Turf Maters March April 2023

TURF

Spring is in the air

Don’t forget Sport…

It’s only since getting our golden Labrador, Mungo, that I really started to appreciate the changing seasons through our daily walks.

The last two months have been a nightmare for many people in certain parts of the country and my heart goes out to everyone dealing with the aftermath of unprecedented flooding and devastating erosion.

Distributed every two months to sports turf professionals, independent schools, universities, local authorities and buyers of turfcare machinery and products.

Editor: Scott MacCallum scott@turfmatters.co.uk

Spring sees the moving from woolly hat, gloves and wellies to sunhat, shorts and sandals. Currently I’m enjoying the luxury of going out on the early morning and late afternoon walks without the need for a torch. Shorter darker days make it much more difficult to search for the reason poo bags were invented without artificial light.

The best case scenario for many is months of temporary living. For others, lives will never return to what they were.

While the fate of sports grounds and golf clubs might seem inconsequential in the face of such hardship, we at Turf Matters have a particular empathy with everyone who has seen years of agronomic husbandry literally washed away in the space of a few weeks.

It must be hoped that banks – the financial institutions, not the things which edge overflown rivers – take an understanding approach to sporting facilities which have been unable to service loans as a result of them being unplayable and so unable to bring in revenue.

Mungo aside, it’s having to put on my desk lamp in mid-afternoon as a wrestle with the latest magazine.

The arrival of March, albeit we are still susceptible to some sub-zero and snowy snaps, heralds the fact that we have emerged from the worst of the winter and are set for better times ahead.

As we have seen with the recent Winter Olympics, sport has such a galvanising effect on society and can be the catalyst for so much good, that it is imperative sporting facilities are not forgotten when the promised assistance is being allocated.

For turf managers the advent of spring must be even more welcome with the increased available working hours giving a chance to get earlier starts and, hopefully, the occasional earlier finish.

Your winter programmes will have been completed and hopefully that often unseen hard work will begin to reap its rewards.

On the issue of improving sporting facilities, we have been invited by Briggs & Stratton to become involved in its Pitch to Win competition, which provides a £3,000 makeover for what is judged to be the Under 18s football pitch in most need – find out more on pages 16-17. I am on the judging panel and visits will be made to a shortlist of deserving pitches soon. We will be looking not so much at the DESSO but the desperate!

On a final note, I am thrilled by the reception that the first issue of Turf Matters received. Many people have taken time to say how much they liked the look of the magazine and how they enjoyed the articles. We’re all pleased you found it to your liking and we will work hard to maintain the high standards. Thank you all very much.

I wish you all well for the upcoming spring and summer seasons and hope all your playing surfaces are as you would wish them to be.

Scott MacCallum, Editor

Scott MacCallum, Editor

Distributed every two months to sports turf professionals, local authorities and buyers of turfcare machinery and products.

Design/Production Editor: Tim Moat tim@turfmatters.co.uk

Editor: Scott MacCallum scott@turfmatters.co.uk

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Design and Production Editor: Tim Moat tim@turfmatters.co.uk

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Turf Matters is published by Straight Down the Middle Communications Ltd. All material © Turf Matters magazine 2023.

Turf Matters is published by Straight Down the Middle Communications Ltd.

Awarded Best Writing and Best Design in the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) Awards 2019-2022 inclusive

All material © Turf Matters magazine 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the written permission of the publisher. Information contained in Turf Matters is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Turf Matters can accept no responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in Turf Matters or in the event of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned is hereby excluded.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the written permission of the publisher. Information contained in Turf Matters is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Turf Matters can accept no responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in Turf Matters or in the event of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned is hereby excluded. Printed by Warners Midlands PLC.

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The majesty of Gleneagles, pages 30-35

JCB ENGINE TRIUMPH PROVES HYDROGEN HAS WIDER APPEAL

JCB has made a major breakthrough in proving the wider appeal of hydrogen combustion technology by installing one of its hydrogen engines into a 7.5 tonne Mercedes truck.

The internal combustion engine used in the truck is the same as those already powering JCB prototype construction and agricultural machines.

“This is a giant leap forward for JCB and the rest of the world because we all have one goal: to reduce emissions,” said JCB Chairman, Lord Bamford.

The truck at the centre of the latest project was formerly diesel-powered and the switch to hydrogen is a breakthrough which underlines that this form of power could represent a much quicker way to reach global carbon dioxide emissions targets.

JCB was the developer of the first working hydrogenpowered construction and agricultural machines. Last year JCB revealed another first – a hydrogen refueller which provides a quick and straightforward way to refuel machines on site.

Innovative Cramer technology guarantees optimum performance

The right components lead to an optimum working experience. Cramer’s cordless battery-powered tools are in no way inferior to petrol-powered products –quite the contrary: Cramer’s technology has several advantages for its users.

Trinity, a technology by Cramer, combines three forces – ensuring reliable, powerful, and intelligent battery-driven gardening equipment. Technology is related to functions of the human body: thinking, working, and performing an activity are complex processes that are carried out with the help of three parts – the brain, the heart, and the muscles.

This is how Cramer’s tools work: they consist of the brain, heart, and muscles – chip, battery and motor.

The chip is the brain of the Cramer tools. It has the ability to analyse electronic feedback at lightning speed and in response optimises the motor performance and battery runtime. The chip’s purpose is to make sure that the device always operates with the right energy, temperature, and

power, resulting in the best performance for every job.

The heart(-piece) of the Cramer equipment is the 82V battery which communicates with the chip and supplies perfectly dosed energy for the motor – no more and no less. The fact that the device does not run at maximum power at all times means that the battery is less stressed, which significantly increases the runtime and life expectancy of the devices.

The digital brushless motor is the source of the mechanical power. Thanks to constant communication

via electronic feedback with the chip and battery, the motor always applies the right amount of power – it knows whether maximum performance or great dexterity is required.

The Cramer Trinity ensures lightning-fast reactions, a fantastic power-to-weight ratio and optimum performance. Cramer’s 82V is the most powerful batterydriven tool system for professionals. Thanks to long runtimes, strong power, and ergonomic design, they are in no way inferior to petrol-powered tools.

n www.cramertools.com

ETESIA’S BAHIA RECHARGED WITH BATTERY UPGRADE

Etesia’s Bahia M2E – the world’s first 100% electric professional ride-on-mower with grass collection, is now available with a lithium battery option.

The Etesia Bahia M2EL is powered by a 51.2V, 100Ah lithium battery which enables users to get up to 3hrs 30 mins of action before it needs recharging. The new lithium option is also 85kgs lighter compared to the older lead acid battery version.

A pocket-size ride-on mower,

just 0.82 m wide and 1.98 m long, the Etesia M2EL features an incredibly tight turning circle. It nips into every nook and cranny

and can be easily transported. With its low centre of gravity, the Etesia M2EL 33/67 weight distribution on the front/rear axles make it a highly stable mower that masterfully copes with slopes.

Furthermore, its 240-litre collection box is fed by a wide discharge chute ensuring very good filling of the material.

Further benefits include: Efficient in high or wet grass; Perfectly collects dead leaves; Mulching kit delivered as standard;

Automatic gearbox for instant forward, reverse and braking; A wide range of accessories available and a Converter for 48 V electric accessories: hedge trimmers, edgers

It is also highly economical – the running costs are £0.35 against £3.57 for the petrol version and there are the obvious reduced maintenance costs – such as no engine belt, no filters, and no engine oil.

n www.etesia.co.uk

Retail area announced for GroundsFest

Organisers of GroundsFest have announced a retail area – the largest ever seen at a groundscare event. This will allow visitors to purchase a wide range of products, tools, clothing, and accessories at a discounted rate.

The retail area is being organised by FR Jones and Son, a family run business that offers over 10,000 groundscare and arboriculture products from over 100 leading brands.

“We know from our research that this retail area will be very popular with attendees. FR Jones and Son have an extremely large following and the area will attract thousands of groundscare professionals to GroundsFest,” said GroundsFest’s Sales Director, Charles Neale.

“They have a wide range of products suitable for budgets of all sizes and it will be a fantastic opportunity for visitors to walk away with some incredible discounts which will only be available at GroundsFest.”

FR Jones and Son have been trading in the industry since 1963 and have expanded significantly in the last few years. It is now one of the leading suppliers of professional

grounds maintenance and arboriculture equipment in the UK.

“GroundsFest is a really exciting concept. The industry has been crying out for a national event in the summer which features outdoor demonstrations and GroundsFest ticks every box,” said Managing Director Justin Jones.

“Many of our customers are already looking forward to it and I think the event is going to be very well attended. As a company, we are delighted to be involved. We are going to have a fantastic line-up of

products on display at GroundsFest, and we will be offering exclusive discounts on selected items which will only be available for visitors throughout the two days.

“Our large team has plenty of experience and product knowledge and they will be out in force at GroundsFest to help visitors make the right decisions. We look forward to meeting existing and new customers.” GroundsFest is taking place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on 20-21 September 2023. n www.groundsfest.com

Carnoustie scoops best golf course title

The Championship Course at Carnoustie Golf Links was named best golf course in Scotland at the 2023 Scottish Golf Tourism Awards.

Carnoustie Golf Links was successful in the Best Golf Course over £150 category for the third time in recent years.

The Championship Course was up against a shortlist which included Castle Stuart, the King’s Course at Gleneagles and North Berwick.

“This award recognises the hard work and effort that our whole team put in to looking after our world class golf courses and facilities every day. We are extremely proud to present the courses at Carnoustie in an outstanding condition to our local, national and international guests,” said Links Superintendent, Kevin Stott.

GreenTek Solutions on the ball for Royal Liverpool

GreenTek Solutions Limited has secured an agreement with Royal Liverpool Golf Club to supply equipment to prepare for the 151st Open Championship this summer. This is the 13th time the Hoylake course has hosted the championship and the team know what it takes to maintain their greens’ performance for the best players in the world.

James Bledge, Course Manager at Royal Liverpool Golf Club has used GreenTek products over the years and have always been extremely impressed with the results. “When looking for a supplier who could help create perfect greens in the run up to such an important and prestigious event as the Open Championship, GreenTek was an obvious choice.”

RLGC has chosen the Dyna-Seeder and Dyna-Corer from the Dynamics turf care range and Micro-Groomer, the newest addition to GreenTek’s Thatch-Away greens care system.

All three pieces of equipment can be quickly attached to a triplex mower, enabling overseeding, micro-coring and grooming operations on all 18 greens

to be completed in just a few hours. The precision of these machines is what sets them apart. Dyna-Seeder accurately meters seed into thousands of consistent holes for maximum germination. Whilst the coring depth can be precisely adjusted down to 25mm with the Dyna-Corer.

But it is the MicroGroomer that takes greens to the next level of refinement. Laserengineered blades with

over 2,000 extra fine tungsten tips deliver approximately 39,000 surgically precise microcuts per square metre. This latest development in turf improvement technology works the upper leaf area to deliver faster and truer putting surfaces.

The agreement is the latest endorsement of the quality of GreenTek’s equipment – with 90 out of the UK’s top 100 courses currently using

the company’s machines.

“We’re extremely proud to have been chosen by Royal Liverpool Golf Club in this way,” said Ian Ellis, GreenTek Managing Director.

“It’s a very important year for the club hosting the Open Championship and the fact that they’ve come to us is a clear endorsement of the quality of our machinery and the trust they can place in us to deliver.”

$1m of kit to help Turkey earthquake tragedy

Doosan Bobcat will provide equipment worth around $1 million for relief and recovery activities in the earthquakestricken areas of Turkey. Construction equipment will be promptly delivered through Doosan Bobcat’s dealer network to be of practical help in lifesaving activities

in affected areas and to help restore critical infrastructure such as collapsed buildings and roads. The equipment being supplied includes skid-steer loaders and excavators to remove and clean debris, and portable generators and lighting towers to be used at sites

with power supply issues. By providing equipment that can be used immediately for relief and recovery efforts, Doosan Bobcat hopes to help residents of the affected areas in Turkey to begin to recover their daily lives as soon as possible. The donation will be financed

in cooperation with Doosan Bobcat’s mother company, Doosan Group, which has supported previous major disasters with equipment and donations, such as hurricanes and earthquakes in the U.S., China, Haiti, Japan and Nepal over the past 20-plus years.

Versatile system for pitch work

The 4GCS is a versatile pitch maintenance system. A single pass allows up to four operations to be carried out simultaneously, including surface aeration, dethatching, brushing and rolling, which when combined together, enable groundsmen to prepare and maintain the pitch to a high standard, in very little time. It is an ideal unit for general pitch grooming/ maintenance on both sports fields and fine turf. The star shaped slitters pierce the surface, slicing roots

and breaking up the soil to increase drainage and promote root growth.

The brush and rake tines tickle over the surface to remove thatch and enhance the quality and appearance of the area. The rear roller firms up the surface and gives that much sought after striping.

A weight tray is incorporated in the design which gives the option to add top weight to vary the penetration depth of the slitters. All three tools can be adjusted by

individual screw jacks for depth and pressure, and the side wheels can be lowered to easily transport the equipment when not on the pitch. The 4GCS connects to any tractor with a 3-point-linkage, and the four attachments can be arranged in any order and can be lifted out of use when not required.

The single pass on the tractor reduces the amount of mud being

churned up by the wheels. A specially shaped aerator star attachment can be fitted, which breaks up the surface to a greater extent than the slitter stars.

The deterioration of pitch quality over the rainy season forces many clubs to postpone, cancel, and reduce the number of games played. The improved drainage helps keep the mud at bay.

n www.schsupplies.co.uk

New Jacobsen mower will make an instant impact

Drumpellier Golf Club’s Head Greenkeeper, Colin Powrie, had no hesitation in choosing the all-new Jacobsen AR530 rough mower from local dealer Fairways GM at Inchinnan.

Seeking a replacement for his nine-year-old Jacobsen AR522 he said he chose it first and foremost for its “quality of cut”.

Colin joined the Coatbridge club in April 2021, from Ladybank Golf Club, Fife, where he served 20 years as Course Manager, and 30 years in total.

“Across my career, I’ve had experience with many manufacturers’ mowers. We use Jacobsen Eclipses here for our greens, and I feel

they offer the best quality cut of anything on the market,” said Colin.

“I inherited the 522 when I arrived. It’s a great machine, this one is flat out 4½ days per week in the summer... Going on the performance of the 522, I was excited for the 530, knowing it would be even better. It’s got a new design from the floor up, new chassis, different cutting heads, and its units are slightly wider.

“Aside from a few trial runs it’s been in the shed simply because of timing and the weather, but everything’s excellent so far. We are looking forward to getting back into full swing when the grass starts to grow. I’m hoping with improved efficiency we’ll reduce the 4½ days by a good margin but it’s the impact it will have on the quality of cut that I’m really after. Precision is important.”

Drumpellier has a team of five full time greenkeeping staff, including Colin, and two apprentices on contracts working towards level 2 SVQ greenkeeping.

“Having apprentices is something I implemented when I arrived. It benefits the whole team to bring

people in to the industry and pass on skills. It’s the right thing to do to encourage training and learning.”

“Working with Fairways’ sales and service teams has been a positive experience. We’ve a service contract and the response speed and professionalism are impressive. If we have had a breakdown, it’s not unusual for them to arrive within the hour. If I want a set of units sharpened and they’ve been taken away at lunchtime, normally they are returned the next morning. They are good at explaining things.”

Stuart Cameron, Area Sales Manager from Fairways GM at Inchinnan was on hand to advise, deliver and install the machine.

“Rightly so, focus has been paid to the AR530’s cut quality as well as the after-cut appearance with grass clipping dispersal. Colin and his team will also really like the improved traction system, which means it does a fantastic job of climbing and gliding over hilly terrain with acute undulations. The even cut is because it uses the weight transfer system.”

‘GOING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE 522, I WAS EXCITED FOR THE 530, KNOWING IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER.’

Picture shows, from left, Deputy head greenkeeper, Gareth Thomson, George Duigan, Damian Hamilton & Colin Powrie. head greenkeeper.

Glyphosate weed control methods vindicated in scientific trials

An alternative weed control trial, commissioned by Cardiff Council has been described as “one of the most comprehensive real-world studies comparing glyphosate with the alternative methods of weed control currently available in the UK” by Dr Dan Jones, of Advanced Invasives who conducted the study.

Complete Weed Control, a national amenity weed control company, delivered the services that informed the independent research that found glyphosate to be the cheapest, most effective way of controlling weeds when administered using WEEDit technology.

The scientific trial assessed the viability of two alternatives to the glyphosate-based approach used by the majority of local authorities in the UK. It found that glyphosate has a smaller overall environmental footprint than the two alternatives trialled, which were acetic acid (a highly concentrated vinegar) and a hot foam treatment (a plantbased product which combines hot water with a biodegradable foam).

In addition to the environmental results, glyphosate was also the least expensive and ranked highest for customer satisfaction.

The trial, carried out following a recommendation from a Cardiff

Council Environmental Scrutiny inquiry into the management of biodiversity and the natural environment, was conducted by Dr Dan Jones, an Honorary Research Associate in Swansea University’s Department of Biosciences, and Managing Director of Advanced Invasives, a consultancy founded in 2016 to bring evidence-led thinking to the commercial management of invasive plants.

“What we found was that not only is glyphosate the most efficient and effective way of controlling weeds, but once you look at the full life cycle of the product, factoring in things like the amount of fuel and waterused, it is also the least damaging to the environment,” explained Dan.

“The responsible glyphosate-based approach to weed control currently used by the council is the most sustainable method of weed control currently available in the UK.”

The responsible approach he is referring to includes the use of Complete Weed Control’s exclusive WEEDit technology. Established in 1997, the WEEDit is a computercontrolled herbicide application system specifically designed for use on footpaths and other hard surface areas. The sensor units detect the presence of weeds and trigger the appropriate spray nozzles to accurately apply the correct amount of herbicide to the weeds. This results in high levels of weed control, with up to 80% reduced herbicide usage.

Ian Graham, Managing Director of Complete Weed Control said that as an industry it is essential science is utilised to inform best practice, alongside technology to deliver efficiency.

“Our organisation is recognised for delivering the best service for our customers from our 40 locations across the whole of the UK and Ireland. Our commitment

to continuous improvement and a responsibility to meet environmental requirements has seen us invest heavily in research and technology. “The findings of this study confirms the investment we have made has allowed for a reduction in herbicide required whilst delivering the best possible outcomes from a quality, financial and environmental perspective.” The research found that:

• Across 18 different environmental impact categories, hot foam had the highest impact in all but one category, with the environmental impact of glyphosate being lowest in all but two categories.

• Total product usage was lowest, at 0.33 litres per km for glyphosate, compared to 4.06 litres of acetic acid (12 times more herbicide), and 5.38 litres of hot foam (16 times more than glyphosate) required to treat one kilometre of pavement.

• Hot foam required 629.64 litres of water per kilometre - 62 times more water than glyphosate, which required 13 litres per kilometre. Acetic acid required 8.44 litres per kilometre.

• Applying glyphosate used less fuel - just 0.18 litres of diesel per km treated, compared to 0.19 litres for acetic acid, and 12.33 litres of diesel, plus 2.13 litres of petrol for hot foam – that’s 63 times more diesel and 100% more petrol than required for glyphosate.

• It took 0.16 hours of labour to treat one kilometre with glyphosate, compared to 0.23 hours for acetic acid, and 4.89 hours for hot foam.

• Glyphosate was also the product that worked best – generating only four complaints, compared to 22 for acetic acid, and 29 for hot foam. Complete Weed Control’s South Wales team have been using their WEEDit technology on the streets of Cardiff for more than 20 years and following the report a spokesman for

‘OUR COMMITMENT TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND A RESPONSIBILITY TO MEET ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS HAS SEEN US INVEST HEAVILY IN RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY.’

Cardiff Council said that the Council had a duty of care to keep Cardiff’s streets and pavements free from trip-hazards and is also determined to achieve its One Planet Cardiff goals, reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment.

“The results of the independent trial suggest that the best way of doing that is to continue with our existing approach to weed control, while continuing the work that has already seen the amount of glyphosate applied in Cardiff reduced by 80% compared to previous application methods.”

n Look out for the interview with Ian Graham and Dr Dan Jones on the Turf Matters YouTube channel.

Alan Abel and Ian Graham, of Complete Weed Control, flank Dan Jones

Customer focussed success for ABA

ABA Groundcare based in the South West of England have expanded once again with another new depot opened on Woodward Road, Tiverton.

Following the closure of MST, former Devon Agricultural dealership, in 2022 due to cash flow issues, Jamie Hutchings, the owner of ABA Groundcare seized the opportunity to expand his business and opened up a branch in Tiverton.

“We established the business in 2014 in Dorchester. We built up in that region and then looked to expand. I got to know Scott Struthers, from MST, and dealt and traded with him regularly. I offered him a job many times, but he always said no,” said Jamie.

“Then we heard what was happening with MST and stepped in and offered five former members of the staff including Scott, a job at our new premises in Tiverton, totalling over 200 years experience.”

Jamie added that employing skilled staff was an issue in every trade, and he was thankful that he could find five skilled new members willing to carry on working together.

“It was an easy decision to make. They wanted to stay together working and quickly decided they were happy to join my company.”

The Tiverton branch offers servicing and parts, supply garden machinery, agricultural vehicles, and quad bikes from the likes of Stihl, Yamaha, Husqvarna and Stiga to name a few, alongside the specialist ISEKI ground care unit.

“We are continuing to offer a service which customers of MST now miss here in Tiverton. It’s also a great central location as you can get anywhere reasonably quickly in Devon from here.

“It’s a service-led business, but we sell as well. We are here to look out for our customers; any sales are a bonus. Scott who was previously sales rep for MST, has built up excellent relationships with customers in the area, it is great to have him on board to continue offering the same service.

“I come from an engineer’s background, so every product we sell has been chosen because it’s a good quality product, easy to work on and reliable. It’s not just about selling product; it’s about selling decent products, and that’s why we partnered with ISEKI because there’s nothing better.”

On running the business during the pandemic and cost of living crisis, he added that the ground care business hasn’t been too badly affected, other than the supply of goods.

“People still need the machinery; they still want to be in their gardens, so other than the cost of everything going up, we’re in a fairly strong place.

“If customers are not buying from you, they’re going to want what they’ve got repaired and serviced. I don’t think we will see too much problem, but we will try and keep the costs down and try and weather the storm.”

Commenting on the change Scott said that it was the best outcome for him and his customers.

“I have built up such good relationships with so many in the Devon area and to be able to continue to build on this

with such good support and service from ABA Groundcare is the ideal outcome for me.”

David Withers, Managing Director of ISEKI, added that it was exciting for them too.

“We’ve been trading with Jamie, ABA Groundcare for many years and have a great relationship, which makes it easier. We know Jamie; we know he is really customer focused and dedicated to the service side of the business, which is what customers really want.

“As well as that, you’ve got a group of people who we would’ve lost all of that industry knowledge if Jamie hadn’t stepped in to do what he’s done. It’s great for the customers in the area who will get great backup support, and we’ll get more exposure going forward. It’s excellent for Jamie to be able to expand his business.

“It’s a win for Jamie, a win for us as a manufacturer and great for the staff there who could have ended up without roles or having to do something that they’re not experienced in, it would have been a shame to have lost that.”

Andrew Parr, a former MST staff member, now working at ABA Groundcare, said he had worked for MST from the year dot, with almost 40 years of employment.

“It was such a shock when MST announced it was closing, because MST has been a part of Tiverton for many years. The old depot was built in 1962 and started as Twose in Halberton.

“I saw a lot of changes over the years, and now it’s just lovely to continue providing a service with five former MST staff, and being around familiar faces.

“Jamie is a good boss and we have the backing of ISEKI, which is a great product.”

‘WE HAVE THE BACKING OF ISEKI, WHICH IS A GREAT PRODUCT.’

STEM partnership is launched

BIGGA and the GCSAA are collaborating to have BIGGA exclusively present GCSAA’s First Green STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education programme in the UK.

Founded in 1997, First Green is the only STEM education and environmental outreach programme using golf courses as learning labs.

The First Green curriculum helps students apply their classroom knowledge in an outdoor setting. Using STEM concepts connected to golf course management and conservation, students find new inspiration in their schoolwork and learn about the possibility of a career in golf or a STEM-related field. Since its inception, First Green has reached students in the United States and Canada through learning labs that bring the classroom to life on the golf course. First Green also gives students a first-hand look at the important role greenkeepers

play in their communities.

As part of the multi-year agreement, GCSAA will provide branding, training, insight and curriculum advice to assist BIGGA with establishing First Green in the UK. The two associations will share best practices and updates to ensure students will be part of programmes offering the best possible experience and learning.

This initiative was announced as part of BTME in a joint event attended by representatives

of GCSAA and BIGGA.

“First Green is a brilliant tool with all the assets, lesson plans and resources that any golf course needs to host an event. We’re thankful to the GCSAA for the incredible work they have done to develop the programme and also for enabling us to bring it to the UK, where I am confident it will be a huge success,” said Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO.

Rhett Evans, GCSAA CEO, explained that STEM education opened the door to a wide variety of career paths.

“While our number one goal for First Green is to support the education growth of students, we also contribute to golf’s sustainability. Over the years we have collaborated on many initiatives with BIGGA. This enables our two associations to seamlessly bring the GCSAA’s First Green programme to the UK.”

n thefirstgreen.org

Keep your knapsack for longer

Land-based Awarding Organisation

Lantra has launched a short course to help heighten awareness of the key role that due care of knapsack sprayers plays in maximising lifetime and safety of the equipment.

The Knapsack & Handheld Sprayer Maintenance course is already attracting keen interest among grounds maintenance teams, who are increasingly seeking to make the most of their equipment.

Adopting material supplied by professional knapsack sprayer manufacturer Hozelock-Exel, Lantra-accredited training providers Outlook Training, Greenscope Training and Harper Adams University

collaborated to design the course, intended “to prolong equipment lifetime, ensure correct application of liquids and save time and money”.

“The course is

designed to develop the knowledge to maintain and service handheld pesticide, feeds and control products applicators and is available for learners aged 16-plus who hold Safe Use of Pesticides and Handheld Application of Pesticides qualifications,” explained David Fisher, Lantra Head of Industry Partnerships.

“For pesticides and general users, it is vital to ensure equipment is safe, fully calibrated and in good working order. The outcome from taking the course is that operators can prolong the life of their sprayers, while also helping the environment by using trusted equipment.”

The new course, embracing theory and practice, will equip learners with the knowledge and understanding to:

• Strip down the knapsack;

• Identify damaged or broken parts that need replacing;

• Pursue safe working practices and personal safety;

• Reduce risk of incorrect/

off-target application;

• Enable companies to ensure compliance with the Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Operators can recertify after five years, and after completing the course, operators will keep their knapsacks in good working condition for longer by identifying damaged or broken parts, then replacing them, rather than disposing of the whole unit.

“Raising awareness of the importance of knapsack maintenance has been a cornerstone of our strategy for some time.,” said Allan Wainwright, Hozelock-Exel Sales Manager (Commercial Spraying).

“I’m delighted that the knowledge operators need to extend sprayer lifetime has been assembled into a certification of competence by Lantra. This is a major advance for the sprayer sector.”

n www.lantra.co.uk

n www.cooper-pegler.com

Practical training sessions for free at GroundsFest

Organisers of GroundsFest have announced that free practical training sessions will be available at the event, which takes place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on 20 – 21 September 2023.

The training will be carried out by Grounds Training – a leading provider of independently accredited education within the sports turf and grounds maintenance sectors. The sessions will be delivered by a fantastic team of Lantra approved instructors which includes Keith Kent, Martin Sampson, Chris Parry, and Steve Potter.

Throughout the two-day event, the Grounds Training programme will include hands-on training sessions on a range of topics including line marking for winter sports and athletics, pedestrian mowers, ride-on mowers, hand held machinery, and the calibration and use of knapsack sprayers and boom sprayers. There will also be a specific management session designed for grounds managers, bursars, club managers and committee chairs.

From management to apprentice,

the free training programme will be ideal for all those working in sports turf management, grounds maintenance, greenkeeping, horticulture, landscaping, the maintenance of commercial estates, and local authority parks and green spaces.

“We’re really excited to be running these hands-on sessions. It’s a great opportunity for visitors to receive an introduction to some of the most popular courses we deliver,” said Martin Sampson, Managing Director of Grounds Training.

“The Lantra instructors we’ll have at the event have more than 160 years of industry experience between us; we’re all passionate about delivering high-quality education, and sharing our knowledge to inform, encourage and inspire the next generation. We hope visitors will take the opportunity to build some learning into their time at GroundsFest.”

Event Director Christopher Bassett said that he was delighted to be welcoming Grounds Training to GroundsFest.

“This is an incredible feature which has never been seen at a UK groundscare event and we’re over the moon to have such a superb line-up of instructors delivering the sessions. “The programme offers visitors a fantastic opportunity to come along and receive some real, hands-on training from qualified instructors for free. We have always promised to give back to the industry and this is just the first step towards achieving this.”

n www.groundsfest.com

Sustainability top of agenda at SAGE

SAGE will be held at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern on 19-20 July.

SAGE is a hands-on, interactive experience with zero limitations.

Situated at The Three Counties Show Ground, SAGE is based entirely outdoors, with large areas of space available for each exhibitor.

This year, SAGE 2023 is bringing sustainability to the forefront and leading the way in making exhibitions greener. Throughout the event, there will be no disposable plastic water bottles, and instead, fountains will be available to fill up reusable bottles. Similarly, all packaging used by on-site caterers will

be fully compostable. At the bar, beer barrels will be replacing bottles, and hired glasses will be used at the networking events to reduce single-use plastic.

In partnership with Bio-Circle, SAGE is going to be hosting the first-ever sustainable solutions summit for grounds specialists. This year, SAGE will also be home to GRASS, the allnew sustainable forum that advises on tailor-made sustainable practices for businesses to help their mission to hit net zero by 2050. Built to support the grounds care industry with knowledge and specialist advice, GRASS will exclusively exhibit at SAGE this year.

Sharing the same values and emphasis on sustainability, TH White Machinery Imports LTD is also proud to be exhibiting at SAGE this year. They will be launching their latest hybrid remote control mower the FRC7, replacing paper brochures with a simple QR code for each brand model, as well as using QR codes in the place of business cards, all in an effort to be more sustainable.

This year, SAGE is set to be bigger than ever before, with visitor interest growing daily.

Come along to discover, demo, and network at SAGE 2023. n sportsandgrounds.events

“THE PROGRAMME OFFERS VISITORS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO COME ALONG AND RECEIVE SOME REAL, HANDS-ON TRAINING FROM QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS FOR FREE.”

Feast of knowledge at Dennis Sisis seminar

For more than 10 years Dennis Sisis have held pre-season indoor seminars so it was fantastic, after an enforced absence since 2020, have it back in the calendar.

The “Cricket Pitch Maintenance in a Changing Environment” Seminar at St Albans School Woohham Trust, one of the regular hosts, offered the 200 delegates a feast of knowledge and a genuine sense of normality.

The programme was devised by the school’s Head of Grounds, Ian Smith and for the morning session at least, hit delegates like a sledge hammer.

The extremely polished Robert Jack, of Howardson Group, was the Master of Ceremonies and he did an excellent job all day of keeping to time and pitching in comments and questions to ensure a smooth running show.

A weather forecast for 2050 and information that abstraction licenses may be be revoked or restricted in 2028 offered a glimpse into the future that turf managers would perhaps describe euphemistically as “challenging”.

The weather forecast came from Met Office meteorologist Aiden McGivern who delivered his paper via video. He admitted that the projections he had included were two years old but that already some of the extremes in temperature had been reached.

He talked about regularly topping

40 degrees in the UK – a level that created a new British record last summer – but that it would become a common occurrence. Aiden also said that temperatures in India would hit the high 40 degrees, and that there would be bans on outdoor working which would impact farming and, of course, sports turf maintenance.

Aiden was followed by Andrew House, of the Environment Agency, who broke the news about the changed to extraction licenses which will be brought in in 2028. Anyone hoping that this might result in a more beneficial outcome for turf managers would undoubtedly be viewed as optimistic at best.

Ton Hanson, Managing Director of Environmental Solutions International, and George Warren, Anglian Water’s Integrated Water Management Lead, looked at what we might be facing over the next few years and what water might be available to the amenity sector, or not, as the case may be.

With the picture painted it was time for two well known faces to come up with solutions.

Alex Vickers, now a turf consultant but with 25 years of experience at TGMS and as Director of the MSc programme in Sports Surface Technology at Cranfield University, and Dr Christian Spring, the STRI’s Group Principal Scientist, spoke on “Root Zones for a Changing Climate” and “Pests and Diseases

of the Future” respectively. Complete with red bucket and a sponge Alex was able to illustrate how water operated in rootzone while Christian identified which diseases and pests would thrive in hotter dryer summers and wetter winters.

The morning was a well balanced and thoughtful session and perhaps was a case of better off knowing what we are likely to be facing in the short, medium and long term, than innocently thinking that everything would remain much the same and that the weather we have been experiencing lately is nothing more than a blip.

After lunch provided by the school catering staff, the afternoon session kicked off with Dr Iain James, the ECB’s Head of Facilities Services. Iain spoke on “What Does Sustainability Mean for Grass Roots Clubs?” and covered everything from recycling old kit which carried old sponsors names to stripping parts from no-longer-used mowers.

There could be no better duo to deliver the final formal talk “Cricket Pitch Preparations – difference between north and south” than Vic Demain, Head Groundsman at the Durham CCC, the most northerly Test ground in the world and Karl McDermott, who was Head Groundsman at Hampshire CCC, the most southerly Test Ground in England, and now Head Groundsman at Lords.

Vic and Karl know each other inside out and were able to josh and joke while offering the assembled gathering some insights into both their jobs. In Vic’s case the earlier and earlier start to the season is an added factor while Karl spoke of the complications created by the slope when watering the most famous ground in cricket.

The day ended with a Q&A Session with Vic and Karl, as always, sharing their knowledge on a wide range of subjects.

Sponsors for the day were Turf Matters; Stuart Canvas Group; DLF Seeds; RT Machinery; Boughton; SIS Grass; Grounds Training; Mansfield Sand; Origan Amenity Solutions; Turf Tank and White Horse Contractors.

The Dennis Sisis seminar offered a glimpse into the future

Agrovista launches nutrition brochure

Agrovista Amenity has launched its new nutrition brochure for 2023/24.

The comprehensive brochure features the extensive list of Agrovista Amenity’s nutrition product offerings, including granular, liquid, soluble, and micronutrients.

Many turf professionals have benefitted from using the likes of the Evolution granular fertiliser range, the E2Pro liquid and soluble products, and the GoGreen micro-nutrient range.

All of these products, and many more, feature in the new brochure complete with advice on how to get the best results, including recommended period of use, directions for use and application rates.

The aim of the brochure is not just to provide a list of products, but also to offer support and

guidance to help individuals make clear informed choices. Agrovista Amenity’s independent and global reach allows the company to source and offer products from many different supply partners, blending the best the market has to offer in a complete range.

“Over the last few seasons, we have seen global instability leading to wild fluctuations in commodity pricing and the knock-on effect of huge price increases in what was staple fertiliser choices,” said John Marland, Agrovista Amenity’s Head of Amenity.

“By sourcing directly, we can provide nutritional solutions that offer the best value without sacrificing agronomic performance.

“We offer market leading testing to allow the optimum decision support to our customers’ nutritional inputs. Every Agrovista Amenity

representative is qualified to BASIS and FACTS as a minimum, and will be able to provide soil, water, and leaf tissue analysis. In addition, representatives can also offer a fully independent fertiliser programme complete with weekly weather data to support input choices.”

The brochure also contains information on the Agrovista Amenity Academy, which is a free online learning resource providing in-depth Knowledge courses on subjects such as turf disease, product application, turf pests, managing moss, frost, weeds, and thatch as well as courses for products sold by Agrovista Amenity. n www.agrovista. co.uk/amenity

Partnership brings Marathon Algae to UK

Collier Turf Care and Olmix Plant Care have announced a partnership to develop the sequential release organomineral fertiliser Marathon ALGAE, on sport pitches in United Kingdom.

Geert Bakker, Olmix Territory Manager for the Northern European Turf and Amenity markets, said: “Collier Turf Care is a fast-growing company and we are more than happy to introduce the Marathon ALGAE range together.”

The French company Olmix, a specialist in biosolutions and nutritional solutions for plant care, designs, produces and markets via a network of distributors a range of bio-sourced solutions for agriculture and the sports turf and green spaces market.

Constantly innovating its ranges, Olmix continues to improve the performance of the Marathon range. Among these innovations: the incorporation of dry seaweed extracts (called SEADRY), rich in specific sugars (marine sulphated

polysaccharides) and rare trace elements like vanadium. SEADRY has the particularity of developing root mycorrhization (symbiotic association between plant roots and soil fungi) which enhances the nutrition of the turf, particularly in phosphorus and trace elements. This SEADRY innovation complements the XSER technology that has made Marathon such a success, and now renamed Marathon ALGAE! Another new feature: the improved particle size of the Marathon ALGAE formulas. Now produced entirely in the group’s Dutch factory in Rogat, the Marathon ALGAE range has benefited from industrial investments to ensure volumes in a growing market and the quality required by demanding professionals. Olmix pays particular attention to the quality of its products in order to guarantee users good spread conditions and rapid disaggregation of the granules for perfect efficiency.

“Sports pitch managers in the UK are

top professionals, looking for the best solutions. With the Marathon ALGAE range and our partnership with Collier Turf Care, we can meet the growing demand from these professionals for effective and more environmentally friendly solutions. Marathon ALGAE has proven itself on many of Europe’s top sports pitches and there is a strong market demand for this range,” said Geert.

Managing Director Andrew Harding and his team at Collier Turf Care Ltd are excited about the new Olmix partnership and particularly the opportunity to advise, promote and sell the Marathon brand throughout the UK: “The new improved granulation of Marathon with added algae offers many benefits to UK sports facilities, and our UK trials have highlighted many positives with great results. We are confident once used our customers will keep using,” said Andrew. n sales@collier-turf-care.co.uk

ICL introduces revolutionary biodegradable technology

ICL introduces a revolutionary biodegradable coating technology for its controlled release fertilisers in the turf market: eqo.s® technology.

The new coating for nitrogen is compliant with future (EU) fertiliser regulations, helping turf managers to improve their nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and will provide a solution for future sustainable turf management programmes.

With its patented eqo.s release technology, ICL takes the lead in providing a fully biodegradable coating that breaks down faster than existing coating technologies. The innovation will be introduced in ICL’s

CRF portfolio for the turf segment, starting with the premium ranges Sierrablen and Sierrablen Plus. In order to meet expected market demand, ICL has invested $20 million in a new production line for eqo.s release technology at its Heerlen facility in the Netherlands.

CRFs with eqo.s technology ensure optimal turf performance. The innovation is thoroughly tested in the field and has proven to be as reliable as current coatings, thus maintaining the high quality you can expect from ICL products. eqo.s release technology shows consistent and predictable nutrient release patterns while also limiting environmental impact by reducing nutrient losses and by increasing the NUE. After all nutrients are released, the coating degrades faster than ever before.

WHAT TURF PROFESSIONALS NEED TO KNOW

CRF products with eqo.s technology have the same advantages for turf professionals as current coating technologies as they improve the NUE and nutrient

uptake by the plant. In addition:

• Field trials with eqo.s prove similar, significant reduction in nitrogen leaching, volatilisation and denitrification.

• eqo.s shows improved growth and quality with reduced fertiliser inputs, as fewer applications are required versus conventional fertilisers.

• eqo.s shows the same consistent, reliable nutrient release for optimal growth.

Our CRF products are of the highest possible quality, and the technology we introduce today, eqo.s, works similar to the previous coating technologies, but with some key improvements”, confirmed Dr Andy Owen, ICL lnternational Technical Manager Turf & Landscape. “The application rates and high quality results will remain, and even the look of the product is comparable. It is good news for turf managers and greenkeepers as their CRF products will give the same high performance as before. What makes it revolutionary is that the fully biodegradable eqo.s coating breaks down quicker and is completely compliant with future fertiliser regulations.”

Though eqo.s technology will first be introduced into ICL’s premium CRF ranges of Sierrablen and Sierrablen Plus in 2023, ICL is confident that by, mid-2026, when the new biodegradability requirements will take effect on the EU market, the company will be able to provide fast biodegradable coatings for all its CRFs in the turf and landscape market.

n www.icl-sf.co.uk

How grasses can help reduce your carbon footprint

Trees and grasses as with all other chlorophyll-based plants use photosynthesis to convert CO2 into organic compounds using sunlight. Trees lock carbon as lignin (woody matter) with 80% of the biomass being above ground in tree trunks and branches. For grasses, the woody parts of the plants are the fibrous roots, with 70 - 80% of the biomass underground. Denser, deeper, faster growing grass root systems will produce more organic matter and hence more carbon. We can best visualise the root mass of grasses as a carbon reservoir representing about 27 tons of CO2 per hectare. When roots die, they decompose into humus and the carbon is transferred into the soil. In addition to roots, some grass clippings and leaves may also transform to humus.

Carbon sequestration into the soil is thought to increase annually and stabilise after about 50 years although it may not have a maximum holding capacity in certain climatic conditions.

If the organic matter does not decompose it may build up as peat deposits, this is what happens on moorland. The build-up of thatch on sports grounds is a parallel process; subject to compaction and anaerobic conditions the rapid formation of organic matter is easily observable in a season.

Our research first looked at the potential differences for carbon sequestration between grass species at the Top Green trial grounds sown in 2005 at Les Alleuds, France; having access to several hectares of 1m 2 plots.

The method of analysis, known as L.O.I. (Loss on Ignition) involves burning off the organic matter from the dry soil samples at 450oC for several hours and comparing the results to the baseline soil organic matter (SOM) before the grass was sown.

The initial results showed significant differences of carbon sequestration between species varying from 4.7 to 20.5 tons of CO2eq / yr.

Since 2005 our research has been extended to look at grass cultivars on trial plots in Denmark as well as in France, (see opposite). Here we observed a greater difference between the cultivars of a species than between the averages of species. We also observed that the Danish trial plots sequestered about half as much carbon as the French trial plots. We concluded this to be caused by the different soil types, the climate and the length of the growing season. The results, however, did show an excellent consistency between cultivars wherever they were grown.

It should be noted that all the

Howard Wood B.Sc. (Hons) Environmental Consultant and consultant to Origin Amenity Solutions discusses carbon sequestration in grasses.

grass cultivars tested are registered cultivars that have been compared by the BSPB (British Society of Plant Breeders) for visual merit, disease resistance, recovery etc. With our research results in hand, we then looked at how they could be best put to use. Given the wide choice of grass cultivars with proven qualities that are used in sports and amenity mixes, it made sense to offer the cultivars with better scores for carbon sequestration to those wishing to reduce their carbon footprint.

Origin Amenity Solutions selects the better performing cultivars for the Carbon4Grass seed range. Comparative graphs in the literature show the difference between a selected Carbon4Grass mix and a standard mix where the carbon scores have been compared.

Typically, the differences represent 20% - 30% increases in carbon sequestration. It should be remembered that these results are based on trial plots, real time monitoring of carbon sequestration on golf courses, sports grounds and amenity areas should be undertaken if the exact figures are required for any particular geographical location.

The potential for carbon sequestration in grasses is an important contribution to total carbon inputs in green infrastructure which includes trees, hedges and all other types of vegetation. To know if carbon inputs can outweigh the carbon emissions of an activity brings us into the realm of carbon audits. That is perhaps a discussion for a later date, but research is ongoing; our first carbon audit for a UK park was undertaken in 2010. n www.originamenity.com

goes down memory lane and revisits one of his old golfing haunts

Returning to the best of

Scott MacCallum

heath

Igrew up in a town just nine miles from St Andrews but any chance of my being good at golf was scuppered by the fact that Cupar Golf Club, a nine hole course built on the side of a hill, didn’t have a pro. Without professional coaching on-hand or, back in the late 60s and early 70s, the aid of on-line instruction my swing was, and remains, more Picasso than Rembrandt.

Given such an impediment, it is amazing that I remain in love with the game of golf. Back then, there was one course that I dreamt of becoming a member, as I hacked my way round Cupar. It wasn’t the nearby Old Course, nor indeed any of the other St Andrews Links Courses – it was a little bit more inland and one that I got to play occasionally with a close friend who was lucky enough to be a member.

Ladybank was lovely, but I knew my dream was unlikely to come true. The waiting list back then was enormous and, in my mind, I would be middle aged before I would get my hands on

that prized members’ bag tag. In reality, of course, I would probably have still been in my early 20s.

However, it was a case of never knowing where you will lay your hat, and after I left for college I wasn’t to live in the area again, and Ladybank Golf Club became a fond memory.

There is no doubt that Ladybank is a special place, but don’t just take my word for it. Victor Perez, who was sitting atop the DP World Tour rankings at the time of my visit, uses Ladybank as his “home” course, as does Connor Syme, widely expected to be the next Scot to bag a Tour win.

I was therefore delighted when, having heard some excellent reports about the work going on at the club, I contacted Course Manager, Grant Frogley, and he agreed to a Turf Matters feature. So it was that I was able to visit Ladybank for the first time in over 40 years.

Grant, who has a stellar CV covering some of the finest hotel and proprietary golf clubs in the country – think Gleneagles, gWest and The Roxburghe – arrived at Ladybank in August 2021, and

immediately rolled up his sleeves. There was work to be done and the club, having only just completed an extensive, and expensive, bunker renovation programme masterminded by renowned architect Paul Kimber, showed its desire once again to be up for the challenge.

“When I played the course for the first time, during the interview process, I was expecting to find a heathland golf course, but to be honest I didn’t get that sense initially. It was only when I got to the 4th tee and saw the view over the 5th, 6th and across to the 13th that I began to get excited. From there on the course was great,” explained Grant.

“The club saw itself as a heathland course but I read some of the course reviews and many of them referred to the course as parkland,” said Grant, who added that in some cases it may have been that the reviewer only really thought of courses in terms of either links or parkland.

As we spoke I thought back 40 years to my times at Ladybank, I

“I WANTED TO GO IN AND HIT AN AREA HARD, SO THAT IT WASN’T JUST COSMETIC BUT IMPACTING THE WHOLE ETHOS OF THE GOLF COURSE.”

The team with Grant first on the left, in his shorts

must admit, I didn’t think of it as parkland then. Trees, however, can grow quite a bit in four decades!

With grants for tree planting prevalent in the 1970s and 80s, many golf clubs found themselves in the same position as Ladybank and saw the character of the course change. There are innumerable such courses, particularly in the Home Counties, which have undertaken recent and drastic work to return courses to their former glory.

“I can understand why the club did it. They would plant some trees to create definition on certain holes which was great, but as anybody knows, as trees mature they need to be thinned out, otherwise they become very dense and the

shade crowds out the heather.”

When it comes to work of this scale, with a significant short to medium impact on the course, it is often as much a case of winning hearts and minds as it is securing agreement to wield the chainsaw and stump grinders.

“At interview I told the panel that if they wanted 20 more years of the same, I wasn’t their guy and not to give me the job. I also told them that we couldn’t do it until we had buy-in from the membership. There would be disruption and everyone had to be on board – or at least as many people as possible.”

With the successful bunker programme not long finished, there was a feeling within the club

that there might be a bit of a rest period before the next big project.

“But I came in and said ‘No, we keep steaming on. There is more to do.’ There was some hesitancy and a nervousness but to the Board’s credit they backed me and offered me full support.”

The existing management plan did cover the removal of the odd tree around the course but Grant wasn’t interested in taking out a couple of trees on every hole.

“I wanted to go in and hit an area hard, so that it wasn’t just cosmetic but impacting the whole ethos of the golf course.”

The course had lots of Scots pine, a few beech, some silver birch and a lot of citrus spruce,

and it was the spruce which Grant prioritised, as they had grown into large out-of-control trees, and are not native to the area.

Grant initially identified the 12th and the 14th holes, both of which were dark and heavily tree-lined and increasingly tight to play, He had hoped to work on both in the same year, but it was the 12th which became the trail blazer for the work.

“Previously it had been the policy of using white paint to mark those trees which would be removed, but I was marking the trees which I wanted to keep.

“The process was that there would be a period of consultation to enable people to comment. I went through the area and identified the trees for removal and I did a little video for the Green Committee explaining

that I’d earmarked about 80, with around another 20 likely to go. I sent the video and within two minutes my phone rang – ‘Did you say eight or 80?’. When I said ‘80’ the reply was: ‘I’ll be there in five minutes.’ When the concerned committee member arrived, Grant was able to explain the rationale for his proposal and the support for the work began to come in, first at Green

Committee level, then Board level and, slowly but surely, member level.

“Once members understood why we were doing it they were fine. Most people were inquisitive rather than critical and sometimes the comments have been right and highlighted where we might have communicated better,” explained Grant, who said that five of his eight staff now have their chainsaw certificates.

“The success story of that first phase was that people saw the trees dropping, and although there were a few concerned emails, the majority saw what we were trying to do and were keen to know what was next. The improvement to the hole was like night and day.

Grant knew that the heather seed bed was still there and that the regeneration would happen, but heather is a slow growing plant and, while they could assist with replanting heather from other parts of the course and harvesting of seed, the full benefits would take time.

“We’ve tried not to make the regenerating areas GUR but we do ask if you are not playing a competitive round to move the ball to the side.”

It is a long term project and Grant doesn’t expect to see the full benefit for around five years, by which time the course will be well on its way to be returning to its status as one of Scotland’s premier heathland courses.

It was a lovely day during

my visit and Grant and I took a walk. I think he knew that I was desperate to see, not just the work that was being done, but the course which had captured my heart all those years ago.

Walking down the 1st he pointed out one tree that would never be removed as it had become such a feature of the hole. It was an apple tree about 50 yards from the green. Grant mentioned that it probably grew there after someone threw away an apple core which had taken root.

I must admit, I did quickly rifle through my memory banks to recall if I had once been an oncourse apple eater and possibly the golfer responsible!

Grant is unusual in that he moved from top hotel and proprietary owned golf courses to a private members’ club, when most of his peers move in the opposite direction. He is therefore well placed to comment on the differences.

“The initial thing is the speed at which you can get things done. You have to appreciate that with a Board of a members’ club they are volunteers and would perhaps go through their emails when they get home from work. They would then have to wait for the next Board meeting in a couple of weeks before a decision could be taken. If you have a General Manager or an owner they are on hand to make decisions right away.”

Grant also believes that proprietary or hotel courses are able to detach themselves from the emotion on a decision and take a position on a more business-like approach.

“There are a lot of good business people on golf club Boards, but they are often having to make decisions at the golf club on top of those they have to make in their own professions. Being a golf club Board member should be an honour and many decisions could be left to the Club Manager or the Course Manager, allowing the Board members to get on with enjoying their golf.

“For example, I should source and cost alternative course furniture, then take the options to the Green Committee, or the Board, to choose which they wanted. It is for me to do the leg work and provide a sensible range of options.

“Golf clubs are no longer small, local organisations. They are often operating million pound turnovers and are big businesses in their own right

There is no doubting the modern day success of Ladybank. Not only do they have superb facilities, the course is well on its way to reinstating its position as one of the country’s very best heathland courses.

I am sure I’m not going to leave it another 40 years before my next visit.

“BEING A GOLF CLUB BOARD MEMBER SHOULD BE AN HONOUR AND MANY DECISIONS COULD BE LEFT TO THE CLUB MANAGER OR THE COURSE MANAGER, ALLOWING THE BOARD MEMBERS TO GET ON WITH ENJOYING THEIR GOLF.”

Drought-tolerant seed scores in Eastleigh

Opened in late 2019, Stoneham Lane Football Complex comprises 64sq. Km of artificial and natural sports pitches – supporting grass roots football for players of all ages and abilities.

Part of the FA’s Parklife Project, the maintenance of the Complex falls under the remit of Hampshire FA Facility Operations Manager Pete Hussey who, in conjunction with seed from DLF, keeps the five grass pitches fit for more than 425 matches per season.

Alongside the Stoneham Lane facility in Eastleigh, Pete also manages operations at the Winklebury Football Complex in Basingstoke and the Front Lawn Community Hub in Havant – all designed to support and fund grass roots sport within the local area.

“I’ve been in this role for three and a half years, but have worked with DLF for 17 years, having used various seed formulations at my previous venue” explained Pete.

“When Stoneham was constructed, one of the major focuses was on drainage – giving us incredible infiltration rates in the region of 52mm per hour. However, the flip side of that is that we have no irrigation meaning that in the dry months, pitches struggle to retain moisture and thin out quickly.”

Foreseeing the challenges that lay ahead, Pete spoke to his DLF Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett to explore more drought-tolerant varieties – and just in time, before one of the most prolonged droughts experienced in the UK, in the summer of 2022!

“We opted to switch from the 100% diploid perennial ryegrass mix to Johnsons J 4Turf 50, sown in May 2022, and we couldn’t have been more impressed with the results.”

J 4Turf 50 incorporates 4turf tetraploid perennial ryegrass, a larger seed with higher energy reserves to deliver deeper rooting, better establishing plants –including in cooler temperatures – with

enhanced colour, disease resistance and drought tolerance. The 2023 formulation contains 50% 4turf® tetraploid rye and 50% diploid perennial ryegrass. Before and after photographs show the difference barely a month apart last summer/autumn time.

Millfield gets the MM treatment

Craig Richardson, Head of Grounds and Gardens, is using a range of MM and Designer grass seed on a variety of sports pitches at the prestigious Millfield School in Somerset.

Boasting a fascinating history and a brilliant present, Millfield is one of the leading UK independent schools for boys and girls, aged 2-18 years. It all started back in 1935 when six princes were brought back from India to be educated by the School’s founder Jack Meyer.

The School grew steadily and in 1939 became one of the first independent schools to be coeducational. It was shortly after that Millfield gained fame as the first in the country to deal successfully with dyslexic pupils.

Fast forward to the present and Millfield continues to gain widespread recognition for both academic success and an outstanding array of extracurricular activities. Sport is also a serious matter at Millfield and it proudly holds the reputation of the best sporting school in the UK.

“I can’t think of a sport that we don’t have here,” said Craig, who has been in his position at Millfield since July 2016.

Indeed, Millfield is known for its sporting prowess and has produced many top-class international sports persons and Olympic athletes. One look at the stunning sports pitches and amenities will tell you that no stone is left un-turned in providing facilities of the highest quality –and that’s where Craig and his team of 24 grounds staff come in.

Maintenance regimes for all surfaces and gardens across the three sites (Millfield Prep School, Millfield School and Kingweston Sports Ground) are set by Craig and he uses a wide range of suppliers to identify only the best equipment and materials.

One such supplier is MM Sports Seed and Craig has been a long-term advocate of the company’s range of grass seed.

MM is one of the most respected brands in the UK sportsturf and amenity industries and is relied upon at top sports grounds throughout the UK and beyond.

In particular, Craig uses MM10 on the School’s golf greens which offers good, dense putting surfaces; MM50 - a hard-wearing ryegrass mix which is ideal for cricket squares and outfields; Action Replay (from the Designer range) for winter pitches; and MM60 – which Craig reserves for the main pitches.

“I solely use MM60 on what I class as my premium pitches. These are the pitches where we have installed drainage and irrigation and carry out annual fraise mow renovations, these include our first team pitches for football and rugby.”

MM60 is renowned for producing an excellent playing surface. It is a 100% ryegrass formula which is perfect for renovation and divot repair, has a high disease resistance, fantastic aesthetic qualities and offers extremely fast germination – which is boosted by the inclusion of Headstart GOLD.

“It’s important that the first team pitches get the MM60 treatment. The mixtures are clean, they give me peace of mind, you know what they are going to do, and they perform. Ultimately, I always get good results from the seed.

“Furthermore, Matt Gresty (UK sales and marketing manager) provides everything you want and more. He is full of technical knowledge and is always there when you want him.

“What I like about Matt is that he always provides an honest and informed view.” n www.mm-seeds.co.uk

Wiedenmann’s Terra Float Air has tool and seed options to suit

Wiedenmann UK’s Terra Float Air has four tool options to let operators vary sizes of seed ‘pots’. The distinctive Air is a 3-in-1 combination pneumatic overseeder with forward speeds of up to 10 km/hr and incredible accuracy in quantities as low as 1.0 gm per m². Its most popular tool is the cone shaped option, introduced in 2020. Designed like a point of a ballpoint pen, the more pressure you exert, the deeper and wider the hole becomes.

Without weight or pressure, the hole size produced can be around 6 -8 mm deep which is ideal for bent applications. Adding some weight to the tray pushes the nose deeper and wider, making it 12-15 mm in diameter at 12-15 mm deep, so more suited to bigger seed types, like fescue and rye.

The versatility of the cone tool means operators don’t have to change the tool heads when they switch seed types in the same session. All they have to do is add or decrease weight to the trays.

Eoin Riddell, Course Manager at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, is a fan of the cone tool.

“When the Air came out at first, I liked it, but its spiker-headed tools that make the seed bed holes weren’t so good for fescue; the holes were too small,” said Eion.

“Then I saw it again at The Links Club at Carnoustie in April 2022. Wiedenmann UK’s Mike James demonstrated the new conical tool which make holes especially for fescue. Instantly, it resonated with me, and I thought, ‘Yes, that’s exactly what I need’.”

Seed is an increasingly precious resource, not to be squandered.

Multiple dosing options are available for every seed type, including soft-touch dosing sleeves for coated seed. All aspects of seed delivery use electric-drive technology.

The Air’s seed-dosing sleeves and fan are both electric powered. Seeds are delivered pneumatically down a series of pipes onto deflector plates, which direct the seed into the plant ‘pots’.

Everything can be calibrated from the cab. An on-board computer stores data from previous runs and allows you to amend the application rate at any point in the process. This allows for 100% accuracy,

important when dealing with small quantities or indeed, valuable, or rare seed.

After the seeds are in the ground, a double-layer sweeping brush follows on and it, too, has floating properties. A further three-part roller, like the one on the Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi6, means you have an optimal brush and roller combination to incorporate top dressing materials to the ground, before smoothing the surface.

Customers can specify the firmness of brushes. An optional load relief kit also varies the weight of brush. Depending on turf type, or indeed, weather conditions, the brush action can be made lighter.

Helping with costs of over seeding

In conjunction with Origin

Amenity Solutions, Redexim launched a brand new seed promotion at BTME 2023 to help clubs and facilities with the costs associated with overseeding. Available now and until September, purchase one of a qualifying range of Redexim Seeders and receive a redeemable voucher for £500 of seed from OAS’s new Carbon4Grass collection.

Following the prolonged hot summer of 2022, followed by a wet winter, it is likely that overseeding will be high on the agenda for many Turf Managers preparing for the new season. Aware of the pressures on budgets and the many cost increases impacting on maintenance programmes, Redexim and partners OAS have teamed up to support clubs with materials so desperately needed.

The offer is available to anybody who purchases a SpeedSeed or MultiSeeder from the Redexim dimple seeder collection, or an Overseeder 3D disc-seeder through any Redexim Regional Partner. Following the purchase, the customer will then receive a voucher for free seed to the minimum value of £500.

The promotion also highlights the Carbon4Grass range from OAS – developed to support the industry’s awareness of carbon mitigation in amenity and landscaped areas. During photo-synthesis grasses absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the leaves and roots, sequestering carbon into the soil as they senesce and decompose. With

the 10 mixes that make up the Carbon4Grass range, cultivars that sequester relatively more carbon have been specifically chosen to help mitigate the environmental impact of maintaining intensively managed turf without compromising on quality.

“The challenges facing clubs trying to deliver surfaces that meet the expectations of the players is ever increasing, so this deal is designed to give something back and support users from across the sporting spectrum with quality products in a package that delivers real added value,” said Redexim Commercial Director Paul Langford.

Jayne Leyland, Seed Product Manager for OAS, was equally delighted that following 18 years of research into carbon sequestration, it had culminated in the development of a comprehensive range of grass mixtures for fine turf, sports turf and landscaping applications.

“Sustainability is a major part of the OAS environmental strategy and that of many leading sporting venues so teaming up with Redexim to offer customers an introduction to the Carbon4Grass range is a great way to not only assure quality performance and results but to make significant inroads to helping our customers offset their carbon footprint.”

PROMOTION

HIGHLIGHTS THE CARBON4GRASS RANGE FROM OAS

Taking performance to the next level

Bernhard’s has once again displayed it is more than just a grinding company, by creating a new post of Director of Education for the recently launched Bernhard Academy.

And, what is more, they have attracted the perfect person to fill the role – Craig Haldane – who has moved to Bernhard’s from his job as Golf Courses Manager at Gleneagles.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for me and something that I’m immensely proud to be leading. It is a massive change in my career but people who know me will appreciate that it is a side of the industry that I’ve been really passionate about for the last 10 years,” said Craig, pictured above.

Craig brings 26 years of experience in the golf and turf industries to his new role.

After spending many years in the Middle East, working in both Bahrain and Dubai at venues such as the Emirates Golf Club, he became Golf Courses Manager at Gleneagles in 2018, during which time he oversaw the playing of the Solheim Cup and more recently the Senior Open Championship.

Having started his new role in January, Craig is working on

building leadership certification programmes with particular focus on the golf course mechanic role.

“There is currently no certification for golf course mechanics. They tend to join the industry from the motor trade and learn the skills as they go along. We want to be able to offer them the opportunity to say that the are a certified golf course mechanic,” he said.

Craig was keen to stress that the Academy would be there to partner with other education bodies and add value.

“There so many good colleges out there that do a fantastic job. Education has gone up to another level in the last 10 years and we want to be a part of that journey.”

Bernhard’s have long enjoyed a reputation for “putting back into the industry” and there are 100s of greenkeepers from all levels who have been a part of the annual Delegation to the Golf Industry Show in the United States.

Among those to have been part of the Delegation was Craig himself.

“I can honestly say, speaking as a former delegate, that the opportunity to be a part of the Bernhard’s Delegation along with like-minded individuals was

outstanding. You formed lifelong friendships and, while you were there, visited some golf courses with great facilities; experienced great education; attended the Show and had the chance to meet the Bernhard’s team.”

Speaking on Craig’s appointment, Bernhard and Company Managing Director, Steven Nixon, said that they were thrilled to unveil Craig as Director of Education for the Bernhard Academy.

“Craig has had an outstanding career as Golf Courses Manager at Gleneagles and at some of the best venues in the Middle East. He’s undoubtedly one of the most well-respected and knowledgeable members of the industry and brings with him a passion and drive to help others.”

The Bernhard Academy is located at the company’s factory in Haverhill, with further satellite training facilities at Moortown Golf Club and Royal Norwich. Craig and his team will be refining existing training modules in addition to creating entirely new programmes designed to help greenkeepers and turf professionals take their performance to the next level. n www.bernhard.co.uk

Five acres per charge and leaf clearance a priority

SCAG have introduced their first Electric ride-on – the EVZ.

Power is provided by the Vanguard 48V 5kWh LithiumIon commercial battery pack.

Estimated productivity of up to five acres per charge, though this depends entirely on cut height, terrain and conditions.

The required Vanguard 1050W battery charger is included with each mower. Estimated charging time: 5 hours = full charge / 3 hours = 80% charge.

Elsewhere, leaf and debris clearance is still high on the agenda this time of year and the STM / SCAG range of equipment has proved as popular as ever – with impressive sales in 2022 for the SCAG Windstorm.

And impressive is the right word to describe the specification of the machine as well: this is a standon unit, placing the operator on a stand at the back with a kneepad in front, giving an excellent all-round view for the user.

The format is based on the SCAG V-Ride mower but, as opposed to a cutting deck, it has a massive cyclone blower on the front, capable of 6000 cfm output. The power unit is a 37HP Briggs Vanguard engine and the operator drives the machine with twin hand levers to twin rear drive wheels to give zeroturn manoeuverability. Adjustable nozzle direction for the output completes the picture of a welldesigned and highly effective leaf and debris clearance machine.

n www.st-mach.com

Infinicut’s focus is firmly on the quality of finish

BTME 2023 provided the ideal launch platform for the brand new 22” dedicated cutting unit from INFINICUT – designed to meet the exacting requirements needed for the modern-day golf course.

Incorporating many of the features synonymous with the renowned INFINICUT range, the new machine features a reconfigured yoke assembly making the cutting unit the most balanced mower for achieving low heights of cut and optimal compatibility for use with brush and groomer attachments.

The INFINICUT 22” cutting unit has been engineered to suit the specific set of requirements for golf course maintenance, promising even more refinement for fine turf management. When married to the INFINICUT traction unit, the new floating head model promises unbeatable cut

perfor-mance and unparalleled contour following ability.

Known for the range of changeable parameters, the new INFINCUT retains the colour coded attitude angle and BCD adjustment systems together with several new features such as quick and simple bedknife removal for easy servicing, grinding and maintenance.

With the focus firmly on the quality of finish, the cutting unit is equipped with INFINICUT’s SMARTCut reels, produced in-

house from UK-sourced Boron and dynamically balanced for ultimate accuracy. The new model is also available with a choice of optional groomers and is fully compatible with the INFINIApp for wireless set up and control.

Commenting on the launch, Sales Manager Vinny Tarbox said that the addition to the INFINICUT range was reflective of our progression in the golf market.

“We’ve had this cutting unit out on various trials over the last 12 months and the pinpoint precision and superior performance of this cutting unit have not gone unnoticed, resulting in orders already from a number of prestigious links, parkland and membership courses. Following much interest in it on the stand at BTME, we can’t wait to now showcase it to more customers in the field.”

Dennis E-series excites

The rise of battery-powered machinery has impressed Richard Dexter, Head of Grounds and Gardens at Oakham School, but he believes that Dennis Mowers has gone one step further and made it even better.

Oakham School, based in Rutland, East Midlands, is a vibrant, fully coeducational boarding and day school for 10–18-year-olds. The school’s strengths lie in the spectacularly wide range of academic and cocurricular opportunities provided.

Sport has always been an essential part of Oakham School life and it has an enviable reputation for excellent coaching and mentoring in a variety of sports. Equally impressive and highly regarded are the sports facilities and stunning grounds which equate to just over 75 acres.

Richard is the man responsible for maintaining these areas. Originally from a greenkeeping background, Richard joined the school 15 years ago and, in that time, he has worked his way up to the position

of Head of Grounds and Gardens.

According to Richard, it was the “variety of all the different sports surfaces”’ which enticed him away from greenkeeping. He admits to having his work cut out but wouldn’t have it any other way.

With a team of 10 groundstaff to oversee, health and safety is of the utmost importance, and it is for this reason that Richard started exploring the possibility of battery-powered equipment.

“We wanted to reduce hand-arm vibrations across the site and make sure that staff were getting as little exposure as possible,” he said.

“Also, as a school, we are looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint at every opportunity. Therefore, we felt the time had come to purchase electric mowers and we looked at two different brands.

“I wanted the rest of the team involved in the decision because they are the ones using the mowers. I took on-board their feedback and every one of them said they

wanted the Dennis – I’ve never seen them smile so much. The battery-life on the Dennis E-Series was the big game-changer.”

For many years, turf professionals have been choosing Dennis for their superb cut quality and reliability, and recently the company introduced the next generation of its mowers.

The new E-Series is a range of battery powered mowers that are no compromise alternatives to the range of petrol machines which meet sustainability and environmental initiatives, reduce carbon footprint, emissions, running costs and noise without any range anxiety.

Richard and his team decided on two mowers from the E-Series range – the Dennis ES860 and the Dennis ES-510.

Users of the Dennis G860 cylinder mower will no doubt see familiarities in the new ES-860. This 34” battery powered turf management system delivers maximum versatility and the range of 13 interchangeable cassette options provide a solution to

at Oakham

many day-to-day maintenance tasks.

This ES-510 is based on the Dennis FT510. With a choice of 12 interchangeable cassettes, the ES-510 is capable of scarifying down to -10mm. Ideal for fine turf it has the power to cut 10km on a single charge.

Both mowers feature a robust LCD keypad screen on the handlebar console providing the operator with a multitude of information options including speed, clip rate, service checks, lifetime running reports and battery information. Furthermore, traditional G860 and FT510 cassettes will also fit their batterypowered alternatives, meaning that customers will not have to purchase additional cassettes.

Richard and the Oakham team use the ES-860 on the cricket squares and the ES-510 on the wickets, and he revealed that they give him a certain peace of mind.

“The squares are about a hectare in size and normally that uses about 35% battery, and most times

we cut them twice with the ES860 before charging. It is peace of mind because you don’t want to get caught short while mowing – it is a long walk to our charging station!

“Depending on the weather we will use the ES-860 to cut the squares from 18mm down to 13mm and it gives us a perfect finish. We’ll also use the verticutter cassette every ten days on the squares but with the ES-510 we’ll give the wickets a verticut every time we prepare them. I also like the easy height of cut adjustment which is achieved in just a couple of clicks.

“It is a really nice experience using these mowers,” continued Richard.

“They are both enjoyable to use, and that quietness is amazing. If children are in classes, we don’t have to worry about noisy engines disturbing them.

“Battery equipment has come a long way in the last few years, but I believe Dennis has gone a step further and made it even better. We no longer have to wear

ear defenders, have no nasty vibrations or noise. Electric is no longer the future, it’s the now.”

n www.dennisuk.com

Robot makes its mark at Worksop College

Worksop College is a leading educational institution located in the United Kingdom, offering a wide range of academic and sporting programmes to its students.

Like many schools and universities, maintaining well-marked sports pitches is an important part of ensuring that their athletes can compete at their best. However, manually line marking these large outdoor surfaces can be timeconsuming and labour intensive, presenting a significant challenge for the college’s groundskeeping staff.

In order to improve their operations and provide their athletes with top quality playing fields, Worksop College recently invested in a Turf Tank line marking robot. This cutting-edge technology allows the college to quickly and accurately mark their pitches, saving

time and effort while maintaining the high standards that their athletes and coaches’ demand.

In addition to serving the needs of the college’s own athletic programmes, Worksop College also rents out its sports pitches to outside organisations, which became an important source of revenue. Chris explains that without the Turf Tank line marking robot, it would be difficult for the college to accommodate these external bookings, as the time and effort required to manually mark the pitches would be prohibitive.

“If we just did it with string lines and a roller, you know, it’s probably two to three hours. With the robot - it’s 20 minutes. It’s done. It’s always programmed in. So now when they tell us that they’re coming up this weekend, we just send the robot down and get it to mark that pitch whenever it is needed. No problem.”

“If we get requested on a Monday morning at nine o’clock we’ll have a pitch there for Monday morning at 11 o’clock,” explained Matthew Binns, Grounds Foreman.

Apart from making the line marking process hassle-free and allowing the college to fulfil these requests, the robot also has another great advantage over its manual counterpart - the accuracy.

“Turf Tank works everything out perfectly for us. Everything’s symmetrical, every time. Before, obviously, if you’re

doing freehand you’re never ever going to get it as perfect as you are, with the Turf Tank. It’s all GPS. It’s all perfect every time,” said Matthew.

The staff at the college is thrilled that they can provide even more than perfect pitches.

They can use it to mark letters and special messages in the grass, that can help to create a more professional and impressive appearance for the pitches , making them stand out and providing a memorable experience for the teams and spectators.

“We also do little messages around the school every now and again,” Chris explained.

“We did some prize giving, we put that on a piece of grass. We put welcome back messages on the front of the lawns and things like that.”

“Like the guys for Joe Root. We didn’t tell them we were doing it. And we just did it. And they spent most of their time photographing their logo and tweeting about it. So it just gives them a little bit more ownership.”

By offering its sports pitches in a timely manner, at a high level of quality, and with the added value of special messages in the grass, Worksop College is able to provide an exceptional experience for the teams that rent their facilities. As a result, these teams and organisations are likely to return in the future, and to spread the word about the college’s outstanding services to others.

The Turf Tank line marking robot proved to be essential for Worksop College’s operations, not only improving the efficiency of their line marking process, but also helping to build a thriving business that benefits the college, its students, other teams, and the wider community.

n Curious how to turn your line marking robot into a source of income? Book a demo.

Turf Tank lines up live demo events in Ireland

For the first time, Turf Tank has announced a series of three field demonstration dates in Ireland, open to any turf professional involved in sports pitch maintenance. This is an opportunity not to be missed, with Turf Tank bringing the line marking robot live to three major venues, where visitors can learn how it can save them time and money.

The dates are:

• 14th March Dr Morris Park, Tipperary, 10am – 1pm

• 15th March Coill Dubh, A.F.C pitch, Kildare, 2:30pm – 4:30pm

• 16th March GAA-National

Games Development Centre, Dublin, 10am – 2pm

Live demonstrations will take place, covering the Turf Tank One’s set-up, programming and operation.

The three chosen sites will demonstrate the versatility of the Turf Tank, both in its ability to customise pitch size for any sport and the limitless number of sports it can be used to line.

Any questions can be answered during every stage of marking, while lunch and refreshments will be provided during the demonstration, with free goodie bags also on offer.

n www.turftank.com/en

Identifying and resolving school drainage problem

Since 2018 Ibstock Place School’s sports field suffered from standing water during winter, and it was only after investigation work from AMS Contracting that the extent of the issue was revealed.

As the only grass area for sports at the school, it is a vital space for sports. During the year, two football pitches transition to rugby pitches and then to athletics, keeping the area in constant use.

Ibstock Groundsman, Louis Macklin, joined the private school in August 2020 and inherited the drainage problem, but after

a brief examination he called in AMS to explore further.

“When I joined I didn’t actually believe them when they told me about the issue,” explained Louis.

“I came in and got a verti-drain, reseeded and had everything looking nice and everyone was amazed with how it looked. And then the winter months came and I was thinking ‘now I understand.’

“In the winter months it would rain a little bit and we’d have standing water for about a month if it was dry after that. It just wasn’t draining and the pitches were overused, so the grass was ripping out and there were big mud sludges.

“The investigation work was a really valuable part of the process and meant that we could be confident in the plan that was put in place.

“Originally I was going around digging holes and I put two and two together, because the sports staff kept saying it’s ever since the irrigation went in. So I dug near the irrigation and I straight away found a pipe beside a drain run that had been severed through. AMS came in and we got some cameras and dug some more holes and it seemed like every drain run that was near an irrigation line was severed.

“The pitches were originally constructed in 2016 and in 2018

an irrigation company came in to install irrigation. I think because there were no plans to show where the original drainage was done. So, when they dug their trenches for the pipelines they cut through some of the drainage runs.

“The outlet was going through a wooded area that was also overgrown, and that was always flooding and water was sitting on top of the field because it had nowhere to go.”

AMS surveyed the land, and used GPS to plot the field and wooded area to formulate a plan. With the original outlet pipe going into the neighbouring golf club’s trench, an attenuation basin had to be built to accommodate the additional water and the irrigation pipes moved to go in between the drainage runs.

With the project completed, Louis says the field is ‘draining like a dream,’ whilst giving him time to raise the quality.

“It gives me time to get the standards of the actual field and playing quality up higher. We are a private school and they have always preferred for other schools not to come here because of the condition of the field and pitches. But slowly but surely, we’re getting into a position where they will want to host games here.”

n www.amscontracting.co.uk

Pellenc kit helps keep grand mansion’s grounds in order

Arange of Pellenc batterypowered equipment is helping to maintain the grounds at one of Scotland’s grandest mansions.

Marchmont House is a ‘Grade A’ listed Palladian mansion in Berwickshire built in 1750 by Hugh Hume-Campbell, 3rd Earl of Marchmont. It is regarded as one of the grandest mansions in Scotland and over the years has been home to makers and creators who have inspired many through creativity.

It is therefore fitting that Marchmont House uses a range of Pellenc battery-powered equipment - a brand which has based its success on a policy of continuous creative innovation.

The Pellenc equipment is used to help maintain the 5,000-acre estate at Marchmont House and Head Gardener Toby Loveday explained why.

“A big part of our ethos is nature conservation and our impact on the environment,” he said. “The idea has always been to try and move away from petrol powered machinery and start using battery operated equipment.

“Another reason was because we have a lot of events taking place and we wanted to be able to continue working, regardless of the presence of our visitors. To do this we needed to be able to work quietly and you get that with Pellenc equipment.

“The reason we chose Pellenc above other brands was because we wanted equipment which has been built to last. There is going to be a lot of use with this equipment over the next few years, and it must be reliable and able to perform at a really high level. We get this with Pellenc.”

Pellenc is one of the world’s leading experts in battery-powered tools for maintaining landscapes. Light, odourless, noise-free, with no starting problems and enough power to enable professional users to work for a full day on a single charge, it’s no wonder more and more professional users are turning to Pellenc. It is an attractive alternative to those who have, for several years, been relying on fuel-based machinery.

With an extensive product list available from Pellenc, Toby chose to

invest in a whole new fleet consisting of Helion hedge-cutters, Rasion mowers, Excelion strimmers and Airion blowers, which he purchased through Agrovista Amenity.

“The mower has proved particularly good at getting between obstacles. The Rasion is lightweight and manoeuvrable, and all the staff can use it in a trouble-free manner. It has great features and I like the ease at which you can adjust the height of cut and the variable speed settings.

“I also like the option of having different heads on the strimmers and the City Cut head has been particularly effective in dealing with brambles and some of the more awkward things to control. The hedgecutters, being lightweight and powerful, have been fantastic too.

“For us, the biggest benefits when it comes to using the Pellenc equipment have been the long battery-life, the low vibration levels, and the overall comfort for the operator.

“We can also use the equipment in all weathers which is important in the Scottish climate.”

n www.pellencuk.com

New Ventrac attachments for seedbed preparation

Ventrac has launched two new attachments for their 4520 all-terrain compact tractor to help turf managers with the important task of seedbed preparation.

The first is the DC520 Soil Cultivator which prepares bare soil by cultivating a soft and uniform seedbed for the best possible direct-seeding results. This attachment reconditions hard, compacted soil into a fine surface for more successful and consistent germination rates.

The Soil Cultivator consists of four main components that work simultaneously to process high volumes of soil and provide the ultimate seedbed. Cultivator Tines pulverize the soil and separate the debris, then Separator Tines sift and bury rock and other large debris below the prep surface. The Distribution Blade carries the sifted

soil and distributes it evenly across the working surface before the Perforated Roller creates a pocketed surface for seed and presses small debris below the graded soil.

Complementing the Soil Cultivator is the EG520 Primary Seeder, which plants grass seed directly into bare soil with a consistent and accurate drop rate for perfect seed placement. With precise application adjustment and a removable calibration tray, easy adjustment for different grass seed types is possible.

The Primary Seeder features five main components for improved direct-seeding capability.

The Seed Box has a 142-litre capacity to accommodate a significant amount of seed and the Precision Seed Funnels allow an accurate flow for a variety of turf seeds. This application is consistent at variable speeds, and the offset

cultipacker discs are designed to create optimal seed-to-soil contact.

“These latest attachments add to the extensive range of frontmounted implements, providing yet more versatility,“ said Rupert Price, Managing Director of Price Turfcare, the UK and Ireland distributor for Ventrac.

Smithco’s quality impresses

Perhaps less well known is that this effect will last on the green for up to 48 hours after the roll, leaving a residual effect and higher than ‘normal’ speeds, improving the standards of the playing surface, without requiring daily use of the roller.

Smithco’s Tournament greens rollers provide consistent and true putting surfaces. With rolling widths from 91 cm to 1.78 metres, there’s a machine ideal for maximum efficiency on any golf course.

features the most accurate spray technology at your fingertips, while the GPS-enabled state-ofthe-art Star Command 3.0 ensures a precise application every time. Superior construction materials combine to ensure industry-leading longevity across all product lines. The cab-forward design provides superior visibility, handling, and operator comfort, providing an excellent platform that makes the work enjoyable.

There’s no finer sports turf than that found on golf greens and for discerning golfers true greens with consistent ball roll are more important than fast greens. Rolling will immediately produce a smoother, truer surface with the improvements easily measured using a Stimp Meter.

Smithco were one of the first companies to introduce GPS technology for spraying, when their Star Command system debuted in 2012. Today they are on the third iteration of the system on their Spray Star range of industry-leading sprayers.

The popular Spray Star 1200

Smithco has been family-owned since 1967 and manufactures products that are built to last. With over 50 years of experience as an industry leader in golf course and turf management for parks and recreation facility managers, we believe that great people make great products.

n jm@smithco.com

Making railway sleepers safe from slips

Old railway sleepers have been used on golf courses from the 1930s and provide an ideal material for many situations while maintaining a natural feel in the landscape. Many golf courses today use them either in bunkers or grassy hollows or more often than not to provide stepped access to elevated or steep sided tees.

However, the advance of soft spikes and moulded sole golf shoes, away from traditional steel spikes, has led to an increase of slips on wooden steps and in the early 2000s this was becoming an increasing problem.

Kings Hill Golf Club in Kent searched for many years and looked at various ideas at other golf clubs, including carpet, astro, chicken wire, tar and chips and chainsaw cut grooves, all in their

various ways trying to eliminate the slip issue. A chance advertisement in a trade magazine highlighted a new product called GripClad and it was decided by the club to obtain some samples.

Following that initial assessment a trial set of steps were chosen and the product installed. GripClad arrived in pre-cut lengths and to the dimensions specified, only holes had to be drilled and the cleats screwed down with a mastic to act as a cushioning agent. A set of steps could be easily completed in a couple of hours and a large set in a day.

In addition, if a sleeper had to be replaced it was simply a case of unscrewing the cleat and replacing it onto a new sleeper.

Since that first installation, a decade ago, the club has purchased GripClad

every year to complete all wooden surfaces around the course, which includes 10 sets of very large sleeper step installations, four sets of sleeper rails around teeing areas and ancillary surfaces including service and mobility ramps around the Clubhouse.

The performance of the product has been outstanding, says the Club, not only did it cope with the wear and tear of traffic, it performs in all weathers and has not deteriorated in the 10 years that the initial batch has been down. It still looks as good now as it did 10 years ago.

The Club will continue to use it around the golf course as it provide the most cost effective solution, both time and longevity. They recommend this product out on the golf course or around the Clubhouse.

n www.gripclad.co.uk

All year round precision clean-up from Turfco

Turfco’s Torrent 2 is powerful all-purpose blower, available in tow-behind or tractor-mounted pto-driven formats and delivering unprecedented control over air speed, air direction, noise management and fuel consumption. This is a precision clean-up tool that can used year-round taking golf courses or grounds to a new level. Built on a heavy-duty frame with a rugged draw bar and adjustable hitch the Torrent 2 is designed for durability. The one-piece nozzle is made of impact resistant, roto-

moulded polyethylene. The enclosed deck dramatically reduces debris pickup from below the blower, decreasing wear on the turbine and minimising overall dust and debris around the operator.

The wireless controller technology allows the operator to dial in the exact nozzle direction for optimal performance with fast, 360-degree nozzle rotation. Multiple air speed settings make it quick and easy to increase or decrease blowing force,

while a dedicated button allows the operator to idle down when people are near. The controller also features a shutdown switch that stops the engine at the press of a button. An optional auxiliary control kit is available should the wireless controller be lost or damaged. The operator simply flips a switch from wireless to auxiliary and can then control the machine’s speed and direction.

n jmoore@turfco.com

Synergy for soils

When Consolidate Turf and Aqua Aid BV joined forces in 2021 with both parties distributing each others product ranges (Consolidate Turf becoming a UK distributor for the Aqua Aid product range and Aqua Aid BV taking Consolidate Turf into Europe) it was on an educated basis that both companies knew that their product ranges would enhance each other, and that even greater results were possible, more so than the success that each company had achieved individually.

Now two years down the line it has been fantastic to see the results going from strength to strength in many areas of turf grass and soil health, on all types of turf grass both warm and cool season grasses and in all situations from football stadia to golf courses all over Europe.

One area of great success has been the improvement in customers soil profiles with a reduction in thatch levels being common, alongside reduced instances of anaerobic black layer, this coupled with the general cleanliness of the profiles and increased root development.

So how has this been achieved?

Consolidate Turf have always advocated that their liquid nutritional range is best applied at higher water rates targeting the plant via the roots (due to its unique chemistry), and that the correct amount of moisture within the profile aids uptake to the plant. This means that its a great fit for a combined application with a wetting agent.

Consolidate Turf have always

focused heavily on providing a balanced, nutritional program for the grass plant with an emphasis on reducing stress, and with heat and drought stress becoming more prevalent in the UK during the growing season and the stresses associated with wetter autumn/ winter periods, such as disease pressure, working with a company that can reduce these stress periods will only enhance the efficacy of Consolidate Turf products .

The proven track record of Aqua Aid surfactants (both in the USA and Europe) in being able to regulate moisture within the profile with products such as OARS Hs and Ps which use the latest multi branched hydration technology

and VerdeCal G which can aid the loosening of clay soils, improve water percolation therefore giving a more balanced ratio of soil, air and moisture in the profile, providing a healthier growing medium.

All this means that turfgrass managers are in total control of moisture contents throughout the entire soil profile. This allows stadium Groundsmen to avoid organic matter build up, keeping a cleaner more uniform profile with enhanced rooting, and allows Golf Course Managers to aid water movement within the profile to help them achieve the firm, fast playing surfaces they desire for longer periods of time with reduced instances of disease.

“TURFGRASS MANAGERS ARE IN TOTAL CONTROL OF MOISTURE CONTENTS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SOIL PROFILE.”

Wiedenmann Mega Twister helps maintain tourist trails

Wiedenmann UK’s premier leaf and debris blower, the Mega Twister, is helping keep the tidy appearance of tourist trails across Cornwall.

Family-owned contractor, Sandoe & Sons, which comprises a three-way partnership of brothers Glyn and John, with father, Roger, are involved with hedge trimming and path clearance on each of The Camel Trail at Wadebridge, The Clay Trails of St Austell and Tolgus Mining Trails at Redruth. Projects include work with Cormac Solutions and Cornwall Council, as well as some for the Wildlife Trust. They have established a really reliable, loyal team of staff which allows them to maintain a high standard across the board.

Glyn Sandoe, who has been leading these operations, says their recently purchased super strength, front-mounted Wiedenmann Mega Twister has made an incredible difference to productivity and enjoyment.

“We’d only been using a road brush which does a good job but when you have a lot of light leaf litter or dusty situations, the brush

is slow. However, now, with the blower you can fly through. When we work both machines in tandem- the brush on the back and the blower up front, that works well… You choose one or the other, or both at the same time. So, even if there’s particularly heavy mulch you still get a great result.

“Its very user friendly and with the joystick in the tractor its lovely to operate. For us it’s a front mounted machine with no looking over your shoulder and no need to back up. Fewer movements help save fuel, all marginal savings we will take.”

The Mega Twister has 230 degrees of swivel and 390 m 3 per minute worth of blow. Its turning action allows efficient all-round work from left to right without turning. A goose neck nozzle is operated from the cab of Glyn’s compact John Deere 4066R with the outlet spout lifting up and down and directed to different angles, depending on conditions.

“Sometimes I run it on the front with the hedge trimmer on the back. If there’s been some thorny growth that we’ve cut

and left on a cycle path we can blow it off quick with the combination. Generally, if we are cutting the trails in the winter, the tractor and brush will stay together for a period of weeks,” said Glyn.

“It’s only been in operation for us a few months, so clients are only just aware we have it; I’ve no doubt it will help win us more work.”

The old adage was that “It’s January, so it must be Harrogate”, and for nigh on 40 years BTME was as regular as Christmas.

Then Covid arrived and the 2021 edition was cancelled, while in 2022 we had the odd experience of a spring BTME, complete with lovely weather and al fresco dining and drinking. All very weird, and with it being a much busier time on golf courses it impacted on visitor numbers.

So it was great to return to the familiar surroundings of Harrogate in the cold and the dark. And that was not just my view, the return to the regular spot

on the calendar was welcomed by so many in the golf and amenity turf industry that the hordes descended on the town and it was just like old times.

That Harrogate Buzz was at levels of a few years ago and the smiles on the faces of exhibitors pointed to the fact that they could expect a return on the not inconsiderable investment it takes to show at BTME. It was good to be back.

SCOTT MacCALLUM

Back on familiar ground Golding oldie...!

David Golding has been described as the unsung hero of greenkeeper education, but after being presented with the Outstanding Contribution Award sponsored by Baroness at BTME that’s no longer the case.

Hosted by BIGGA on the opening evening of BTME, the BIGGA Welcome Celebration sponsored by Origin Amenity Solutions also saw wins for Abridge Golf Club in Essex and Strathaven Golf Club in South Lanarkshire.

In a career spanning more than 50 years, David drove educational opportunities for greenkeepers to new heights. Possessing a passion for education and desire to improve development opportunities for his peers in greenkeeping, David’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the industry helped lay foundations that continue to bear fruit to this day as proven with the recent establishment of the Level 5 greenkeeping apprenticeship and the continued development of the Level 2 and 3 qualifications.

David began his career as an apprentice greenkeeper at Buxton & High Peak Golf Club in his home town. He spent two years as an assistant greenkeeper at Camberley Heath Golf Club in Surrey before returning north, firstly to Dore & Totley Golf Club in Sheffield. Aged just 21, he then got his first Head Greenkeeper role, working with Trafford Borough Council in a position that over

the following 16 years would see him take responsibility for two busy municipal golf courses.

Upon the formation of BIGGA in 1987, David was appointed the association’s first Northern regional administrator. In 1989 he became BIGGA’s first education officer and then in 1993 he became Education Director of the GTC, a position he would hold until his retirement.

At the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, the winner of the Championship Greenkeeping Performance Award sponsored by Bernhard and Company was revealed to be Abridge Golf Club.

Abridge is a private members’ club in Essex, where Course Manager Geoff Smith and his team were tasked with preparing the course for its first ever EuroPro Tour event in June and July 2022.

In hosting the EuroPro Tour’s PDC Championship, the greenkeeping team overcame challenges including one of the driest summers on record, the ‘grow-in’ of a massive, newlyconstructed irrigation lake and working around general play during the continuing golf boom. PGA officials remarked they had never seen such dedication to producing a course for a championship and in his

FAMILIAR FACE: David Golding collects his Outstanding Contribution Award at BTME in Harrogate

Golding oldie... and success for Abridge and Strathaven

closing address, the CEO of EuroPro stated that Abridge was one of the best venues they had ever been to.

The other finalists in this category were Minchinhampton Golf Club

and St Annes Old Links Golf Club. Also revealed on the evening, the Greenkeeping Project Award sponsored by Sports Turf Data Solutions was presented to the

team at Strathaven Golf Club.

In 2019, Strathaven was forced to stop playing its 7th hole, to avoid golf balls entering a neighbouring property. Head Greenkeeper Stephen Hunter suggested redesigning the hole to become a par-3 that aimed away from the boundary of the site.

In order to maintain the par of the course, Stephen also suggested extending the 9th hole to become a par-4. His vision was accepted by the management committee and the club began a two-year project. The six-strong home greenkeeping team carried out the design and construction themselves, with the project being completed in April 2022.

The other finalists in this category were Astbury Golf Club and Prestwick Golf Club.

“My congratulations go to the greenkeeping teams at Abridge and Strathaven for their wonderful achievements throughout 2022. Their accomplishments are testament to the ability of BIGGA members to exceed everyday expectations, with no small dose of imagination, creativity and hard work,” said BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton.

“Congratulations also to David Golding, a former colleague, who I have long admired and who I was delighted we were able to recognise in this way. David was a crusader for the recognition of greenkeeper education standards and he was undoubtedly one of the most influential people in the history of the greenkeeping industry, in terms of bringing the professionalism of greenkeeper training forwards. At heart he was always a greenkeeper who believed that education was key to improving the profession for his fellow practitioners.”

Fiona Lyttle, Learning and Development Executive at the GTC, worked alongside David from 2000 until his retirement.

“Working with David, you picked up his passion and dedication to make sure greenkeepers had the right training and education to enable them to further their careers and aim for the top. His work has been the bedrock of all that we do now and for him to be honoured in this way is fantastic and long overdue.”

The teams from Abridge, top, and Strathaven

New faces at Agrovista

Agrovista Amenity has announced the appointment of Stewart Carbray and Sam Sweetzer who will join the company’s renowned team of Amenity Specialists.

Stewart joins Agrovista Amenity from Bothwell Castle Golf Club where he worked for 23 years after initially joining as an apprentice. During this time, he worked his way up to the position of Head Greenkeeper, and after six years in this position he felt the time was right to embark on a new opportunity.

“I achieved what I set out to do at Bothwell Castle and I saw so many improvements at the course. I wanted to stay within the industry and always had an interest in the other side of the business, so the Agrovista opportunity

was just too big to ignore.”

Stewart, who will be covering the areas of west and central Scotland and further down into Dumfries and Galloway borders, believes he has the perfect mentor at Agrovista Amenity.

Sam Sweetzer also comes from a greenkeeping background, and his last role was at The Buckinghamshire Golf Club as the Deputy Course Manager. Throughout his career he has relied on several products from Agrovista Amenity and is looking forward to learning more about the science behind them.

“There is a huge amount of pressure and demand on greenkeepers at the moment and I’m looking forward to finding solutions for them,” he said. “In the past we have always worked with

Agrovista Amenity because they have such an extensive portfolio from various manufacturers. There are also specialist products that only Agrovista Amenity can sell such as Compo Expert and BASF products.

Sam will be focusing on the areas of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire and is relishing the opportunity of building relationships with a wide variety of customers.

n www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

Kubota LX 351 a real workhorse for yearround management

Lifting, mowing and manoeuvring within confined areas are proving no problem for an estate in the heart of Lincolnshire following the delivery of a Kubota LX 351 – which the owner describes as the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of compact tractors.

Complete with a range of attachments, the LX 351 was installed by Irelands Farm Machinery in Spring 2022 and has gone on to be fundamental to the expanding orchard operation, making light work of the year-round estate management and reducing the reliance on external contractors.

The 400-acre family-run estate comprises arable land, run by a tenant farmer, with 34 acres of woodland a further 6 acres of grassland in the final stages of being converted into a fullyoperational orchard – with close to 1000 apple trees planted come the end of February 2023.

“Our tractor is at the centre of everything we do here, so when it came to looking for a new one, we spent extensive time researching and comparing the options available.

We had used Kubota machinery on hire previously and were impressed with the quality and engineering, but still looked at the specification of comparable brands,” said a spokesperson for the estate.

“Our wish list was for a 35hp tractor, powerful but small enough to navigate around the estate and capable of being equipped with attachments for mowing, towing, hedge cutting and lifting and moving pallets to where they are needed. We also wanted a cab and air-con for comfort and safety as we work all year-round.”

Ticking every box, with a competitive price tag and excellent back-up support from the team at Irelands, the LX 351 complete with mixed service tyres, frontend loader and counterweight, front forks, log grapple, 60” mid-mounted mower deck and 2-tonne Kubota tipping trailer was installed in April last year.

“It’s proven itself to be a real workhorse, from lifting pallets on and off delivery vehicles, assisting with pruning trees, felling

and planting jobs throughout the winter and spring and assisting with the apple harvest in September and October.”

The LX 351 has also enabled the team to conduct more operations in-house, saving money otherwise spent on bringing in contractors, to the point where the estate are now considering offering contracting services themselves to those in the surrounding area.

Sam Sweetzer, above left and Stewart Carbray are new Amenity Specialists at Agrovista

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Compiled by Summer Rogers

Where do you think a turf manager sits in status in the eyes of the general public?

I think that the turf manager in this country is almost invisible to the public. I know a fair few but only because I am in the industry. The only time that you hear of a turf manager is when things go wrong.

Are you considered an “equal” by those people on a similar level in different departments?

I think that the situation is improving. In recent years they have had more of a voice. I think that the advent of lighting rigs and such technology has improved the communi-cation at all levels and maybe, just maybe we are being listened to.

What needs to happen to assist the turning of the job of turf maintenance into that of a true profession?

I am afraid that there has to be an absolute shortage of groundsmen to make clear what a job we do. If there was no one to do the work it would come to the public’s notice. Similar to that of the fruit gatherers. Who knew what they did until they were not there to do it?

What are the best things about working in turf management?

There are so many things that I really enjoy. The achievement of being the head of a team of people and delivering an event, sometimes against all the odds because of weather or resources or time. To bring youngsters on in their careers, teaching them good from bad, right from wrong. To work with so many people in so many walks of life.

The head groundsman or head of estates is “front of house” and has to have people skills. To pass those onto staff is very rewarding. Then there is the best part, working with nature through every season of the year. To pit your wits against

the different problems each season brings. The sense of pride and achievement is delightful.

If you could swap roles with someone in any other area of sports management, what would it be? Not sure that I would swap my career with anyone.

Five years from now…

What do you think will be most noticeable in the job – fewer chemicals, more battery power or more robotics?

The phasing out of chemicals will provide us with the opportunity to learn different ways of coping with natural problems. It is going to be frustrating and at times hard work but we will adapt. The battery power is both good and bad? At present it is very, very expensive with the battery life not as long as we would want it to be. But it has to be good for the environment in the long run. That said, my 34in electric mower is not going to make much of a difference to the world when other countries continue to ignore what is going on?

If there was one task, you’d love to see the back of in five years’ time, what would it be?

I think the job that we all dislike doing, but is one of the most important is that of divoting a pitch after use? Hybrid pitches have reduced the wear and tear but we still spend hours every week divoting. If teams would warm up in a different manner: Think about their repetitive drills and think about the impact they are having on the playing surface? Warm ups cause more damage than the game itself, and that cannot be right?

In a perfect world, what should the various R&D departments be working on, currently, to give you in five years’ time? We need to get rid of artificial pitches. They are no good on any level. They are not all-weather;

KEITH KENT

they are not environmentally friendly; they are awful to play on; they produce an artificial game; they are bad for the players in the amount of injuries and long-time wear and tear on the human body.

The cost of hybrid pitches is inhibitive at present. We need to get the price down so that clubs go for a hybrid pitch rather than an artificial one. We need to use our green areas more for the health of the country. So many good things come from sports. Playing, watching, coaching, or planning. But they have to be user friendly and sustainable.

One of the best things in a Groundsman’s life is to present a playing surface that looks fantastic, light, and dark stripes with bright straight white lines. You do not get that from an artificial pitch.

Leaving your current workplace aside, if you had a choice in five years’ time, where would you love to be turning up to work, and in whose job?

Again, I don’t think I would swap my job with anyone.