First school grounds seminar a success

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First school grounds seminar a success: A recent school grounds seminar held at Charterhouse in Surrey has been hailed a huge success by all who attended.

The event attracted over 50 delegates from all levels as several topical issues were explored and discussed. Supported by prominent suppliers and manufacturers in the industry – ICL, Limagrain UK, Syngenta UK and Charterhouse Turf Machinery – attendees had the opportunity to find out more about key subjects such as fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides, grass seed and aeration.

First school grounds seminar a success

At a time where the industry is witnessing increasing pressure on pesticide usage and when registrations are getting tighter, the presentation by Glenn Kirby, Syngenta’s Technical Manager for the UK Turf & Landscape, was well received. From this seminar, attendees became more knowledgeable on how to get the best out of their products and also gained a greater understanding of fungicide timings, correct calibration and sprayer set-up, and how to choose the correct nozzles.

Sam Horner, Amenity Seed Specialist from Limagrain UK, offered a fantastic insight into the thought process behind the development of a grass seed mixture. From initial breeding through to going to a customer, attendees received first-hand information on characteristics of the plant, growing, harvesting, germination testing, creating a mix, percentages and the trials which go into producing a final product.

Henry Bechelet, ICL Technical Sales Manager UK & Ireland, focussed on new regulations for fertilizers which are set to commence in 2022. There has been a lot of uncertainty over the new forthcoming legislation and Henry was on hand to answer some all-too common questions and clarify the situation.

Stepping into the stunning school grounds, delegates then had the opportunity to see a number of outdoor product demonstrations from Charterhouse Turf Machinery. Attendees found out how to relieve compaction and improve drainage with the OxyShot air-injection unit, the Verti-Quake® and the Verti-Drain®. In particular, representatives from Charterhouse Turf Machinery focussed on the three styles of aeration – deep-tine aeration, linear aeration and high-pressure aeration.

The idea for this unique new event was born following discussions between a group of grounds managers from schools – Charterhouse, Whitgift, St Paul’s, Christ’s Hospital, Cranleigh, Reed’s, The Royal Grammar School (RGS), New Hall and Harrow.

Host for the day Lee Marshallsay from Charterhouse, provided an insight into how the seminar came to fruition: “After going to various events and exhibitions over the years we felt that many of the seminars were mainly aimed at managers or those in a senior position.

Ultimately, we are a group of grounds managers that meet up to talk about the industry because we want to help. We have taken something by the scruff of the neck and tried to drive something which is specifically for our sector.”

Echoing Lee was Daniel Ratling from Whitgift School, who said: “We wanted a training day that was going to be more targeted at every member of staff and give them information that would enthuse them and help them in their every-day work. A big part of that is integrating and mixing with people from other schools and this is not something that you are often able to do.”

Russel King, from The Royal Grammar School, felt that the event was a huge morale boost for his team: “We wanted our team to know that some of the issues they are facing are not just isolated to their specific grounds and that it could be perhaps a common problem for everyone. Today has been great because they have received advice about how other schools are approaching the issues and it has really boosted their morale.”

“Our staff have not been to anything like this before,” claimed James Pope from St Paul’s. “We all agreed that this was at a perfect time being half-term and my staff have been able to speak to professionals that they might not usually get the chance to speak to. I think we have all taken some great ideas away from this event.”

“It’s been a great first event and I’m confident that we can progress it in the future,” added host Lee. “I think this is something that could happen once a year and in order to grow we will debrief and identify what delegates would like to see in the future.”

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The quietest ride-on greensmower

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The quietest ride-on greensmower yet: Hybrid, it’s the buzzword of the times with customers demanding cleaner, greener mowing options and Toro has responded to that demand by creating the Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360, the quietest ride-on greensmower yet.

Another fine example of innovative Toro technology, the Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360 is the new greensmower, developed specifically with customer needs in mind. Reducing noise, minimising impact on the environment and with no hydraulics, it says goodbye to leaks while never compromising on quality of cut.

The quietest ride-on greensmower yet

This clever ride-on utilises all-electric components for traction, steering, lifting and cutting, alongside a proven Kawasaki twin cylinder 14hp air-cooled engine with battery assist technology and a reduced speed of 2400rpm, shrouded in venting. It’s this design that ensures perceived bystander noise level is significantly reduced, making it the perfect greensmower for courses with nearby residents. As Toro’s quietest ride-on greensmower yet, work can start earlier while complying with noise regulations, meaning greens can be ready earlier which could enhance revenue by allowing for earlier tee times.

As you’d expect from Toro, cutting capabilities are only ever improved upon. In the eTriFlex 3360 the suspension system maintains a full flotation range to prevent gouging or scalping when going over undulations and Toro’s proven Flex technology allows the cutting units to pivot around the centre of the front roller to prevent side-to-side scrubbing. Add to this DPA cutting units, the most advanced cutting units in the industry, and you have a mower which floats freely over any terrain with superior contour-following and substantially improves both the aesthetics and playability of the greens.

Jeff Anguige, national sales manager at Reesink Turfcare, the sole Toro distributor in the UK for golf equipment, says: “It’s easy to see why Toro is calling the Greensmaster eTriFlex the most advanced riding greensmower ever, bringing a new standard in mowing greens. The technology presented in this machine, particularly the hybrid technology, is a prime example of Toro’s ability to deliver products that meet customer needs perfectly. The reduced noise brings with it a host of benefits while still maintaining what makes Toro machines so unique – a superior quality of cut. It’s truly a must-have machine.”

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Jacobsen at The Lensbury

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Jacobsen the complete package for The Lensbury: Multipurpose venues need quality, versatile and reliable mowers. And that’s why The Lensbury opted for the Jacobsen TR320 and GP400.

The four-star club, hotel and conference centre sits on the banks of the River Thames in Teddington, London, and hosts international rugby teams as well as professional club sides. There are also six grass tennis courts and ornamental gardens in the grounds of the hotel, all of which are kept to an impeccable standard by head of grounds and gardens, Peter Craig, and his team.

Jacobsen the complete package for The Lensbury

The rugby pitches are an essential part of The Lensbury. They attract the world’s best and need to look and play to their standards, so when the decision was made to get a new mower, Peter decided to trial every machine at his disposal before going for the TR320.

“I took a long time choosing the rugby mower because those pitches are the priority here from a turf management point of view, and that’s why we tried virtually everything before we made a choice,” Peter explained. “The quality of cut on the TR320 is good as is the adjustment of cut, and I’m glad that I made the choice I did.

“Price is obviously important, and the TR320 was competitive in that area. I looked at the Jacobsen and all the main mower brands. We were looking at all of the usual criteria, the quality of cut, the range of cut, the comfort, the noise and the width of the machine. The size of the boxes was another aspect I looked at because I wanted the biggest boxes possible to reduce the amount of time spent emptying them.

“Those were the main things along with the ease of use because we wanted it to be operator friendly. The back-up service is obviously a big part of it as well, and I’d never bought a Jacobsen before, so I didn’t know what it was like. When we’ve needed them, parts have arrived very quickly, and the service from Ernest Doe has been excellent.”

The TR320 is the perfect choice for The Lensbury because of its quality of cut, operator comfort and vertically folding units. The 1.83m cutting width can be reduced to a 1.63m transport width, with the reels lifting to a vertical position to make driving around tight areas, such as ornamental gardens, simple.

Although the pitches are the priority, the ornamental gardens and grass tennis courts are also paid close attention. While Peter’s mower criteria for this area was similar in terms of quality of cut and productivity, the need for a machine that could handle attachments was paramount for other maintenance.

For this, the GP400 was his mower of choice. It gets used to cut the ornamental lawns during the cutting season and for verti-cutting the tennis courts during the season, at the end of the season and during winter. Peter has high praise for the swing-out centre reel for making a “massive difference” when it comes to maintenance, and the ‘great’ quality of cut.

That great quality of cut comes from the TrueSet cutting units that allow operators to easily adjust the mower to ensure it has the optimum reel to bedknife setting, giving the perfect cut every time.

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Spider launch new UK site

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Spider launch new UK site: The team behind the distribution of Spider slope mowers in the UK are delighted to launch a new website dedicated to showcasing the unique range of Spider mowers available to industry professionals across the country.

The new, user-friendly website enables users to view details on all the Spider machines available to the UK market and learn more about the benefits of using a Spider on dangerous, challenging or steep terrain.

Spider launch new UK site

Not only that, booking a free, on-site demonstration has been made easy with an online form available on every page which sends your request straight through to the team for a quick response.

Alternatively, for those who prefer to talk on the phone, you can call and speak to a Spider representative right here in the UK with contact numbers available for the team.

For those seeking to contact their nearest Spider dealer, the ‘Find a Dealer’ page provides addresses and telephone details for each of the UK dealers, a list which will continue to grow with new dealers sought to increase support and sales coverage for customers in new areas.

Bill Johnston, Head of the UK Spider distributor business Machinery Imports, is excited by the new digital presence, commenting:

“The new UK based website for Spider creates a hugely useful resource for Spider owners, dealers and customers looking for a suitable slope mower. Home to a wealth of information about the brand and the specific models available, as well as current and former user manuals, the website will be an asset to our business in promoting the benefits of Spider mowers for customers across the country.”

Spider was founded in July 2004 by Lubomír Dvořák in Czech Republic. The patent-protected remote-controlled slope mowers feature a revolutionary design incorporating a unique drive system offering 4-wheel drive, skid steer, and zero-turn functionality.

Unrivalled in the field, this functionality makes Spider mowers quick and easy to manoeuvre, able to climb slopes up to 55° and lightweight, avoiding turf damage and erosion.

The launch of the newest and smallest Spider, the X-Liner, sees all the benefits of the larger Spider mowers in a compact, approximately 1m2 model, capable of mowing up to 3000m2 per hour!

The Spider brand in the UK has seen great success over the past year under Machinery Imports stewardship and the development of a new UK-based website will support the business’ focus on further increasing visibility within the UK market along with helping existing Spider owners to find their local dealer for sales and service support, and encouraging new dealers interested in representing the brand to make contact.

Visit the website at www.spidermower.co.uk

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Swindon boss praises groundsman

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Swindon boss praises groundsman: Richie Wellens revealed the work of groundsman Marcus Cassidy and his army of matchday volunteers played a big part in his decision to accept the Swindon Town manager’s role little under a year ago.

Last week, Town scooped the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year accolade at an awards ceremony hosted at the Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham.

Swindon boss praises groundsman

It’s the third time that Cassidy and his volunteers have been recognised for their efforts at a major awards ceremony in three years.

Last season, Town won the EFL’s League Two Grounds Team of the Year award. And the season before, Cassidy scooped the highly commended award.

With next Wednesday marking a year since Wellens was confirmed as Phil Brown’s successor at the Energy Check County Ground, Wellens took the opportunity to applaud the efforts of Stonehouse-based Cassidy – who is midway through his 19th season at the club.

Wellens said: “It’s great Marcus is winning these awards – it’s a big part of why I came here.

“A lot of pitches at this level are small – 12 or 15 yards shorter than ours and a lot narrower.

“For me, it’s difficult to play good football on those pitches and that’s why teams score a lot of goals from set plays and long throws.

“Everyone knows how good Marcus is. It’s probably better because he never lets us train on it. I half let him off with that.”

Town’s ground staff were tested during last Saturday’s home game against Walsall when heavy rain at the conclusion of half-time saw underfoot conditions deteriorate.

Puddles gathered, although Town weathered the literal storm to record a 2-1 win.

The pitch will now be rested for more than two weeks with no game scheduled until Mansfield Town visit in League Two on November 23 – although that could change if this weekend’s FA Cup first-round clash at Cheltenham Town is drawn.

Despite the praise, Wellens made no secret of his desire to train more frequently at the County Ground to boost players’ home awareness.

He said: “It will get loads of rest. Next time we turn up here, I expect the grass to be cut the exact length and expect it to look pristine because no one is allowed on it for two weeks.

“And it should be that way. Marcus is a groundsman is paid to keep the grass looking brilliant – and he’s doing a great job.

“The pitch was difficult last Saturday. When you sit in the stands, it looks green and flat.

“But when you walk on it at the end, there were a lot of puddles – mainly because of the sheer amount of rain.”

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