At a venue that’s hosted the Ryder Cup, 19 European Tour events, and countless visitors from around the world, expectations for course quality are sky high at Celtic Manor. For Jim McKenzie, Director of Golf Courses and Estates Management at the popular Welsh resort, finding products that can consistently deliver performance without disruption is essential.
With three championship golf courses under his remit — including the world-renowned Twenty Ten Course — Jim leads an expert team managing one of the UK’s most demanding golfing venues. And when it comes to turf management, he says two of Agrovista Amenity’s products — Attraxor and Maxtima — have become standout performers.
“We’ve dabbled over the years with various cultural and chemical approaches, particularly to deal with Poa seedhead suppression,” explains Jim. “Ray Hunt from Agrovista Amenity suggested we take a look at Attraxor plant growth regulator, and we liked what we saw in the marketplace. We trialled it on Roman Road in 2023, and the results spoke for themselves. We were impressed enough that we decided to use it across the whole site, all three courses.”
The trial proved effective. Jim noted not only a reduction in clip rate, but also smaller and less disruptive seed heads, leading to smoother ball roll and improved green presentation — even at slightly higher heights of cut.
“The Poa was still there and seeding, but it was far less invasive. That helped maintain surface quality without the need for disruptive maintenance — crucial for a venue like ours where there are no closure days.”
For Jim and the team, Poa is not just accepted – it’s the grass of choice, and managing its behaviour is key to course quality. Says Jim: “We used to lie awake at night worrying about keeping Poa out. Now, it’s about how we manage it — and products like Attraxor make that job a lot more effective.”
Alongside Attraxor, Maxtima has also been introduced into the programme, further strengthening the site’s ability to tackle turf health issues with confidence. Maxtima is a next-generation DMI fungicide powered by Mefentrifluconazole, and Jim is a fan.
“Maxtima’s been a valuable addition too. It’s part of that progression in product development where we can use targeted solutions that fit our unique environment.”
Its flexible application window, rainfastness, and strong resistance profile have made Maxtima a valuable addition to Jim’s toolkit — especially in a high-pressure, high-visibility environment like Celtic Manor.
“We’ve had no fresh outbreak of disease since November last year and Maxtima is the only fungicide which was used during that period,” Jim adds.
But it’s not just the products that have impressed.
“We’ve known Ray Hunt and Peter Holstrom from Agrovista Amenity for a long time — both are great to work with. They bring completely different things to the table, and that synergy works really well for us. The support we get is second to none.”