Updating Events Get Off To A Flying Start

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The first of this season’s free Updating Events took place at Bourne in Lincolnshire at the offices of Boothman Agriculture and hosted by Progreen. There was a good attendance and they were updated on a range of topical issues with presentations including those of Nigel Chadwick from the Health and Safety Executive’s Chemicals Regulation Division, Peter Corbett from BASIS Registration and John Moverley, Independent Chairman of the Forum. There was also time for networking and questions. Those attending were very positive about the value of the event.

In 2017, the Amenity Forum is holding a series of free Updating Events at locations across the UK. These events are half day in length and focus on short presentations covering current topics delivered by specialists in these areas. Apart from events in each main region of England, there will also be ones in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. They are being held in the period late January to early April.

If you are interested in attending, or know others who might be, you are advised to register your interest now by emailing Kate Hopkins at admin@amenityforum.net. She can acknowledge your interest and provide the further information required as and when available. Wherever you live in the UK, there should be an event held not far from you. So whatever your role or interest, register now for these popular free information events. If you are on the Amenity Register, they also carry CPD points.

The dates and locations of the remaining events are as follows:

Cambridgeshire 21st February
Wales 23rd February
Derbyshire 28th February
Yorkshire 2nd March
London 7th March
Northern Ireland 9th March
Cheshire 14th March
Essex 23rd March
Surrey 28th March
Devon 4th April
Edinburgh 11th April
Durham 12th April

St Ives GC Renews With Toro

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St Ives Golf Club has renewed its exclusivity agreement with Toro for another five years, sealing the deal with an order of 15 machines, which have seen the team’s cutting time more than halved and saved hours on aeration.

Having reviewed the market, course manager Rob Duff decided to invest in Toro again because it “best suits the clubs needs”.

The club has a full-time, year-round greenkeeping team of three and employs additional staff on a seasonal basis to maintain the 240-acre course, and the fleet, which includes two Greensmaster TriFlex 3400s, four Reelmaster 3550-Ds, two ProCore 648s, and a Workman HDX utility vehicle, has been specifically chosen to complement staffing levels.

The combination of the increased quality and speed of the new machines enables the greenkeeping team to work as effectively and efficiently as possible. Rob says: “All of this adds up to a better use of our staffs’ time and guarantees that all jobs are completed; it’s a big course and we couldn’t get it all done without the mowers!”

Rob notes “exceptional build quality and increased speed” from all the new machines, but the two pieces of equipment that really stand out for him are the ProCore 648 and the Reelmaster 3550-D.

The ProCore 648 receives high praise from Rob, who says: “It is without doubt the best piece of kit we purchased. It can be used all year round and, because I have two, I can spike all of the greens in less than 5 hours which is a huge time-saver!”

But for versatility, the Reelmaster reigns supreme: “We used to have two machines for the fairways, the surrounds and the tees which were all different, but now we have four Reelmasters, all set at the same height, which can cover all of these areas. Before it took over two days to cut everything, now we can tackle the fairways, surrounds and tees in just one day,” says Rob.

The club didn’t just invest in Toro for the machines, but for the aftercare service provided by UK Toro distributor Reesink Turfcare too. “We have a good relationship with Reesink, which I want to continue, and its St Neots’ headquarters is only down the road from us. The back-up service available is great, parts are delivered within 24 hours and Reesink offer to loan extra Toro machinery for tournament support,” says Rob.

This tournament support particularly benefits the club, which has already hosted the TP Tour for three years and will again in 2017 following rave reviews from players regarding the condition and quality of the course. General manager Gordon Macleod comments: “We opened the club in 2010, so to hold such a tournament so soon after opening is testament to the quality of our course. While St Ives is a young club, it has reached a level of maturity with help from our Toro machinery.”

He goes on to say: “We have big plans to unleash the potential of the club as a high quality tournament venue, while maintaining it as a local community facility for members and visitors alike. With plans to improve our holes already underway, we believe an exciting future lies ahead for St Ives, and we aim to further develop the course to rank among the best regionally and nationally.”

Help and advice from Headland goes a long way at Redditch GC

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Redditch Golf Club greens are now delivering consistent play thanks to advice, and a nutritional programme, from Headland Amenity. Their 18 hole parkland course, and 6 hole short-course with driving range, is currently home to 600+ members. The club celebrated its centenary in 2013 and features USGA spec greens installed some 20 years ago. Although they’ve been a big plus for the club, Course Manager Karl Williams says they have proved a challenge to maintain.

“Having not previously worked with USGA spec greens before, I couldn’t believe quite how quickly any products applied leached through” explains Karl, who has been at the Golf Club for 2 years and is assisted by 6 on his greens team. “I wasn’t overly familiar with Headland products but their local representative, Adi Masters, popped in when I was first at Redditch, and we quickly developed a great working relationship.”

The greens programme includes C-Complex and Protec fertilisers, Seamac ProTurf FE plant protectant, Turfite plant elicitor and Temag HPE to name just a few. At the end of the 1st year, a decision was made to close the spraying application to 2 weeks, from monthly, to provide greater consistency in terms of colour and growth. “With the fast leaching greens, by week 3 or 4, it was evident they were starting to tail off aesthetically.”

“With Adi’s advice we’ve halved the application rate but are applying more frequently which has combatted that problem. It was noticeable within the first 4-6 weeks of changing the applications that it was really working, and I could see the difference in the products and their effectiveness.” The programme is now meeting and exceeding Karl’s expectations and the greens are performing to their full potential. “With those simple tweaks to our regime we’ve now got it spot on.”

Rhuddlan GC Reinvests In Toro For Reliability

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Rhuddlan Golf Club, set in the Vale of Clwyd in North Wales, has recently renewed its fleet of Toro machines, bringing on course a Greensmaster 3250-D, Reelmaster 3100-D, and a Reelmaster 5610-D to join a Toro fleet including three other Greensmasters, two Groundsmasters, a GreensPro 1200 turf iron and a ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator. The club opted to reinvest in Toro for replacement machines because of their reliability, good value and support services.

Course manager John Morris says: “You can pay a little more for Toro, but the price always reflects the quality of the machine. I’ve found you get what you pay for with Toro, making them very good value for money longer term.”

He adds: “When you invest in Toro you’re not just buying a machine, you’re buying the back-up service which comes with it. Our Toro dealer Major Owen is fantastic and I know there will always be someone on the other end of the phone should I need them.”

But given the durability and longevity of the club’s previous Toro machines, John shouldn’t have to pick up the phone often. In fact, he chose to replace an existing ten-year-old Greensmaster 3250-D with the same model including the latest DPA cutting units with stainless steel cylinder bearings because he was so impressed with the original machine’s reliability and service.

Another addition to the course is a Reelmaster 3100-D to replace an impressive 20-year-old Toro sidewinder, which John describes as “still working well, but in need of updating”. He says of the new machine: “The Reelmaster 3100-D was an affordable option for us and we’re very pleased with it so far, it does a fantastic job cutting the tees and greens.”

The club’s new Reelmaster 5610-D cuts fairways, etching striking stripes and diamond designs into the turf. John comments: “My employees and I are chuffed to bits with the Reelmaster – and our new fleet as a whole!”

One of the main benefits which stands out across all the machines is superior build quality, meaning they also have a higher residual value. John says: “I’m pretty savvy with mechanics so I understand just how well built our new Toro machines are. It’s easy to get sold by flashy things, but at the end of the day presenting the course well is our priority and Toro machines help my team and I to do just that.”

Rhuddlan Golf Club is often chosen to host County and National Championship events and next August the Men’s Golfing Championship is set to take place on the course. “We are very lucky to have Toro tournament support, our dealer lends us extra Toro machinery so we can cover the whole course quickly. Because of this we can maintain brilliant playability on pristine turf,” says John.

With 122 acres and some of the fastest growing grass in the region, this is no light task. John admits: “The reliability of our machines is essential and Toro machinery enables us to keep on top of the course. For as long as I am course manager at Rhuddlan, we will continue to invest in Toro.”

Updated app is a vital tool in any greenkeeper’s armoury

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The updated Bayer TurfXpert app is now available to download from the App Store and Google Play, free of charge. With a number of new tools added to the already popular app that’s set to be a game changer for greenkeepers.

The often complicated calculations for tank mixing could be a thing of the past. “The updated app is free to download and can work out product requirements by mapping out a specific area using GPS to accurately calculate the exact amount of product needed to treat the chosen area,” says Dr Colin Mumford from the Bayer Turf Solutions Team.

On top of this, any applications that have been made can be recorded in the new sprayer log section, with the option to forward on the details via email.

“As the weather becomes more unpredictable, and the continued threat of the loss of actives to treat weeds, pests and diseases grows, it’s increasingly important to spot early signs of turf infection – because prevention is always better than cure,” says Colin.

To help avoid misidentification problems, the app will enable greenkeepers to recognise any disease, weed or pest present in their turf at the click of a button. “The app’s so simple to use. When identifying weeds for example, you just choose the leaf shape and flower colour from a list of options and the app will generate several possible weeds.”

“And if you are still unsure about the identity of a weed, pest or disease, there’s an ‘identify’ button that can be used to take up to three photos that will be sent to the Bayer Turf Solutions Team, who aim to come back with the identity as well as a suggested treatment within 48 hours,” he says.

“The job of a greenkeeper is becoming harder, as there are more and more sporadic appearances of turf diseases, and a reducing number of actives to control them,” says Colin.

So, to aid in the greenkeepers decision making, Bayer has added a new weather feature to the updated TurfXpert app, which not only provides the user with the most accurate local weather forecasts, it also provides other parameters including evapotranspiration, growing degree days and surface dew point temperatures.

The TurfXpert app is just one part of a wide offering from the Turf Solutions Team. “We aim to provide solutions, information, support and guidance. While we help remotely with identification via the app, we are also happy to go out for site visits and advise on any issue,” adds Colin.