ROBOTIC MOWERS Improving turf, saving the planet Aeration essentials Tips and techniques for perfect surfaces For all sports turf professionals in golf, football, rugby, cricket, tennis, horse racing, independent schools, universities and local authorities SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 • Issue number 52 • £4.95 www.turfmatters.co.uk PLUS LEHTINEMAKINGREVOLUTIO TURF THE INTERNATIONAL MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE – NOW FOR THE FOURTH YEAR RUNNING The adrenaline rush never ends at St George’s Park, the FA’s National Football Centre, says Head of Grounds Andy Gray feverFootball Watch our channel on
Well, what a summer!
I’m a fanatical sports lover but, with the wall-to-wall sport we’ve had over the last three months in the UK alone, it’s been a bit overwhelming even for me. We’ve had the Women’s Euros, and congratulations to the Lionesses and all the Head Groundsmen and their teams for making it such a memorable event; the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews – congratulations to Sandy, Gordon and their team for their spectacular presentation of The Old Course; and finally the Commonwealth Games and, again, congrats to everyone involved in “The Brum Ting”. I can’t recall any issues, any negative headlines, surrounding playing surfaces at all. And that’s quite remarkable given how many hours of sport were played on them, and the picky nature of some professional sportsmen and women who can hone in on an excuse like a heat seeking missile.
It is all taken for granted, which is great, but it does mean that the well deserved credit for wonderful work often gets missed out. Scott MacCallum, Editor Robots are revolutionising line marking: pages 52-56 Inside this issue News 4-22 Understanding nitrogen 24-26 Ride on mowers 28-29 Aeration 30-37 St George’s Park 38-43 Independent schools 45-47 Richard Fry set to retire 48-49 Robotic mowers 58-60
On the issue of improving sporting facilities, we have been invited by Briggs & Stratton to become involved in its Pitch to Win competition, which provides a £3,000 makeover for what is judged to be the Under 18s football pitch in most need – find out more on pages 16-17. I am on the judging panel and visits will be made to a shortlist of deserving pitches soon. We will be looking not so much at the DESSO but the desperate!
Scott MacCallum, Editor
To advertise in Turf Matters, call Pauline on 07720 055676 or email pauline@turfmatters.co.uk
TURF WELCOMEMAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 3
March-April
Distributed every two months to sports turf professionals, local authorities and buyers of turfcare machinery and products. Editor: Scott MacCallum scott@turfmatters.co.uk
The majesty of Gleneagles, pages 30-35
It must be hoped that banks – the financial institutions, not the things which edge overflown rivers – take an understanding approach to sporting facilities which have been unable to service loans as a result of them being unplayable and so unable to bring in revenue. As we have seen with the recent Winter Olympics, sport has such a galvanising effect on society and can be the catalyst for so much good, that it is imperative sporting facilities are not forgotten when the promised assistance is being allocated.
Buyers’ Guide 64-66 Shout 67 Check out our website: www.turfmatters.co.uk Next magazine distributed October 2022 Turf Matters | 2014 | 3
iWelcome
Awarded Best Writing and Best Design in the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) Awards 2019-2022 inclusive No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the written permission of the publisher. Information contained in Turf Matters is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Turf Matters can accept no responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in Turf Matters or in the event of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned is hereby excluded. Printed by Warners Midlands PLC. Follow us on @TurfMattersTwitter
To subscribe, go www.turfmatters.co.ukto Turf Matters is published by Straight Down the Middle Communications Ltd. All material © Turf Matters magazine 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the written permission of the publisher. Information contained in Turf Matters is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Turf Matters can accept no responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in Turf Matters or in the event of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned is hereby excluded. Printed by Warners Midlands PLC. You can follow me on Twitter @TurfMatters Inside this issue News 4-15 Pitch to Win 16-17 Mowing 19-22, 24-27 Tea Break Teaser 29 Gleneagles 30-35 BTME review 36-41 Diary of a Golfing Nobody 42 As seen on Twitter 43 Check out our www.turfmatters.co.ukwebsite: Next magazine distributed 2 May
Turf Matters is published by Straight Down the Middle Communications Ltd. All material © Turf Matters magazine 2022.
On a final note, I am thrilled by the reception that the first issue of Turf Matters received. Many people have taken time to say how much they liked the look of the magazine and how they enjoyed the articles. We’re all pleased you found it to your liking and we will work hard to maintain the high standards. Thank you all very much.
While the fate of sports grounds and golf clubs might seem inconsequential in the face of such hardship, we at Turf Matters have a particular empathy with everyone who has seen years of agronomic husbandry literally washed away in the space of a few weeks.
Don’t forget Sport…
Design and Production Editor: Tim Moat tim@turfmatters.co.uk Sales Manager: Pauline Thompson
The last two months have been a nightmare for many people in certain parts of the country and my heart goes out to everyone dealing with the aftermath of unprecedented flooding and devastating erosion. The best case scenario for many is months of temporary living. For others, lives will never return to what they were.
Distributed every two months to sports turf professionals, independent schools, universities, local authorities and buyers of turfcare machinery and products.
Editor: Scott MacCallum scott@turfmatters.co.uk Design/Production Editor: Tim Moat tim@turfmatters.co.uk Customer Relations Manager: Sinead Thacker sinead@turfmatters.co.uk Sales MarieExecutive:Anderson marie@turfmatters.co.uk To advertise in Turf Matters, call Sinead 07841 927500
One of the most influential figures on our industry, Steve Braddock, has died following a long illness.
NEWS
As drought conditions continue and more restrictions come into force around water usage, it is hard not to notice that many local authority sports grounds, gardens and public spaces have fallen victim to heat. However, you may have noticed that among the current brown and barren land, patches of green remain – clover – which, as DLF explain, generates its own nitrogen from the atmosphere, making it one of the most tolerant varieties to drought and other high stress environments.
He won countless awards for the quality of his pitches; was voted the turf’s top influencer in 2019, and became only the second inductee to the GMA’s Hall of Fame the following year. The respect in which he was held could be seen as Arsenal wore black armbands in his honour in their match away at Bournemouth, while tributes appeared in the national press. Steve had been brought to Arsenal by former manager, George Graham, but the man who was closest to him throughout his career was Arsene Wenger, who was as much a close friend to him as he was a mentor. While the work he carried out on the Arsenal pitches was universally regarded as gold plated, it was his nurturing of talent that he will be perhaps best remembered. Our thoughts are with Steve’s family and friends at this very sad time.
A tank-mix designed by Agrovista Amenity is helping to control the weed population at the Singing Hills Golf Club in West Sussex. Course Manager Mark Lunday and his Deputy Tom Granite have improved the course each year and are proud of the fact that golf can be played all year round. “But we have suffered with a really bad weed problem on our fairways and green surrounds. In the past we have trialed all the different herbicides you can think of. Following the unsuccessful trials, we spoke to Joseph Dormer from Agrovista Amenity and he put together a special tank-mix,” said Mark. “We trialed it on two fairways and it worked well so we then chose to spray the entire course.” The three-way tank-mix consisted of Praxys – a systemic, post-emergence herbicide, clopyralid,containingflorasulam and fluroxypyr which combines three active ingredients and two modes of action; GoGreen Select which is a complex iron sulphate for rapid greening; and Evolution Xtra Soluble – a stabilised urea product which is a cost-effective nitrogen source giving two to three months longevity. ALS Contractors were brought in to spray the tank-mix on all 27 fairways and green surrounds. Mark and Tom were suitably impressed with the process from start to finish. “Singing Hills is such a large site, and we physically can’t get round to do the spraying,” said Tom. “Therefore, we needed the professionals to come in and get it all done in one morning rather than us trying to do a little bit at a time, and not get anywhere. The process went really well.” Mark added that it was down to Agrovista Amenity’s scientific research that has enabled them to control the weed oncontinue“Hopefullypopulation.wewilltoseealotmorevigourandcolourourfairways.” n co.uk/amenitywww.agrovista.
DESPITE DROUGHT CONDITIONS, CLOVER OFFERS OASIS OF GREEN
TRIBUTE BRADDOCKSTEVEARSENAL’STO
Alongside more frequent periods of sustained hot and dry weather, the rise in fertiliser prices is driving seed producers to look for varieties that can be maintained with a more sustainable nitrogen programme. The unique root nodules on clover are formed by the Rhizobium bacteria, capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into a natural fertiliser available for the clover as well as the companion grasses. Sourced in this way, the supply will also be gradual and ongoing, contributing to more sustained growth when compared to the ‘flush’ that can occur when larger quantities of nitrogen are applied as part of a managed feeding programme. Microclover is a special bred dwarf white clover which joins in well with other turf species. The smaller leaves and lower growth habit contribute to a dense, uniform appearance as well as delivering strong wear qualities and heat/drought tolerance.
Singing praises of an Agrovista tank-mix
Steve was synonymous with Arsenal and was a significant figure in the move from Highbury to The Emirates, and in making the training ground at Colney such a success.
4 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 5
“The Toro TRX-16 is a machine that Trencher Hire UK tends to sway towards. Like all our machines they are very reliable, incredibly straightforward and someone can quickly learn what levers to pull – the operator controls are very intuitive.
Trencher Hire’s great relationship
Nestling in the heart of the Shropshire countryside is the home of the UK’s largest fleet of pedestrian trenchers available for hire – machines that make short work of laying water pipe, drainage pipe or electric cable. In the space of 10 years, Trencher Hire UK has established itself as the number one player in this segment of the market and a reputation for providing customers with a firstclass service. This includes providing advice on the best trencher for the prospective job-in-hand and training on how to operate them. At the heart of the company’s success has been the forging of a great affiliation with leading brand Toro, whose machines form the backbone of the Trencher Hire UK fleet that includes the Toro TRX-16, Toro TRX-20 and the Toro Dingo TX 525 with Trencher Head and Toro Dingo TX 525 with Vibro Plow. All the machines have tracks instead of wheels. Matthew Coleman, Toro Sales Manager, Professional Landscape Contractor & Site Works Equipment – UK Direct Market, said: “Trencher Hire UK is our largest customer for self-propelled trenchers and we’d like to feel we have developed a mutually strong relationship. We want to support them in what they are doing and are always interested in their feedback with regard to our products, which we relay back to our engineers and the R&D team.
“Toro is committed to meeting the markets needs and our investment in product development is key to this. It is vital for companies like Trencher Hire UK to know that in Toro they have the back-up of a major corporation and all its resources in terms of product support, servicing and parts availability.
“We own 17 different manufacturers with 24 manufacturing facilities globally (including the US, UK, France, Belgium Australia, China, Italy and Poland) and sales of $4 billion annually.” n www.trencherhire.com
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
6 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
Andy Gray, Head of Grounds and Estates at St. George’s Park, believes that Dennis Mowers got everything absolutely right in producing its new range of battery-powered mowers – the E-Series. Once settled into the role Andy felt the time had come to start exploring the idea of environmentaldownreasonsbattery-poweredintroducingmowers.“Therewereanumberofforwantingtogotheelectricroute,”hesaid.“Therealmotivethoughwasforemployeewelfareintermsofnoiseandvibrations.Therewerealsotheemissionstoconsider,aswellastheimpactandrisingcostoffuel.”Asalong-termuserofDennisMowers,Andywasquitecertainonwhatbrandofbattery-poweredmowershewanted.“IhaveusedtheDennisG860cylindermowerssince 2001 and when I moved here there was already a fleet of nine G860s and four Dennis PRO 34R rotary mowers. I felt it was a nobrainer to stay with Dennis.”
Andy chose to purchase two Dennis ES-860 cylinder mowers from the ES range. This 34” battery powered turf management system delivers versatilitymaximumandoptions to provide a solution to many day-to-day maintenance tasks such as cutting, scarifying, brushing, sorrel rolling, and verticutting. n www.dennisuk.com brainer’ as St George’s Park opts for Dennis E-Series
NEWS ‘No
Dennis Mowers spent three years working with carefully selected partners to develop a range of quality equipmentbattery-poweredbefittingoftheDennisbadge.Theaimwastoprovideareliableandlong-lastingsolutionwiththeultimateperformancethathelpsmeetsustainabilityandenvironmentalinitiatives,reducecarbonfootprint,emissions,runningcostsandnoisewithout any range anxiety. “It was obvious Dennis took their time to do their homework to make sure they got it absolutely right. This was really positive from Dennis – they made sure they were selling the finished article.”
“It’s critical that all of our mowers are as sharp as they can be. What we’re able to get is extreme accuracy and ease of use for the technicians.
“The quality of the grind gives us longevity in terms of performance from the mowers and because they are staying on cut for so long, we can be more productive.” At St Andrews, four greenkeeping teams maintain seven courses. Each team has its own machinery fleet but relies on a central workshop. In the build-up to The Open, it was business as usual on the other courses, making the efficiency and reliability of the Foley grinders paramount.
Presentation and playing consistency take centre stage and with the three Foleys in place, the Old Course team have achieved that in the build-up to the main event.
One hundred and sixty-two years after the first Open at Prestwick, St Andrews hosted the historic 150th edition of golf’s most famous championship. In July, the challenginggrassgolf’srecord-breakinganticipatedcrowdslinedtheOldCoursetowitnessbestplayerscompetefortheClaretJug.Everybladeoffromthepristinegreens,immaculatefairwaysandroughswhichhavebeencutwithbladessharpenedbyaFoleygrinder–andthatishowDirectorofGreenkeepingSandyReidwantedit.SandyisnostrangertohostinganOpen,withthreeunderhisbeltduringhistimeatCarnoustie.“It’sthehighlightofyourcareerbecauseitdoesn’tgetanybiggerthanhostingTheOpen,andyoutrytoabsorballofthatandcherishit,”explainedSandy.“Weneverstopplanningforit,butfrom18monthsout,that’swhenyou’redoingmorewinterpreparations.”Preparationiseverythingatthehomeofgolf,andforthreeyears,the653Accu-MasterReelGrinderand673AutomaticBedknifeGrinderhaveaidedpreparation.Recentlyjoinedbythe622Accu-SpinReel
grinder, these machines’ ease of use and quality output have impressed Sandy and his team of five technicians.
“We really couldn’t ask for a better combination of grinders to keep our cutting units sharp,” said Sandy.
The speed at which they can grind means we’re saving on person-hours and are never without machines for long.
Foley atshinescombinationat150thOpenStAndrews MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 7
Lani Togi, St Andrews workshop manager, left and team with Ian Robson from Prosport UK, right
The Ranger SP 570 is fun to ride with all day comfort with class leading 9”Front / 10” Rear suspension travel to give you a smooth, comfortable ride over any terrain. With ample ground clearance and 25” tyres, you can ride over tricky obstacles that would have normally caused a halt in the plans.
Designed for you to be out all day, there is 75 litres of in-cab storage, including a mobile phone holder, enclosed storage bins, a map or tablet pocket, a massive sealed glove box and so much more. There is even space to put your riding gear! Polaris has thought of everything with added protection in the likes of a full-body skid plate and large front bumper to give you peace of mind in case of large boulders and stumps. The sealed suspension bushings/ bearings help to keep mud, dirt and water out to help maintain the high quality of the vehicle.
The I-80s were installed strategically around the outfield while 6 TTS-885s were installed on the square.
David maindirectormembercricketWilson,committeeandofthesportsclub 8 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
Hunter first class for Bromley
Bromley Cricket Club have raised enough funds to purchase a much-needed new Hunter Irrigation system from KAR UK. Founded in 1820, Bromley Cricket Club is one of the leading cricket clubs in Kent, with a long, successful and proud tradition. As well as boasting four senior sides, the club is focused on promoting youth cricket and has approximately 500 youth players ranging from 4-18 years old. A lot of cricket is played at the club’s ground and David Wilson, cricket committee member and director of the main sports club, explained exactly why an irrigation system was needed. “We have a very low, shallow, subbase of soil and the consequence of that, from our point of view is that in particularly hot periods in the height of summer, without any rain, the pitch would turn into a desert. It would turn to straw, become very hard and any undulations would become quite dangerous. “Rainfall is becoming less and less reliable. We felt that we were getting to a point where a period of say six weeks, would make the outfield nonplayable,” explained David Bromley Cricket club commissioned a topographical survey and a feasibility study, which stressed the importance of an irrigation system. The board began to raise funds in various ways, and it eventually reached its target at Bromley Cricket Club’s bi-centenary dinner celebrations which took place at The Oval. The project went to tender, and Prime Irrigation was selected as the chosen contractor to install a Hunter Irrigation system from KAR UK. The system included 25 of the most technologically advanced commercial rotors on the market – the I-80s.
The Ranger SP 570 is the right size, at the right price with the right features; the compact width makes it easy to fit through tight gates and can easily be stored in a garage or barn. It also features a useful 227kg gas assisted, spacious cargo-bed with a quick and easy tilt function via a single lever.
The Ranger SP 570 makes everyday work a breeze with class-leading capacity as well as light and easy handling.
n www.karuk.com
The small but mighty mid-size UTV is punching well above its weight, with a Prostar 570cc double-overhead-cam engine which packs class-leading power. The Ranger offers incredible suspension which provides 25.8cm of ground clearance, a tighter turning radius and has a compact width of just 144.5 cm. Adding to the Ranger SP 570’s capabilities is the Versatrac Turf Mode. Not only does the Ranger offer all-wheel and two-wheel drive systems, it also has the functionality of unlocking the rear differential and only sending power to one wheel known as Versatrac Turf Mode.
The Hunter TTS-800 rotors provide maximum uniformity and longevity as they use the same gear drive and nozzles as the I-80s. The high-torque gear drives are the strongest in the industry, so the challenges of reclaimed water use or poor water quality are mitigated.
The club also purchased the Roam remote which means operators never have to walk back and forth to stop and start irrigation. Furthermore, the club will soon be benefiting from the changeThismanagementCentralusmobile-friendlyirrigationplatform.provideshighlysecure,comprehensivecloud-basedcontrolandmonitoringfeatureswhichallowsuserstoviewacontroller’sstatus,settings,viewforecasts,savewater,andreceiveinstantnotificationofimportantsystemalarms.“IlikethefactthatTrevor,ourGroundsman,willsoonbeabletowakeupinthemorning,ifneeded,andoperatethesystemfromhisphoneallthewayfromhishouseinWhitstable!”addedDavid.“Ihavebeenaroundtheclubcricketworldforabout45years,andIcan’tthinkofanotherclubthathasasystemlikethis,certainlynottothisscale.Wehavealotofcompetitorsinthisarea,sowewantthebestpossiblesurfaceforpeopletoplayon.I’mveryimpressedwiththisirrigationkitandnowthatwehavewater,Iamconfidentthatthispitchwillsoonbefirst-class.”
NEWS MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
Engineered for sports turf, the I-80 is built with a robust, dirt-tolerant gear drive that offers the highest torque output of any rotor in the commercial sphere, and extends a radius range from 11.3 to 29.6 metres.
Polaris Ranger SP 570: Making light of every day
The Ranger SP 570 comes in three colour options including Sage Green, Hunter Edition in Polaris Pursuit Camo, and Nordic Pro Edition in Black Pearl with an in-cab heater and winch. Prices start at £10,399 excluding VAT.
“The additional use and a shortage of irrigation equipment during the recent hot spell has given the grounds team some challenges, but we have manged to keep the grass green and are confident that we’ll continue our winning streak all season.”
Wigan Athletic FC’s grounds team had a short window for renovation this summer – due to playing host to Belgium women’s national team at its Christopher Place training ground during the UEFA Women’s European Championships, alongside Wigan Warriors’ usual early start to its playing season at the dual-use DW Stadium. Nevertheless, Grounds Manager Ian Forshaw and his team of five managed to turn around exceptional playing surfaces at both venues in record time, thanks to Rigby Taylor’s R140 and Sports Field Renovation grass seed, plus a robust fertiliser programme from Origin Amenity Solutions. “We noticed seed germination at the training ground in just four days and were pretty amazed to say the least,” said Ian.
Ian also relies on Rigby Taylor for the club’s goalposts and line marking equipment. He uses the iGo Advance at the training ground but prefers the sharper lines created by the iGO Premier line marker at the stadium – using Impact Sport line marking paint in both models. “We were so impressed with the iGo that it’s the only line marker we use on the training ground pitches, and the Impact paint provides excellent white lines, “ he says.
10 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
Regarding his choice to ryegrass blend, Ian explained that he was a big fan of the Tetraploid and Diploid mix after using Sports Field Renovation on a shady part of the stadium pitch and was impressed at how well it stood up to and recovered from a hammering by both Wigan AFC and Warriors during the winter months.
“Andy and I have put together a stadium and a training ground programme, which both fit within our agreed budget and are continually reviewed and adapted where necessary,” he said. According to Ian, the stadium pitch’s programme includes R140 seed and a mixture of PolyPro controlled-release fertilisers alongside specific products from the Apex Organic range for the stadium’s SIS hybrid playing surface. This is topped up with pre-mixed, liquid fertilisers – Nutri-Link Base, which promotes sward density, wear resistance and disease tolerance, plus Rapid Response and SeaQuest for exceptional pre-match presentation.
He is also planning to promote biodiversity at the training ground by sowing Rigby Taylor’s Euroflor wildflower seed mixes to attract bee and insect activity.1
Super-fast germination at Wigan Athletic FC
“I had full faith in Sports Field Renovation’s 50% blend of Tetraploid & Diploid Ryegrass seed, which I used for quick germination in the short six-week renovation window. The soil temperature was there and so was the moisture. We didn’t sheet any of the pitches it just came through naturally.” Ian has developed an expertise in managing and installing various types of playing surfaces during his career and is a big supporter of Rigby Taylor products. He joined Wigan Athletic in 1998, from a background in horticulture. Looking to further his skillset, he moved to County Turf in 2016, and gained experience in installing hybrid carpet systems at Real Madrid FC and Paris St Germain training grounds, as well as Croke Park, Gloucestershire
NEWS MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
Rugby, Leicester Tigers and Doncaster Knights – before moving back to a grounds role at Flyde FC. “During my spare time at Flyde, I helped Wigan with mowing and divoting, after they went into administration a couple of years ago, and when the club was able to take on a head groundsman I was asked to come back. It feels like I’ve come home,” he said. One of the first things Ian did on his return was to get the playing surfaces back up to standard. The demand for quality surfaces in the Championship League is high, which is why he says he trusts Rigby Taylor products and appreciates regular visits from Area Technical Manager Andy Merry.
Grounds Manager Ian Forshaw, left, with RobertoWomen’sBelgiumManagerMartinez
“The time it now takes us to get around all 18 greens has more than halved, and as a small team of just three, it frees up all-important labour to be working on other tasks.
The 500kg load bay comes in handy too.
To complement the Rink, Ascott also purchased a Redexim Speedbrush which Andrew says is proving to be a brilliant piece of equipment – not just for working in dressing. “We’re finding more and more things to do with the Speedbrush, from dispersing clippings to clearing moisture and standing the plant up on the surrounds to improve the quality of cut. All of this, together with the increase in topdressing are already making a huge difference to the course.”
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.ukNEWS
Topdressing transformed at Arscott, thanks to Redexim
Hydraulic tip also comes in handy.
12 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
“We can carry 18 boxes of clays –they are heavy to manhandle so it’s great to be able to drive right up to where the traps are sited.”
It’s already completed one pass in April and where we would normally do just one more in September, we’ve actually decided to do an additional dressing on all 18 greens midsummer as well as some work on the tees and surrounds which would just not have been feasible before.”
“The RTV’s a really useful machine to have on a shoot and we’re always thinking of extra jobs for it.”
The arrival of a Rink and Speedbrush from Redexim has transformed topdressing for the team at Arscott Golf Club – turning a task that would have previously taken 14 hours into one that’s complete in just four!
The labour-savings and convenience brought about by their new DS800 now means that Head Greenkeeper Andrew Lewis can topdress more frequently and in more areas around the site, bringing further benefit to the condition of the Shropshire course. Andrew has been at Arscott since it opened in 1992 and was part of the original team that converted the agricultural land into an 18hole golf course. Together with changes to the course, Andrew has seen changes in trends and maintenance techniques over the years – topdressing included. “Where we would have previously been putting two ton’s down on a green and working it in, now it’s all about little and often dressings that work down in just a couple of days.” To keep pace with the requirement for more frequent topdressing, the club purchased a Rink DS800 delivered by Charlies Groundcare, in the spring of 2022. The DS800 features a 0.8m 3 hopper capacity, variable spreading widths of between 2m and 12m, and spreading thicknesses of 0.5 to 15mm for optimal versatility and effectiveness. “Previously, we were using a fertiliser spinner which did the job but was very small and meant repeated trips backwards and forwards to the shed to collect material which was ¾ of a mile away from the furthest green! We looked at a couple of different models of disc spreader and opted for the Rink because of its size, reliability and the fantastic back-up support from the team at Charlies.”
Taking aim at the hot shot Kubota RTV
With more than 50 acres of grounds, the East of England Shooting Ground features extensive grass areas, banks, ponds and a lake, offering a stunning background for clay and simulated game shooting.
“We move dirt and rubble around the site to maintain the roadways and pull ragwort in summer, so being able to tip the full load easily saves time.”
Located at the heart of the Lincolnshire Fens, near Spalding, the site has been carefully landscaped. Helping to shoulder the workload is a Kubota RTV X-1110, used for a variety of grounds maintenance tasks by owner Barry Exton and groundsman Simon Allum. “It’s a great vehicle for this job, very manoeuvrable and travels well on the undulating ground and steep Banks. Unlike a 4x4 it can access restricted areas on the site and feels very stable on the slopes,” explained Simon. With a 24hp Kubota diesel engine offering plenty of power and VHT-X transmission with low range and engine braking, the RTV ‘will go anywhere’ on the site.
“An island like Jura is a precious place that we try to protect as much as possible.
The club chose a Greensmaster TriFlex hybrid 3420 riding greensmower and a Reelmaster 5010-H fairway mower as starters from Toro distributor, Reesink Scotland. Both are hybrid machines and a perfect fit for what Simon and his ninestrong team are looking to achieve at Ardfin.
“The difference in quality is also quite noticeable compared to other brands and the staff enjoys working with them.
Overall, Toro machines are more robust, easier to set up and look after and we find the cutting units stay sharper for longer, too. Not to mention their brilliant finish.
Ardfin Golf Club’s golf manager and mechanic were in complete agreement that the club’s hybrid machinery purchases should be Toro. Carved along the shoreline at the top of a cliff on the Isle of Jura in Scotland, Ardfin Golf Club is not only one of the most unique golf courses in the world but one that has had the least interference in the natural landscape it is part of. And to both keep its spot in the top 100 best golf clubs to play at and continue the sustainability work it is known for, the club is now trusting its greens to Toro.
“We’re planning on going down the all-electric route next and have our eyes on a couple of the Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 greensmowers. They will solidify our sustainability plan and help us carry on the work we do for generations. The technology is there so we’re very excited to bring it into the club.”
“We’re expanding the site by adding a new nine-hole course and when we do, we’ll be looking after 36 holes in total. So, we need to buy a lot more machinery to ensure we stay efficient and productive and, of course, provide the best experience to our visitors. It also needs to be reliable and have good longevity, which Toro delivers 100%
“We are trying to slowly but surely move away from using hydraulics and diesel engines. These ones we bought don’t have hydraulics thus there’s less of a chance of damage on the greens, tees, approaches and fairways. It gives us peace of mind.
Golf manager Simon Crawford explained that he’s used Toro before in previous jobs, including overseas when he’dworked in Barbados, Austria and the Middle East. “Nothing can compare to it, it’s my favourite brand to use and as soon as I came here, I knew we’d have to switch. Our mechanic is also a Toro fan and prefers to work with Toro machinery, something that also has a big impact on what we buy. It was a match made in heaven.”
So, what’s next for the club?
FOR VISITORS LOOKING FOR “A GOLF EXPERIENCE THAT’S LIKE AN ADVENTURE”
When the course was first built, we didn’t move a lot of land; instead, we reused the topsoil, improved the drainage and kept everything on a smaller scale to ensure habitats were protected – the greens are narrow, and we have fewer bunkers than usual. We don’t use fungicides or herbicides and try to have as little impact on the environment as we can: everything is recycled, and all the grass cuttings are used for composting. Getting more sustainable machinery was the logical next step.”
“The service we get from Reesink is fantastic. It’s an easy company to deal with, with good aftersales and good contacts. Plus, when we ordered from them it only took a couple of months for the machines to arrive.”
Speaking of heaven, Ardfin’s location as part of the Inner Hebrides is pretty close but maintaining a golf course in such a remote location doesn’t come without its challenges. Ardfin has managed to strike a balance between the site’s environmental needs and the commercial side of business while remaining at the top of destinations for visitors looking for “a golf experience that’s like an adventure”, says Simon.
Toro welcomed on sustainable island course
14 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.ukNEWS
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Having worked with a number of EIGCA architects –including Saffron Walden/Swan Golf, Horsforth/ Jonathan Gaunt and earlier still on the vast JCB GCC European Golf Design – Whitemoss Eco/ BunkerMat Gen2 have been selected for two major projects. The first is Ingestre Park GC. Whitemoss began working with the club over 25 years ago and in the last three to four years had discussed bunker liners at great length. Moving forward to two years ago and the start of HS2 works by lead contractors MJ Abbott, Whitemoss and Australian manufacturer BunkerMat Gen2 liner were selected for all 55 bunkers on the redesigned holes and new land. Design was by Jon Hunt, International Golf Design, and work began in 2021. It is expected to be completed this summer. The installation teams are able to install 10-15 bunkers in a typical work day and this can amount to up to 1200m 2 of BunkerMat laid in a day. Following an initial visit to the Rayleigh Club’s owner, Whitemoss arranged for fellow EIGCA partners DuraBunker and Rhydian Lewis to visit the site. The owner is a very keen golfer with a real love of “Linksy” bunkers. The Rayleigh Club presents as an American style layout, vast high sand splash faced bunkers and the opposite of the owner’s vision. With a limited number of greens staff, indeed only seven for two courses and a driving range, the solution had to be long term and easily maintained. Following a number of visits and presentations, DuraBunker were appointed lead contractors and appointed Whitemoss Eco Supplies Ltd to install BunkerMat Gen2 into all 55 bunkers and a total area of around 3000m 2 . Following a start date onsite of June 28 this year, all bunkers were BunkerMat lined and have DuraBunkers DuraEdge revetting installed, all completed by the beginning of August.
Above, at Ingestre Oark GC and, below, at the Rayleigh Club
BunkerMat Gen2 was selected for both projects for very similar reasons – speed of installation and availability of the products. Flexibility and the product’s ability to retain sand even on steep, high faced bunkers was a further attractive feature.
NEWS MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk 16 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
Whitemoss selected to take part in two major projects
“Rootzone is very important and is integral to a healthy pitch.”
“Through the season, we will use their top dressing and a little bit of rootzone, mainly to level out the goal mouths that get a lot of wear.
Ewan Hunter, Grounds Manager at Nottingham Forest FC, has praised the products and service he receives from Mansfield Sand. After starting his career as a greenkeeper, Ewan Hunter moved into football grounds management and has remained in the sector for over 20 years. His first job in football was at Rushden & Diamonds FC before starting at Nottingham Forest FC in 2005.
“Most of the products we use from Mansfield Sand are renovation products. We will strip the pitches, Koro them off and then top dress with Mansfield’s MM40. If we are adding fibre to the pitch then we will use their Fibresand, and that is mixed into the rootzone by the contractor.
Furthermore, two pitches at the training ground are currently being reconstructed using 5000 tonnes of gravel, 6902 tonnes of MM40 sand and 4089 tonnes of 85/15 sand soil rootzone, all of which are sourced directly from Mansfield Sand’s Two Oaks Quarry.
The work is being carried out by Ewan’s reliable contractors MJ Abbot and Premier Pitches, who order the products directly from Mansfield Sand. Ewan may not necessarily be involved in the ordering process anymore, but he still maintains a good relationship with the company. n www.mansfield-sand.co.uk
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk “ALL OF THE PITCHES WE HAVE HERE ARE FIBRESAND, AND WE USE A VARIETY OF MANSFIELD SAND’S PRODUCTS.” Mansfield Sand is fab for Forest 18 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
NEWS
Having been at the club ever since, Ewan’s work has been recognised through numerous groundsman awards, and he can now add the title ‘Premier League Groundsman’ to his CV after Forest recently achieved promotion to the top tier. Ever the professional, Ewan remains focussed. “Our work won’t change with us being in the Premier League,” he said. “We will continue to do our job the same way we always have. Obviously, we want to improve standards all the time, and there are future projects, which include new first-team pitches for the training ground, and eventually we will have a new stadium pitch. Yes, the technology we utilise might be better and more modern, but our work will remain the same.” Ewan oversees a team of seven who work across the stadium pitch and the training ground. All the pitches across the two sites are of the same construction as Ewan explains. “All of the pitches we have here are Fibresand, and we use a variety of Mansfield Sand’s products. I’ve been working with Mansfield Sand since my days at Rushden and Diamonds, so well over 20 years.” Mansfield Sand is a company with history and pedigree – its origins can be traced to 1840. It has been a longstanding pioneer in the development and production of premium sandbased products and boasts the most up-to-date and advanced equipment currently in the industry. From winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas – Mansfield Sand has a solution for all. Ewan continued to offer an insight into how he uses Mansfield Sand’s products.
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There was a weekend of breaking boundaries at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground as GroundWOW, creators of the world’s first autonomous ground printer, made their mark on the iconic pitch. The North-West innovators demonstrated their technology to create a grand scale logo for Emirates Old Trafford partners, University Academy 92. The intricately designed artwork measured five metre wide by nine and a half metres long and was positioned directly in front of the Pavilion stand, in full view of the fans and cameras. The very fine detail of such a carefully designed logo helped to exemplify the cutting-edge capability of the robot, in this instance operating in 10mm pixels to create an incredible work in super high resolution. Onlookers remarked on the incredible detail, the precision, and the absolute uniqueness of a technology able to accomplish such detail. Each swirl, line, and dot in the UA92 logo was included to create a pixel perfect replica for the Lancashire v Derbyshire encounter. While players on the field scored boundaries, North-West based tech innovators GroundWOW continue to push technology boundaries as they continue their roll-out across sport. For this project, GroundWOW deployed a three metre wide boom head designed for install speed on grand scale activations in tight operational windows. The electric vehicle also deploys up to 95% less paint than the traditional methods, making it a more environmentally friendly option – no doubt a major driver of the technology firm’s increasing profile. GroundWOW paint is turf, animal and human safe and when it comes to the removal of the image, the on-board AI that manages the paint deposition serves to make washing off or growing out easier than it has ever been. With a raft of subscriptions available tied to a range of product options, the technology is truly accessible to clubs and entities in all leagues, from grassroots to professional, at all levels of any given sector. This gives every club and venue the chance to create a new revenue stream from their existing land and take sponsorship opportunities to a new level.
NEWS
GroundWOW makes its mark in Manchester MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk 20 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
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To ensure the ultimate levels of support to end users, sales and technical staff from one of Smithco’s UK dealers, Ernest Doe and Sons, attended dealer training sessions at Woburn Golf Club and Hunstanton Golf Club in the south and east of England.
The user can simply select the desired layout, drag it onto the map, and the robot will then paint by itself the lines in the correct location with the correct width and length, according to the rulebooks.
Once the fields are created, all the settings are saved through cloud synchronisation, so the turf managers can easily find what they need the next time they repaint and be at ease of mind that they will never lose their settings.
With the new software, users can now see an estimation of the paint required to complete the markings. The time estimations previously available will continue to be supported now with increased accuracy.
The tablet is loaded with predefined sports layouts, which are designed to follow the regulations of the governing bodies for the specific sports.
22 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
David Annis, a senior spray technician based at Smithco’s head office, flew in from Wayne, Pennsylvania, accompanied by John Moore, Smithco’s European Sales Manager, who together explained the attributes of the company’s GPS-guided Spray Star equipment and the TeeJet flow system that ensures the effective control of the sprayed solution to the turf. At the second event, hosted by Hunstanton Golf Club on the north Norfolk coast, the attendees were able to gain a fuller understanding of the TeeJet spray application system using the club’s recently installed Spray Star 2000. Head Greenkeeper, Peter Read, also attended the session.
“Our competitors use nozzle spacing of 50 cm, but ours are spaced at 25 cm and pulse 20 times per second. This provides infinite control of the droplet size which means we can maintain the correct application rate at any speed.
“Our Spray Star range features four self-propelled sprayers with control options such as the TeeJet Radion Rate Controller, Radion with Dyna-Jet Pulse Width Modulation, or Smithco’s Star Command 3.0 providing minimal corrections, turn compensation, and the industryleading 25cm nozzle spacing offering a 100% greater accuracy than competitors,” said John.
They can select between efficient settings for users who want the job to be finished as fast as possible or highest-quality to ensure the robot does the least amount of crossings over already painted lines.
Turf Tank upgrade increases efficiency
The new design features a user-friendly interface which resembles familiar apps, making the software easier to understand and operate.
Ever since its launch in 2015, the Turf Tank robot revolutionised the line marking industry, helping sports organisations all over the world, from small sports clubs and high schools to major colleges and professional teams, save time and money painting their fields. And with the new product, the company aims to simplify the process for those managing fields. The new system brings a set of innovative features which improve the user experience. On one hand, it gives the users a fast and easy solution to paint their fields, with just a few taps on the screen, while it also expands and gives more freedom to the user, who now has full control in customising every little aspect of the line marking process.
“This refresher course for the Ernest Doe team was extremely beneficial and they certainly left the event with a greater understanding of the precision spraying systems available to the end-user and the savings that can result using GPS technology.”
NEWS MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
The users can choose different routes the robot will take when painting the fields.
Smithco were one of the first companies to introduce GPS technology when the Star Command system debuted in 2012. Today they are on the third iteration of the system on their Spray Star range of industry-leading sprayers.
Spray Star range boasts 100% greater accuracy over its competitors
Turf Tank, the inventor of the world’s first autonomous line marking robot, is launching the next-generation line marking software for their robot, improving its usability, and increasing the efficiency of the line marking process. The new software became available to all new customers globally, at the beginning of July.
nitrogenUnderstanding
NITROGEN EFFICIENCYI
Nitrates are the preferred form and can either be stored in the root for later use or translocated to the shoot where it is assimilated into amino acids. When ammonium is taken up from the soil assimilation generally occurs in the plant root following uptake (Tischner, 2000).
WHY IS NITROGEN IMPORTANT FOR PLANT GROWTH? Nitrogen is a key component of proteins which help plants to grow by providing structural support for cells, helping cells to interact with their environment, and reducing the energy requirements for biochemical reactions. Proteins also transport nitrogen through the plant and are nitrogen donors for other fundamental compounds such as: n Nucleic acids: The building blocks of DNA and RNA n Hormones: Chemicals which control activities within the plant n Chlorophyll: The pigments that enable plants to create food through photosynthesis. Proteins are formed from the bonding of amino acids. Each amino acid has a basic structure with a central carbon atom which is bonded to an amino group (NH2), a carboxyl (acid) group (COOH), and a hydrogen atom. The final component is an R group which determines the unique properties of each of the 20 different amino acids. The nitrogen that is used as a component of amino acids and proteins is generally taken up from the soil in the form of either nitrate (NO3-) or ammonium (NH4+).
Agrovista UK Technical Manager Dr Abigail Graceson discusses nitrogen efficiency and why it’s important for plant growth.
t is hard to escape from the fact that the cost of nitrogen fertilisers has increased significantly due to a range of factors placing strain on both supply and demand globally. With this in mind, it is useful to reconsider why we use nitrogen and how to use nitrogen efficiently to reduce costs and environmental harm and improve plant growth.
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WHY ARE PRICES FOR NITROGEN FERTILISERS INCREASING?
The price of nitrogen fertilisers is significantly influenced by costs of natural gas due to the importance of this resource in the fertiliser production process. Globally, the majority of synthetic fertilisers are produced industrially using the Haber-Bosch process in which nitrogen (N2) from the air is combined with hydrogen (H2) from natural gas to produce liquid ammonia (NH3). This energy intensive process utilises fossil fuels to achieve the high temperatures of 400-500°C and pressures of 150-300 bar that are required. The ammonia is then used to make nitric acid which can be combined with ammonia to create ammonium nitrate or with liquid carbon dioxide to create urea. In total it is estimated that production of nitrogen fertilisers accounts for three to five percent of the global annual natural gas consumption (European Commission, 2019). The reliance on energy intensive processes and fossil fuels, in particular natural gas, is the primary driver for nitrogen fertiliser prices.
WHY IS EXCESS NITROGEN HARMFUL? Applying excess nitrogen is not only a waste of available resources and money but can also lead to problems with the plants it is intended to support, to the wider environment and to human health.
Plants: Excessive levels of nitrogen fertiliser can give foliage a weak physical structure which is susceptible to both abiotic stresses such as drought, heat or cold and to biotic stresses such as disease and insect damage. Whilst there is no specific nitrogen toxicity effect, the physical symptoms described above can cause significant damage if excess nitrogen conditions are allowed to continue. In addition, it is known that ammonium can induce toxicity in plants when conditions limit the ability of the growing media to convert ammonium to
Air: Release of gaseous ammonia (NH3) following applications of urea has adverse effects on human health as gaseous ammonia reacts with other chemicals in the air to form particulate matter. Nitrates that are not taken up by the plant can undergo a process called de-nitrification which results in the formation of gaseous forms of nitrogen such as nitrous oxide N2O. Gaseous nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change.
HOW CAN NITROGEN BE USED EFFICIENTLY?
The aim is to match nitrogen sources with plant requirements over time. For example, a nitrate fertiliser may provide an initial hit of nitrogen that is rapidly depleted whereas urea will take a period of time to be converted into a useable form but may be available for plant uptake for longer. Many fertilisers }
Nitrogen sources: Different nitrogen sources are converted to plant available forms over different timescales. Nitrate followed by ammonium are the most plant available forms of the nutrient. When other sources of nitrogen are supplied, for example urea, it must be converted to these plant available forms before it becomes useful to the plant.
Due to the importance of nitrogen to plant health and growth, its potential for harm to the environment and to public health, alongside price volatility it is increasingly important to minimise nitrogen losses whilst maximising the value from nitrogen inputs. There are a range of strategies that can be utilised to achieve this.
Soils: Excess applications of ammonium can lead to acidification of soils from the generation of hydrogen ions (H+) during conversion to nitrate. If the nitrogen is taken up by plants, hydroxide ions (OH ) combine with the hydrogen ions to form water (H2O). Acidification is exacerbated when the nitrogen is not taken up by plants, and no hydroxide ions are released to combine with the hydrogen, creating a net increase in hydrogen ions leading to an increase in acidity. Water: Nitrogen that is not taken up by plants can leach from soils into water sources, affecting drinking water quality and creating pollution issues such as eutrophication. Drinking water quality is compromised when nitrogen leaches into water sources because excessive nitrate can restrict oxygen transport in the bloodstream. Nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZ) were devised as a method of reducing nitrates in drinking water by requiring landowners to follow certain rules which minimise nitrate losses to water. NVZ designations are in force over some areas in the east of Scotland and the east of Wales. A large proportion of England is designated as a NVZ (UKSO, 2022). Eutrophication can be caused when excess nitrogen leaches into water leading to excessive plant growth. This results in detrimental changes to the quality of the water and its value as a habitat.
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk nitrate (Handreck and Black, 2002). Conditions that can induce this are related to low soil oxygen levels (i.e. compaction, drainage etc) (Gelernter et al., 2001) and to reduced photosynthetic potential (dull, cool weather) (Handreck and Black, 2002). Plants can become wilted and stunted (Handreck and Black, 2002).
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Understanding nitrogen References • Ericsson, T. et al., 2021. to-fertilisationPrecisionfromtheorypractice. (STERF).FoundationResearchEnvironmentTurfgrassScandinavianand • 2019.Commission,European
MOWING Nitrate uptake can be impaired following mowing and therefore avoiding nutrient applications immediately after mowing could improve uptake (Bowman, 1987).
USE OF COMPLEMENTARY PRODUCTS
Fertiliser formulations: In addition to containing different nitrogen sources, fertilisers are available in different formulations which affect the speed and longevity of nitrogen delivery to the plant. This in turn affects the likelihood of losses to the environment.
IRRIGATION
inhibitorsNitrification/ureasemightalsobeused.
Fertilisers in the EU: Prices, trade and use. Commission.European • Kreuser, B., 2018. What’s the deal clippingmeasuringwithvolume. University of Nebraska. • Soldat, D. & B.,Kreuser,2012. How requirements.greenchangeregulatorsgrowthputtingnitrogen soilsWisconsinreport. }
NITROGEN EFFICIENCY MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk 26 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
–STRATEGIESCULTURALMANAGEMENTFERTILISERAPPLICATION
LIQUID FERTILISERS Liquid fertilisers generally release nutrients rapidly with typical longevity around 2-4 weeks. They excel at providing fine nutrient control determined by plant requirements.
Soil nitrate and ammonium levels are extremely variable over short periods of time and therefore they are not usually tested for alongside other nutrients in soil analyses. Even during the time period that it takes for a soil sample to get from the soil to the lab and tested there is likely to be a considerable change in the amount of nitrogen present. Because of this, nitrogen application recommendations are usually based on other known factors such as grass species, turf use and soil type. Nitrogen fertilisers should only be used when plants are growing actively. The Code of Good Agricultural Practices for Farmers, Growers and Land Managers states that nitrogen fertilisers should not be applied to grass between 15 September and 15 January unless there is a specific crop requirement at this time (DEFRA, 2009). This helps to ensure that nitrogen fertilisers are used during active plant growth to coincide with plant nitrogen requirements. Growth driven methods provide further optimisation to ensure that nutrient applications are made prior to observable nutrient deficiencies and do not exceed plant requirements. Growth driven methods measure plant nitrogen use to direct management inputs. Suitable methods include measuring clipping volumes to approximate nutrient removal (Kreuser, 2018), or directly measuring leaf nitrogen levels (Ericsson, et al., 2021). Fertilisation inputs can then be increased/ decreased in response to sustained deviations from measured levels.
Opportunities for leaching can be reduced if irrigation rates and frequencies do not allow water to reach beyond the active rooting depth (Barton & Colmer, 2006).
combine nitrogen sources to provide a consistent amount of nitrogen over the expected release period.
GRANULAR FERTILISERS Conventional granular fertilisers have a typical nitrogen release period of 2-6 weeks. Organomineral, slow-release, or controlled release use different methods to reduce losses to the environment with typical nitrogen release periods of 6-12 weeks, 6-12 weeks, and 12+ weeks respectively: n Organo-mineral fertilisers: gradually convert nitrogen from an organic form to a plant available form such as nitrate or ammonium. n Slow-release fertilisers: gradually convert chemically bound urea to a plant available nitrogen form.
n Controlled release fertilisers: utilise coatings to determine release rate by water penetration and temperature.
Complementary products are those which facilitate better uptake or use of nutrients in the plant:
n Humates can contribute to improved nitrogen use efficiency by stimulating the H+ -ATPase enzyme which acts as a proton pump to increase movement of nutrients from the soil solution into the xylem. n Amino acids utilise nitrogen as an essential component, but the synthesis of amino acids is a very energy intensive process. Therefore, providing a supply of amino acids to the plant helps to reduce energy use on this process, resulting in an increase in energy for other processes such as growth. n Carbon sources can increase or maintain the carbon to nitrogen ratio in the soil, ensuring there is an energy source to fuel the microorganisms that convert nitrogen sources into plant available compounds. n Plant growth regulators can reduce plant nitrogen requirements simply because the amount of growth is reduced. If nitrogen application is measured to match nitrogen removal through mowing, a reduction in mowing requirements will result in a reduction in the nitrogen required (Soldat & Kreuser, 2012).
TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 27
THE GREENS
HYBRID OR FULLY ELECTRIC
“Our greens are huge, particularly the double greens, and total two and a half hectares. It takes 12 members of staff to hand cut them once and we will be double cutting them for The Open,” said Gordon McKee, Course Manager, speaking to Turf Matters for our Open preview.
RIDE ON
O
FromMOWERS hand mowers to
“We at St Andrews have always been conscious of sustainability and the environment and working with our machinery partners in Toro and the R&A this approach is a message we are trying to get out. TRIPLE REVOLUTION COMES ON THE BACK ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MACHINES
ne of the interesting stats which invariably got wheeled out when The Open Championship is played at St Andrews is how many miles the guys cutting the greens have to walk to double cut the greens. The reason being that with such massive double greens the figures are eyewatering and would make blisters throb and Fitbits explode! However, this year was different. The greens of the Old Course were not hand mown at all. Greens triples were used – something that would until been seen as sacrilegious at a members’ club for Captain’s Day. Is this a sign that standards are slipping at the Home of Golf? Not at all. Anyone who witnessed the quality of the putting surfaces at St Andrews and the yards of putts that were holed, not least by eventual champion, Cameron Smith, can vouch for the fact that the greens were as good, or better, than they have ever been. Go on one week, and the first regular DP Tour event since The Open, and Hillside GC Course Manager, Chris Ball, was also using triples to cut his greens for the Cazoo Classic. Aren’t the modern day Tour pros so spoilt by being able to play such wonderful courses on a weekly basis? Yet again, dozens of long putts were holed, and the surfaces could have been mistaken for billiard tables. So, what has changed?
“To get that done in the time available each day would have meant going to silly numbers in terms of manpower and machinery.
Well, a number of things. You can point to the quality of the equipment which now makes a greens triple a viable alternative to a top quality hand mower. But also from a sustainability and practicality standpoint a triple mower can carrying out the task in a fraction of the time freeing up manpower to tackle other course management tasks.
The greens triple revolution comes on the back on the development of hybrid or fully electric machines which make cutting of greens in residential areas much more acceptable from a noise perspective while, as Gordon at St Andrews suggested, ticking so many more sustainability boxes. Toro electric triple at St Andrews
greens triples
“There are sustainable ways in which you can maintain your golf course, not just for Major tournaments, but for any Club Championship or Captain’s Day at clubs around the world,” said Gordon. For Chris at Hillside there was another reason that he felt came greens triples an advantage. “Every operator has a different style of cutting a green. This means that there are different weights and pressures going through the machine and on to the sward. Triple mowers mean that there is much greater consistency when it comes to cutting,” explained Chris.
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
By deep aeration specialists, Terrain Aeration Why should we aerate? To answer this, we need to acknowledge that the roots of all plants need to respire. They do not breathe as we do, but they need to absorb oxygen and emit Carbon Dioxide. Roots can only thrive where this exchange is possible, so where do the roots get their oxygen? The oxygen is in the air in the air spaces between the soil particles and this is why gardeners always aim to produce a soil with a crumb texture, which has air spaces between the crumbs. It follows that if these air spaces are closed the roots have little or no oxygen to draw upon and will tend to die back away from such areas. The soil loses airspaces by compacting whether under its own weight or because it has been loaded by passing feet, vehicles or materials stored on it.
Terrain Aeration specialises in deep penetration aeration to a depth of one metre where a blast of compressed air fractures the soil, creating fissures that allow drainage and oxygen to the roots of the grass or trees. n www.terrainaeration.co.uk
AERATION 30 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
Billy Goat supplies a powerful and robust range of tools for commercial, outdoor and property clean-up and its range of powerful aerators can help to maintain and encourage a strong, flourishing lawn.
Billy Goat’s Plugr 25 Hydro Drive Series aerator provides a superb performance and a combination of productivity, operator comfort, variable hole density and is remarkably low maintenance. With the best-in-class controls and in ground steering, the 25 HydroSeriesDrivealso exceptionaloffersmanoeuvrabilityandeaseinoperating.ItalsooffersThe
With the ability to cover up to 4 acres an hour, the Billy Goat Towable 60 Series aerator is ideal for maximising large lawn aerations - helping to save time whilst efficiently penetrating the grass root. With the addition of swivelling tine assemblies, this model operates with ease and is able to provide a quality aeration pattern of up to 4cm deep.
Why aerate the soil?
How to aerate? There are a lot of different techniques available starting with a good old garden fork pushed into a lawn, through spikes the size of smallish nails on a pedestrian pushed roller through large spikes that reach 150mm into the surface to slitting knives some of which simply slice into the turf to others that slice the turf and shake it. We then enter the world of deeper aeration where verti draining can penetrate to about 400mm with solid probes but here we are beginning to have to use rather heavy equipment with the biggest verti drain unit weighing in at well over a tonne plus a substantial tractor to tow and power it. To go deeper, the air injection technique is used to lift and fracture the soil profile. The number of available machines reaching 450 to 500 mm is quite large, with deeper aeration to one-metre depth being available from the Terrain Aeration Terralift machine.
Best aerators for a flawless finish
Healthy plants need healthy roots and roots that are dying back from an area that has become compacted and is without air spaces cannot thrive. Healthy plants also need a thriving community of living things – bacteria, worms, insects, fungi or any other type of fauna and flora which all work to make soil nutrients available to the plant roots. This community needs oxygen to sustain it and without oxygen in the soil, the soil will sour and begin to stink as anaerobic bacteria which can live without oxygen take over and they produce Hydrogen Sulphide gas from their specialised respiration. Hydrogen sulphide is nasty stuff and kills plant roots rapidly. If we want our plants to thrive, we must ensure that the air can penetrate the soil and we do this by aeration. We aerate to put air into the soil for the roots to use to respire and to keep the soil sweet. When to aerate? Some people would have us aerate whenever the mower has passed over the turf, but that could be considered excessive. Aerate, whenever there are signs of poor grass growth or surface water accumulation, but you must be able to get the aerating instrument, be it tine, prong, knife or probe into the surface and out again without damaging the surface or the machine.
The Towable 60 Series can also be mounted onto a standard tow bar or category 1, 3-point hitch and can run behind any type of tow vehicle, with the ability to run up to 8 km/h – offering a powerful and timely solution for aerating larger patches of lawn. n www.billygoat.co.uk
Patent Pending EZ Drop tine system which comes complete with a onestep tine engagement lever. This allows tines to quickly engage when the lever is depressed, but it is also able to rapidly disengage once the lever has been released, so it can pass over any obstacles during aeration making the process smooth and uninterrupted. For smaller lawns, the Billy Goat 18 Series aerator offers a smaller design but supplies just as much power. The model comes equipped with reciprocating cam tines that propel the unit forward and drive cores up to 7cm deep, meaning water, air and nutrients will be able to travel a sufficient depth to the grass root. With this smaller design, it also offers a lightweight feel so it can be easily manoeuvred around lawns and can reach in smaller, more narrow spaces.
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 31
The elliptical plunge action tining mechanism of the Groundsman range enabled them to penetrate the soil down to five inch depth with the minimum of surface disruption. Groundsman produce long versions of their standard tines, the depth can be adjusted down as the tine wears giving extra life. Varying the aeration depth can help avoid creating a hard pan and if a hard pan exists, fit the machine with twin tine holders, this will increase the hole spacing to three inches but it will give the machine a better chance of punching through those stubborn hard layers.
Since 1990, Groundsman Industries have specialised in researching and developing machines and accessories that can be applied to maximum effect to implement a year round aeration programme. An informed assessment of the condition and problems facing the green being tended is the first step. Compiling a 12 month plan of action is the second step. Thirdly and most importantly, sticking to that plan is vital. Results will not be instantaneous but vast improvements will be noticeable in a matter of a few months if not weeks, especially those carried out during the summer months when root growth is most vigorous.
Aeration with a Groundsman
Hollow coring is more labour intensive but generally only needs to be carried out once a year. It is a very effective way to relieve compaction, prunes the roots and enables soil exchange. Groundsman produce the Flexblade Core Collector attachment which is available to fit most aerators to core and collect in one pass saving a lot of time. The Flexblade can also be mounted on a compact tractor for follow-up collecting of core and linear aeration debris. Hollow coring should be followed by top dressing and over-seeding.
Groundsman offer a Seeding Attachment to fit on the front of the 345 and 460 pedestrian aerators to distribute seed evenly across the swath width ahead of micro hollow cluster heads which create a dense pattern of uniform shallow holes or pockets into which the seed is encouraged by a stiff bristle bush attachment on the rear of the aerator. Top dressing may be applied before or after this operation as preferred.
The latest attachment from Groundsman is the Caster Wheel attachment, it fits onto the front support tube or bumper bar on the 345 and 460 pedestrian aerator models making light work of turning around at the end of each aeration pass. n comgroundsmanindustries.www.
The on-going and continual development by Groundsman of new tines and holders and their effects has resulted in the most useful range of aeration accessories available.
Turfco: treating turf with respect
AERATION MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
Top dressing is a small cog in the big machine of turf maintenance. No operation has a greater immediate effect on the surface and turf health than top dressing. Like all greenkeeping disciplines, it begins with an understanding of the existing soil structure. Choosing a compatible material is essential, whether it is a sand/ soil mix or pure sand. Removing organic matter and then topdressing stimulates microbial activity. This activity reflects the flux of carbon through biotic systems. This may sound technical, but basically the microbial biomass (bacteria and fungi) decomposes the organic matter. With thatch levels reduced, the organic matter left in the profile will hold the required moisture. A dry soil is inactive and will not stimulate microbial activity. A reduction in thatch, produces a firmer, faster surface that recovers better, uses moisture and nutrients more effectively, and produces a healthier, stronger plant.
Whenever aeration is undertaken, be it slitting, solid tining or coring, followed by topdressing, there’s sure to be a reaction from the golfers and, in all likelihood, it won’t be a positive one. However, vast improvements in aeration quality and speed of operation together with the introduction of fast, wide area spreading topdressers has ensured that turf maintenance programmes are much less disruptive to both the golfer and the playing surface. Aeration relieves soil compaction, helps in thatch management, increases nutrient availability, promotes a thicker sward and reduces water runoff and puddling. Compacted soil can prevent air, water and fertiliser from reaching the turf’s root system, causing dead spots, patches and/or thinning. By removing cores in the aeration process, soil density is decreased, thus relieving compaction. Generally, a freer draining substrate will be one with a high sand content and low clay/silt content. Laboratories who can run tests and provide a detailed soil profile. Low pore space soils, those that contain a higher percentage of clay/silt can sit wet for longer periods of time and these surfaces will be slow playing, soft, have a high risk of disease encroachment, and poorer turf quality. In this instance, modifying the soil through aeration and topdressing with sand will provide a significant benefit. The aeration procedure carried out would normally be hollow coring to remove material, leaving open holes into which sand can be introduced. The sand will help to create a drier surface by increasing the total pore space. The higher percentage of air and water movement gives a higher percolation rate (the rate in which water drains through the profile).
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Agronomic Services Ltd have the exclusive distribution for Ninja Tines throughout Europe. Following the successful launch of Ninja Tines, the response to these superior quality tines has been such a success that an additional tine size is now being offered. “We have received terrific feedback from our clients, especially those courses who are under severe pressure to deliver the minimum disturbance to play. With Ninja Tines it is simply Tine, Blow, Roll and play,” revealed David Snowden, Managing Director.
Wastage is minimised because the seed is placed directly into the soil using high-quality self-sharpening baron steel discs to cut through dry and compacted surfaces, giving a 97% germination rate. Placing the seed where it needs to be in the soil profile prevents it from being dried out by the sun or eaten by wildlife and allows grassed surfaces to be mown with the seed perfectly placed within the slit.
Ninja Tines have proven invaluable for tournament preparation and especially resort golf, where there is extreme pressure on the greens team to maintain play continuously.
Ninja tines go large
Another factor working to prevent seed waste and improve germination is the precise seeding depths that Vredo seeders are known for. This is achieved by using the easy depth adjuster and gives the flexibility of shallow planting “lightgerminating seed” such as Bent grass, Agrostis, Poa pratensis and deeper depth planting for “temperature-germinating seed” such as English Ryegrass which needs the greater depth to ensure germination.
The user is able to determine the amount of seed with the help of the practically designed spindle and seed chart, which is equipped with the most common types of grass and mixtures. The seed gets regulated precisely through the cam wheel and the bottom flap, from the beginning until the end in all its movements.
The success of the machines means they are already used in football, golf, rugby, horse racing, country estates and campsites.
Richard Campey from Campey Turf Care Systems explains what to look for when choosing a seeder: Drought conditions take a heavy toll on sporting facilities relying on natural turf surfaces.Theconsequence is a marked increase in demand for overseeders to replace grass which, despite the best efforts of the professional ground staff, has been lost.
The main reason for this is the close 7.5cm spacing of the Compact Series and the even closer spacing of 3.5cm of the Super Compact Series. With the slits created by the machine so close together, it is easy to continue play quickly after seeding, which an important factor at most sporting facilities.
n Minimise wastage by choosing the Seeder which places the seed directly into the soil to give the highest seed into plant conversion rates.
Whatever your requirements are, Vredo has a seeder that will save you money on seed and guarantee a high germination in difficult conditions.
AERATION
Renovations have been revolutionised for golf greens, these innovative tines have proven such a time saver that the additional size is now an option too.
Vredo seeders are available in various working widths, with the Compact Series ranging from 1m-2.2m and the Super Compact going from 0.8m-2.20m.
n Look for precise seeding depths with an easy depth adjuster to main good playability with a stable of the soil structure. Precision planting will give you the flexibility of shallow planting “light-germinating seed” such as Bent grass, Agrostis, Poa pratensis and deeper depth planting for “temperaturegerminating seed” such as English Ryegrass which needs the greater depth to ensure germination.
If you want to effectively revitalise heavy wear areas in drought conditions, you will have to aerate effectively first. Being able to aerate without shutting pitches has become increasingly important to so the renowned Air2G2 Air Inject proving industry leading aeration with no disruption or the Campey Imants ShockWave® are ideal choices.
Standard Tines measure 9.5mm mounting, 110mm length and 7mm width v XL Tines, which measure 9.5mm mounting, 110mm length and 9mm width. Specific to Ninja Tines are their unique shape, with dual tips that wear evenly and are extremely durable. The record for number of greens currently stands at 90!
Vredo’s range of Compact and Super Compact double disc seeders meet all the above criteria. Many golf courses and pitches have become very hard because of the lack of moisture in the root zone and it is here where a double disc seeder becomes most important.
Tackling drought conditions
Unlike a traditional coring tine, which is driven deep to fracture the soil and create pathways for water movement, Ninja tines were designed to work in the organic layer to a maximum of 35mm depth. By removing up to 35mm, this means that greens are immediately available for play. The advantage with a microcore aeration tine, is the minimal stress to the turf and minimal surface disruption. You can tine like a Ninja and your golfers will never know you were there!
n Choose the lightest Seeder with a disc system to minimise compaction on the field and allow smaller tractors to be used and still achieve a good working width. This is especially important for greens.
Vredo double disc seeders were developed during drought conditions in The Netherlands, with the principle of not wasting seed by making sure it is placed at the correct depth in the root zone.
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TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 35
A busy Lancashire Golf Club which wants to target excess thatch on fairways and rough has chosen a Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi8 HD deep aerator. Preston’s Penwortham GC is a parkland course, situated on the banks of the River Ribble. The northwest club is part of the prestigious Classic Lancashire Tour. It has an active year-round membership and a full-time greenkeeping team of five. Head Greenkeeper, Steve Hemsley, has been in post since June 2021.
“Ours is quite a clay-based site, relatively flat and reasonably wet. The recently established USGA greens are doing well. Elsewhere, fairways and roughs are just a little too thatchy, so we needed to develop a regular aeration programme. We brought contractors in last winter, but it made sense to have a machine of our own,” said Steve. Following a successful demo with local Wiedenmann UK dealer, Balmers GM at Burnley, the club’s machine arrived at the end of April. Wiedemann’s lead demonstrator, Andy Kerr, along with Balmers’ salesperson, Ben Cooke, returned to give a thorough session of induction training. “Its first task, early May was to spike the fairways and some choice areas of rough with 20 mm diameter tines,” said Steve. “Our fairways aren’t huge but with a 1.8m wide machine we easily got finished in around two and a half days. When the contractor did the fairways, they went to 150mm without issue, so with the new machine we targeted around 175mm, getting more air into the profile and decompacting the surface underneath. Ideally, we’ll go again in September and, conditions allowing, during the winter again, so three times yearly. “I had the GXi8 at my previous club, Bolton Old Links GC, so was aware how much time we would save compared to the long-serving machine we retired. The shock absorption and the speed set it apart. The spring systems mean no shock is delivered to the tractor or the operator, so it is an entirely smooth operation. Speed for me though is the biggest thing. It’s just easy to set up and go.” Penwortham’s greens also had deep aeration in May to encourage deeper rooting. “After the fairways, we switched to 8mm needle tines to do all greens. I’ve renovations booked in for mid-August so they will be done again then, but the priority is elsewhere in the course.
“During autumn, with 20mm tines we’ll get back to the spiking the fairways to break up the surface underneath. Then we’ll target the roughs and finally the fairways again in winter.”
Wiedenmann UK’s lead demonstrator, Andy Kerr, during installation training and handover at Penwortham GC
Super smooth Wiedenmann
GXi8 HD MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
“Of course, we’re all noticing the differences between the two machines. This one is smoother, with much less vibration during operation, and it’s all really user-friendly – adjustments to speed and depth are nice and straight forward.” Andy added.
With a 1.6m working width, the 7316 is one of the most versatile models in the Redexim Verti-Drain range. Small enough to suit smaller chassis tractors, but weighty enough to handle compacted ground, it is available with a range of tine options to suit all sports turf applications and maintenance tasks throughout the calendar.
Redexim passes the test
“With the Verti-Drain you know what you’re going to get and that’s reliability, which is going to be critical as we continue to undertake more aeration work around the course over the next few years.”
AERATION
“A lot of work has gone into the greens over the years, lots of aeration and topdressing which now means we’re in a good position with sandy, free-draining greens” explained Andy, who took over as Course Manager last year. “However, things are always changing and one of the biggest issues we now face is the changes in chemical legislation, making aeration more important than ever for retaining root strength and plant health.”
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After delivering more than 25 years of reliable service, a Redexim Verti-Drain has been replaced by… another Redexim Verti-Drain at Rotherham Golf Club! With ever-increasing restrictions on chemical usage impacting on plant growth and root development, Course Manager Andy Unwin cites an increase in the amount of aeration work taking place as the stimulus for the purchase of their new Verti-Drain 7316. Rotherham offers a true test for golfer and greenkeepers alike, as Andy and his team of five deal with thousands of mature trees and historic push-up greens across the 18-hole parkland course.
“With our Verti-Drain 105-145 we would traditionally have two main ‘aeration weeks’ – one in March and one in August, with spot treatments as and where required. This machine was purchased in 1994 and gave us years of trouble-free and effective aeration, but with more work on the cards, the time was right for an upgrade. Redexim’s Andy O’Neill and Tony Dodson of Cheshire Turf Machinery brought in a 7316 and it ticked every box.”
“We had a demo of the SISIS Maxislit and purchased it straight away.”
The SISIS Maxislit is a tractor mounted deep slitting aerator for maintenance and amenities, with deep, clean penetration. Suitable for football, rugby and cricket pitches and golf courses, it can also be used for lawns and formal garden areas. Aeration is needed to improve drainage, reduce turf compacting, thatch build up and boost the health of turf.
Bring it on, says SISIS Maxislit
TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 37
Pastures Golf Club in Derby no longer need to rely on a contractor to aerate their fairways after they purchased a SISIS Maxislit.Setin the grounds of the old Pastures Hospital, Pastures Golf Club is a wellestablished course built on meadowland. In the 52 years the course has been open, not one golfer has ever broken par. It is for this reason that golfers come from far and wide to play and attempt to beat the record. Therefore, it is essential that the course is kept in impeccable condition and that’s where Head Greenkeeper Paul Smith and his assistant Roger Spalton come in. Paul and Roger explained the reasons behind purchasing a SISIS Maxislit. “For numerous years we have had problems with drainage on the course,” said Paul. “We have had times when we have been shut for two to three months which has caused Ultimately,issues.themembers are paying a fee to play golf for 12 months and we want to make sure they get that.”
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
The Maxislit produces outstanding underground cultivation due to the angle of the tines and spiral design of tine shaft assist penetration and its simple design requires little maintenance. “As a minimum, our aim is to use the Maxislit twice a year in spring – to help get the grass ready to grow and also in autumn – to open it up ready for when it needs to hold moisture,” said Paul. “We’ve had great results. It is very easy to use, very efficient, and it doesn’t take any pulling – a small tractor doesn’t struggle with it. Long-term, we are confident that the Maxislit will improve soil condition and help root growth which will improve our drainage at surface level. It is very flexible, and we can adjust the length of the tines and go even deeper if we want to,” said Roger. “It has been a good investment for us.” n www.sisis.com
“We were also paying a lot of money to a contractor who would come out and aerate the fairways,” added Roger. “We just thought that it would be better for us to be able to do the work when we wanted with our own manpower.
Back then, the England football team had experienced semi-final
Back in 2012 the country was abuzz with the lead-up, action from and the aftermath of the London Olympics. Manchester City were just starting their reign as the team to beat in the English Premier League, Donald Trump was a mere hotelier and golf club owner, while Love Island was but a glimpse into the future.
comefootballtheWherenationalteamstogether 38 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 ST GEORGE’S PARK
Scott MacCallum talks with Andy Gray, Head of Grounds at St George’s Park, the FA’s National Football Centre. With the Lionesses’ exciting Euros win – bringing football home, at last – Andy reveals the thrill of being behind the scenes and watching preparation for penalties in a major competition…
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk }
The £105 million St George’s Park Centre boasts state-of-theart facilities throughout – 12 training pitches, with both grass and artificial surfaces, one of which is an exact replica of the surface used at Wembley, and a full-sized indoor pitch.
It also has andhydrotherapystate-of-the-artsuites,biomechanicstraininggyms,videoanalysis }
TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 39 appearances in one World Cup and one European Championship, since football had “come home” 46 years earlier, and the English Ladies were predominately a quarter-final team. Back then, the doors to St George’s Park, the FA’s National Football Centre, in Burton Upon Trent, opened for the very first time – the ribbon cut by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on October 9. Now, English football has entered a golden footballing age with the men involved in semi-finals and finals on a much more regular basis – although while the game has knocked on the door, it hasn’t quite come home – and the ladies, now christened Lionesses, have just won the Euros – like the men in 1966, taking Germany to extra time, and winning before the torture of a penalty shootout. Coincidence?
I very much doubt it.
The job of ensuring everyone is welcome to use the facilities, from top international and club teams through to those at all levels of the game, including the various squads in disability categories, is Head of Grounds Andy Gray, who took over the role two years ago.
} amenities, educational and coaching suites and medical and sport science facilities. Oh yes, there is even a fine hotel to ensure that training camps can be 24-7 experiences without ever leaving the site.
Without a stadium there is no match day adrenaline buzz but Andy and his team of 15 don’t miss out, it just comes in a different form.
Speaking in pre-season, a time which is particularly busy at St George’s Park, Andy said that, as a football fan, he enjoys seeing the visiting squads who pay to use the facilities.
“We currently have Hertha Berlin here for a 12 day training camp. Last week we had Benfica, two weeks ago we had Reading and Wycombe Wanderers. We also have Real Vallecano and Huddersfield arriving tomorrow, while next week we have Marseille and Real Betis.
“The football fan in me enjoys it because there are players and managers that I know and recognise and I get a buzz from that.”
“We aren’t like Karl (Standley) at Wembley, down the road, so our match day feel is when the senior teams, the England men and women, are here. That’s our match day. It’s the biggest event we can host here – the men at the top of the game, playing for their country and likewise the women.” That said, St George’s Park, Andy and the team, did get some match day vibes when the FA Disability Cup finals were played in front of BT Sport cameras back in June. “It was a great chance to showcase what St George’s Park is all about on TV and show the best para teams in the country. We had blind, partially-sighted, wheelchair and amputee teams all playing over the week,” said Andy, who added that trials were also held at the Centre in July for the women’s blind, the deaf, and cerebral palsy teams.
“The buzz I get coming through the front gate hasn’t worn off, and I don’t think it ever will,” said Andy, who moved to St George’s Park from Southampton FC, where had been for 23 years, the last ten of them as Head of Grounds.
“I had always looked on St George’s Park as one of the top jobs in the country and although I wasn’t looking to leave Southampton, when the opportunity came up, I thought ‘Why not? It’s something different’. It’s not club football, but it is high profile, working with the national team and as a national football centre.”
There is also another benefit because being exposed to so many different training sessions and playing styles means that, should he ever wish to take up coaching, he will have a bank of knowledge at his fingertips. }
ST GEORGE’S PARK 40 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
“THE FOOTBALL FAN IN ME ENJOYS IT BECAUSE THERE ARE –THAT.”GETRECOGNISETHATANDPLAYERSMANAGERSIKNOWANDANDIABUZZFROMANDYGRAY MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 41
There is certainly no need for any vote of confidence for the work they are carrying out on the St George’s Park pitches with feedback universally positive. St George’s Park prides itself on ensuring that players at every level experience the same quality of pitch surface when they visit. “Every pitch is maintained to the same level, so the main England squads play on the same surfaces as the local community teams which use the facility. The only real difference is that, when the national squads and the bigger professional teams visit, we staff every session, so if the pitch needs watering, we are on hand to do it straight away.” One of the main projects Andy and the team have carried out in recent months is to improve the infrastructure around pitches eight and nine. “We have curved them off, fenced them off, put a tarmac road around them and installed ball stop netting and floodlighting on both pitches. They are now much more befitting St George’s Park,” said Andy, adding that, although ten years old, there is nothing that has been introduced in turf technology since then that he feels would add to St George’s Park.
Andy is an undemonstrative figure, not one to blow his own trumpet and keen to let his work do the talking.
“Grow lights are now being introduced at training grounds but as none of our pitches are in the shade, we are happy with the baby rigs that we have here,” he said, adding that, although he had open invitations to do so, he had yet to visit some of the newer training centres in the country.
But wait. He already has! “I do coach my daughter’s Under 13 girls’ team back home and I sometimes watch a training session and see a drill that I can take back and implement,” he revealed. As the team is currently sitting mid-table Division 2, without wishing to be overly unkind, it perhaps suggests that his real skills are in pitch management rather than team management. Vote of confidence from the Board yet?“No. Only from myself,” he said candidly.
“I know Leicester City is under an hour down the road and John (Ledwidge) has said I can drop in any time, and Darren (Baldwin) the same at Spurs, but with the pandemic and clubs operating in bubbles for much of the time I haven’t fitted in the visits yet.”
ST GEORGE’S
“My stamp on the job so far? I couldn’t honestly tell you what it would be. I don’t like to use the word legacy because it makes you sound a bit of a big head, but I just want to make a difference and I want the person who follows me, whoever and whenever that might “WHEN I ACCEPTED THE JOB ONE OF THE THINGS AT THE FOREFRONT OF MY MINE WAS THE EUROS. APART FROM THE WORLD CUP THERE IS NOTHING BIGGER AND IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.” } PARK
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TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 43 be, to find that I’ve left it in a better place than when I took over.” He sees a big difference in his current job than his work at “WhenSouthampton.Itookoverthere was five of us in the team and the club were in League One at the time. We had St Mary’s, but Staplewood was half the size that it is today, we took on a non-league ground for the women’s team and the team had grown from five to 16 people over the time. “I joined St George’s Park when it was already built, already had a team of 15 and already had ten pitches.” Some of that original St George’s Park team have moved on, many to promoted posts elsewhere, and while Andy takes not credit for the success of those who have moved on, he is always keen to nuture those in his team. “Personal progression and supporting over people plays a big part of it for me personally. That is what Dave Roberts did for me all those years ago and it helped me get to where I am now.” While the Lionesses were based in the south of the country during the recent Euros because the majority of their matches were played in the south, Andy still thinks back fondly to 2021 and the men’s Euros when he was at the epicentre of an England campaign which went right to the final day – indeed for England it could not have extended a minute longer as it concluded with a Wembley final incorporating extra time and penalties. “I’ll never forget the privilege of being a part of the Euro 20 campaign. When the site was closed down for training no-one was allowed pitchside apart from the players, the coaching staff, a couple of security and then us. “When I accepted the job one of the things at the forefront of my mine was the Euros. Apart from the World Cup there is nothing bigger and it was absolutely brilliant.” And when he was not on site, Andy was a television watching fan, just the same as millions of others. “When we played Germany in the second round, I was watching on the telly, basically hoping that the squad would be back at St George’s Park the next day, because had they lost they would have all gone straight home. “They did, then the weekend came and they played Ukraine in Rome. Again we hoped that they would be back in on the Sunday morning. And they did, and so on. It was brilliant to be a part of the tournament right through to the end.”
With the huge part that St George’s Park has played in recent years in the success of all the English teams – including age grade Championship winners –you can be sure that the Centre will continue to play its part and that those penalty spots will continue to take a battering as teams regularly contest the final stages of major tournaments. Who knows what success the next ten years will bring?
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
Being the man who was there throughout the tournament he is well placed to answer one of the key questions. “How much time did they spend practising penalties?” The answer?
“A fair bit. The penalty spot didn’t look too healthy by the end of the five weeks!”
With the project completed, Louis says the field is ‘draining like a dream’, while giving him time to raise the quality.
“When I joined I didn’t actually believe them when they told me about the issue,” Louis explained. “I came in and got a verti-drain, reseeded and had everything looking nice and everyone was amazed with how it looked. And then the winter months came and I was thinking ‘now I understand’. “In the winter months it would rain a little bit and we’d have standing water for about a month if it was dry after that. It just wasn’t draining and the pitches were overused, so the grass was ripping out and there were big mud sludges. “The investigation work was a really valuable part of the process and meant that we could be confident in the plan that was put in place.
ince 2018 Ibstock Place School’s sports field had suffered from standing water during winter, and it was only after investigation work from AMS Contracting that the extent of the issue was revealed. As the only grass area for sports at the school, it is a vital space for sports. During the year two football pitches transition to rugby pitches and then to athletics, keeping the area in constant use.
“Originally I was going around digging holes and I put two and two together, because the sports staff kept saying it’s ever since the irrigation went in. So I dug near the irrigation and I straight away found a pipe beside a drain run that had been severed through. AMS came in and we got some cameras and dug some more holes and it seemed like every drain run that was near an irrigation line was severed.
“It gives me time to get the standards of the actual field and playing quality up higher. We are a private school and they have always preferred for other schools not to come here because of the condition of the field and pitches. But slowly but surely, we’re getting into a position where they will want to host games here.”
TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 45 INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
S
AMS Contracting is operated and managed by brother Myles and Ashley Strange. The brothers come from a long established farming background and have used that expertise to along with the latest industry technologies to offer high-quality results on budget and on time. Services range from sports field drainage and earthworks to hydroseeding and solar farm maintenance. This concise but varied offering of services has led AMS to work with sports clubs, large building development companies, local councils, large scale landscaping companies and private owners.
What was a drain is now a dream…
AMS surveyed the land and used GPS to plot the field and wooded area to formulate a plan. With the original outlet pipe going into the neighbouring golf club’s trench, an attenuation basin had to be built to accommodate the additional water and the irrigation pipes moved to go in between the drainage runs.
Ibstock Groundsman, Louis Macklin, joined the private school in August 2020, and inherited the drainage problem, but after a brief examination he called in AMS to explore further.
“The pitches were originally constructed in 2016 and in 2018 an irrigation company came in to install irrigation. I think because there were no plans to show where the original drainage was done. So, when they dug their trenches for the pipelines they cut through some of the drainage runs. “The outlet was going through a wooded area that was also overgrown, and that was always flooding and water was sitting on top of the field because it had nowhere to go.”
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.ukINDEPENDENT SCHOOLS 46 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
Turf in the metaverse was up next as Syngenta’s Daniel Lightfoot addressed the exciting potential of digital agronomy.
Daniel explained how digital activity will underpin the future of turf management, encouraging less chemical applications and more accurate biological ones.
“Therefore, the biggest thing I’ll be taking away with me from today is knowing exactly when to use products. It has been a real privilege to attendthe facilities here are breathtaking.” n www.icl-sf.co.uk schools’ seminar was ‘amazing’
Host for the day and Head of Sports Turf and Grounds, John Ledwidge, then provided a fascinating insight into Leicester’s Sports Turf Academy.
The day concluded with a memorable behind the scenes tour of the club’s state-of-the-art training facility and the consensus was that the attendees were pleased to see the return of the seminar.
Why the Ventrac 4500 is now our front-line machine
“You’ve got to stay up to date. In the short amount of time between the seminars, things have moved on so quickly and less products have become available. If you don’t attend events like this and keep yourself aware, then you will get left behind.” said Gary Austin, Deputy Head Groundsman at Radley College. ICL’s Dr Richard Collins was the first to take to the stage to provide an overview and update on the many research projects being conducted by ICL. Richard explained the importance of research and trials, detailed the types of research being carried out by ICL including internal studies and those in partnership with leading universities and he also offered an insight into specific projects such as SMX – a soluble seaweed concentrate, and a variety of wetting agents.
ICL
Adam Smith, the Head of Grounds and Gardens at Bishop’s Stortford College, has been delighted with the higher level of presentation and the work-hour savings, following the purchase of a Ventrac 4500 allterrain compact tractor. Supplied through local groundscare dealer, Upsons Mowers, the package initially included a 72-inch rotary mowing deck. Subsequently the College has added a Power Brush attachment.
John explained how the Academy aims to inspire the next generation of sports turf students by offering an elite training environment, with access to the latest technology and expertise.
“There are only four of us, so every hour is vital. Strimming is such a time-consuming job, but we have now freed up hours that can spent on other important tasks around the facility. It has been a gamechanger.”
“Without a doubt the Ventrac has enhanced the overall appearance of our large grassed areas and its ability to mow on 40-degree slopes has cut out hundreds of hours of brush-cutting for the team” he said.
“We have some serious banks
“I’m taking so much away with me,” said Chris Moody, Head of Grounds at Ratcliffe College. “Firstly, it has shown me just how much research goes into each and every ICL product. I found the digital technology presentation fascinating; it was a real eye-opener and I’ll be downloading the app as soon as I can, especially as it is free at a time when we’re all trying to keep within our budgets.”
“We haven’t got a huge budget, so the timing of product application is essential,” added Martin’s colleague Ollie Jones.
The ICL Independent Schools Seminar returned in full force after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. Held at the all-new Sports Turf Academy within Leicester City FC’s world-class training facility, approximately 50 turf professionals from the Independent Schools sector attended the event to network and enhance their education. With the last seminar taking place in 2019, many attendees saw it as a valuable opportunity to catch-up on trends and topics within the everchanging world of turf management.
ICL’s Henry Bechelet outlined strategies for effective renovations. Step-by-step, Henry went through the stages of a successful renovation process by covering everything from seed choice to early establishment and proven fertilisers to the use of supported technologies.
It was the first ICL seminar Ipswich School has attended, said Head Groundsman Martin Cull. “We came today not really knowing what to expect but it has been amazing. Seeing all the research gives you even more trust in the products. Talking to other like-minded people and finding out how they deal with certain issues has also been very useful.”
Adam’s career in the industry has included numerous different roles - first as a mechanical technician with a European groundscare contractor, then as a product demonstrator followed by a sales role with a large regional UK dealer, a further sales role for Toro in Brisbane. On returning to the UK, he gained more sales experience with a John Deere dealer before a career switch to groundsmanship at nearby Haileybury Imperial College, before joining the Bishop’s Stortford team two years ago.
TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 47 MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk
“As a grounds team we are backed by the School and the Bursar in terms of budget for products and machinery.” Graham admits to being in a fortunate position and insists on using only the finest products. This was certainly the case when it came to choosing a grass seed. “I speak to many people in the industry about products and it became apparent that a lot were using MM seed. Because everyone was raving about the benefits of MM, I thought I’d try it. It did exactly what everybody said it would do and it has been phenomenal ever since.” MM is one of the most respected brands in the UK amenity industry, with over 40 years of experience and knowledge. The extensive product portfolio is second to none with performance proven mixtures that are used at many leading venues in the UK and Europe.
Graham uses MM50 - a hard-wearing ryegrass mix and MM7 – a mix of fine leaved ryegrass, fescue and bent which is suitable for fine turf. “Across both schools, we use MM50 on all our cricket pitches and all our formal lawns, and then we use MM7 on our golf greens. “We have such a short turnaround period between terms, and I need to have faith in the products,” he continued.
“MM seed has excellent germination and is up and growing strong within days. This is particularly beneficial because it allows us to get on with other jobs while having confidence in the seed to be working away. “It also responds well over the winter, and we have very little disease. The recovery is good, the colour is good, and it has never let me down.
Graham purchases MM seed from David Bevan of Agrovista Amenity and was quick to praise the support he receives. “David and Matt Gresty, MM and Designer Sales and Brand Manager for DLF UK, are both brilliant in looking after me in terms of what I need. They are both very knowledgeable and are always available to talk to, and I’ve never had any problems with MM seed.
All the varieties have an excellent breeding pedigree and have been selected and bred for their ability to deliver a range of quality turf characteristics.
Quite simply, I order what I need, it arrives on time, and it always works.”
MM grass seed is working wonders for the King’s Bruton Foundation according to Director of Grounds, Graham Kitley.
n www.mm-seeds.co.uk across the 130 acres and I was looking for a machine that would save us from the hours of brushcutting. Upsons suggested the Ventrac and, at first, I wasn’t too sure; to be honest it looked a bit ‘Mickey Mouse’, but once we’d had it demo-ed we were immediately won over. Andy Richards came over from Haileybury for the demo and he has bought one as well. We have a good working relationship and, on occasions, lend each other attachments. It’s simple with the Ventrac linkage system, there’s no complicated set up, you just drive out of one and drive in to the next. “Before the Ventrac we were using a 50hp tractor with a rearmounted roller mower, but it was so cumbersome with limited maneuverability in tight spaces. We have several outdoor teaching spaces, such as the arboretum, and getting around the trees and outdoor furniture was a major problem. The Ventrac alleviated this immediately as it has a centre-pivot steering system and can turn tightly. Again, this saves many workhours and is much more efficient. “This has become our front-line machine; its low ground pressure means we can go out at any time, even in some of the very wet areas and you feel really safe on the banks, it’s a machine you can trust. We have a natural spring that rises near our Pre-Prep School and we can’t usually get in there before late May, but with the Ventrac we cut it in February. “The weight transfer system works well and by turning it down, the striping effect when using the roller deck is excellent. I particularly like the rear three-point linkage. We can hitch up our Sisis brush units and use the Ventrac as the tow vehicle on our synthetic surfaces. It has such a light footprint, much better than a utility vehicle and we can also brush in stripes on our natural surfaces, if required.”
“Furthermore, both of the Headmasters are very sport minded people, and it is important that the pupils are out playing as much sport as they can on the very best facilities.
The King’s Bruton Foundation, in Somerset, comprises three schools –King’s Bruton, Hazlegrove Preparatory and Bruton School for Girls. The three boarding schools are united by a common set of values and principles and bound by a shared history that stretches back five hundred years to the foundation of King’s in 1519. Standards are everything to the Foundation and that also applies to the extensive twenty-two acres of grounds which are managed by Graham Kitley. With twenty years’ experience of working in independent schools, it is safe to say that the grounds and sports facilities are in good hands. Before being promoted to the position of Director of Grounds in July 2021, Graham spent just over four years working solely on the Hazlegrove site. He now oversees the King’s Bruton and Hazlegrove sites and the two separate grounds teams. “How the schools are presented is incredibly important. We take pride in the grounds because it is the first thing you see when you arrive, and first impressions are everything,” said Graham.
Director of Grounds, Graham Kitley
MM seed fit for King’s
He spent three very enjoyable years travelling the world while he managed May & Baker’s Laboratory Chemical business, but the lure of the amenity sector was too strong and he set up his own marketing consultancy, GreenLink Int Ltd, to offer marketing and business development services to companies in the industry.
Richard has seen the development of the industry first-hand for the last 40-plus years and is therefore more than qualified to pass comment.
PROFILE JOIN THE CONVERSATION ANY PLACE, ANY TIME, ANY DEVICE Turf Matters on Twitter 13,405 followers Turf Matters on Facebook 3,562 followersTurfMatters on YouTube 184,094 viewsTurfMatters email newsletter 26,615 subscribers Turf Matters on Instagram 4,977 followers We want to hear what you have to say. All of our social platforms are open forums where we encourage people to share knowledge and experiences… make sure you’re part of it! www.turfmatters.co.uk 48 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
When I joined this wonderous industry of ours in 1995 there was so much to learn and so many people to get to know. One of the very first of those was Richard Fry, who has been a constant and reassuring figure throughout the subsequent 27 years. Richard, who I had always thought ran on the sort of batteries so vital to the smooth and extended running of cuddly bunnies, recently announced that he would be stepping down from his role within his own company, Greenlink Int Ltd, Rigby Taylor, and more recently Origin Amenity Solutions. “I don’t want to stop, but perhaps do things at a slower pace from now on. I hate the word ‘retired’! So, I will be standing down from the day-to-day responsibilities of GreenLink Int Ltd and the companies I’ve been working with and supporting over the years,” said Richard.
Many companies availed themselves of GreenLink’s services over the years, including ICI, Toro, Jacobsen, Hardie, Farmura, Vitax, Supaturf, Aquatrols, BIGGA and many others.
“That education has benefited the industry hugely and we have moved on from the derogatory term ‘grass cutter’ and the skills they now have allows them to create the amazing
Richard always had a love for the natural world, biology and botany, while he also used to collect fossils, so it was no surprise that his first employment was in a large glass house nursery. “That piqued my interest in recalledEnvironmental“…which&ofBakerbeforeCollegehorticulturecompletedtakehorticulture,”commercialhesaid.Havingdecidedtothatfurther,headiplomainatSparsholtinHampshire,joiningMay&Ltd,becomingheadthecompany’sSportsRecreationaldivisionIrenamedM&BProducts,”Richard.“Itwasanexciting time as there was a plethora of new chemicals arriving from Europe, America and Japan and diseases and weeds being controlled for the first time,” he said, adding that he was responsible for the launch of Rovral, a hugely successful product which remained in use until 2000.
Stepping down: Richard Fry, the man with his finger on the pulse of the industry
“Back in the ‘80s many greenkeepers and groundsmen had low levels of self esteem and did not really see themselves as skilled operators. You have to pat BIGGA on the back because it acted as a conduit to enable people on golf courses to obtain the information and education which meant that the role of greenkeeper became much more of a profession and not just a job.
TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 49 “BIGGA ACTED AS A CONDUIT TO PEOPLEENABLEON GOLF NOTOFBECAMEOFTHATWHICHCOURSES…MEANTTHEROLEGREENKEEPERMOREAPROFESSIONJUSTAJOB.”
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk playing surfaces that we see today.” That improved professionalism has seen high quality younger individuals entering the industry who are much more technically aware and it all helps to raise the profile.
“I’ll maybe dust off my golf clubs which haven’t seen the light of day for a while. I do enjoy golf and did play to a reasonable standard at one time. We enjoy travelling and should have more time for that. I also really enjoy cookery as a hobby and tackling a recipe I’ve never done before from scratch.” So, there we have it. If we are not lucky to bump into Richard at a trade show or industry event over the next while, there is a chance we may see him appearing as a contestant on The Great British
“Peter Alliss was the first person to mention a greenkeeper by name on the television. Previously it had just been ‘the greenkeeper’ and the surfaces were barely mentioned. I’ve noticed that happening more with cricket and football. That is a great benefit for those who see it as a career.” The industry is awash with personalities and Richard highlighted several for special mention over his time.
“Others that have been brought to mind are Jonathan Harmer of Farmura who singlehandedly pioneered, and then established the use of liquid organic fertilisers for golf courses. Then Bernard Hedley, of Rigby Taylor, who took the company from being the leading supplier to golf and sports clubs in the north of England to a dominant force nationwide.” When asked about what he’d achieved which made him particularly proud, Richard paused, and then said that it was perhaps for others to pass comment. However, when pressed, he did give an insight into what it was that had made him stand out in his particular field over the years. “I would say looking at what had been done in the past and then doing it in a different way. I mean by that looking at how products should be promoted, advertised and exhibited. I couldn’t see the point in promoting pack shots – why on earth would you use packaging to promote a product? So, I started to use other bedside cabinet so if I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea, I’d jot it down. It didn’t always go down well with my wife!” And looking forward…
“Stan Ellison was the journalist who launched Turf Management magazine, which was a bit spikey at times, but always an exciting read.
Keith Cleverly was working for ICI, basically doing what I had done for May & Baker. He died at a very young age, but always had tremendous enthusiasm and ambition. Then there was Walter Woods, who I met many times and who was the man who probably had the best job in the world as far as golf is concerned (Superintendent for St Andrews Links). He never changed and would always welcome you as if he’d seen you the day before yesterday.
“Our first purchases were the Excelion bruschcutter and the 1500 battery and we were blown away. Then we got the Airion blower, and I knew it was going to be a godsend for us. It gives you the same power as petrol units, but you don’t get that screaming noise that you get from the engines.
“The features I like best about the Rasion mower are the twin blade system and the way the chute is designed. The wide chute makes all the difference”. n www.pellencuk.com
Forest and tree care with 82v battery technology
n
Hard Graft Garden Services has labelled the Pellenc brand as a “game-changer” after using the batterypowered products for over a year now. The family-run business, in Longniddry, East Lothian, was established by Neil Stuart and is now being run by the next generation of Team Stuart – sons Fraser, Sam and Lewis.
In preparation for the autumn and winter season, Cramer has introduced its new top handle chainsaw. Specially designed for professional arborists, the new top handle chainsaw 82TCS15 facilitates tree care and is reliably safe and easy to handle. Tree and forest care season starts in October but the preparation of chainsaws and climbing equipment can start now.
Lewis said: “The Pellenc equipment is far superior to other manufacturers we have used – it is commercial grade equipment, built to last. It is all fully waterproof, and we use it in all conditions. Reliability is key.”
HAND HELD TOOLS MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk 50 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 RASION THE LIGHTEST PROFESSIONAL MOWER A RANGE OF 100% ELECTRIC TOOLS Professional, economical and silent tools that improve your working conditions and also of those around you. Tel: 01295 680120 • email: sales@etesia.co.uk www.pellencuk.com Distributed in the UK & Ireland by PellencUK @PellencUK EtesiaUK @PellencUK ● 4 Year Commercial Warranty on all Batteries ● 3 Year Commercial Tool Warranty ● IP54 Waterproof Rating ● Up to 5 hours run time on a single charge
The 82TCS15 is extremely lightweight – weighing only 2.1 kg – but still has exceptional performance and power thanks to the 1.5 kW brushless motor and 1 Nm torque. It is the lightest product on the market with the best power-to-weight ratio. The chainsaw is very easy to handle, even under extremely demanding circumstances. The integrated palm lock design, on and off button and chain break guarantee easy operation, starting and extra safety. The Cramer 82V range features over 30 cordless professional outdoor power equipment tools, product offerings include a comprehensive and competitive range of handheld equipment including chainsaws, blowers, hedge trimmers, grass trimmers, brush cutters, multi-tools, and power cutters. Walk behind products include utility carts, lawnmowers up to 61cm (twin blade) and the new Zero Turn ride-on mower. n www.cramertools.com
“The reason I started to look around at autonomous markers was that I found a real inconsistency with how staff marked pitches. They all marked them slightly differently, and the set-up was long and laborious, and that’s the main reason I started looking around at autonomous markers because it gets rid of the man bit of it.
“You see videos online of how it works, but until you see it on your site and see it in person and how easy it is to use, you won’t actually believe it’s that easy. Get yourself a demo, get the product onto your site, and look at it for yourself,” explained Groundsperson Robbie Thackray.
Consistent, professional lines with Turf Tank One
With 14 full-sized grass pitches for football, rugby union, rugby league, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee and American football, the grounds team at Leeds has their work cut out for them. As predominately winter sports, all of the pitches need to be ready at the same time, taking weeks of work initially marking at the height of the cutting season. Head Groundsperson, David Thackray, joined the University from golf and, after analysing the operation, wanted to find a more efficient way of line marking, which led him to the Turf Tank One.
LINE MARKING MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk 52 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
“Now, we’ve got more consistent lines, and I know exactly how much paint we’re using per pitch. We can let lines disappear and not have to keep things overmarked, which saves us a lot of time and all in all, I think it’s working really well for us. It makes everything more consistent and more professional.” Paint saving, time-saving, and quality lines have been welcomed by the University of Leeds team, who have embraced the Turf Tank One as a tool. With it, they can focus on the attention to detail tasks that could often be sacrificed for line marking, with initial marking that was taking two people two hours now taking one person less than an hour.
When it comes to line marking, quality and consistency are key, and that is why the University of Leeds use the Turf Tank One.
“With the robot, we know that every time it marks out, as long as you set it up correctly, it’s going to do the exact same lines, at the exact same speed, exact same quality and exact same consumption of paint every time you mark out. Whereas before, with just a manual marker, we’re not robots, so we are quite wonky, and on a site as big as this, we can’t use string lines all the time. So we are freehand marking quite a lot of the time, which you don’t have the same quality. It’s impossible to get the same quality without the robot.
On such a big site like ours, we have four different locations for the base station to set up on, and the base station makes a big difference. I counted we have 30 different pitches plotted out with these four base stations. And you can get a good range from the base station to the marker, so it’s very, very helpful.
We’re now onto ready mix paint, the Turf Tank paint, so we know exactly what we’re putting through the marker, whereas before, we were using concentrate paint. We all measure differently. It might be one glug here and one glug there, so you don’t really know how much paint you’re getting through.
Sometimes you might have a really bright line, and sometimes you might not, depending on how you’ve mixed it. But now, with the ready-mixed, we know exactly how much paint we’re using, so it’s easy to keep check of stock level and things like that.”
n alex@turftank.co.uk sdf SEE VIDEOS ONLINE OF HOW IT WORKS, BUT UNTIL YOU SEE IT ON YOUR SITE AND SEE IT IN PERSON AND HOW EASY IT IS TO USE, YOU WON’T ACTUALLY BELIEVE IT’S THAT EASY.”
“YOU
The rise of the robot EVOLUTION REVOLUTIONto
Jayne Leyland, Product Manager from Origin Amenity Solutions, describes how robots have revolutionised line marking Line marking products and practices have progressively evolved over many decades. From traditional dry and slaked chalk products and carbonaceous preservatives applied by brush, roller and transfer wheel marker, through dilutable concentrate paints to the latest ready-to-use paint formulations applied through various models of pedestrian and ride-on spray markers. Initial marking sports surfaces is a skilled, time consuming and therefore costly process. Using the time-served method of pegs, tape and twine it takes on average two experienced operators two hours to initial mark a standardsized football pitch and as much as two days to initial mark a 400 metre, eight lane running track. Keeping a straight line when over-marking is challenging, especially when the ground is uneven, the grass is long and wet or there is a strong grass nap. Chalk and chalk-based products and over-diluted concentrate paints can easily wash out in rainfall and are not durable meaning lines can quickly disappear, historically making carbonaceous preservatives and herbicides very commonplace for ‘burning out’ lines or restricting grass growth to avoid repeat ‘initial’ marking when lines were lost. This practice albeit to a much lesser extent, is still in use today despite it resulting in deep ruts and dead grass. Modern-day paints are mainly formulated using resins to increase longevity and durability and to enable the paint to cure. While leading-edge paints with the right quality and quantity of resin do cure faster and last relatively longer, environmental conditions and friction can degrade certain paints very quickly, especially cheaper formulations containing poor quality or only a modicum of resin. So, is there an alternative solution for initial and over-marking? GPS/RTK (Global Positioning System/Real Time Kinematics) technology has been used for many decades in agriculture and turf production for crop management and for surveying construction & road building projects. Recently harnessed for emerging, cutting-edge robotic technologies for grounds maintenance, it is fast becoming as commonplace and indispensable as the technologies we use in daily life for example, a standard GPS receiver in-car satellite navigation system. A GPS receiver capable of RTK takes in the normal GPS signals from the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) but with an additional correction stream to achieve much greater positional accuracy, making it functional to use for autonomous robotic, mm precision line marking.
In fact, autonomous robotic technologies for precision initial and over-marking have proven so successful since their introduction
LINE MARKING MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk } 54 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
A skills shortage across all sectors of grounds maintenance means line marking robots have arrived just at the right time. Using the most advanced robotic technology allows the operator to carry out other essential tasks such as mowing, aeration, spraying and spreading while the robot does the marking; making the most of valuable resources when seasonal workload is at its peak. In addition, robots are designed to spray ready to use paint technology such as Impact, using from as little as 1.1 litres of paint per standard sized football pitch and eliminating the messy, time-consuming inconsistencies associated with dilutable concentrate paints. With significant time and money saving benefits all round, robots are increasingly valued as the smart investment.
Time-served, skilled manual line marking practices with certainly be with us for a while yet, but as the skills shortage deepens there is no doubting the fact the rise of the robots will continue at a pace.
“ROBOTIC, GPS/RTK GUIDED LINE MARKING IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN DELIVER AMAZING, OUT OF THE ORDINARY BENEFITS.”
} MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk 56 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 LINE MARKING five years ago that there are now two TinyMobileRobot models to choose from. The Tiny PRO is designed for multiple venue, multiple sport marking for metropolitan authorities, contractors, service providers and larger educational establishments, while the Tiny SPORT is ideal for training grounds, sports clubs, schools and district councils. Robotic, GPS/RTK guided line marking is a shining example of how technology can deliver amazing, out of the ordinary benefits. A case in point, as we emerged from Covid restrictions during 2020 and again in 2021, robots were withLookingopen-aireventsatdistancingmarkdeployedfrequentlytooutsocialzonescommunitysuchasconcerts.forward,thecapability of marking over 50 sports and games templates, letter and number stencils, parking grids and even logos, robots are fast becoming the go-to, reliable solution to fill the skills shortage gap. From mainstream sports to the more unconventional applications, here are a few insights as to why using a robot for initial and over-marking is increasingly widespread n simple and safe to operate n never lose your lines, store & retrieve personal templates on the tablet n reliable and consistent initial and over-marking n 25 minutes to initial mark a standard sized football pitch including penalty spots and corner arcs n marks pitches with moveable goals or fixed sockets n easily adjustable pitch dimensions, cut and paste to line up pitches perfectly n just 1 hour, 40 minutes to initial mark a 400-metre running track with straights and staggers n a fast solution if lines wash or wear out n eliminates deep ruts and dead grass caused by carbonaceous preservatives or herbicides n takes the stress away from the pre-season workload n releases skilled labour for other essential maintenance tasks n plugs the growing skills shortage gap n accurate to within millimetres n low energy consumption, battery powered, zero emissions n designed for ready to use paint (additional time and cost savings)
MOWERSS
ustainability: We don’t yet know the devastating long term effects of global climate change. However doing nothing is out of the question. Small engines are big polluters – a 4 stroke petrol mower puts out on average 88Kg CO2 emissions per year. In easier to understand terms, this means petrol lawn mowers emit as much emissions as 11 cars while mowing, or the equivalent of one car driving a 93 mile journey. It is unfiltered pollution delivered straight into the air in those areas that sportspeople, the public and their families spend a lot of their free time. Insight from research has shown that not many people even think about emissions that landscaping power tools and small engine machines produce or realise just how polluting they are. In the US, outdoor petrol power tools contribute 5% of the country’s emissions and the State of California has brought in legislation to ban them from 2024. With legislation on these issues lagging in the UK, it is up to us to encourage the change in consumers and professionals in the industry. Robot mowers can help households and landscapers reduce their ecological footprint. Robotic lawnmowers are emission free, use very little electricity and are very quiet. In addition, for some brands like the Kress, up to 96% of the robotic mower can be recycled.
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk } ROBOTIC
Switching to a robot mower can reduce a business or homeowner’s impact on the environment, not only in terms of the emissions but also a reduction in noise pollution, as well as saving energy due to how little electricity they need. So important with the high costs of energy set to increase even further as we head towards winter. It also means working times in busy places like schools can be extended due to the low noise levels. Robot mowers are better for lawns than just mowing once a week as they cut a tiny bit off every day which promotes healthier growth, feeding a lawn and reduce the need for chemicals. A robot mower saves time and improves the turf.
New to the STIGA range for 2023 are three fully autonomous, WIRE FREE, robot mowers – the first to bring predictive AGS technology to a garden or landscaping environment. Typically, RTK GPS robots use radio signals to transmit Course correctional data between the base station and robot. This course correction data is crucial in ensuring that the robot navigation is accurate. However, obstacles such as garden walls, houses and garden buildings can block radio signals – breaking the
data. This means the link between robot and base remains reliable no matter what obstacles or distance lies between the base and robot. The system learns satellite blind spots throughout the garden at various times of the day, ensuring that the robot has an unbroken link to the infrastructure that allows it to navigate with the high accuracy required. With no need to lay wire or hammer plastic stakes in your lawn, you can simply use the App to drive the robot mower around the perimeter of your lawn and any obstacles within it. You do it once and it remembers every detail. And because it is virtual, it is hassle free to adjust if the layout of the garden should change should you add a pond, bush, or garden furniture. By using accurate navigation, the robot can cover the lawn
Now with artificial intelligence 58 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
courseSTIGAThecontact.patentedActiveGuidanceSystemenhancestheGPSRTKsignalreliabilitybyusing4Gtotransmitthevitalcorrection
Better for the planetimprovesandtheturf
MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk Now with artificial intelligence
} BATTERY POWERED EQUIPMENT 60 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 significantly more efficiently. This means less cutting time when compared to a random navigation robot. Less cutting time means that the plant has time to heal between cutting schedules. This way the grass stays healthier –greener and softer under foot. The carbon steel pivoting razor blades are strong and flexible, making them safer and more resistant to impact and results in them staying sharper, for longer. Spinning at 2850rpm they will perform a neat cut without tearing the grass. The height of cut can be adjusted between 20 and 65mm and can be controlled remotely via the smart phone app, STIGA.GO. This means you have complete control of your robot, even when away from home. Plants, insects, and wildlife interact with all the physical nonliving things such as soil, water, air, and sunlight to create the small eco-systems that we find in every garden. By designing high efficiency robots that are able to manage cutting session during daylight hours, STIGA have ensured that nocturnal animals such as hedgehogs can safely occupy the garden overnight. And with noise levels of less from your garden by any loud noises. At the heart of every STIGA robot mower is an ePower battery built on premium lithium-ion batteries, which contain chemistry optimised for reliability and durability. Even after 1500 charging cycles, the battery still operates at over 80% capacity
n
The new STIGA robots further optimise the battery usage as they work within organised cutting patterns ensuring that there is no chance of over mowing. There is also the option to programme the mower to create straight line patterns to produce that typical British stripe effect. They cut in two mowing cyclesthese are performed consequently. It will re-start any cutting cycle from where it stopped on the previous cycle and can be programmed to work in multiple mowing zones, always returning to the charging station by the fastest route. The new STIGA robot range combines cutting edge technology with function-led design engineering to offer a robot mower that offers cutting perfection, with total flexibility and control like no other. www.stiga.com/uk
UTV MAKING TURF MATTER www.turfmatters.co.uk 62 | TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022
UTV: Feel the power
Terrain EX4 is an electric UTV capable of tackling the toughest working days thanks to its offroad capabilities. It achieves 40km/h/25mph and can be driven on roads, making it ideal for a quiet, non-polluting everyday work vehicle. It offers high load capacity, lower maintenance and high vehicle durability with the precise power needed. With less maintenance and no fuel costs, UTV electric vehicles are significantly more affordable and cost-effective than traditional petrol or diesel-powered vehicles. All Terrain EX4 models are approved to EU T1a standards and equipped with automotive safety windshield glass, three-point belts, indicators, headlamps and brake lights, horn, mirrors and windshield wipers. The electric battery is 15 kWh lithium ion. There is a dual power selector with a choice of ‘Range’ and ‘Power’ and the Terrain EX4 offers ample storage and load capacity of up to 300 kg thanks to its large, unique cargo box. There are three versions of the Terrain EX4 with a cab and other accessories available. Prices start at £25,499 for the EX4 Base EPS, £26,499 for the EX4 Pro EPS and £28,499 for the EX4 CAB EPS. n www.bossorv.co.uk
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Stigma surrounding debt can make it hard to open up. But poor mental health can make it more difficult to manage our money. If money troubles are weighing on your mind, it’s important to ask for help. You could try speaking to a trusted friend, family member or your GP as a starting point. Or if you find it easier to talk to someone you don’t know, you could text Shout. Shout is the UK’s first and only free, 24/7, confidential text support service. Every day, Shout Volunteers speak to people who are struggling with debt. Lots of texters are worried about the impact of their debt on their relationships, while many feel like they’re facing their troubles alone. In a third of conversations, people mention feelings of suicide.
“Shout helped me sift through my thoughts and get to a workable solution. I just needed someone to listen and give value to how I was feeling. They were reassuring and helped me remember my strength and ability to get through it.” - Feedback from a texter who contacted Shout for support with debt.
Anyone in the UK can text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 to start a conversation any time of the day or night. Shout Volunteers work to take you from a moment of distress to a calm, safe place and help you come up with a plan to move forwards. If your life is at imminent risk, please call 999. n For more information, advice and support, visit: giveusashout.org
Nine in ten people have said they’re feeling the pinch, with the cost of living crisis making it harder to put food on our table, pay our energy bills, fill up our cars or even grab a pint with our mates. Money worries can also take a toll on our mental health, often leading to feelings of anxiety, stress, low mood and sleep problems. In turn, these feelings can make it harder to manage our money. This vicious cycle can quickly get on top of us. It can be tough to deal with money problems, but help is always there.
MONEY ON YOUR MIND?
No matter what financial situation we’re in, support is always available. Lots of charities provide free, practical and impartial money advice, such as Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk), Turn2Us (turn2us.org.uk), StepChange (stepchange.org), National Debtline (nationaldebtline.org) and Money Helper (moneyhelper.org.uk).
Shout is the UK’s first and only free, 24/7, confidential text message support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. If you’re feeling worried, stressed or like you have nobody to talk to, you are not alone. Shout is always only a text message away. Shout’s trained volunteers are there to support you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with whatever you are going through. Every day, Shout takes around 2,100 conversations with children, young people and adults across the UK who need in-the-moment support with issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, loneliness, relationships, racism, self-harm, suicide, grief and so much more. As a digital service, Shout provides a private and silent way to communicate, alleviating some of the pressure many people feel around talking about their worries out loud. The service is also confidential, anonymous and won’t show up on your phone bill. Shout is available around the clock. Most people text Shout for support at night and into the early hours of the morning, when the majority of other support services are closed and when many people are feeling alone and struggling with their mental health.
If you’re worrying about money, text SHOUT to 85258 any time of the day or night to start a free conversation with a trained volunteer who will work with you to reach a calmer place with a plan to move forwards.
GET PRACTICAL HELP
TURF MATTERS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 67 CARING ABOUT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
If you’re worrying about money, you’re not alone.
PRIORITISE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
BREAK IT DOWN When we’ve got money problems, our worries can sometimes feel too big to deal with. Talking to a mate about our situation or writing it down on a piece of paper can help us break down what we’re facing, work out what our biggest challenges are and start thinking about steps to tackle them.
