Tag Archive for: Professionals

Turf professionals gather at Dun Laoghaire GC

in , /by

Turf professionals gather at Dun Laoghaire GC: Dun Laoghaire Golf Club recently played host to the insightful Turf Science Live seminar, an event co-organised by ICL and Syngenta. With the goal of sharing the latest knowledge and trends in turf management, the seminar proved to be a very useful gathering for industry professionals.

Attracting around 100 participants, the event brought together greenkeepers and groundsmen from sporting venues across Ireland. The day was packed with lively discussions and opportunities for collaborative learning.

Turf professionals gather at Dun Laoghaire GC

Turf professionals gather at Dun Laoghaire GC

The day commenced in the impressive Dun Laoghaire clubhouse, setting the tone for the informative sessions that were to follow. Attendees were divided into four groups, ensuring an intimate and comprehensive learning experience. The four groups rotated through different stations, two in the morning and another two after lunch.

Speaking of lunch, it wasn’t all business. Participants had a chance to engage in a ‘nearest the pin’ golf competition, adding a bit of fun and friendly rivalry to the day.

Four key sessions were on the agenda, each covering a specialized topic in turf management:

  • Station 1: Revolutionary insect control’, presented by Sean Loakes, Syngenta’s Technical Manager for the UK and Ireland.
  • Station 2: ‘Trial updates from eqo.s, the new environmentally friendly outfield nutrition, presented by ICL’s Henry Bechelet and Colman Warde.
  • Station 3: From soil analysis to turf nutrition programmes ‘, presented by Fergal Greenan from ICL.
  • Station 4: ‘Preparing for autumn: A comprehensive guide to fungicide planning’, led by Glenn Kirby of Syngenta.

David Callanan CGCS MG, Course Manager at Beech Park Golf Club remarked, “It was a great event and I’d like to thank ICL and Syngenta for their continued support to the industry here.”

“It was a top-class event and venue, with great presentations,” commented Richard Doyle, Head Groundsman at RDS.

Special thanks were given to the club’s course superintendent, Des McGann, and his team for helping host the seminar.

Events such as Turf Science Live play a pivotal role in enhancing the standards of the turf industry by ensuring professionals are equipped with up-to-date knowledge and practices.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-growingsolutions.uk and icl-growingsolutions.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Get greens summer-ready with Turf care professionals

in , /by

Get greens summer-ready with Turf care professionals: Leading manufacturer of golf, lawn bowling greens and other sports turf maintenance equipment, Wood Bay Turf Technologies, has been creating world-class turf maintenance equipment since 1987, and has a range of products to help with all aspects of summer lawn maintenance.

It’s always recommended to start the season with a roll, as greens can be soft and uneven at this time of year. Rolling will help to smooth uneven spots and firm up the surface. The greensIRON 3900 golf greens roller, has been top-rated by leading golf course managers to raise the standard of greens to incredibly high quality, while smoothing out any surface imperfections and creating a firm playing surface. The greensIRON golf turf roller has a light footprint, even lighter than a person making a putt, so it will not make a mark as it rolls.

Get greens summer-ready with Turf care professionals

Get greens summer-ready with Turf care professionals

The machine has uniquely designed handlebars to allow for ease of steering, while its Hydro-Gear makes the transition from one direction to another very comfortable for even the least experienced operator. The roller’s rubber-tracked drive roller also provides superior climbing ability on the steepest, undulating greens and approaches.

The greensIRON 6200 Lawn Bowling Greens and Tennis Court Roller is based on the same design as the greensIRON 3900, but has wider rollers at 62” instead of 39”. The greensIRON 6200 is ideally used for rolling lawn bowling greens and tennis courts to make them smoother and play faster, improving the turf surface and creating a consistent green speed.

Another key task is turf dethatching and thinning out thatch to clear out old, dead grass and other organic matter that has built up, but not broken down, over the autumn and winter months. Dethatching opens up the lawn surface to allow for improved nutrient and water intake. The Wood Bay fds9200 multipurpose turf dethatchers are lightweight, flexible and responsive, and are engineered to handle a variety of surfaces, from the contours and undulations of a golf course to the flat surfaces associated with sports fields, race tracks and equestrian arenas.

Finally, it’s is an ideal time to make sure that all equipment is in tip-top condition. Along with turf specialist machinery, Wood Bay also manufactures dynaBlade verti-cut blades for all leading brands of turf machinery. Strong by design with tungsten carbide tips, the blades are engineered to save time and money with the most efficient linear aeration.

Wood Bay Turf Techonologies’ products are available exclusively from Henton & Chattell’s dealer network. For more information, please contact Sam Russo, sales specialist turf machinery, email sr@hentonanchattell.co.uk or call 07716 992587.

Further information about Wood Bay and its products can be found at https://www.woodbayturftech.com/

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

AriensCo Wows Professionals at SALTEX

in , /by

AriensCo Wows Professionals at SALTEX: AriensCo, an industry leader in outdoor power equipment, is delighted with its presence at this year’s SALTEX. On display was its range of commercial petrol and electric zero-turns as well as its new stand-on mower, the ARROW and the latest range of AS-Motor products for high grass, slopes and mulching.

This was the first UK trade show bringing Ariens and AS-Motor together. For the second year running, AriensCo hosted the Lawn Care Legends booth takeover.

AriensCo Wows Professionals at SALTEX

AriensCo Wows Professionals at SALTEX

Across the two-days, turf professionals, landscapers and local authority representatives got to experience both Ariens’ fully commercial, heavy-duty line-up of zero turns and AS-Motor’s speciality machinery and understand how AriensCo can support them. No matter the size of their business, AriensCo’s new line-up have the right combination of mowers and tools to complement their needs.

Products on display included Ariens’ industry leading APEX, available in 48” and 52” decks, the fully commercial ZENITH, coming in 60” and 52” decks and the battery powered ZENITH E, now available in 48”, 52” and 60” decks. All machines are now available with side and rear discharge deck configurations.

Ariens also exhibited its new stand-on mower, ARROW. This low-profile mower offers professionals both speed and accuracy, giving them the ability to mow large areas of grass and manoeuvre easily around flower beds, trees and other obstacles.

Additionally, AriensCo showcased its AS-Motor line-up following its 2021 acquisition. Products shown included the latest SHERPA and YAK ride-on mowers, which combine strength, performance and comfort. A range of AS-Motor battery and petrol-powered walk-behind mulching mowers and the specialist battery powered WeedHex tool were also on display.

Back by popular demand, the AriensCo stand was also taken over by the Lawn Care Legends, a community of professional landscapers. More than 100 Legends took in the AriensCo buzz and heard from Brad Stiles as he presented on ARROW, ZENITH E and the rest of the Ariens and AS-Motor line-ups.

Brad Stiles, VP Sales, EMEAA said, “We couldn’t have asked for anything more from this year’s Saltex. We got an unbelievable reception for our commercial line-up of Ariens zero-turns and feedback on the latest AS-Motor line-up was positive. ARROW and ZENITH E were also big hits, not only with the distinguished Lawn Care Legends but with new and existing customers.”

John Ryan, Head of Lawn Care Legends said, “Taking over Ariens’ booth this year was legendary. Not only did we get to see and hear more about Ariens’ awesome commercial line-up of battery and petrol powered zero-turns, but we got hands on with the latest AS-Motor gear and the new ARROW. AriensCo’s commercial offering gives professionals like us the tools to get the job done and done well.”

To find out more about Ariens’ commercial line-up of battery and petrol powered zero-turn mowers and speciality AS-Motor products visit ariens.eu or as-motor.uk. If you’d like to join the growing network of AriensCo dealers, email: bturvey@ariensco.com.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Bayer & CALM encourage turf professionals to talk

in , /by

Bayer & CALM encourage turf professionals to talk: Suicide prevention charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) will be joining Bayer Environmental Science at exhibitions throughout 2022, starting with BTME in March, as the partnership between the two continues for a second year.

With 125 lives lost every week to suicide and 75% of all UK suicides being male, Bayer wants to help spread awareness amongst turf professionals that there is someone to talk to if they ever find themselves in need of support. CALM offers a free confidential support line from 5 pm to midnight 365 days a year to anyone that needs it.

Bayer & CALM encourage turf professionals to talk

Bayer & CALM encourage turf professionals to talk

Tim Peeling, Head of Marketing at Bayer Environmental Science says, “At Bayer we recognise we have a duty to protect and support those working in our industry, as well as the platforms to allow us to raise awareness of key issues.

“We are so happy to support CALM for a second year. Our joint attendance at exhibitions gives us the opportunity to drill CALM’s message home – that there is support available and someone to talk to, so no one has to feel like they are alone.”

In 2021, BIGGA reported that 80% of greenkeepers were worried about the mental health of someone they worked with.

Tim adds, “It’s doubtful that many people were left unscathed from the last two years in one way or another. As the research suggests, people’s mental health was certainly affected, and it continues to be. But there can be any number of reasons why people struggle and it can be incredibly hard to voice these issues, let alone seek out support for them, so the more we can amplify what CALM does, the better.”

Maria Kuzak, Senior Philanthropy Manager at CALM says, “We are so excited to be working with Bayer for another year. Despite further lockdowns we reached a huge number of people in greenkeeping in 2021 and got to be part of some really thought-provoking conversations about looking after your mental wellbeing and the pressures in the industry.

“Attending events with Bayer has allowed us to reach an audience that is not only struggling but has heart breaking stories about those lost to suicide. We hope our efforts to show people they can turn to CALM will mean less of these stories and more open discussions about mental wellbeing in greenkeeping.”

CALM’s helpline and webchat is open 5pm to midnight 365 days a year and can help with all of life’s problems.

Call 0800 58 58 58 to speak to someone on the phone or webchat at https://www.thecalmzone.net/

Or visit Stand 338 in the Green Zone at BTME (22-24th March at Harrogate Convention Centre) where CALM will be on hand, giving away signposting materials and helping companies to better support employees.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Countrywide Advances With Solutions For All Grass Professionals

in /by

Countrywide Advances With Solutions For All Grass Professionals: Further to the announcement made in October regarding Countrywide Farmers restructuring and subsequent exit from the Turf & Amenity market, we can now confirm the company has transferred the whole T&A division to an alternative provider, enabling the Turf and Amenity team to continue to service customers under new ownership.

From 1st November 2017 all current Countrywide T&A business will be managed through ADVANCE GRASS SOLUTIONS Ltd (AGS) based from their new HQ in Reading, Berkshire.

Countrywide Advances With Solutions For All Grass Professionals

Sam Honeyborne, Managing Director at AGS confirmed “We are all extremely excited by the opportunity that this new business presents and confident of a seamless transition from Countrywide, as we continue our growth plan in the UK amenity sector. The T&A team has made excellent progress in the past five years and has adapted to suit the evolution of the market, with the increased customer appetite for a high level of long term agronomic support. I would like to thank Countrywide for their help and guidance during this transition and assure our loyal customers and suppliers of service continuity throughout.”

AGS will provide a UK exclusive range of high quality turf maintenance products to include Sustane, Growth Products and Polyon in addition to established brands such as DLF Seeds, Farmura, Aquatrols and Bathgates. Technical support combined with exceptional customer service will be the company’s ethos. Sam offered an example of where he believes improvements can be made “Haulage and delivery has been problematic in recent years in the industry and most of our competitors presently outsource this requirement. Initially we are committed to delivering directly to our customers in the South but ultimately coverage nationally by 2020. Sam added “This will incur extra costs but will greatly improve our customer service and that is our number one priority”

Growth Products, who sponsored an award at the IOG dinner in November recently confirmed AGS as their UK exclusive distributor for amenity turf, horticulture and speciality agriculture. GP’s CEO, Clare Reinbergen was very confident about the future saying “We are extremely impressed with the AGS business plan and look forward to supporting Sam and the company’s key objectives. AGS’s field based technical team are undoubtedly one of the most comprehensively qualified and experienced units in the UK and will continue their reputation for sound advice and product recommendation.”

Sam Honeyborne was also pleased to announce that Sustane Natural Fertiliser market share in the UK continues to grow and has prompted the recent appointment of Russell Riley as Sustane’s UK Business Development Manager effective from November 2017. “Russell will do a fantastic job and I wish him all the best for the future” said Sam. “Our exclusive contract with Sustane means we will be working very closely with Russell to further increase customer awareness, at a time where chemical use is under growing regulatory pressure.”

AGS is presently developing a high quality web site and this, in addition to the AGS 2018 Product Guide, will be available in the very near future.

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.