Turf Matters September October 2021

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Inside the Foxes’ den We look round Leicester City’s new state-of-the-art training facility

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George Watson’s College

Latest aeration techniques

What’s new on the market

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WELCOME

iWelcome

Unleashing potential Don’t forget Sport…

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

I have had the great fortune to meet so many Course Managers and Head The last two months have been a nightmare for many in certain Groundsmen over the years and what a great pleasure, not topeople say education, parts of the country and my goes out to everyone dealing with it has been.

It should therefore goheart without saying that it is not my intention the aftermath of unprecedented flooding and devastating erosion. to malign those very people when I say that the majority did not stand out The best scenario for many is months of temporary living. For particularly at case school. others, lives will never return to what they were.

Perhaps motivated as grounds their more “bookish” classmates, they were Whilenot theas fate of sports and golf clubs might seem more likely to gazing out of the window at the school playing fields than have inconsequential in the face of such hardship, we at Turf Matters studying the algebra on the blackboard – which wasseen the Smartboard for those a particular empathy with everyone who has years of agronomic born before theliterally 1990s. washed away in the space of a few weeks. husbandry It potential must be hoped that banksworking – the financial institutions, not the The of many of those in our wonderful industry wasn’t things which edge overflown take anview understanding approach realised until scholastic educationrivers was in–the rear mirror and working sporting facilities which have been unable to service loans as a livetohad begun. result of them being unplayable and so unable to bring in revenue.

I say there arethe now a huge number of examples of turf Asthis we because have seen with recent Winter Olympics, sport has such a professionals working in this industry whobe arethe tremendously galvanising effect on society and can catalyst forsuccessful so much good, and whoithave risen through the ranks from are apprenticeship greenkeeper that is imperative sporting facilities not forgotten when the or groundsman level to director andissenior promised assistance beingmanagement allocated. in huge organisations.

On the issue of improving sporting have been I’m thinking of people like, and there are many morefacilities, than thiswe short space invited by Briggs & Stratton to become involved in its Pitch will allow me to mention, in golf Jim McKenzie MBE, at Celtic Manor; Kenny to Win competition, which provides a £3,000 makeover for Mackay, at The Wentworth Club and Peter Todd at Royal Norwich; and in what is judged to be the Under 18s football pitch in most football Darren Baldwin at Spurs and John Ledwidge at Leicester City. need – find out more on pages 16-17. I am on the judging I visited John at theand new training (feature on page 42) panel visits willbase, be made to astarts shortlist of deserving and can say that there Captains ofnot Industry withatless pitches soon.are Wemany will be looking so much the DESSO but desperate! responsibility, andthe smaller budgets to manage. Yet not so many final note, am thrilled by the that the yearsOn agoahis goal was Imowing straight linesreception at Coventry City. first issue of Turf Matters received. Many people have There are many with straight As at A Level who can only taken time to say how much they liked the look of the dream of achieving half as much. magazine and how they enjoyed the articles. We’re all

Editor: Scott MacCallum Distributed every two months to sports scott@turfmatters.co.uk turf professionals, local authorities Design/Production Editor: Tim and buyers of turfcare machinery andMoat tim@turfmatters.co.uk products.

Customer Editor: ScottRelations MacCallumManager: Sinead Thacker scott@turfmatters.co.uk sinead@turfmatters.co.uk Design and Production Editor: Tim Moat Sales Executive: tim@turfmatters.co.uk Marie Anderson Sales Manager: Pauline Thompson marie@turfmatters.co.uk

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Turf or All its liability for loss, Matters can acceptnegligence no responsibility for any disappointment, or other error or misrepresentation.

All liability for loss, damage caused by reliance on information disappointment, damage contained in Turfnegligence Matters ororinother the event of caused by reliance information contained in any bankruptcy or on liquidation or cessation Turftrade Matters or incompany, the eventindividual of any bankruptcy of of any or firm or liquidation or of trade of any company, mentioned is cessation hereby excluded. individual or firm mentioned is hereby excluded.

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pleased you found it to your liking and we will work hard Scott MacCallum, Editor to maintain the high standards. Thank you all very much.

Scott MacCallum, Editor You can follow me on Twitter @TurfMatters

Inside issue Insidethis this issue News..........................................................4-22 News .........................................................4-15 Tea Break Teaser.......................................14 Pitch to Win........................................16-17 George .................................19-22, Watson’s College............24-31 Mowing 24-27 Chelmsford City Racecourse.....32-33 Tea Break Teaser ......................................29 Aeration.................................................34-41 Gleneagles..........................................30-35 Leicester City.....................................42-50 BTME review ......................................36-41 Queen Ethelburga’s School.......49-52 Diary of a Golfing Nobody.................42 Robotic mowing...............................54-58 As seen on Twitter..................................43 Line marking.......................................59-63 Utility out vehicles..................................65-68 Check our website: The majesty of Gleneagles, pages 30-35 Making sure it all lines up: Latest in line marking, pages 59-63 Subscribe FREE to our e-zine: Details at www.turfmatters.co.uk

Check out our website: www.turfmatters.co.uk www.turfmatters.co.uk Next magazine distributed 2 May

Next magazine distributed October 2021

Turf| SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER Matters | March-April 2014 TURF MATTERS 2021| 3 |3

NEWS

KUBOTA DONATES TO GERMAN FLOOD RELIEF FUND

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Artistry meets mastery at AFC Bournemouth After a stringent search for a new rotary mower, Ian Lucas, Head of Grounds at AFC Bournemouth, concluded that the electric Dennis ES-34R was the by far the best choice.

Ian has been the Head of Grounds at the club for the past three and a half years and has developed a glowing reputation in many sectors of the grounds management industry. He has an incredible eye for detail and that extends to every aspect of his job, including the purchasing of new equipment.

He certainly left no stone un-turned when it came to looking for new rotary mowers.

“We had demonstrations carried out for every single electric and petrol rotary mower you can think of,” he said.

“With our previous rotary mowers, we had got to the point where they needed either replacing or repairing.

It was quite common to get maintenance issues every two years with them and we wanted something that would last us longer.

“The club is looking at taking a greener approach, so we decided to narrow our search down to the electric rotaries. We spent a lot of time with all the various electric rotary mowers to

Kubota has donated €200,000 to the floodstricken RhinelandPalatinate region in western Germany.

The area was subject to devastating flashfloods in July, after unprecedented levels of rainfall caused the Rhine to burst its banks.

The flooding claimed more than 100 lives and causes millions of Euros worth of damage to towns and cities throughout the state.

Kubota employs more than 600 people in the region via its facility in the town of Zweibrücken, with company president Miko Taguchi compelled to action after seeing images of the flooding online.

Having witnessed the impact of natural disasters in his home country of Japan, Taguchi spearheaded the donation of €200,000 to the region’s state treasury, saying: “Because I am a neighbour, I have to help.”

The donation will go towards those impacted by the flooding, with clear-up and rebuilding efforts currently underway throughout the region.

make sure we made the right decision. We looked at the design, build quality, battery life and the cut and collection. The performance when the grass is dewy or luscious was important for us because we cut nearly every other day on grass that is likely to be damp and I didn’t want issues with the chute clogging up.

“It was the new Dennis ES-34R which ticked these boxes and proved to be the best overall.”

The ES-34R is a 34” battery powered twin blade rotary mower using the latest lithiumion battery technology.

It is ideal for fine turf mowing and cleaning up operations in stadia and training facilities.

Ian revealed that the club purchased two Dennis ES34Rs that are now playing an integral part in his maintenance programme.

PROFIHOPPER PH1500 IS NOW FOR ALL SEASONS There is little point in investing in a mower collector that collects just as well in the wet as the dry without investing in an appropriate environment for the operator.

With its heater, air-con, radio, hands-free phone, air seat and easy access, the new cabbed version of the Profihopper PH 1500 ticks

all of those boxes without losing any of the fundamental advantages of the range.

The flexibility offered by the PowerCompactor system on the PH 1250 and PH 1500 models is key when it comes to needing a mower that will collect in the wet or the dry. Amazone Groundcare have launched the cabbed

4 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

version of the PH 1500. The huge glass area, with slender A and B pillars, ensures that the optimum visibility is still maintained yet with the wide, easy-access doors making getting in and out comfortable and convenient.

Once inside, the creature comforts are all there – a great working environment.

“We’ll use them straight after a game to hoover up the debris and the beauty is that, because of the size of the ES-34Rs, we now have two people doing this rather than four. This frees up the other two members of staff to do other jobs such as divoting. During the week we may well use them twice more on the stadium pitch before switching to the Dennis G860 cylinder mowers for matchday preparation.

“They work incredibly well because the cut on them is fantastic and very comparable with a cylinder mower. Therefore, at the training ground we can use them to hoover, repair, cut and present all in one go.

“The battery life is unbelievable. One mower will do a whole pitch and you can still have 40% battery life left.” n www.dennisuk.com

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Here’s Origin: A new industry powerhouse Excellence paves way for new agreement

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orld-class sporting facilities are one of the cornerstones of prestigious boys’ school, Radley College in Oxfordshire, so it goes without saying that maintaining impeccable grounds is a must.

After 10 years of successfully using Toro, Radley College has once again renewed its arrangement with Reesink Turfcare to supply Toro fine-turf and groundscare mowers to keep the school’s 228 acres in pristine condition.

“Flexibility is key” cites Head of Grounds, Adam King, who has worked at Radley College for 20 years.

“This is the second time we have renewed a five-year deal with Toro and this time we’ve opted for a slightly different range of machines. Rather than having a smaller number of larger mowers we have gone for a wider range of smaller machines. This gives us ultimate flexibility and enables us to work smarter.”

Adam’s 19-strong grounds teams are responsible for maintaining the school’s grounds and gardens, 30 hectares of which are pure sport pitches including rugby pitches, cricketsquares, football pitches, astroturf hockey pitches and tennis courts. Radley College also has a lake and a nine-hole golf course. n reesinkturfcare.co.uk

Bird’s eye view of the Origin Amenity Solutions Turf Science and Technology Centre, at Throws Farm, Stebbing, Essex

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A

new powerhouse was launched into the industry with the formation of Origin Amenity Solutions.

The new company is a “coming together” of some of the best known companies in the industry – Rigby Taylor, Headland Amenity, Symbio and TurfKeeper, who in the words of Chris Clark, Managing Director of the new company, will become brands within Origin.

The announcement of the new company was made at the Origin Amenity Turf Science & Technology Centre in Essex which features state-of-the-art laboratories and trial grounds boasting, a fully automated Rain Bird irrigation system, the latest in weather station technology as well as Soil Scout sensors.

“We are looking at the formation of Origin as laying the foundations to enable the company to grow. It is certainly not the case, as often

happens when companies join together, that it becomes an opportunity to rationalise and cut costs,” explained Chris.

“I do see all Origin growing as a company as we operated as one and each individual strength being shared across the company,” said Chris, who also revealed the Covid and Post Covid slogan of “Survive, revive and thrive”.

Goals have been set for the new company that the company grows from a £60 million company to a £70 million company within the next two years and grow market share from 30% to 40%.

It was also revealed that the new combined product line – which may be reduced if there are genuine duplicates across the group – are Rigby Taylor – 2,200; Headland Amenity – 230; Symbio – 190.

The man appointed

as Commercial Director is Andy Russell, who moves over from his equivalent role at Headland Amenity bringing with him over 20 years of industry experience.

“At future exhibitions and shows Origin will exhibit all our brands from one stand and, in future, we are hoping to launch Origin Amenity Solution branded products alongside those our current brands offer,” said Andy, who will be in charge of the 75 customer facing staff.

The new Research Centre will be a hub for all research and development work carried out by Origin and it has already been revealed that over £500,000 will be spent in R&D by the company, looking at products to replace those which have been lost, or about to be lost, to the industry and new products to counter the impact of climate change.

NEWS

ICL products help transformation

David Daly, Golf Course Superintendent at Hogs Head Golf Club in Ireland, has long relied on a wide range of ICL products, from the initial grow-in to now helping him maintain the awardwinning 18-hole course to a consistently high level.

David, pictured, started in the role when it was formerly known as Skellig Bay Golf Club. That was before the club was bought by current owners Bryan Marsal and Tony Alvarez II. What came next was an incredible transformation which has since seen the course voted “Ireland’s Best Course” and “Best New International Course” by Golf.com.

Designed by the highly regarded Robert Trent Jones Jr., David was heavily involved in the plans and the grow-in period which took place from 2016 to mid-2017. Utilising the experience he gained in his previous roles at Waterville Golf Links and Killeen Castle, and by working closely with Keith Boland from Goldcrop, David thoroughly researched the best products to use for the grow-in.

The products he selected were predominantly from ICL, and they have continued to be central to his yearly turf management plan ever since.

It is safe to say that Vitalnova Stressbuster,

which he uses to precondition the turf against stress, is one of his most favoured products.

“I like the instant impact the product provides.

Especially the immediate natural green colour response. The simplicity of use, the ‘fully-loaded’ liquid formulation (the product contains a wetting agent, biostimulants, amino acids, macro nutrients, micro nutrients and iron) and that it is so tank-mixable.”

David mixes Stressbuster with H2Pro TriSmart, PGRs and seaweeds before he applies it monthly from March through to September for best results.

At the start of each year David works with his team to create a yearly turf management plan, and although the weather on the south west coast of Ireland means the plan often has to adapt, ICL products are a common feature regardless.

In 2020 there was 2,000mm of rainfall, but David also has to contend with long periods of drought. It is for these reasons that David needs a proven water management product, and he chooses to use H2Pro TriSmart which

he says, “ticks all the boxes.”

TriSmart’s triple-active formulation provides great control over moisture management. Containing three water management technologies, it provides effective water penetration, even water spread through the rootzone and improves the water holding capacity of sandy rootzones.

When it comes to feeding, he relies on Sierrablen 285-5 – a granular fertiliser which provides sufficient nutrition for the entire main growing season in just a single application.

David uses Sierrablen on his fairways and green surrounds, and because he has a short season, starting in May, Sierrablen’s longevity of five to six months gives him a certain peace of mind.

Aside from the spectacular golf course, Hogs Head Golf Club also boasts a clubhouse and accommodations consisting of a lodge and multiple golf cottages.

Around the clubhouse and accommodations, David uses Gronamic, an organo-mineral fertiliser which he says has “transformed the areas.” n www.icl-sf.co.uk

BASIS launches amenity training course BASIS has launched its NSK Amenity Training Course, a new bespoke course for storekeepers working in industries within the amenity sector, for example lawn care, property maintenance, greenkeeping and sports turf management. This new qualification has been fully accredited by Harper Adams University and is being recognised by CRD as a Certificate of Competence 8 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

for any professional storekeeper working within the amenity sector.

BASIS have been successfully delivering training and qualifications for storekeepers working within professional pesticide stores for the past 35 years through our industry recognised Nominated Storekeeper (NSK) Training Course. Not only has this provided storekeepers with the training they require as

stipulated within UK regulations and the Code of Practice for suppliers of pesticides (The Yellow Code), but has also allowed professionals to learn the principles of good storekeeping which ensures pesticides are stored in a way which protects the general public, safeguards the environment and avoids the pollution of water.

Ensuring that professional pesticides are stored in a

responsible way is extremely important across all industries and anyone responsible for this is required to complete adequate training. However, the current NSK training course did not necessarily meet all the requirements for a storekeeper working within the amenity sector. This new course has therefore been developed to provide the specific knowledge and skills required. n basis-reg.co.uk/training

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New SALTEX innovation award categories unveiled The GMA has announced additional, new categories to the SALTEX Innovation Award, a prestigious hallmark for products showcasing the future of groundscare. Entries for this year are now open via the website.

Since its launch at SALTEX in 2017, the Innovation Award has helped to highlight some of the most groundbreaking, innovative products and services within the groundscare industry and this year, visitors will notice some remarkable differences.

There are now several innovation categories, which include Machinery, Hand tools, Consumables,

Vehicles, Environmental/ Sustainability, Information technology, Equipment and Robotics All submitted entries are evaluated by an independent panel of judges before a final shortlist is devised. The finalists will be announced in the lead-up to the show and the winners will be named in each and every category in a seminar theatre on the first day of SALTEX (3 November).

Visitors will get the chance to see every entry on the show floor. By referring to either the SALTEX website or the show guide, they can pin-point the innovations they want to see and make their way to the relevant stands.

Entering the SALTEX Innovation Award is an unmissable opportunity for exhibitors as every innovation will be featured on the trade show’s website and in the official show guide – helping to draw even more of a crowd to their stand.

“We launched the SALTEX Innovation Award to celebrate the very best in new groundscare technology. The competition has significantly grown year on year, and the Innovation Award has helped to put a wide number of products on the map,” said GMA CEO Geoff Webb.

“After considering the wide variety of innovations, we felt it appropriate to

introduce several new categories rather than just one overall winner.”

Rigby Taylor’s Intelligent One autonomous robotic line marker and Fleet Line Markers’ MAQA line marking machine were joint winners of the first ever SALTEX Innovation Award.

The Cub Cadet INFINICUT® SM34 Rotary Mower was crowned the winner of the 2019 Innovation Award. n www.gmasaltex.co.uk

Cub Cadet’s Jon Coleman, left, receives the Innovation Award from Geoff Webb in 2019

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 9

NEWS

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Considering a move into domestic lawn care?

Thinking of diversifying into lawncare and think it’s easy? Here are a few do’s and don’ts regarding offering lawn care as a service to domestic lawn owners.

T

here around 20 million lawns in the UK of which no more than 1.5 million of these receive a regular a treatment from a professional lawn care company. This means that if the USA market is anything to go by, this sector is set to expand further.

Lawn care is very often the forgotten turf care sector, sitting somewhere between greenkeeping and ground care and yet it is so similar in its objective, producing fine turf to its maximum potential.

The main differences within lawn care versus other turf care are: • You are dealing with 10 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

the general public, who don’t fully understand what is required to achieve a great lawn • The root zone is often far from ideal for producing a good surface. New builds are the worst, predominantly clay and rubble hidden under poorly laid turf • The customer is relatively uneducated when it comes to mowing regimes.

They often aren’t mowing weekly and when they do mow are prone to cutting it too short • They rarely get irrigated, and when they go brown in summer, often point an accusing finger at the lawn care provider, claiming “it never went brown before you started treating it”.

This all said, here are a few tips to help you, if you are considering offering lawn care as a service to the domestic market.

• •

•

•

•

Top tips from Richard Salmon • Professional image – you get one chance to make first impression – Clean and clear sign written van A website dedicated to lawn care and not all the other services you offer Be knowledgeable about your subject – if they trust in your knowledge price is less of an issue Don’t under-sell yourself, as it’s generally not a price led decision by the homeowner, on what is relatively low spend per year on their lawn. Sell on service not on price.

Educate the customer as to lawns and what they have to endure. You may only visit the lawn five or six times each year, and the customer must play their part in looking after it in your absence.

• Send regular newsletters by email, advising on mowing height, and when it is time to water the lawn and how to.

Wandering out with watering can is not good enough to re hydrate it.

You and I know that, but most customers who own lawns don’t think like us.

• Under promise and over achieve. We can, with just a few treatments, transform a lawn if conditions are favourable.

At certain times of year they are not and if they aren’t mowing correctly or watering sufficiently, it will soon decline. They’ll be super impressed at how you can transform their lawn versus the DIY method of scorched lawn and patchy results.

With continuous communication and education, you can get them thinking like a turf pro. n www.prolawncareuk.com

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Perfect bunker solution for majestic Dumbarnie T

he Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open, which took place on the new Dumbarnie Links course in Fife, in August was the first tier one professional event in Europe ever to be played at a venue with synthetic-edged bunkers.

Dumbarnie, which was designed

by Clive Clark and opened last year played host to its first major event as the Ladies European Tour descended on the course as part of a two-week links swing that was completed by the British Open at Carnoustie the following week.

“Dumbarnie features some really impressive, bold revetted bunker walls, some of which are in the region eight to nine feet high,” said Richard Allen, CEO of EcoBunker Ltd. “Back in 2007 my original aim was to invent a resilient and affordable system for low edge bunkers, but soon I was designing solutions for higher and higher links style bunkers. The change in design parameters prompted me to invent a new construction method, which is now Patent Pending, using a cement modified backfill for increased stiffness and stability.

“It was the perfect solution for

12 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

Dumbarnie, and the EcoBunker walls built by our team in 2018 are maturing naturally and beautifully.”

The course also features a number of naturalised bunkers , with a ragged fescue edge, strategically distributed, but the majority of bunkers are hard against greens, or surrounded by short grass, and these are fully revetted using EcoBunker’s synthetic solution.Dumbarnie, promoted OB Sports and Landscapes Unlimited, was one of EcoBunker’s first and largest contracting jobs.

Construction manager Llewelyn Matthews – like architect Clive, a former Walker Cup player – led a five-strong

construction crew to build the bunkers, over an 18 week period.

“All our team look back with immense pride on the Dumbarnie job. It was truly the job on which Llew Matthews came of age as one of the world’s best bunker builders, and we are delighted to have played a part in the construction of such a stunning course,” said Richard.

“To see the world’s leading women professionals playing over the course this week will be wonderful, and I’m prepared to bet that course manager Grahame Taylor will spend less time worrying about his bunkers than most people who are hosting a tournament of this stature.”

NEWS

TEA BREAK TEASER

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Tea Break Teaser HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Second best!

Who remembers who came second?

A tribute to England’s Euro 2020 campaign

HHHHHHHH 1. Who missed a short putt on the 18th green of the Old Course to drop into a play-off with Jack Nicklaus for the 1970 Open which he went on to lose?

2. Who were runners-up in the very first Rugby World Cup in 1987?

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H3. Who did Andy Murray defeat in the final of the 2016 Rio Olympics?

4. When, in 1973, Sunderland became the first second division team to win the FA Cup in over 40 years, who did they beat in the final?

5. Who lost by just one point to Lewis Hamilton in the Formula 1 Championship when the Englishman became World Champion for the first time in 2008?

6. Who lost to West Indies in the final of the very first cricket World Cup in 1975?

7. Who came second to Leicester City when the unheralded club won the English Premier League?

8. When Paul Lawrie won the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, following Jean Van de Velde’s last hole collapse, who was the third member of the play-off?

9. What was the name of the horse which lead virtually all the way, but just lost out to Red Rum in the first of Rummy’s three Grand National wins?

10. Who was the second man to dip below the four minute mile barrier after Roger Bannister?

11. Mexico 1970 was widely regarded as the best FIFA World Cup. Who lost out to Brazil in the final?

12. Not long ago but who came second to Collin Morikawa in this year’s Open Championship at Royal St George’s?

13. Who lost five consecutive World Snooker finals from 1990 to 1994?

14. Who was runner-up to Virginia Wade when she won the Wimbledon title in 1977?

15. Finally, not sport but… who was the second man to walk on the moon?

Answers on page 74 14 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

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NEWS

New Z9 can handle any slope C

ub Cadet has launched its new top of the range Z9 183id zero-turn. Proven by landscape professionals the Z9 will fulfil all your commercial requirements.

With extremely wide double wheels, the Z9 has been developed to effortlessly tackle even the steepest slopes up to 25° / 46%.

The ability to control all four wheels with a steering wheel and steerable front wheels, an exclusive offering by Cub Cadet in the commercial sector, minimises the turf being churned up by the wheels as it would on a lap bar zero-turn. The patented SyncroSteer technology means that even the less experienced operators can benefit from the ease of use and amazing manoeuvrability of this machine.

The Z9 reduces mowing time by up to 10% compared to lap bar mowers, provides greater hillside stability, enhanced traction on uneven terrain as well as mowing in straighter lines.

It powers through the thickest grass in one pass at maximum speeds of up to 12mph meaning

you can do the job quicker. The high lift Marbain blades with a blade tip speed up to 18,500 fpm and the 3” total blade overlap will ensure that you always get a tight consistent cut.

The frame and axle on the Z9 floats as the machine moves, allowing the multi-reinforced steel deck to follow the shape of the terrain and avoid scalping. The cutting deck can be adjusted at the touch of a button.

The Kawasaki EFI engine provides the consistent power you need to get the job done – reducing the downtime which could cost you both time and money. The petrol engine benefits from having lower emissions and reduced fuel usage.

Comfort is at the forefront of the machine’s design. Your operators can experience a smooth ride all day long thanks to the exclusive air-cushioned seat and isolated dampening system on the Z9 – meaning they are working in vibration-controlled comfort, lessening downtime for your business. Angled back adjustments, padded armrest and lumbar

support give added protection.

Ideal for commercial users and owners of large properties with challenging slopes, the Z9 has everything and more that you would expect from a quality professional machine – ultimate performance, comfort and durability that delivers a fast, premium cut time and time again. n www.cubcadet.co.uk

Perfect timing for Multi-Seeder A

fter spending almost three months under constant snow and ice, a Multi-Seeder from Redexim was crucial in regaining coverage on the greens at Dundee’s Downfield Golf Club.

Having previously borrowed or hired a seeder when required, the arrival of the Multi-Seeder 1600 in April 2021 couldn’t have been better timed for Course Manager John Watson as the recovery from winter die-back commenced.

John and his team of six have been busy working on a number of projects around the 18-hole parkland course, including thatch removal and improving the drainage on some challenging clay-based greens. The investment in course condition continued with the purchase of the club’s first seeder.

“I had seen a few reviews of the Multi-Seeder, and after speaking to Scott McNeil, at Hendersons, they

arranged to bring a demo unit in for us to carry out some overseeding on a couple of greens. I knew straight away it was going to be the machine for us!”

Under the guidance of Redexim, the Multi-Seeder dimple seeder has been re-engineered to feature an all new seed ratio and seed feed system which offers incredibly accurate distribution for all seed types – including bents.

“A bag of bent seed is expensive so you want to be getting the very best germination possible with every bag. It is fitted with two sarel rollers creates thousands of pots, at the perfect depth, to achieve just that and it was this feature that impressed us on the demonstration and sealed the deal.”

Following a tough winter, John has so far covered all 18 greens twice, with some additional work carried

out on particular problem areas.

“We lost so much coverage and it’s not an exaggeration to say that the Multi-Seeder has been pivotal in getting the greens back to where they should be. Having our own seeder now means we can carry out the operation when conditions are just right – our most recent pass, with favourable weather and growing conditions just right, gave us germination in seven days.”

Under the guidance of Redexim, the Multi-Seeder dimple seeder has been reengineered to feature an all new seed ratio and seed feed system

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 17

NEWS

Etesia announce outstanding achievement award winners

Following a challenging past 15 months, Etesia UK has announced the winners of four outstanding achievement awards.

The awards commend outstanding performances in sales, service, parts and customer service.

The winners are: Peter Bagguley, of Russells Groundcare, and Allan Wright, of Agrovista Amenity, for outstanding individual achievement,

while RD Mechanical and Sharrocks were awarded outstanding company achievement awards.

The awards were handed out at the recent ET Lander electric utility vehicle and Pellenc new product launches held at Etesia UK’s offices, in Oxfordshire.

“We heavily rely on our dealer network and the efforts of their sales teams in promoting both

Etesia and Pellenc in the UK and Ireland,” said Les Malin, Managing Director of Etesia UK. “We’re delighted to be able to recognise the winners, which not only provide a snapshot of each dealer’s performance with us but also our support to all of our dealers in what has been a very challenging time for everyone in the sector.” n www.etesia.co.uk

Quality of Dennis S500 Plus stands out Mike Finch, of idverde, has praised the performance of the Dennis S500 Plus seeder which he uses on the five greens at Victoria Park in Royal Leamington Spa. idverde was appointed by Warwick District Council in 2012 to undertake grounds maintenance and horticultural services within the district and has been doing so ever since.

Under their remit, idverde maintains 43 football pitches, 20 tennis courts, various hard surfaces and running tracks. All these sports facilities are overseen by the vastly experienced Mike Finch, who spent 24 years as head groundsman at Coventry City FC. Whatever the nature of the 18 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

sports surface Mike has the knowledge to maintain it, but he admits that the bowling greens at Leamington Spa’s Victoria Park are particularly precious to him.

“My main interest is the bowling club. Bowling greens need a lot of attention. My drive is passion and excellence and I always try and exceed expectations,” said Mike.

This is certainly evident at the prestigious Victoria Park – the home of English Bowls. Always striving for perfection, Mike was pleased when he was recently offered the chance to purchase some new equipment and it is a process which he does not take lightly.

Mike chose the Dennis S500 Plus seeder. Ideal for bowls, cricket, golf and other fine turf and ornamental lawn areas, this dual-purpose machine has a 510mm operating width complete with interchangeable spiker and slotter reels.

“I was on the lookout for a good pedestrian seeder and I came across the S500 Plus. We looked at various machines, which included secondhand ones and hiring them, but it was the S500 which stood out.

“For general overseeding on established greens, it works very well and I’m incredibly pleased with how it performs.” n www.dennisuk.com

MAKING TURF MATTER

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Safe, efficient and targeted control of turfgrass weeds Enstar, from Headland Amenity, is a powerful three-way selective herbicide for the control of a wide range of weeds including Slender Speedwell, Creeping Buttercup and Yellow Suckling Clover. Suitable for use in both fine turf and sports turf applications, Enstar is also suitable for use on young turf when applied at a lower rate.

Part of the Headland selective herbicide portfolio, Enstar offers the safe, efficient and targeted control of invasive, broad-leaved and difficult-to-manage turfgrass weed species, without detriment to the health of the surrounding grass plants. It contains three active ingredients – 2,4-D, dicamba and fluroxypyr – to control weeds in golf fairways, sports pitches, lawns and other amenity grass.

It is most effective when applied

while weeds are actively growing, the soil is moist and temperatures are warm, at a rate of 2L in 2001000L of water per hectare. It can also be applied safely on newlysown managed amenity turf, at least two months after grass emergence, at a reduced rate of 0.95L per hectare. In addition to application through vehicle mounted equipment, Enstar is approved for use in boom and knapsack sprayers.

Areas can be treated up to twice per year, with a minimum interval of 21 days between applications.

At Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire, Estates Manager Paul Young has been using Enstar for the last three years, on an area including estate lawns, and the fairways, tees and roughs of the 18-hole golf course.

“Enstar is a fantastically versatile and simple-to-use herbicide

that, after a single annual application, keeps everything in check” explained Paul.

“While we’re not a particularly ‘weedy’ course, it has controlled some issues we’ve had with daisies and dandelions.”

Daisies are also an issue for Darren Lee, Course Manager at Salisbury & South Wilts Golf Club. “Some of our 27 fairways suffer so badly that it becomes difficult for players to see their ball at times!” he explained.

“We used Enstar for the first time this year, in a tank mix with Headland’s Xtend® 46-0-0 and Elevate Fe®, which we applied in mid-May. Along with fantastic results on daisies, it appears to have killed some Speedwell we had which, with previous products, we’d only really managed to knock back.” n www.headlandamenity.com

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 19

NEWS

MAKING TURF MATTER

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Methane power promise put into production reality F

rom a promise, to a principle, to putting its plans into practice, New Holland has carried through the commitment it made in 2006 to becoming the tractor sector’s Clean Energy Leader.

But how did the path to today’s final pre-production methane-powered tractors pan out? Retracing some key steps reveals how the brand came to today’s cusp of full-scale manufacturing.

Fifteen years ago, New Holland declared its intention to be the ‘Clean Energy Leader’ in tractor power. Just three years later it outlined the Energy Independent Farm concept of fuelling vehicles that work on the land from the land, and unveiled its first methanepowered prototype in 2013 underlining its commitment to the clean energy cause.

Today, a number of pre-production prototypes of the methane-powered T6.180 tractor, the first model planned for manufacture, are at work across Europe. With industries across the globe committed to reducing their CO2 footprint and developing more sustainable energy systems, New Holland is leading the way as it prepares to turn its prototype promise into production reality, via a fuel created from plants and natural waste products.

It was in 2006 that New Holland launched its Clean Energy Leader strategy, introducing biodiesel-compatible powerplants across its product range the

WE CAN POINT POTENTIAL METHANE TRACTOR PURCHASERS TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO TALK TO FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT. 20 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

following year. In 2009, the brand unveiled its first alternative-fuel tractor prototype, the hydrogen-powered NH2, alongside the Energy Independent Farm principle.

A second-generation development was unveiled just two years later, and by 2017 the design had been further refined, introducing the T6.180 Methane Power, utilising a re-engineered six-cylinder FPT NEF engine that produces 179hp like its diesel-fuelled equivalent. Given an official launch at Agritechnica 2019, the tractor was the inaugural winner of the ‘Sustainable’ class in the Tractor of the Year 2020 awards.

Now the machine is in its final development stages, with a commitment to production of the world’s first 100% methanepowered production tractor for 2022.

“Much of this tractor is unchanged from its conventional counterpart,” points out New Holland’s David Redman.

“FPT, our sister company within CNH Industrial that’s focused on engine development, is the European leader in alternative fuel-powered engines, having produced 50,000 to date, so it’s clear they are serious about the business.

And the T6.180 is not the only methane tractor we have in development.”

While the structural block remains unchanged from the six-cylinder, 6.75-litre unit used in a conventional diesel-powered T6.180, and the engine service intervals remain at 600 hours, the cylinder head is very different, with gas injectors and spark plugs in place of the diesel injector, explained David. The gas is injected into each cylinder, resulting in constant, clean, maximised combustion.

Compared to the limits allowed under EU Stage V emissions rules, carbon monoxide emissions from the methane-powered T6.180 are 75% lower, while the level of non-methane hydrocarbons is reduced by 90%. Particulate matter is down by 98%,

nitrous oxide by 62%, and CO2 by 11%.

“When New Holland set out to develop a methane-powered tractor, a key criteria was that we would not compromise performance over a comparative dieselpowered model. Despite those lower emissions figures the T6.180 Methane Power has the same 175hp maximum power output with boost as its conventional cousin, and produces maximum torque of 740Nm. “And this all comes with the benefit of running costs that are up to 30% lower, plus other bonuses such as a five decibel noise reduction and less vibration.”

The tractor’s conventional diesel tanks have been removed and replaced with a combination of ten smaller and larger gas tanks designed to maintain the pressure equilibrium as the gas is consumed, and arranged around the centre of the chassis.

“Biomethane is most commonly produced from energy crops and waste to power a static gas engine that then produces electricity.

“But there are other biomethane access options. These include a virtual pipeline – an HGV lorry trailer containing gas-filled pipes delivered to your location. Here you connect the hose and the pressure difference fills the tractor, and because it’s a wheeled unit there are no installation issues.

“As an alternative, across the UK there is a massive gas grid network, maintained and run by four key companies.

Each can tap into the gas grid to allow creation of individual filling stations.

“While the UK is a little way behind some other countries in Europe in adoption of gas vehicle power, it is undoubtedly growing here, and while our role is as tractor designers and manufacturers, we have developed strong relationships across the gas industry, and can point potential methane tractor purchasers to the right people to talk to for infrastructure support.”

NEWS

MAKING TURF MATTER

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Mansfield Sand’s midfield role at Preston North End FC Pete Ashworth, Head Groundsman at Preston North End FC, has revealed how products from Mansfield Sand play a role in achieving consistently good playing surfaces.

Pete, a graduate of the highly regarded Myerscough College, originally began his career at Blackburn Rovers FC before moving to Preston North End FC in 2005. The award-winning groundsman now oversees seven members of staff over three sites.

Across those three sites, which includes Deepdale Stadium, the youth academy and the new firstteam training centre, Pete has six Fibresand constructed pitches – and this is where Mansfield Sand come in.

“Mansfield Sand were used during my time at Blackburn FC, and I have personally dealt with them the whole time I have been here at Preston North End – the customer service has always been first-class,” said Pete.

“There are two products in particular that we use across the Fibresand pitches we have, and they are incredibly important to the playability of them.”

Pete uses Mansfield’s Fibresand, which is a pure sand and polypropylene fibre reinforcement product that is particularly advantageous when grass cover has been reduced due to heavy usage and wear during the winter period.

“We’ll use the Fibresand during renovations and how much we apply really depends on how much we need,” he said. “Mansfield Sand will usually come and take samples in December to see what our levels are and when we find out what the fibre content is, we will then know how much fibre we need to add. You need to have a certain percentage of fibre to keep that stability in your surface and have the best pitch you can.”

Historically, Deepdale Stadium was the only Fibresand pitch

under Pete’s remit, but 2019 signalled the start of more and he has not looked back since.

“We used to have drainage issues on the pitches at the youth academy centre, but that has all changed now.

“I’m a big fan of Fibresand pitches and I like to think I am fairly good at dealing with them in whatever conditions are thrown at us. In the North of England, we get a huge amount of rainfall and the pitches let the water through with no problems at all – that is thanks to the great products from Mansfield Sand.”

Furthermore, Pete revealed that while he relies on Mansfield’s Fibresand for renovations, he will also use the company’s MM40 product.

“We’ll use the MM40 for a straight sand top dressing, especially for the pitches that aren’t having a full cultivation,” he said. “It is a brilliant medium sand.” n www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

Accuracy is key at Gleneagles As Gleneagles enters the fifth year of its partnership agreement with John Deere, its adoption of the latest precision spraying and mowing technology is paying off across the estate’s world-famous championship courses, The King’s, Queen’s and PGA Centenary, plus the 9-hole Wee Course.

The award-winning luxury destination in Perthshire holds a unique position in golf as the first European venue to have hosted both The Ryder Cup, in 2014, and Solheim Cup, in 2019.

The next professional tournament scheduled at Gleneagles takes place in July 2022, when The King’s Course will host The Senior Open Presented by Rolex for the first time. This will be Europe’s only Senior Major Championship next year.

“We’re anticipating a great tournament next summer,” said Director of Agronomy and Estates Scott Fenwick.

Scott recently took delivery of the latest additions to Gleneagles’ extensive John Deere course maintenance equipment fleet, including the ProGator-based GPS PrecisionSprayer, WAM 1600T 22 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

and 9009A TerrainCut rotary rough and finishing mowers, plus nine TS & TX Series Gator utility vehicles.

“Accuracy is key for everything we do at Gleneagles. We were also one of the first golf venues in the UK to achieve GEO Certified status, and the environmental credentials of our business are very important to us.

“Although autonomous technology is well established in agriculture, it’s new to our side of the industry. Once you get used to not having to steer the machine and allowing it to do everything automatically, it’s very operator friendly.”

Precision is a feature of the A

model mowers that Gleneagles uses, with the machines set up using the TechControl system so that they mow and turn at exact speeds.

“Every operator has a slightly different approach and feel, but with so many mowers being used by different people every day, we need to achieve consistency.

“Overall the new John Deere fleet is now in a really good place. It’s also been great for morale that even though the hotel had to close during lockdown, the business has continued to invest in the new machinery we need to maintain the courses to the highest standards.” n www.deere.co.uk

GEORGE WATSON’S COLLEGE

Busy, busy, busy Scott MacCallum just about manages to keep up with Craig Eccleston, Head of Grounds at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh. Craig is always on the go at the institution where the alumni reads like a who’s who of Scottish sporting endeavour…

24 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

MAKING MAKINGTURF TURFMATTER MATTER

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TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 25

GEORGE WATSON’S COLLEGE

T

here are times when we can all convince ourselves that we’ve had a really hectic day – foot to the floor, non stop, no time to take a breath.

But then we step back and think that we still had time to chat with a colleague about the previous night’s telly; been able to visit the sandwich shop and have a 20 minute stroll at lunchtime, and got home in plenty of time to feed the dog.

Heavens, you even had a relaxing glass of wine before retiring to bed.

The point is that usually when we complain about being rushed off our feet, we’re not really.

That is, unless you are Craig Eccleston, Head of Grounds at George Watson’s College, in Edinburgh.

Craig joined Watson’s from

26 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

MAKING TURF MATTER

Giggleswick School, in North Yorkshire, last February, just before the first lockdown, and since then he’s been getting himself up to speed with the demands of his new role.

George Watson’s College is one of Scotland’s most productive breeding grounds for sporting talent. I give you, for rugby – Scotland Captains Gavin Hastings, Jason White and current internationalist Stuart McInally, as well as Gavin’s brother, Scott; for skiing – Martin Bell; for cricket – Sarah and Kathryn Bryce, sisters and both Scottish internationalists; for athletics – Josh Kerr, fantastic bronze medallist in the 1500 metres at the Tokyo Olympics, and for cycling – the man who rivals Andy Murray for the accolade of Scotland’s finest

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ever sportsman, Sir Chris Hoy. It is a day school, with a huge roll of 2,500 pupils, many with a love, and real ability, for sport, meaning that ensuring that the quantity pitches are available, but also in top quality condition, is a genuine task.

“I’ve just done some figures and our main cricket square is going to have around 42 matches from April through to the end of August, and May and June are absolutely stacked. That’s made up of the club which play their T20 matches on the square, the school, plus the under 18s,” said Craig, of the club which plays in the Scottish Premier division, the highest level of domestic cricket in the country.

Watsonians actually run four adult male cricket teams, one female }

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HALL OF FAME: Watsonian Josh Kerr bagged bronze in the Tokyo Olympics with a personal best in the 1500 metres

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 27

GEORGE WATSON’S COLLEGE

HALL OF FAME: Scotland Captains Gavin Hastings and Jason White

} team, plus a host of junior teams.

“We also have a second square for junior fixtures and that’s another 25 games but, as they are little kids, they don’t leave much damage. Then on our other site we have square where the Watsonian thirds play at the same time as the firsts, so that’s another 30 games.

The main rugby pitch is Myerside, one of the historic and revered venues in Scottish rugby. As well as the school matches it has also served as the home ground to Edinburgh Rugby – who are soon to play their 28 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

first game at their new purposebuilt ground at Murrayfield – as well as Watsonians FP, and now the second tier Super6 franchise which was launched two years ago and whose games are televised.

“When I first came here, we were having three games at Myerside in less than 24 hours – two adult games and a schools match,” revealed Craig.

“What we were able to do, though, through speaking with the club, was to tweak the fixtures so that the Watsonian’s Club team and the Super6 team were not playing at

home in the same week,” said Craig, who recalled that the Friday after he started at the School, Scotland played an under 20 Six Nation’s match against England at Myerside.

Combined with the Watsonian’s Hockey club, which runs a number of teams on the synthetic pitch – it’s a TigerTurf, sand dressed, pitch – it means there is so much sport going on at and around the school that they even have to decant to Edinburgh University’s grounds at Peffermill, to ease congestion.

Craig works closely with the

MAKING TURF MATTER

Watsonians Director of Sport as well as the Director of Hockey, Director of Cricket and the Director of Rugby from the school as well as club Director of Cricket and that of the rugby and Super6 clubs as well.

“I believe that I’ve struck up good relations with them, so we can work together to ensure everyone gets what they need.”

Craig took over at George Watson’s from a legendary figure in the sports turf industry, Willie Morton, who had been at the school for over 30 years but who tragically passed

away suddenly in August 2019.

Willie, an international and county cricketer as well a talented groundsman, mentored countless groundsmen in Scotland, many of whom went on to become Head Groundsmen in their own right.

Following such a beloved figure within the industry was never going to be easy, but Craig has looked to build upon the fantastic work that Willie carried out, while, at the same time bringing into play his own philosophies and working practices that proved }

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THE MAIN RUGBY PITCH IS MYERSIDE, ONE OF THE HISTORIC AND REVERED VENUES IN SCOTTISH RUGBY. AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL MATCHES IT HAS ALSO SERVED AS THE HOME GROUND TO EDINBURGH RUGBY TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 29

GEORGE WATSON’S COLLEGE

Craig Eccleston, left, and the team at George Watson’s College

} successful at Giggleswick.

“Willie was and is still well respected and I have read articles about him and his cricket and work here at George Watsons,” said Craig, whose genuine admiration for Willie is readily apparent.

His own turf management philosophy can be boiled down to four main pillars.

“A good nutrition programme; getting some high quality seed in the ground; getting top dressing into the soil profile as well as a good aeration programme,” he explained.

The school has show itself to be supportive when it comes to investing in the machinery required to meet the standards required.

“The school has a lot of vision, as was explained to me at my interview, and I’m looking forward to being involved in the plans which are earmarked for the future,” he said.

He does have plans of his own, all designed to improve standards at the school.

“What I found when I got here was that there were plenty of mowers etc, but that they were a bit short on renovation machinery so I’m hoping that I can get my own Graden, a verti-drain and a sand dresser, while we have just purchased a Gambetti boom sprayer. It’s all aimed at

I’M HOPING THAT I CAN GET MY OWN GRADEN, A VERTI-DRAIN AND A SAND DRESSER, WHILE WE HAVE JUST PURCHASED A GAMBETTI BOOM SPRAYER. 30 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

taking the pressure off having to get contractors in to do the work.”

His aim is to renovate every pitch every year, whereas previously it had only been one or two a year.

Having endured lockdown just at the start of his Watson’s career he was furloughed for three weeks during the first lockdown – Craig was delighted when he was back to full staff in September and they could really get his teeth into the job.

That team comprises a trio or Chrises – Chris Young, Chris Simmons and Chris Cavens while the odd one out among the full time stay is Ewen Russell. Presumably there is pressure on for him to change his name to Chris Russell.

Ross Martin, an ex-pupil who plays cricket and rugby for Watsonians, works two days a week.

“I’ve now got Chris Young and Ewen doing their Level 2 Sports Turf, and I am keen to develop all the staff and maximise their talents.”

“The first thing we did as a full staff was a big renovation on all three cricket squares. We did five or six passes with the mounted Graden, we overseeded, top dressed then vertidrained with 8mil tines,” explained Craig, who added that the lockdown may have actually done the pitches and wickets some good at the school, providing some rest at a time when they would normally have experience significant wear and tear.

He also tweaked the wicket prep.

“We roll less than we used to do. It’s not so much as not rolling too much but rolling at the right time. We now roll first thing in the morning as this means

that we are using the dew to help with wicket preparation Another innovation that he has introduced surrounds the unusual school athletics’ track., which makes a summer appearance alongside the Myerside second pitch – there is a three week gap between athletics and the start of rugby training.

“The track is 284 metres while we also have a discus cage. I understand from the lads that Willie was out with string lines to mark it out and that it took three days. I said we’d get a robot in and use the available technology. We went to Rigby Taylor and hired a robot in. It took about an hour and a half,” said Craig, who admitted that due to the unusual length of the track they had to put the start and relay lines in by hand.

With his family just having joined him in Edinburgh, Craig, who does possess some Scottish blood as his gran was a native of Darvil, had the time to visit some of the other neighbouring schools and meet his fellow turf professionals, while he has also grabbed the opportunity to play some more golf.

“I love it here although because of Covid I’ve not had a chance to explore too much. The weather is not too dissimilar to Yorkshire, although I’d say that it was a bit drier than Yorkshire.

“We visited here a couple of times before and been to the Festival and the Tattoo. I was also on a rugby tour to Edinburgh back in 2018 while I enjoy getting up into the Pentland Hills.”

Always supposing, of course, that he can fit the delights of Edinburgh and the surrounding area into his busy, busy workload!

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HALL OF FAME: Sporting legend Sir Chris Hoy once breathed the inspirational air at George Watson’s College

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 31

CHELMSFORD CITY RACECOURSE

A thick, healthy sward…

Roy Mellis, Rigby Taylor’s Technical Area Manager, left, and Andy Waitt, Clerk of the Course at Chelmsford City Racecourse

C

helmsford City Racecourse Clerk of the Course, Andy Waitt, and his team have been busy building a new natural turf racetrack this year, and already credits Rigby Taylor’s R14 CR creeping and diploid perennial ryegrass blend for the establishment of its “thick, healthy sward”.

Formerly Great Leighs Racecourse, Chelmsford City Racecourse opened in 2015 as the only thoroughbred racecourse in Essex. Famed for its all-weather racetrack, an additional area had been put aside in 2007, with floodlights already in position, for a natural turf track installation and Andy says this year offered the best time to build it.

Armed with his previous work experience at Lingfield Park, Sandown Park and Folkstone racecourses, Andy says his knowledge on course construction

32 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

Convert Gold 22.3.10 applied in March

was a big help when managing this project.

His team, consisting of his son Jamie, who is Grounds Manager and Assistant Clerk of the Course, and teammates Darren Howe and Aaron Hopkins, did the decompaction and seeding themselves, after the neighbouring quarrymen used heavy machinery to lay materials.

Before the project began, Andy took course construction advice from PSD agronomist Charles Henderson and product advice from Rigby Taylor Technical Sales Manager, Roy Mellis.

“The track was profiled and dug out and once the drainage went in, we put in a base layer of stone, followed by subsoil sand and finished off with

topsoil,” he explained.

Sowing the pregerminated Rigby Taylor R14 CR grass seed and applying ConVert Gold 66 (22.3.10) controlledrelease fertiliser was the team’s job for the end of March this year.

“However the lack of rain in April meant a slower start than expected. “Unfortunately, it was dry and frosty every night for about six weeks, so the seed didn’t kick in immediately,” Andy says. “However, once it started to grow it came on vigorously and we now have a very good, thick, healthy sward.”

According to Andy, the ideal natural turf racetrack surface is on the easier side of good to firm for flat racing so the horses can get a good toe/ purchase into the ground.

With this objective in mind, Andy is planning to give the new course at least a year to settle down.

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HIS PLAN IS TO GET IT THE COURSE INTO TOP CONDITION

BY ESTABLISHING A GOOD, KNITTED IN, ROOT GROWTH TO MAKE SURE THAT IT’S “ABSOLUTELY A1 QUALITY, SAFE AND READY FOR RACING” “The course build has been a long process, due to extreme weather conditions and finding windows of opportunity to get on the heavy clay soil.

We went from extremes of really dry and very frosty to really wet. But we had to get it right and I’m very happy with the progress made so far.”

His plan is to get it the course into top condition by establishing a good, knitted in, root growth to make sure that it’s “absolutely A1 quality, safe and ready for racing”, which means that the team will continue to work on it into next spring.

This work includes vertidraining, top dressing and a possible overseed – although Andy believes that’s unlikely as “it’s got such a good sward already”.

To aid work around both the all-weather and the new natural turf courses, the racecourse has recently purchased a Wessex triple mower with a New Holland boomer tractor plus a topdresser, a Weidermann vertidrain and Andy also plans to maintain the grass and produce the ‘going’ on the turf track by installing an irrigation system.

Regarding products used on the track and around the course, Andy says that he’s worked with Roy since he joined the racecourse in 2015. “We’ve always worked together to discuss our needs and ensure we end up with the right products,” Andy says.

Andy uses Rigby Taylor’s

ornamental bark around the paddocks; rock salt and Mossicide Enclean to ensure non-slip off course surfaces; Glyphosate weed control – High Aktiv herbicide around the none turf amenity areas; Greenor – selective herbicide for weeds in the grass; Outfield fertiliser 12.6.6 summer fertiliser for the lawns and paddock areas; and mushroom compost for general planting around the site.

“Racecourses require a good healthy sward of between three and four inches in length for flat racing and we want to make sure that we create one of the best surfaces available by using Rigby Taylor’s ryegrass mixtures because they offer excellent hard wearing, hardy grass in all sorts of conditions.

Although he hasn’t yet used post germination fertilisers and selected weed killers on the new course, “as the grass is so young”, he plans to work with Roy to decide on the best autumn fertiliser to use.

Once the new racetrack is ready, Andy says it will allow Chelmsford City to put on many more all-weather and turf racing events. “The oval track configuration is very much mirrored on the way that American tracks are built, which is ideally suited to horses that would normally go over to race in the US, so we’re focussing on the possibility of hosting many future events – including a Breeders’ Cup Challenge.”

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 33

AERATION

Air injection brings success C

ompaction related problems are common place on golf courses. Dry patch, black layer and excessive thatch and lack of root depth and density all lead to an inconsistent course surface.

Compaction reduces the air spaces between the soil particles; restricting the passage of air, water, nutrients and root growth through the rootzone. The SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid 1500 machine greatly increases the speed of the aeration process by directly injecting air into the rootzone at a fast-working rate, creating thousands of fissures.

The Javelin Aer-Aid also took part in an independent trial led by Dr Christian Spring, of the STRI. Over a three-month period, extensive trials examined the effect that the machine had on the hardness of the turf, the root depth, water infiltration and disease.

“It became obvious that the Aer-Aid improved maximum root and depth within the soil profile and also had the benefit of increasing the depth of the average rooting mass,” reported Christian.

“The overall result is reduced compaction and a healthier root growth. The reason was likely to be of a result of the increased air space within the soil profile created

34 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

by the air injection and the fracturing that resulted from that,” he said.

One of the things that was tested during the research was to look at the benefit of air injection on water movement into the surface. It was found that water infiltration was significantly higher with air injection compared to plots that were left untreated.

“From the research work that we carried out, the Aer-Aid proved to be a very effective tool within a greenkeeper’s arsenal at helping to manage the soil profile.”

The 10mm diameter ‘tipped’ tines are spaced at 75mm with depth of penetration infinitely variable to a maximum of 127mm. The air injection tines are designed to use the maximum air available from the compressor and produce clean, fresh air. Surface

disturbance is also kept to a minimum.

The STRI trial also reported benefits in reducing disease.

“The use of the SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid proved beneficial in helping to reduce the conditions in which Microdochium Patch significantly damages turf within golf greens occurred on the trial plots.

Plots that were treated with the Aer-Aid with air injection switched on appeared to have significantly less disease than the untreated control during a significant period of disease pressure during the autumn period,” said Christian.

One club that has seen excellent results using the Javelin Aer-Aid is St Ives Golf Club and their Course Manager, Rob Duff.

“To start with we used the Aer-Aid twice a month. Now, we normally use it monthly from March until the start of November.

“We had a problem with thatch in our greens because of the nature of the grass. It consists of velvet bent, which is naturally thatch grass and in some places we had approximately three inches of thick thatch. Therefore, I decided that an aggressive solution was needed and this is why I started using the SISIS Aer-Aid.” n www.sisis.com

MAKING TURF MATTER

Billy Goat offers range of solutions T

hick, healthy lawns can be achieved with regular watering and maintenance, but without annual aeration, lawns can quickly lose their vibrancy and, eventually, die out completely.

There are a number of elements, including oxygen, water and nutrients, that are vital in keeping lawns healthy, as they work themselves into the soil’s eco-system and promote better growth and overall health.

However, once soil becomes compacted, lawns are deprived of these components as the soil becomes too dense, inhibiting them from traveling to the grass root.

Aeration plays a significant role in helping to alleviate soil compaction and can promote and encourage an array of benefits that aid in the growth of luscious, vibrant grass.

The action of piercing soil with small holes

can also help to maintain a lawn’s quality throughout changing weather conditions.

During warmer periods, water is needed to keep lawns from drying out so decompressed soil will enable moisture to reach the grass root and allow for optimum growth.

It’s important to aerate lawns at least once a year, but different types of grass are more responsive at different times of the year as their peak natural growth periods differ. Grasses from cooler climates, including carex, calamagstis, deschampsia and fesuca, should be aerated during the early autumn or early spring. Grasses from warmer climates include arundo, cortaderia, miscanthus and panicum and should be aerated during the late spring or early summer.

Billy Goat supply a powerful range of products for outdoor property cleanup, such as aerators, sod cutters, brushcutters, blowers, lawn vacuums and debris loaders. Its range of powerful aerators help to maintain and encourage a flourishing lawn, no matter its size.

The Plugr 25 Hydro Drive Series offers the ultimate aerating experience, with its robust design offering the perfect combination of productivity, operator comfort and variable hole density whilst being remarkably low maintenance. With best-in-class controls and in-ground steering it also offers exceptional manoeuvrability and ease in operating.

www.turfmatters.co.uk

It has a EZ Drop tine system which allows tines to quickly engage when the lever is depressed and rapidly disengages once the lever has been released, meaning it can pass over any obstacles during aeration ensuring that the process is smooth and uninterrupted.

For large areas, the Towable 60 Series Aerator is the perfect solution for maximising large lawn aerations with an ability to cover up to four acres an hour, saving time whilst effectively penetrating the grass root. Its swivelling tine assemblies also offer an easy operation and high quality aeration patterns that reach up to 4cm in depth. This model can also be mounted onto a standard tow bar or category one, three-point hitch and can run behind any type of tow vehicle, with the ability to run to eight kilometre an hour, offering a powerful and timely solution for aerating larger pitches of lawn. n www.billygoat.co.uk.

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 35

AERATION

MAKING TURF MATTER

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ShockWaves provide effective aeration H

aving an effective aeration programme for 45 holes means taking advantage of small windows of time, and at Knotty Hill Golf Centre that is done using four Imants ShockWaves from Campey Turf Care Systems.

Two large 275 models are joined by a 220 and 210 which is used for the greens and tees. Having these reliable large machines is a crucial aspect of course maintenance at Knotty Hill with Owner and Proprietor, Ashley Craggs, working on the 600-acre site alongside his dad, Denis, one full-time member of staff and two seasonal workers.

The decision to operate with a small staff and large equipment puts an emphasis on taking advantage of limited time scales, and with the fleet of ShockWaves the course is draining better than ever.

“We close every Monday, and we use that time to aerate nine holes,” explained Ashley.

“I know when those machines go to work, I won’t see them until they come back in at the end of the night. They are bombproof – when those machines go out, they’re moving,

and they aren’t stopping. If they leave the yard at 8am they will run all day until 8pm.

“The best feature of the machines is the hydraulic depth control on the rear. Some of our land is clay, and then we’ve got good topsoil and then into sandy gravel – half of our site is sand and gravel. When you’re working on that, it’s harder because you can’t get the depth because it’s hitting rock.

“On some of our fairways one end starts with loamy clay and then goes into lovely topsoil, and by the time you get down the other end of the par-five, it could be pure sand. So, when you’re driving the machine, you can adjust the depth from the seat to go full depth on the clay, but you know you can’t do that at the other end, so you pull the spool leaver and raise it three or four inches, and you’re doing the same neat and tidy job.

There’s no stopping and getting spanners out, and that makes a big difference.

“We’ve noticed how well it’s draining and finding the lateral drainage systems that we’ve put in, so we found that the course drains quicker than it ever used

to. If we get a downpour of rain on a Saturday night, we can still play golf on the Sunday, and that’s the key factor.”

The Golf Centre has gone from strength to strength since the farmland owned

by Ashley’s dad, Denis, was converted into a golf course in 1991, with the popular site hosting 27-holes of football golf and various practice facilities.

Campey Turf Care Systems is one of Europe’s largest independent grounds care machinery dealers, with a reputation for superb aftercare service.

The company acts as a new equipment importer for some of the most respected grounds care machinery manufacturers including Dakota, Imants, Koro, Campey, Vredo, GT Air 2G2 injector, BellonMit, and Omarv.

The company also has a thriving used machinery business and a subsidiary company, Tines Direct, which supplies replacement tines, blades and replacement parts for a wide range of turf care machinery. n www.campeyturfcare.com

Combining aerating and rolling GKB Machines, the company behind sustainable, reliable and robust maintenance machinery for natural, synthetic and hybrid turf, provide groundsmen with the solution to ground compaction thanks to their aeration products. Consisting of both the GKB Deep Tine Aerator and GKB Topair, groundsmen can ensure they are ensuring

36 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

their grounds are left in optimum condition.

With many groundskeepers stuck between wanting their grass to grow but keeping a levelled sports pitch, the GKB Topair offers the perfect solution. Built with groundsmen in mind, the GKB Topair fulfils the desire and ambition of making sports pitch maintenance sustainable.

Thanks to the De Evolvente blades, the GKB Topair minimises the prying effect on the upper layer to ensure it stays plain.

Reducing power usage due to minimal friction between the blades and the pitch, this reliable machine features an operating speed of around 10 km/h with a maximum operating depth of 16 cm which can easily be read for the mobile measuring rod.

Engineering with versatility, the robust GKB Topair allows users to level out their sports pitch. Featuring a hydraulically adjustable pressure roller, users can aerate and level the pitch or execute the tasks separately.

Considered one of the major causes of

poor sward density, root development and waterlogging, the GKB Deep Tine Aerator works on natural sports pitches to relieve the surface, compaction enabling water to travel through and for stronger roots to develop.

With an adjustable 25-degree heave angle, the GKB DTA’s tine holding system allows you to take control of removing compaction. From varying depths up to 16 inches and featuring a 3-speed heavy-duty gearbox, you can adjust the speed on the tines to create the required hole pattern in the turf. Thanks to the machines unique tine mounting system, quick changeover for different size tines has never been easier.

Like all GKB products, the DTA was built on the understanding that ‘the worker is king’, and this innovative machine requires minimal maintenance as it’s fitted with heavy-duty sealed bearings on the crankshaft, ensuring focus is always on improving the ground and less on maintaining the machine. n www.gkbmachines.com

AERATION

Versatile Flexblades How to aerate and T overseed in one pass he Flexblade Collector was a new concept pioneered

by Groundsman Industries over 20 years ago. The principle was simple – no driven parts, just scoop the cores off the green with a series of linked platelets called Flexblades, these independently floating plates follow surface undulations with precision-like multiple shovels for the cleanest possible collection.

The Flexblade Collector follows the aerator closely catching a large percentage of the cores before they touch the ground. The remainder are scooped cleanly from the surface dumping them in a pile.

The new range of Groundsman universal collectors use the original proven Flexblade collection system. This implement was for many years only available for use on Groundsman aerators but as the reputation grew, so did the demand for the Flexblade to fit other aerators.

The new range are sporting a sleek black curved and slotted

T collection canopy and slotted blades. The changes are however, much more than cosmetic. The new shape adds extra strength while reducing the overall weight.

The collection blade check chains have been replaced by robust folding check links for consistent accuracy and reliability.

Groundsman Flexblade Collectors are also available for three point linkage mounting on compact tractors. The Flexblades follow the contours of the green with equal precision on the 2.3m wide collectors as the 0.6mm and performance is consistent at all speed across the ground. n www.groundsmanindustries. com

38 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

urf compaction and grass damage over the winter months caused by foot or vehicle traffic and other stresses can be an issue and needs to be alleviated to keep the turf healthy.

Now with Ventrac’s Aera-vator and integrated Gandy seeder it’s possible to aerate and overseed in one pass.

The Aera-vator is designed to break and loosen the soil beneath the surface without destroying the turf. It creates a hole without bringing a core plug to the surface, leaving the turf ready for use immediately after treatment. The Aeravator works best in drier ground leaving a core hole while fracturing the sub soil.

The National Trust’s Waddesdon Manor purchased a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor and Tough Cut deck late last year and then returned to local dealer RT Machinery to purchase additional attachments including a Turbo Blower, Landscape Rake and Aera-vator with seeder.

“The Aera-vator and overseeder attachment for the Ventrac is an excellent piece of equipment. We have

some heavy footfall across the estate especially at our annual events,” said Peter Turski, Horticultural Team Leader at the estate, who revealed that they had over 460,000 visitors a year.

“The main benefit of the Aeravator is that it simplifies the whole operation in one pass significantly reducing the time taken to a fraction of what it used to. No soil plugs are generated, so no collection required, and the over seeding attachment works in synchronicity with the aerating implement by dropping seed directly into the fractured surface of the sward assisting good contact with the soil.” n www.priceturfcare.com

MAKING TURF MATTER

Solution for high speed aeration A

year on from its launch, the Verti-Drain 2519 has proven its credentials as the ‘next generation’ of Redexim’s iconic Verti-Drain range.

Thanks to its 1.9m working width and ability to accept a range of tine options, the 2519 gives turf managers a highproductivity aerator, with the versatility required for year-round operation.

The 2519 model incorporates the very best of Redexim precision design and engineering. Together with a new drawrod system, it features an easy to adjust heave lever and slip clutch PTO drive – offering a PTO speed of up to 540rpm which allows it to cover up to 8,739sq.m per hour when spaced at 165mm.

As standard, the Verti-Drain 2519 comes with 12mm solid tines but it can accept a range of solid tine options up to 19mm, and hollow tines for coring.

This versatility, combined with a variable working depth of up to 250mm, makes it suitable for an array of end-users.

Phill Hughes, Sales & Hire Director at Lister Wilder, said adding the 2519 to their hire fleet was an easy decision.

Tine like a Ninja A

“Our customers had long been looking for a solution for high-speed aeration, particularly for fairways and sports pitches. The 2519 enables the operator to get the job done in less time, keeping disruption to a minimum and ensuring that play is returned quicker than before,” said Phill.

“It’s proven to be a huge hit with our existing customers as well as bringing new customers to us and has been especially popular during lock-down as clubs prepare to re-open ready for the busy season ahead.”

www.turfmatters.co.uk

gronomic Services Ltd introduced the original, authentic Ninja Tines to the UK and have been thrilled with positive feedback from Course Managers.

“We have been delighted with the response. Woolley Park Golf Club were one of the first courses to try the Ninja Tines and they managed to services 90 greens, before having to be replaced,” said Agronomic Services’s David Snowden, pictured.

These genuine Ninja Tines have been widely copied; however, it is the quality and longevity of the steel that sets these original Ninja Tines apart. There is no disruption to play, resulting in happy golfers and great timesaving!

“We are so pleased that customers have found the tines easy to use and are reordering. It’s as simple as tine, blow, roll, play!” said David.

The major difference in the Ninja Tines compared to regular tines, is that they only impact into the thatch layer, therefore the top 20 – 40mm. This method of aeration is being widely used now as an alternative to the more traditional and impactful methods, which disrupt revenue sources and play, particularly in resort golf.

Using the strategies of ninja covert agents, legendary for their stealth and invisibility, Course Managers can use the Ninja Tines and golfers would never know

AERATION

Terrain Aeration tackles London garden square T

he award-winning Earl’s Court Square Garden was originally laid out as part of the Edwardes Estate in the 1870s, and construction of the properties of Earl’s Court Square began. It was well-managed with professional gardeners until the Second World War, when the original cast-iron railings were removed and five emergency water tanks filled the southern half of the garden.

Post-war it became much neglected and remained more like a building site until the mid-70s when the present layout was designed.

A children’s playground was added in 1980 and the mature London plane trees were pruned and maintained.

The Earl’s Court Square Garden is one of the 37 Garden Squares in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

The garden is much used by residents and hosts neighbourhood social events

40 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

which ultimately led to the ground becoming severely compacted and dried out in summer, while in winter it became heavily waterlogged.

Aeration was done regularly, and the grass re-seeded, but the problems remained.

“We learned of the work done by Terrain Aeration in Hyde Park after Winter Wonderland,” “and we thought the principles would apply here. They were scheduled to

come to us in 2020, but a period of heavy rain and then Covid-19 intervened. The garden was a godsend for the community during lockdown, but the pooling was still a major problem,” said Katrina Quinton, Chair of the garden management sub-committee, “As soon as they were able, Terrain Aeration treated the area using their Terralift Tracker, which is designed for access in tight spaces.

It works in the same way as the full-size Terralift machines used in Hyde Park. The Tracker hammers a hollow probe one metre into the soil, releasing a blast of compressed air to fracture the compaction and create interlinked fissures,” explained Katrina.

They simultaneously injected dried seaweed into the fissures, and this expands and contracts with the moisture content in the ground. The probe is inserted in equal spacing on a grid pattern, to ensure the underground fracturing overlaps.

The resulting holes were top-filled with Lytag, lightweight aggregate, to provide a long-term aeration and ventilation shaft which will encourage air and water into the root zone. The result is a healthier soil structure; the compaction is relieved and a stronger root growth is promoted. The areas in the garden around the trees, which are greedy for water, were also treated to a depth of 18 inches. n www.terrainaeration.co.uk

MAKING TURF MATTER

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Ingenius, indispensible O

ccasionally an ingeniously simple machine comes along which becomes instantly indispensable. Welcome the Maredo STrac 700, a pedestrian power unit which supports four different groundcare operations – scarifying, aeration, seeding and fraise mowing with more to come.

The ‘access-all-areas’ STrac 700 is light, fast and versatile. Suddenly, even on difficult undulations, there is scope to provide uniformity of care and presentation across a whole site. It can be used on all turf surfaces from bowling greens to full size pitches and for challenging areas like the collars of a golf course, or, where a tractor is too heavy.

Brought to you via your local Wiedenmann UK dealer, the STrac 700 has easy controls on the guiding handle and a set of interchangeable heads. A very short turning radius means the rear wheels can adopt a variety of operating positions, while the tools connect effortlessly, cassette style.

Maredo offers four tool types each purchased separately with working widths of 65 cm: • The ST200 Flex-Verticutter scarifies to 25 mm using carbide tipped blades

with tool free adjustment. The blades counter rotate against the direction of travel so material is lifted tidily out the way rather than dragged into the slits.

• To relieve compaction down to 60 mm in stressed turf, the ST210 Vibe-Spike Aerator allows for expert following of undulations or making curves as required. Unlike conventional spike aerators, the spike tools vibrate to crack the soil, punching holes to let air and nutrients through.

• The ST170 FlexFrase-Mower targets problem areas by stripping off the top layer of turf to a maximum depth of 20 mm, leaving a perfectly flat and smooth surface ready to overseed. It is also ideal for removing bumps and undulations on goal mouths, tee boxes and gardens.

• Finally, the ST418 VibeDisc-Seeder head uses unique technology to plant the seed right where it should be and protect it against all kinds of outside influences. This is a slit seeder which can dose seed from 0 to -15 mm at as low as 2 g/m2 to 15 g/m2 .

The seed box contains up to 6 kg of seed with disc seeder slit spacings at 42 mm.

Coming soon is a new dimple seeder

head which will create a pattern of dimples where the seeds will be placed.

Rob Hogarth, former Course Manager of Remedy Oak, the England top 100 club in Dorset, and now Regional Sales Manager of Fairways GM, has demonstrated the STrac units extensively since they arrived in the UK. “The STrac 700 is revolutionary. When I think back on worrying about transitions and worn collars, I would have traded my left arm for the scarifier and seeder cartridges. The YouTube videos of the STrac in action don’t do it justice,” said Rob. n www.maredobv.com

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 41

LEICESTER CITY

Dreams do come true Scott MacCallum meets up with John Ledwidge at Leicester City’s fantastic new training facility, home to the Sports Turf Academy

42 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

MAKING TURF MATTER

www.turfmatters.co.uk

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 43

LEICESTER CITY

D

reams are fantastic things. We all have them and it’s good to have aspirations, even if many of them aren’t remotely achievable.

I, for example, had a dream that one day I’d become the natural successor to Des Lynam, easing the television watching nation through all the major sporting events in a suave, relaxed manner.

However, if you want proof that dreams can come true take a look at Leicester City, who won the Premier League in season

44 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

2015-16, going from relegation contenders to Champions at odds of over 5,000-1 – the biggest bet ever paid out in sporting history.

Proving that it was no fluke they went on to beat Chelsea earlier this year to become FA Cup winners.

It shows that dreaming big is not always a waste of time and that when stars align wonderful things can happen – becoming a modern day Des Lynam aside.

Dreaming big is something which John Ledwidge, had always done

and it was a genuine meeting of minds when he joined Leicester City as Head Groundsman back in 2014, more recently being promoted to Head of Sports Turf & Grounds.

John had long dreamt of creating a Sports Turf Academy which would offer education and training, not just to his own team but to the wider sports turf industry.

John, though, is more than just a dreamer. He actually sat down and, and, as the Americans would say, “did the math”. The conclusion?

MAKING TURF MATTER

“I still have the scribbles – the workings out - that I wrote in a book when I came up with the idea. It would have needed private investment to get it off the ground, but having done the sums it would have cost £13 million to get it off the ground and the return to the investor would have been too slow,” explained John, who reluctantly parked the idea.

It looked as though it would remain nothing more than a dream.

But as we said earlier Leicester

City is not your normal football club – it’s not your normal “business”.

A new training ground had been on the table at Leicester City since before John had arrived at the club, but back then John wasn’t holding his breath.

“Go to any groundsman in the country and they’ve been told that there is going to be a new training ground. Leicester was no different to that.”

But seven years on John and I are chatting within the grounds of a }

www.turfmatters.co.uk

…JOHN AND I ARE CHATTING WITHIN THE GROUNDS OF A TRAINING GROUND THE EQUAL OF WHICH WOULD BE HARD TO FIND ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 45

LEICESTER CITY

} training ground the equal of which would be hard to find anywhere in the world and, wait for it, it is also home to John’s Sports Turf Academy.

And this is not just a sop to keep John happy and on-side.

This is a state-of-the-art complex which would make any Oxbridge or Ivy League college proud.

“I didn’t want it to be a partition wall in a tin shed. I wanted it to be a destination that people would be proud to visit and be 46 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

inspired by. I think that you can see that we’ve achieved that.”

Containing seminar rooms, a well-resourced laboratory, meeting rooms, and sitting above a workshop which John admits panders to his mechanic’s expensive tastes, the building is just the bricks and mortar element of a concept which is far more than that.

Dr Jonathan Knowles, a man with 18 years of experience in education, trials and research,

joined the team from Myerscough College last year and since then has proven to be just as effective a signing as Jamie Vardy, albeit with a less impressive scoring record.

“He was a really pivotal appointment for us. He knows the education system inside out and has given the Academy credibility right from the start. He and I have also had to learn how to run a business which is really interesting,” explained John.

MAKING TURF MATTER

John was speaking a week before the formal opening of the Academy and he knows that the pressure will be on to make it a viable project.

“The business plan is built on several pillars. The first of which is education and training to the highest possible level. A volunteer might come to us for a one day course set up by the technical services department on mower set up or fertiliser application, while we can provide courses right up to post graduate degree level.

“Jonathan can validate those courses, and we will work with all our training providers and partners to provide a base level of training while we will add modules which we feel will be relevant and will provide more than the standard Levels 2,3,4 or 5.”

But for John the main attraction of the Academy

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is the access to all that the Training Ground provides.

“Students can come on to the stitched in fibre sand pitch, study greenkeeping on our own nine hole golf course, landscaping with our 30 acres of landscaped lawns and flower beds and arboriculture in our 12 acres of woodland and areas or ecological interest.

The whole site is 181 acres.”

The other drivers of the Academy include a consultancy service, taking advantage of the vast knowledge John and his team have at their fingertips and research and development.

The whole complex, set in rural Leicestershire a few miles away from the city and the King Power Stadium, is truly spectacular and John, and those of his 52 strong team who now work there, have been pinching }

I WANTED IT TO BE A DESTINATION THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE PROUD TO VISIT AND BE INSPIRED BY. I THINK THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE’VE ACHIEVED THAT. – John Ledwidge, Head of Sports Turf & Grounds, left, talking with Scott MacCallum

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 47

LEICESTER CITY

48 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

MAKING TURF MATTER

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EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK AT THE TRAINING FACILITY YOU SEE WONDERFUL ATTENTION TO DETAIL – THE SHOW PITCH WITH A 500 SEATER STAND, THE 14 FULL SIZED PITCHES, THE HUGE INDOOR PITCH… } themselves every day since it

opened at Christmas last year.

John was incredibly fortunate in that he was heavily involved in all aspects of the project and didn’t have what architects and consultants might have thought he might want foisted upon him.

“I was embedded in the process right from start to finish and we did have a strong voice around the table.

I had made it clear that, when you look at the scale of the site, we would be managing 95% of the footprint so for us not to have had a say in how things would be would be futile.”

Fortunately, the team had currency in the bank having delivered projects and pitches at the stadium and at the original training centre, which is now the women’s training centre.

“It meant that they knew our input would be valid and credible.”

That’s all well and good, but

how did he persuade his bosses that a never tried before Sports Turf Academy, something which John himself had already deemed unfeasible, was worth incorporating into the overall project?

“It was a case of re-evalating that original business plan and seeing how it might work within the set-up that we were going to have here. I then went to the Chief Executive and told her that I was going to sell her a piece of my soul, and that it was something I really believed in wanted to achieve.”

But it wasn’t just Susan Whelan who had to be won over, the club’s owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, would be the man who would have to sign the significant cheque required to make it a reality.

“Four years ago, we’d taken over a club in Belgium, OH Leuven, and I was over there looking at the

infrastructure and assessing how to improve their pitches etc. The Chief Executive was visiting the owner in Thailand and she called me in the dead of night to tell me that the owner loved the concept and would be 100% right behind it. Her words were ‘Let’s go and make it work’.”

Tragically, the owner never got to see the new training facility or the Sports Turf Academy as he was killed, along with four others, in a helicopter crash shortly after taken off from the stadium in October 2018. His son, Aiyawatt, is now the club Chairman.

Everywhere you look at the Training Facility you see wonderful attention to detail – the show pitch with a 500 seater stand, the 14 full sized pitches, the huge indoor pitch, with roof high enough to cope with a goalkeeper’s clearance; the nine hole golf course, for the }

LEICESTER CITY

MAKING TURF MATTER

} sole use of players, directors and

staff; the hotel, so players can be together prior to matches; the media facilities; the catering…

Everything is top notch.

So, is there anything that John would do differently

given a second chance?

“Plenty!” came the instant, if surprising reply.

“In a project of this size everything moves really quickly and you can’t be on top of everything all of the time. If time is an issue, things have to be compensated for and there are compromises.

“So, each one of our four departments – football, golf, landscaping and mechanics – have produced five year plans which cover things we need to improve and enhance incorporating every aspect from woodland management, ecological management our lawned areas. We will always be striving to make things better.”

I’m afraid I’m going to use the “j” word at this point., It pains me to do so but, here we go…

The journey that John has been on since he first got hooked on groundsmanship as a 13 year old volunteer could easily be described as meteoric, but wasn’t without its bumps in the road. Immediately prior to Leicester City, John, already a well known figure in the industry,

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was Head Groundsman at the Ricoh Arena, in Coventry, when a dispute over rent meant that Coventry City had departed. Very much like the pub with no beer, it meant that John was left with a pitch with no team.

Despite been stuck in what could easily have been a career cul de sac, John can now smile as he looks at where he is now.

“I’m now managing a team of 52 across three sites, running a business, as well as having involvement in European clubs and learning about their cultures. If you’d said that to me when I was a 16 yearold apprentice that 20 years later I’d be doing that I’d have had to laugh.”

So, a perfect example of how dreaming big can reap its rewards. Perhaps I should resurrect that dream to become the new Des Lynam and send an audition tape into the BBC.

Watch the videos shot at the Training Centre on the Turf Matters YouTube channel.

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TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 51

INDUSTRY SHOWS

I

Back in

t’s said that with buses, there are none for ages then two come along at once. That was very much the case of the return to events within the groundscare industry.

The week after The Open Championship at Royal St George’s BIGGA hosted its two day Festival of Turf, at the Warwickshire Events Centre. Then a just a week later it was the turn of the three day SAGE, at the Three Counties Showground.

It was perhaps unfortunate that the two events came so close together, a situation perhaps understandable given that both events had moved from their original slots.

BIGGA benefited from being first, 52 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

thus giving so many people an opportunity to meet up for the first time in “show-like” circumstances since January 2019 and BTME. That said, SAGE was in the diary first and could be forgiven for thinking that their impact may have been diluted slightly.

For those slightly longer in the tooth the two shows Westurf and Southturf Shows in the South West and South East of the country, not to mention Windsor and SALTEX. They brought back memories of more innocent times when canvass and guy ropes were the order of the day, rather than triple decker stands and hi tec visuals.

Perhaps neither were occasions where huge deals were going to be struck or sales made, but they were occasions when friends, associates and competitors could reaffirm their connections, sometimes with a hug, sometimes with a handshake or a fist bump or sometimes with just a wink.

We were all relieved to see each other again and be, hopefully, on the right side of a historically horrendous 18 months.

It may be that one or both of the events were one-offs and it will be hoped that we don’t get a congested diary next year but credit should be given to BIGGA and the SAGE Board for kickstarting the industry again.

MAKING TURF MATTER

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business WE WERE ALL RELIEVED TO SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN AND BE, HOPEFULLY, ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF A HISTORICALLY HORRENDOUS 18 MONTHS TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 53

ROBOTIC MOWING

MAKING TURF MATTER

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Meet the super smart agria 9600 T

his season Wiedenmann UK dealers launched the new look agria 9600 remote controlled banks mower for steep slopes up to 55°. Engineering and software enhancements to the rotary mulching mower have made it smarter and more effective.

Wiedenmann UK’s lead demonstrator, Andy Kerr, carries out installation and training across the country, and knows the upgraded machine well.

“The original 9600 was pretty special but by introducing smart technology, it’s been future proofed,” he said.

“You can’t help but notice even more Health & Safety benefits. For contractors,

54 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

local authorities and Course Managers this is exactly what they want. Staff risk is minimised because the operator can take a safe position up to 100 metres away.

“The 2021 version has a heavier duty design – thicker steel on the undercarriage makes it sturdier and while caterpillar tracks come as standard, optional tracks with cleats can now be purchased for challenging conditions and all weathers.

“The electric motors and generator are more powerful and brushless. Stronger and greased seal bearings have been introduced while the V-belt now tensions automatically. The brushless generator requires zero maintenance so instantly it is more reliable. Brushless drive motors also mean there is no need for 1000 hours replacement. The net result is a more precise fluent feel.

“Extra smart technology has been introduced inside the control box where the electronics are protected from dust, vibration and moisture.

Sensor technology intervenes in critical circumstances by alerting the operator to hidden or harmful objects such as stones and shuts down immediately. A tilt sensor will

also shut down the machine if the control pad is dropped, or the operator stumbles, or if no motion is felt for three seconds.

“For me the introduction of an optional telematics pack with GPS takes it to a great new level. Amazingly it self-diagnoses issues before they happen. How cool is that? When you take the machine back to its parking bay you keep the ignition on for 15 minutes to download historic data.

The agria 9600 cuts and mulches in two directions and is effortless on a variety of applications, including fine turf, while offering an even faster way to adjust cutting height to between 50 -185 mm.

Innovative ‘electric hybrid drive’ allows the agria 9600 to be more efficient and environmentally friendly than other hydraulic concepts. Safety Extra Low Voltage (48V) electricity is generated as the petrol engine drives the mower blades and generator. Accordingly, the maintenance-free motors convert the current into powering the tracks. A replacement fuel cannister system makes refuelling safe and easy, even on difficult terrain. Two standard 10 litre cannisters can be easily removed and reconnected. www.agria.de/en-gb/ @AgriaUK

ROBOTIC MOWING

To boldly go where it’s just too difficult D

o you want to mow where even walking is difficult? A remote control mower is the ideal solution.

Too often there are difficult to reach areas that require mowing but are very unpleasant or unsafe for the operator. Such environments include steep ground, loose substrate, mowing under trees and shrubbery, along hedge rows, through stinging nettles, high grass and even areas around wasp nests.

Ride-On Solution: The specialist job of mowing on steep and difficult terrain has always been a challenge for the machine operator, with their safety a primary concern.

The AS Motor AS 940 4WD remote control mower has been specifically developed for this demanding application. It is the world’s first ride-

on mower that can easily and quickly convert from a ride-on brushcutter into a remote control mower.

It offers a 90cm cutting deck, with a 27hp Briggs & Stratton engine, 4wd, limited-slip differential and a cross blade and the AS 940 remote control mower mows with ease dense, high grass and undergrowth up to 1.5m in height on terrain where other mowers would have been forced to give up.

Walk-Behind: There are 2 models available from award winning German manufacturer Koppl; Taurus – this is a versatile remote controlled and walk-behind mower offering a high performing, robust solution for heavy use in tough working conditions and areas that are difficult to access.

The Taurus adjusts perfectly to

the height of the operator and the handlebars can be adjusted and swivelled by 180° without tools using the quick-release lever. In addition, the handlebar can be offset to the left and right by 20° so that the operator can walk comfortably next to the machine while still retaining full control.

Crawler – work safety, flexibility, short set-up times and working comfort – these were the main goals in the development of the Köppl Crawler (tracks). The machine with

23hp power and hydraulic drive is extremely compact, manoeuvrable and predestined for work on slopes as well as in difficult to reach places.

The Crawler’s high gradeability and load-bearing capacity also allow it to be used for steep slopes up to a slope angle of 120%.

The remote control with a range of 300m makes it possible to handle the Crawler comfortably and expertly from a distance. n www.psdgroundscare.co.uk

MAKING TURF MATTER

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Making better use of volunteers W

ith a large football pitch to maintain, Aylesbury Vale Dynamos, with 32 teams under its belt, has turned its attention to autonomous mowing, to help the growing club maintain its vast football pitch. Crediting Husqvarna Automower Club Solution, the club has noted great benefits of Automower, in just three months.

The club’s Chairman, Mike Borrett, discussed moving to Husqvarna Automower Club Solution, following a recommendation from Farol Ltd, which is a specialist dealer with a dedicated Automower sales and installation team. Their recommendation would allow two Automower 550 to work simultaneously alongside each other, now using just one boundary wire.

Aylesbury Vale Dynamos relies heavily on volunteers to help run the club, which has always brought about its own set of challenges, including limited time, resource and finance.

“Making the move to Automower has been a brilliant decision for the club, that has paid off multiple

times over. Following discussions with Husqvarna and our Automower dealer, Farol Ltd, it quickly became evident that Automower Club Solution could solve many of the challenges we were facing,” said Mike “We’re incredibly grateful to all our volunteers, but it does provide its own set of challenges. Whether it’s raining or beaming with sunshine, the grass requires twice-weekly cutting, and if no one is able to do it, we end up with grass that’s too long and debris on the pitch, both of which cause problems

when the teams go out to play.

“Thanks to Automower we’re able to redeploy our volunteers to more skilful tasks, saving ourselves hours of time each week, and with them being battery powered, we’ve also been able to eliminate the need for petrol, which has been great for reducing our CO2 emissions, and the club’s finances.”

Ever since the first Automower was introduced in 1995, Husqvarna has been known as the world leader in robotic mowing. With over 2 million sold worldwide, Automower is renowned for its low energy consumption, zero emissions, low noise and high productivity, whilst featuring the ability to withstand a busy match schedule and hours of intense training.

As Automower cuts the grass every day, the impact on the turf and ground is minimal. The very small, quick-composting clippings provide a constant source of fertilisation and moisture, creating greener and denser turf. Research also shows that the constant cutting allows grass

roots to grow 25% deeper, resulting in a healthier and stronger pitch.

Mike discussed the club’s use of Club Solution: “Automower Club Solution has continuously impressed us with its innovation.

The system has allowed our two 550 mowers to be used simultaneously on one pitch, without wires intersecting the playing surface.”

With Automower Club Solution, two or three mowers are able to mow the pitch simultaneously, with only a single boundary wire outside the playing surface, eliminating the risk of a damaged boundary wire during turf treatment such as aeration or scarification.

“The Dynamo’s team are big fans of the mowers, naming them ‘Dyna’ and ‘Mo’, and the fans are even more so. Each match spectators ask us about them, and we can’t blame them, they really are fascinating, and we can’t imagine switching back to manual stadium mowing.” n www.husqvarna.com/uk/ products/robotic-lawn-mowers/

ROBOTIC MOWING

New products from Irus Machinery German based Irus Machinery have launched a new range, based on the original concept of high power low weight and superior stability.

Taking the tried and tested Deltrak series it now has improved chassis design, an increase in power to 61 hp, 80 litres/min hydraulic flow and hydraulically adjustable track width.

All machines are now compliant with level V emissions. n Quatrak 27hp 4 wheel machine the only heavy duty option for a wheeled remote tool carrier, with a choice of implements. n Evotrak 27hp if steep and low ground impact is important, then the lightweight, low cost, tracked Evotrak is the solution – the machine of choice for extreme angles. n Deltrak 2.5 – a tried and tested stable high performing remote tool carrier, Kubota high torque engine, with a variety of options from mowing seeding and cultivation. n Deltrak 50 V3 is the latest edition

58 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

to the Irus line up. Doosan common rail engine, variable track width, automatic track tensioning. 50hp with 80 l/min hydraulic power, Various implements available for this high performing tool carrier. n Deltrak 61 V3 – similar in all respects to the 50 V3 but increased power to 61 hp. n Twin – the only double implement machine on the market, seriously strong and very powerful high torque Doosan common rail engine, 75hp,120 litres/min.

Various implements available.

The key for high productivity and low ground impact is headland turns are not required just lower the second implement and traverse back for the next cut.

Irus now have a choice of Remote machine to fulfil most categories, a strong UK support team dedicated to ensure timely spares supply, technical assistance and onsite repairs and training.

MAKING TURF MATTER

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LINE MARKING

A base for expansion C

ountrywide Grounds Maintenance Ltd Wiltshire has used the Turf Tank One to expand their line marking services into new sports whilst lightening the load on their staff.

Adrian Sargent, Regional Manager at Countrywide Grounds Maintenance Ltd Wiltshire, operates with a team of 14 covering most aspects of grounds maintenance, with one person taking responsibility for line marking. In recent times, customers’ requirements have become more technical with bespoke athletics markings and requests for other sports such as lacrosse and baseball.

Adrian turned to autonomous line marking technology to facilitate these requests, focusing on a robot that uses a base station. The Turf Tank One combines the best of all the recent advancements by using battery power and a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver coupled with a real-time kinetic base station, which significantly increases the accuracy.

Base stations are commonly used in agriculture and surveying due to their precision. Other methods, such as GNSS with GPS used in smartphones, have accuracy

that makes them suitable for applications like Google Maps, but they lack the accuracy needed for initial marking or overmarking.

An RTK base station improves the accuracy of the robot (rover) by providing it with real-time correction data accurate to +/- 1 centimetre. This means a GPS receiver capable of RTK takes in the normal signals from the GNSS along with a correction stream to achieve 1cm positional accuracy.

Knowing that the Turf Tank One could deliver this quality was integral to Adrian’s decision.

“We’ve had various requests for bespoke line marking and with one person taking responsibility for all the marking, we wanted to lighten his load but not sacrifice on the quality. So, for us, that was the primary thing, and before we looked at what the market had to offer, I’d already decided I wanted a robot that came with a base station,” said Adrian.

“For me, it’s essential if you want to achieve the accuracy and consistency we need, and there were no other manufacturers out there that could match it. So, we tested the Turf Tank, and the performance was excellent. The speed was what we were told, pitches were

marked out quickly, and the reduction of paint usage was also in line with what we expected.

“Currently, we’re using it to mark two schools a day, and that’s the initial setups for a 300m six-lane oval and rounders pitches, followed by a 400m six-lane oval and rounders, but we are looking to increase this to three in the next season.

“Come September, we will be marking, football, rugby, hockey, and schools are also looking at more unusual sports and because of the versatility of the robot, we can cater for that.” n www.turftank.com

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 59

LINE IRRIGATION MARKING

MAKING TURF MATTER

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No strings attached GPS line marking has made a major advance with the introduction of the TinyLineMarker Pro, Rigby Taylor’s most technologically advanced line marking robot.

T

he TinyLineMarker is 100% autonomous and uses the latest GPS technology to mark the pitches and ensure the consistent accuracy of the lines. The TLM when arriving on site can start marking new pitches right away, both standard and customised and when partnered with Rigby Taylor’s awarding winning Impact ready to use paint, will produces the brightest, whitest lines.

The robot needs no extra equipment and the included control tablet connects, through satellite directly to the machine, allowing grounds managers to position, edit and paint pitches instantly from the tablet.

A big game-changer for sports clubs and stadia grounds managers is the time saving achieved as just one operator can undertake the initial markings of a pitch just as quickly as re-markings. Lightweight and easy to transport, the TLM is particularly beneficial for clubs with a high number of sports pitches, including training grounds and academies, also contractors marking local authority playing fields and schools that have multiple sports played on their surfaces throughout the year.

TLM can mark almost any sports surface

including football (all pitch sizes), rugby (both codes), multi-lane running tracks, lacrosse, tennis and American football.

All templates are simply downloaded and stored on the supplied tablet.

Any dimension or regulation changes by international/national/regional sporting can be updated as required Once the pitch markings have been placed on the map and stored on the tablet, they are saved for future use and

always ready for remarking; even if the lines disappear from the grass if a pitch has not been used for any length of time.

All the lines on the pitch are marked, including for football, all perimeter lines, penalty boxes, the ‘D’, centre circle, corner angles and even the penalty spot… all with a click on the tablet. Even pitches with fixed posts and sockets can be marked.

“The TLM will generate rewards in every aspect of line marking by enabling the company to save time on the initial marking of pitches and athletic sports’ lines – as an example by taking just 1.5 hours to mark an athletic track instead of three quarters of a day!” said Matt O’Conner, Managing Director of John O’Conner Ltd The robot weighs just 35 kg and can be transported by one person. Manual and automatic driving mode gives the user full control when using the robot.

The impact paint used for the line markings is supplied in 10 litre drums and a flow tube is simply plugged in and marking can begin; no mixing, no measuring and no paint contact with the operator. The TLM setup and subsequent cleaning are completed with step-by-step, on-tablet instructions that make working with the robot easy and simple to operate. n www.rigbytaylor.com

Less labour, less time and no waste for university sports park L

es Gibbs, Grounds Manager at the University of South Wales Sports Park, has invested in a new Kombi Ranger line marker after a successful trial, on account of its new innovative features.

“It’s simple, it’s quick to use, and there are two marked benefits with the new model,” says Les, who has worked at the University complex for over 40 years. “One of the best things about it is that our groundsmen can walk at different speeds and still get the same even application and this is down to the variable speed pressure control.”

The Ranger can also be used with Fleet’s range of concentrated paints and 10 litre drums.

“We have plenty of footfall from University students and international professional teams and we therefore need line markings which are quick to apply and paint that’s durable,” said Les. “The Fleet paint can last over two weeks on turf without over marking.”

60 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

Iain McGuffie, owner of Fleet Line Markers, the largest producer of line-marking paint in the UK, said the new Kombi Ranger was engineered with the user in mind, designed from customer feedback.

“It has a 24-volt battery, which is easily removed for charging on a docking station, meaning there is no need to take the machine to the charge point, just the battery! It has twice the power, you can charge it anywhere and the battery

is also guaranteed for three years.

“We offer a three-year guarantee and will replace any parts in the rare case that this is needed,” said Iain.

“The machine is suitable for all surfaces and can do both centre and side marking.”

The Kombi Ranger has adjustable handlebar height, handlebar ends and has a stainless-steel chassis and handlebars, which are built to last.

The adjustable flow control panel, integral water tank for cleaning and selfmixing facility are features which make this model quick and simple to use.

“The machine has many unique added features which set it apart from the competition. These include six covered bearings, to prevent any paint ingress seizing up the line forming discs. The Kombi Ranger also has low rolling resistant, puncture-proof tyres,” adds Iain.

Optional extras include a chemical spray boom, athletics boom and jockey wheel. n www.fleetlinemarkers.co.uk

MAKING TURF MATTER

LINE MARKING

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Innovative technology wows crowds at cricket festival N

orth-West autonomous technology innovators, GroundWOW, have been showcasing their world first capability at some high-profile events this summer as sport continues to recover from the pandemic.

Among them, July’s Festival of Cricket in support of the Professional Cricketers’ Trust at the Wormsley cricket ground in Buckinghamshire.

The Festival is a one-off exhibition match between the PCA England Legends and a Sir Paul Getty XI. “When the Trust approached us, we were thrilled to help,” commented GroundWOW Chief Commercial Officer, David Pritchard.

A little bit of history was made too as the Wormsley event marked the first time that logos were printed at a cricket match by the world’s first (and only) autonomous full colour ground printer. “That was a big part of the excitement. We

have operated in football, racing and other sectors and so bringing the technology to cricket felt like a really strong fit with a sport that inspired much of our original thinking” continued David.

Kathryn Ford, of the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, said it was the first time working with GroundWOW. “They dropped onto our radar earlier this year via one of their stakeholders, former England Cricket Captain Michael Vaughan.

After a couple of conversations, we had a plan for them to bring their print capability to Wormsley.

For such a high-profile event, we need partners that deliver what they promise and that is precisely what GroundWOW did.”

GroundWOW operate an internal test track at their North-West HQ for product demonstrations and anybody interested in the technology can make contact via

email to david@groundwow.com.

Launched in October 2019, GroundWOW® was developed with a mission to make printing on ground as easy as printing on paper. GroundWOW SPECIAL FX can print any logo, any size, on any surface. Deployable in under 10 mins, end-to-end Cloud platform combines to create images as accurate as a blade of grass. n www.GroundWOW.com

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MAKING TURF MATTER

UTILITY VEHICLES

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Air-Rops designed to save lives BOSS ORV has been appointed as the sole UK and Ireland distributor for all Air-Rops products.

Air-Rops offer a range of rollover solutions for the outdoor power equipment industry. ROPs on ATVs has always been a contentious issue but BOSS believes that in certain applications, and after a thorough risk assessment, they do offer additional protection for the operator.

Air-Rops have the advantage over traditional ROPs of not raising the centre of gravity of the machine as it sits lower than the operator when not deployed.

The first Air-Rops product BOSS ORV has introduced is the AR Quad safety bar, for ATVs and agricultural machinery.

The AR Quad uses Air-Rops technology in a fully automatic Roll Over Protection System.

They base the technology on state-of-the-art automotive components, including safety electronics and proven and reliable airbag gas inflators. The AR Quad electronic control unit continuously monitors the behaviour of the quad and warns the rider with acoustic and visual signals when the vehicle is about to

reach a state where stability is compromised.

The system automatically evaluates the rollover condition until a tilting state is reached and, only when the tilt takes place, activates the rollover bar. The electronic control unit operates the inflator, and the gas is fully released, extending the bar and the mechanism locks. The system only operates when the rider enters and cannot avoid the full tilt. The final position after deployment of the ROPS is limited to a maximum 90°, preventing full rollover which not only helps minimise personal injury it also reduces damage to the quad.

The universal AR Quad design fits most ATVs with independent suspension using bolts on the luggage carrier and towbar.

Installation is easy as the system comes fully assembled and only requires the ATV dealer to perform simple electrical and mechanical actions. It requires no scheduled maintenance and is reusable after a rollover. It just needs inspection and approval by an ATV technician, and the gas generator can be replaced to return the bar to its original condition.

Because it sits low behind the rider and is compact, you don’t notice the AR Quad when you are driving, only when it is needed.

The system is SGS Certified and CE marked, adhering to the strictest environmental and regulatory standards. Anyone using a quad should seriously consider having an AR Quad fitted, it could one day save your life.

Air-Rops will only be available through specialist approved dealers and regional distributors and unlike other ROPs will not be available online. This is to ensure that every unit is correctly installed and able to be monitored by the supplying dealer. n www.bossorv.co.uk

Plenty of versatility with fully electric ET Lander F

ollowing the celebration of Etesia successfully operating in the UK for 30 years, the company continues to grow with an expanding batterypowered range of products.

2021 has seen the launch of the ET Lander – its fully electric utility vehicle built specifically for use on roads and all types of paths in both the town and countryside.

Always attentive to professionals – particularly local authorities and contractors, Etesia has developed a unique vehicle to meet the future needs of their customers.

Designed and manufactured at the Etesia factory in France, the 100% electric ET Lander brings together over 60 years of expertise in green space maintenance.

Spacious, well-equipped and user-friendly, the ET Lander is built on a robust chassis and has an array of options including a three-way tipper bed with dual control from the fully-fitted two-seater cab or by remote control when outside the vehicle.

With a length of just 3.72 meters, the ET Lander is very compact. Thanks to the power steering, the short turning radius of 4.40 meters and 360 ° visibility, it goes anywhere.

Fitted with lead acid batteries the autonomy of the vehicles lasts for a full working day – without noise pollution. A Lithium battery option will also be available in the future.

The ET Lander can transport loads of up to 940kgs and can also tow up to 750kgs. With its all-road tires and powerful transmission, it is a real all-terrain vehicle for use in a variety of conditions on slopes and difficult terrain.

Another technical feature aimed at making the life easier for its users is the innovative integrated loading ramps. The loading ramps, which double-up as side-fitting panels to the tipper, easily allow the transport of materials, ride-on mowers and other grounds maintenance equipment from site-to-site.

The ET Lander also allows the charging of portable battery-powered tools and the use of wired 230v electrical devices such as hedge trimmers.

“I’m pleased to report that Etesia has seen significant growth in the last 12 months. Battery products are generally becoming more dominate throughout our product portfolio and nothing shows that more than the recent launch of the ET Lander utility vehicle,” said Etesia

UK Managing Director Les Malin.

The launch of the ET Lander is the perfect way to celebrate Etesia UK’s 30th anniversary and there will certainly be more innovations to look forward to according to Les. “This innovative product has been in development way before our 25th celebration year,” he said.

“Innovation does not happen overnight, and we will continue to develop products like this – which will help make our next 30 years look outlandishly green.” n www.etlander.co.uk TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 65

MAKING TURF MATTER

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UTILITY VEHICLES

K9 has half ton load capacity W

hat’s on your UTV ‘wants’ list?

Side-by-side utility vehicles (UTVs), with their full load bed, conventional seating for more than just the driver, and either cab frame or full cab, have become indispensable tools for many landscape, amenity and groundscare businesses. Selecting a machine to best suit an operation can, though, be a difficult task. Separating out the models with design features clearly built to withstand the rigours of such operations is a worthwhile exercise.

A diesel engine that offers both power and economy is a given on most lists of ‘wants’, providing the torque needed for serious work.

With Kioti’s K9, the successor to the popular Mechron, a three-cylinder powerplant built in-house provides energy and efficiency in equal measure, along with the reliability for which South Korean engineering has become synonymous. The 1.0-litre powerplant produces 24hp, more than enough to shift the machine and any load with ease, while a 37-litre tank means long spells between refuelling.

Surefooted traction and a decent turn of speed come courtesy of a twin-range CVT transmission

that provides smooth take-off and slow-down. There is also quickly-selectable 2/4wd and a locking rear diff, while ride comfort is taken care of by a helical spring/stabiliser arm suspension arrangement. The K9’s top speed is a rapid 40km/hr (25mph).

The 0.5-tonne load capacity means the K9 is capable of handling bags, bulk loads and other materials with ease. A urethane coating ensures long-term bed protection, while options include hydraulic tipping – mechanical tipping is standard. For additional items there’s an optional storage box under the hood.

With two full seats plus an optional smaller mid-seat, all with safety belts, and a standard full roll-over frame with roof, the K9 is a safe and competent people carrier.

Options include a windscreen, half-doors and a full cab package with heating. Full road lighting, mirrors and bull-bar are standard.

Optional rear fitments include a galvanised canopy for secure covered transport. Hitch hooks front and rear make it possible to not only pull trailed implements, but also manoeuvre equipment around the yard. Options include

an external hydraulic outlet, for even greater versatility – powering a tipping trailer, for example. Maximum towing load is 590kg, helping more than double the K9’s carrying capacity.

With a width of 1,590mm, the K9 can squeeze through tight gateways, while ground clearance of 304mm ensures it rides over rough terrain with ease, whilst the machine is also fully homologated for road use.

Kioti UK, which has an 80-branch dealer network, now provides a two-year warranty for the K9, with unlimited hours.

Yamaha updates range T

he Yamaha Kodiak 450 ATV has been updated with diff lock as standard on all electric power steering (EPS) models and includes a safer, utility focussed rear braking system throughout the range.

“This machine is nimble, easy to handle and now offers greater off-road traction, stability and safety,” explained Yamaha ATV Manager, William Kay. The addition of diff lock to the Kodiak will enable the operator to lock in power to all four wheels for better off road traction.

“This is especially advantageous in wet and muddy conditions. The locking differential forces all wheels to spin at the same speed, regardless of traction, helping the ATV to maintain drive momentum,” said William.

All Kodiak models are specified with Ultramatic® transmission which maintains tension on the drive belt to provide a consistent throttle response.

“The constantly variable transmission (CVT) provides the correct gear ratio as the ATV speeds up and also acts to provide engine breaking when the

ATV is going downhill,” he said.

The rider is also able to automatically switch between 2WD, 4WD and diff lock settings with the push of a button.

Yamaha also offers the more powerful Kodiak 700 EPS and the range topping Grizzly 700. All Grizzly models are fitted with Warn VRX 25 winches as standard.

The 15-metre winch has a 1,134-kilo pulling capacity and a rocker switch

mounted to the handlebar. “Our multidisc wet rear brake is designed for challenging work. The sealed, oil cooled brake cannot be inhibited by dirt and debris that can get stuck in conventional disc brakes. This makes the ATV better suited to year-round use,” said William.

Yamaha ATVs’ unique compact design offers operators machines that are easier to manoeuvre in, and through, tight spaces.

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 67

UTILITY VEHICLES

MAKING TURF MATTER

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Polaris Ranger – the gentle UTV

F

itted with 12-inch turf tyres as standard, the Polaris Ranger EV pairs the off-road capabilities of the world’s bestselling UTV, with the clean and gentle operation of an electric vehicle.

Being completely electric, the Ranger EV gives a clean ride with zero exhaust emissions. Propelled by a single 48-volt, high-efficiency AC-induction motor, it needs little maintenance due to its direct drive system with low-noise transmission.

Charging from a standard domestic plug, the Ranger EV offers a usable and practical driving range in any environment.

Designed with a small 72-inch wheelbase

68 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

and nimble handling, the Ranger EV is the perfect size for fitting through tight gates and can easily be stored in a garage or barn. It also features a useful cargo bed with a quick and easy tilt function via a one-click lever.

The EV boasts an impressive 1,000lb or 454kg payload capacity in addition to its 1,500lb or 680kg towing capacity, making it the most capable battery electric side-by-side in its class.

With 9-inches of suspension travel, paired with 10-inches of ground clearance for a smooth and comfortable ride on any terrain, the Macpherson Strut front suspension offers a smooth and comfortable ride on any terrain. When riding on rough ground, the Ranger EV has on-demand all-wheel drive, so all four wheels engage automatically when the vehicle needs more forward traction, reverting back to two-wheel drive when it doesn’t for ultimate range and power management.

The Ranger Diesel is made to perform to the highest standards for years to come.

The three-cylinder Kubota diesel engine is the most powerful engine in its class, delivering 24.8 horsepower and 40.8 ft.lbs. of torque. Paired with both more consistent

power and better torque distribution for a better ride, the engine offers a lower cost ownership due to over 200 hours between service intervals, and it also features a long-life filter and less oil consumption.

Boasting an aggressive style with its one-piece chassis, the Ranger Diesel is more robust than ever before. The wide chassis seats three people with plush seats, large internal storage capacity and more leg room to provide all day comfort.

Built for the job at hand, the Ranger Diesel has a 1134 KG towing capacity and a 720 KG payload capacity.

Featuring on-demand all-wheel drive the Ranger Diesel engages all four wheels automatically when the vehicle needs more traction and reverts back to two-wheel drive when it doesn’t.

The Engine Braking System (EBS) with Active Descent Control controls downhill braking for smooth, controlled descents on steep declines with or without a load.

It’s not just the Ranger EV that can be gentle on turf; the entire lineup of Polaris vehicles can all be fitted with turf-friendly tyres designed with a rounded profile and special tread pattern to limit footprint and minimise the impact on the ground below.

People with something to say, say it on our YouTube channel Go to YouTube.com, search for ‘Turf Matters’ and find out why we’re our industry’s most watched channel.

New, views, glimpses behind the scenes and opinions from those at grass roots level, to those at the top of their game.

More than a magazine… our cameras search out and bring you stories from across the UK

Because Turf Matters…

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HAND HELD TOOLS

82V commercial range finds perfect balance W

ith a wide range of over 30 products to choose from for all applications and total flexibility in the workplace, the Cramer Commercial 82V cordless system is the perfect choice for a true petrol alternative.

When looking at the best solution for commercial cordless products, 82V offers a balance of power, torque, weight, cost, and durability.

With higher voltage platforms (those over 82v) there is the disadvantage of additional weight, larger batteries, and increased cost. Having extensively analysed the performance capabilities of lithium ion batteries, Cramer created the 82V Commercial platform as the optimum solution for demanding commercial applications.

The Cramer 82V range has been designed specifically for the professional user as a replacement to petrol products. Our 82V platform now offers the power of petrol equivalents thanks to ultra-high torque

motors and direct drive, but with all the benefits of cordless such as low noise for use in any setting, low vibration allowing all day use, low running costs, reduced maintenance costs, and total flexibility with a single power pack for the range.

A major factor when investing in cordless tools is the depth of range. A large portion of the investment is on the power pack (battery) so the choice of products available for that power pack is crucial. The Cramer 82V range has one of the most comprehensive ranges on the market with everything from brush cutters, twin bladed lawnmowers, and chainsaws, to powered sweepers, backpack blowers, and telescopic pruners.

Being a specialist commercial product, durability is essential. The Cramer 82V cordless range is manufactured using the highest quality materials including magnesium components and commercial grade high torque motors.

“82V offers the best solution for the commercial user, the added voltage compared to other lower voltage systems on the market offers more power and torque, cooler running temperatures, and greater durability. With a large portfolio of products and various powering options, Cramer will suit any user in any situation, as well as having one of the lowest costs per Watt hour on the market,” said Alan Wilson, Handy Distributions Cramer Specialist, UK distributor for Cramer. n www.cramertools.com

TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 71

MANAGEMENT

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To advertise contact Marie Anderson email: marie@turfmatters.co.uk MACHINERY MACHINERY

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Bringing technical excellence and service to turf and groundcare www.wiedenmann.co.uk 0141 814 3366

SPORTS TURF CONTRACTORS

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www.pellenc.co.uk 72 | TURF MATTERS | MAY-JUNE 2021

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Go to YouTube.com, search for ‘Turf Matters’ and find out why we’re our industry’s most watched channel.

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over 70% of visitors said that there was an The 70th SALTEX exhibition exceeded all excellent mix of products on display. Table 1 expectations after an independent audit shows what visitors were looking for. confirmed the exhibition as the largest turf www.campeyturfcare.com Exhibitors at SALTEX 2015 reported management event in the UK with a total Telephone: 01260 224 568 0118 3914540 Email: info@campeyturfcare.com huge success at the show, suggesting that of 8,714 unique individuals attending. Now, jamie@advancegrass.com the visitors were a very powerful group of the visitor surveys have been flooding in – TYRES buyers. With deals being done there and revealing a fascinating and in-depth insight then on the show floor, it’s no surprise to see into the visitor profile of the show. that over 80% had purchasing responsibility.

With visitors traveling from every corner Over 75% of all SALTEX visitors also had of the UK as well as every continent around the ability to sign off purchases of up to the world it was encouraging to see that £100,000. over 70% of the visitors rated their overall AGENTS As for the type of facilities that the SALTEX experience as being good, very WETTING visitors were responsible for, it was great to good or excellent.

SOIL SURFACTANTS seeFERTILISERS such a wide array of visitors (table 2).

Over 65% of visitors said that they ORGANIC Visitors also found the more central attended SALTEX to source new products, location of the NEC to be more accessible services or suppliers, while 20% wanted 01233 633267 with 70% stating that the new location was to make the most of the free educational UK.aquatrols.com either good or excellent. Within the halls of LEARNING LIVE seminars and to receive the NEC, visitors favoured the more compact one-to-one advice through the IOG’s Ask setting with over 70% rating the layout of the Expert feature. With so much on offer the event either good or excellent. at SALTEX, there was something for Overall the visitor survey has everyone and over 80% said that they were demonstrated just how good the was the successful or very successful in meeting quality of attendees – further enhancing their objectives.

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES SALTEX as the must attend event of the With such a large number of visitors year. attending SALTEX to source new products SALTEX 2016 will be held at the NEC, and services; they certainly came to the Birmingham on 2 and 3 November 2016. For right place. The exhibition is a great way more information visit www.iogsaltex.com to launch and showcase new products and

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BUYERS’ GUIDE

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TURF RECRUIT Looking for your next move?

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74 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

Tea Break Teaser – the answers 1. Doug Sanders; 2. France; 3. Juan Martin del Potro; 4. Leeds United; 5. Felipe Massa; 6. Australia; 7. Arsenal; 8. Justin Leonard; 9. Crisp; 10. Australian John Landy; 11. Italy; 12. Jordan Spieth; 13. Jimmy White; 14. Betty Stove; 15. Buzz Aldrin.

COMMENT

A pathway to Paris…

I recall five years ago that I became totally obsessed by the Olympics.

Watching Justin Rose winning golf’s gold medal inspired me to believe that between Rio and Tokyo, by upping my work rate, getting that handicap into positive figures, turning pro, becoming Rookie of the Year and then a Ryder Cup player, I could be selected for Team GB. Well, I don’t need to tell you, it didn’t happen. Those

damned lockdowns kept me off the practice ground and halted any progress I was making. I may have had an extra year to hit my targets, but all momentum was well and truly lost.

So, it was with a mixture of frustration and envy that I watched Xander Schauffele place that golf medal around his own neck.

Oh, what might have been.

Looking forward, I know that Paris is only three years away, but, it pains me to say it, I think my one and only chance might have come and gone. Xander is 27 and less than half my age.

Alternatively, and this could be a bit of a long shot, I look for another sport for which I could represent my country.

I’ve got two options, as far as I can see. One is Equestrian where age doesn’t appear to be a barrier and, while I wouldn’t ever be seen as a youngster, I would still be younger than some. And, this might be revelation to even those of you who know me, I was quite a horseman back in the early ‘70s – a protégé in fact.

I’m even in possession of a record Charlotte Dujardin or Nick Skelton can’t match – a 100% record in competition.

Albeit it was only one, and an internal riding school event

not an Olympic final. However, in its own way, impressive nonetheless, I’m sure you agree.

My second option is shooting. I looked at the guys in the final of the trap shooting and I could have sworn that I’d gone to school with the two guys who contested the shoot-off for gold. Similar age, similar body shapes to me and my mates – not likely to be blown over in a stiff breeze, if you know what I mean!

It could be me. True my appalling eyesight and lack of concentration might hold be back, but it is another option to get me my Olympic dream.

Hang on a minute, though.

Back to golf. I’ve just checked out the silver medallist.

It was Rory Sabbatini and he’s 45, much closer to me in terms of age – if you count a decade and a half close. But the thing about Rory is that for most of his career he was a South African, but he was representing Slovakia in the Olympics, courtesy of a Slovakian wife.

Now, I’ve done some research and golf is found in 209 of the world’s 245 countries. The latest country to join that list is Turkmenistan, with its first, and only, course – a Jack Nicklaus design no less – which opened recently. Not too many players up to my standard there yet, I’d suspect.

So, and I’ve still to clear this with Mrs Golfing Nobody, I could head to Turkmenistan, find a single lady, allow her to fall for my charms and voila! In three years’ time I could be playing for Turkmenistan in the Paris Olympics.

Ambition fulfilled! *As told to Scott MacCallum TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | 75