living Scotsman.

A big fan of Barenbrug amenity grasses, he specified the use of BAR Platinum across the whole course - including tees, fairways, semi-roughs and the USGA constructed greens. This mixture contains 30 per cent Bargold, 25 per cent of the number one slender creeping red fescue Barcrown, 25 per cent Barpearl - a slender creeping red fescue with excellent fusarium resistance, and 20 per cent of the new Chewings fescue Barbirdie, which has excellent close mowing characteristics and superb winter colour.

Bargold has the finest leaf of any perennial ryegrass, comparable to a red fescue, but it establishes much quicker. Unlike conventional ryegrasses it tolerates close mowing.

The mixture is ideal for heavy wear areas on the golf course, has outstanding disease resistance and drought tolerance, and maintains a superb fine appearance.

"The course at Kingennie is one of the best projects I have ever seen for development of a playing surface," says Graeme Webster. "The grass has established quickly and evenly, and the mixture is doing incredibly well in all situations.

"BAR Platinum offers everything - it is hard wearing and has fabulous colour all year round. Some people are sceptical that you can mow it down to 5mm - but I think you can get it down even lower. I would have no hesitation in recommending BAR Platinum for all uses on golf courses."

Fast establishment
The 9-hole, 2,800 yard course at Kingennie was seeded last September at a sowing rate of 25-35g per m² and 5mm depth. It was rolled two or three times over the winter and mown down to 12mm. There has been no disease over this time. In spring the sward was taken down a millimetre at a time, the surface top-dressed every two weeks, and a 14.2.4 fertiliser applied.

The course opened less than a year after seeding on 1 August, and has been greatly appreciated by the club members and guests.

"We have had really positive feedback from everyone who has played here," says head greenkeeper Gregor Norrie, who took up the top job at Kingennie after working at Gleneagles for four years.

"The greens have looked superb all summer - despite the wet weather and their young age. I have always been wary of using ryegrass in greens - but I am now convinced that a cultivar like Bargold, that combines the fast establishment of traditional ryegrass with a fine leaf, offers the best of both worlds.

"We are currently developing a further nine holes and shall be using BAR Platinum on these too."

Cairngorms putting green
As well as the 9-hole course at Kingennie, Team Niblick constructed an imaginative putting green which emulates the actual Cairngorms Mountain Range - with glens, corries and passes to negotiate.

Capable of holding 80 players at any one time, the putting green was opened during British Open Week in July, and many of the top professionals, including Darren Clark enjoyed having a go.

"We also sowed the putting green with BAR Platinum," says Gregor. "It has provided a very attractive playing surface and been extremely hard wearing. Despite the high usage, we only have to move the holes once a month."
Barenbrug’s operations manager for Scotland Billy Nimmo, has seen a substantial increase in enquiries about BAR Platinum this summer.

"It is very difficult to visually identify the Bargold from the red fescues in BAR Platinum, and this is what is giving greenkeepers the confidence to give it a try," says Billy Nimmo. "The success and establishment of the sward at courses such as Kingennie, over such a short period of time, just goes to prove what an exceptional mixture it is."

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