It’s every greenkeeper’s worst nightmare – receiving a call informing them of vandalism on the course. That was the reality for David Byron of Thorndon Park, who returned from BTME 2025 to discover the “destruction” of six greens, three tees and numerous fairways. Thanks to sheer determination, a dedicated team effort, and the exceptional performance of Johnsons Sports Seed mixtures, the course was fully restored in time for the club championships just months later.
The only club in Essex to feature in the England Top 100 list, Thorndon Park has been home to David since 2008, with the last five years in the role of course manager. “Being in Harrogate when the news broke of our misfortune was both good and bad,” he says. “While I was not in a position to personally assess the damage the quadbikes had caused, I was completely overwhelmed by the support and offers of assistance I received from the greenkeeping community. I decided to take advantage of as many extra pairs of hands as I could when I returned to clear the greens and managed to get hold of a lot of materials on overnight shipments – the club, our members and the whole industry went above and beyond in our hour of need, and we’re incredibly grateful.”
David and his team of nine tackled the recovery by re-levelling and restoring each green individually, sacrificing the club’s putting green to speed up the process. “We took our time to blend the turfed areas in with micro-coring, topdressing and overseeding with Johnsons J All Bent and J Ultrafine Rye Green.”
“We’ve used Johnsons seed here for many years and it just works for us on all areas of the course,” says David. “I consulted with DLF’s Craig Spooner in the wake of the vandalism and we agreed on an overseeding strategy combining the two mixtures – using the quick-establishing ryegrass as a nursery plant, then going back to favouring the bent grasses. The photos and reaction we’ve had from the players at our recent club championship speak volumes for how successful the programme has performed.”
Johnsons J All Bent sets the standard in the industry for density, sustainability and visual appeal. With three top-rated browntop bent cultivars, it delivers a resilient sward suited to high wear and close mowing, and offers exceptional disease resistance to reduce chemical inputs.
The greens weren’t the only area to show a strong recovery. Johnsons J Tee and a custom DLF dwarf ryegrass mixture also performed on the fairways. “Most of the other damaged areas have bounced back with some regular overseeding and a good dose of TLC!” David adds. “We have to praise the Johnsons mixtures and support from Craig in getting us to where we are today – it’s all part of, what has been, a momentous team effort.”