From 17th -21st August 2026 the greens and approaches on the Balgownie Links and the Silverburn course will be overseeded with bent grass. The Wiedenmann TERRA FLOAT AIR will allow us to improve turf density and introduce new bentgrass without carrying out a highly disruptive renovation during the main playing season.

Late summer provides an excellent establishment window when soil temperatures are still warm enough for rapid germination, while the approaching cooler conditions favour sustained cool-season turf growth. Evidence shows that Browntop bentgrass has an optimum germination range of roughly 15–30°C and identifies mid-August into September as a particularly useful period

The TERRA FLOAT AIR makes sense during play as the machine combines seed placement with very limited surface disruption. This is particularly attractive through the playing season, because the objective is to get seed into the existing turf, achieve good seed-to-soil contact and allow the existing surface to remain playable. So rather than waiting until the end of the season and undertaking a major renovation, a club can potentially build bentgrass populations progressively while continuing to provide optimum turf performance.

Bentgrass seed is extremely small, so simply spreading seed onto the surface isn’t enough. The seed needs to be located in the upper part of the soil profile and good seed-to-soil contact is essential.

The TERRA FLOAT AIR allows the club to invest in the future quality of its playing surfaces without necessarily sacrificing today’s golf.

Instead of waiting for a narrow renovation window and potentially taking greens, tees or other playing areas out of play, we have taken the opportunity to interseed bentgrass during favourable August growing conditions in smaller, less disruptive operations when weather conditions are suitable, while keeping disruption to the playing surface to a minimum.

The main reasons for seeding bentgrass at Royal Aberdeen are:

• More uniform growth: Bentgrass tends to produce a consistent, fine-textured putting surface.
• Better putting quality: Bentgrass maintains a dense, smooth surface. That’s important for fast and smooth greens.
• Less seedhead trouble: Poa annua produces seedheads, particularly in spring. Those can make greens feel bumpy and inconsistent. Some Poa varieties are better than others, but it’s still a management issue
• Heat/cold considerations: Bentgrass is particularly well suited to a cool-season golf environment.