Overseeding with bentgrass at Bransford Golf Club

During the interview, Graham explained that they overseed at Bransford GC to improve species composition in the greens and help outcompete Poa annua and reduce fungal diseases such as anthracnose, fusarium and dollar spot.

Overseeding in spring

Discussing the overseeding process, Graham said Bransford GC overseeds their greens twice a year at a rate of 10-12 gm² in total.

While his preferred overseeding strategy is to focus on spring, they also overseed at the start of autumn. He believes that overseeding in these seasons is ideal due to the increased height of cut (HOC). The increase in HOC allows for a greater germination rate and ensures they have enough time to establish before the playing season.

Graham revealed that the team did not frequently overseed in the past as they mixed and matched grass seed from a competitor, which resulted in poor germination.

Alex was curious about what prompted Graham to implement a regular overseeding program. He explained, "We have seen a natural bent repopulation; therefore, we have a growing medium to support bentgrass, so we have started a program."

Overseeding methods

Graham also took the time to share some of his preferred methods for overseeding golf greens with Alex. Previously, he has used a triple sorrel roller followed by a drop spreader. However, he has since modified his overseeding method and believes he has achieved tremendous success using a Vredo disc seeder.

The benefits of using bentgrass for golf greens

Since implementing an overseeding programme, Graham has used the same mixture of Forefront greens with a combination of creeping and straight Browntop bentgrass because of its ability to achieve a high germination rate.

Germinal ForeFront Greens is an industry-leading mixture with many benefits for golf courses. The blend consists of four Browntop bentgrass species suitable for soil and sand greens providing year-round green, but it also has the added advantage of resisting stress and disease.

Graham echoes these benefits, believing that proactively overseeding golf greens is crucial for disease management and ensuring they can tolerate extreme weather conditions. 

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