A decade using ICL products at Castle GC
Paul Fitzgerald, Course Superintendent at Castle Golf Club – one of the finest 18 hole parkland golf courses in Dublin, has been using ICL products for the last ten years and believes no other products can compare.
Nestled at the foot of the Dublin Mountains, the Castle Golf Club took its name after it was originally established in part of the estate of Rathfarnham Castle, which dates back to Norman days. The Castle is a true example of golf course design by legendary architect Harry Colt. Each hole at Castle Golf Club is well protected by large mature trees ensuring that golfers need to be accurate to avoid trouble. There are over 75 bunkers and all the greens are designed to USGA sand based standards.
Under the watchful eye of Course Superintendent Paul Fitzgerald, the course is beautifully maintained by the greens staff, who help to keep it in immaculate playing condition. This according to Paul, is in part, thanks to ICL products.“I’ve been at Castle for the past 18 years and I’ve been using ICL products for the last 10 years. We are literally wall-to-wall with ICL products and no granular product other than ICL is used here at Castle.
As part of his programme, Paul uses Greenmaster Pro-Lite Autumn 6-5-10 – which contains various analyses designed to optimise turf health throughout the year; Greenmaster Liquid High N 25-0-0 – which has a mixed nitrogen source to ensure maximum plant uptake; ProTurf 20-0-7 – a combination of controlled release technology with compound fertilizers; SierrablenPlus Spring Starter 24-5-13 – which is ideal for quick response in cooler conditions and Primo Maxx – a proven formulation grass growth regulator for the improvement of playing surfaces and reduction of management intensity. Sportsmaster Spring & Summer 9-7-7 is also used in spring to promote growth in high traffic areas.
Paul commented: “We use Greenmaster Pro-Lite on the greens and ProTurf on greens surrounds, which is maintained at semi rough height. On our fairways we use SierrablenPlus Spring Starter 24-5-13 which results in a fantastic body of grass on them – also, with the SierrablenPlus, only one application per annum is necessary and that sees me right the way through to the Autumn. In the summer months we apply the Greenmaster Liquid High N 25-0-0 at five weekly intervals tank-mixed with Primo Maxx plant growth regulator.
Paul concluded: “The main reason why I use ICL products is that they have continued to perform year on year over the past ten years for me here at Castle and I know they have been fully trialled and tested before becoming available.
