“We’ve had two shipments,” says John Coleman, consultant to the prestigious Miklagard Golf Club, north of Oslo, “and after three weeks, people are playing on it already!”

The order of 2500m2 of turf from Lincolnshire-based Tillers Turf comes after Norway has experienced one of its hardest winters for thirty years. Many golf greens have suffered from winter kill. As a result, John Coleman came to look at Tillers’ farm near Lincoln, and chose their creeping bentgrasses Penn G2 and G6.

“The turf was grown on a USGA rootzone, and maintained at a height of 3mm,” explains Tim Fell, Managing Director of Tillers. “Then it was transported in special cooler containers, and kept at 2 Deg.C.” The journey took 36 hours, involving a crossing from Newcastle docks to Stravanger.

The first consignment was laid in May, and the second a week a later. “It was cut slightly thicker than usual, so that it could be played on very quickly. And it all went very well,” continues Coleman.

The Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr, opened in 2001. It is a member of European Tour Courses Ltd, and was specifically built to hold a European Tour event, which it hopes to host in the next five years.

And General Manager of Miklegard Golf Club, Tore Waago, declares himself delighted with the turf, and describes it as “excellent quality.”

Meanwhile, in France at Golf de Saint Nom La breteche, Tillers have also had success.  Turf was supplied for a green renovation in February and it was delivered within 24 hours of lifting, including a ferry ride. The turf was grown on a USGA rootzone.

Golf Course Superintendent Bill Warnick says, “Tillers Turf is the only company in Europe growing the quality of turf we wanted.”

Tim Fell explains further, “ He chose our  turf because it contained very little thatch. And the reason is has very little thatch is that we regularly topdess and verticut the turf in the nurseries.”

For more information contact 01652 678000 or email: info@tillersturf.co.uk

www.tillersturf.co.uk