His dedication to innovation has helped the club thrive and stay competitive. A key component of his maintenance programme? The consistent success of MM seed products.
Designed by James Braid, the 6,200-yard course at Fulford Heath features the River Cole, mature trees, and lakes, presenting golfers with challenges that reward skill and strategy. Maintaining such a course requires precision and quality, and Kim has found these attributes in MM seed.
“I started using MM9 15 years ago because of the HEADSTART GOLD treatment,” says Kim. This revolutionary coating ensures rapid germination, which was a game-changer for Kim. “I wanted to shift our greens from 100% Poa annua to a 60/40 mix of bentgrass and Poa annua, so I began integrating MM9 with top dressing.”
Kim’s approach evolved as he experimented with mixing MM9 with sand, then using a Graden machine. “One thing I found is that sowing the seed deeper — between 6mm and 10mm — yields better results. It’s a theory from my agricultural days: deeper sowing protects the seed from frost lift, preventing root break,” Kim explains.
This technique, combined with MM9’s superior quality, produced impressive results. Kim conducted multiple trials to test MM9 against various creeping bent mixtures. “We did half a green with MM9 and the other half with creeping bent and repeated this on different greens. MM9 consistently germinated a day quicker, thanks to the HEADSTART GOLD coating,” Kim notes.
“An advantage of MM9 is cost-effectiveness. It’s more economical than creeping bent, allowing us to apply more seed per square metre, leading to a better strike and building a stronger seed bank in the soil. After 12 months, MM9 proved to hold its own better than other mixtures.”
For Kim, the right seed choice extends beyond greens. “We recently switched to MM50 on our tees because modern golfers take larger divots, and a pure rye mix stands up to this better,” he explains.
MM50’s blend of fine-leaved ryegrasses creates a dense, resilient surface that recovers quickly. On the fairways, Kim relies on MM22 for its durability and reliability. “It’s great for overseeding, renovation, and construction — areas that endure high wear,” Kim adds.
Kim has also modified his approach to sand usage and overseeding schedules. “We’ve reduced sand use from 120 tonnes to 40 tonnes annually and plan to reduce it further next year. Instead, we focus on biology to control thatch and organic matter. This makes the greens work harder, enhancing the bent seed’s performance,” he says.
He overseeds in February/March at 40 kg per hectare, using a Graden sand injection machine or a disc seeder. “We’ll do more renovation work in October but won’t overseed, as temperatures are too cold. Since prioritising biology over intense aeration and sand, the bents have improved,” Kim shares.
Kim’s approach balances simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and long-term benefits. “My goal is to make the job straightforward for the staff and cost-effective for the club. If it’s too complex or costly, nobody is happy. Continuous tweaking and adaptation are key,” he concludes.
