R&A’s Agronomy Team to headline at BTME

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R&A’s Agronomy Team to headline at BTME: With the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) and Continue to Learn taking place in a month, the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has confirmed its headline speakers for the education conference.

BTME is the annual trade show and networking event for those working in the golf greenkeeping and wider sportsturf industry and takes place in Harrogate. Traditionally the event is held in January each year but was postponed in 2021 due to coronavirus and this year was delayed until March due to uncertainties relating to the pandemic.

R&A’s Agronomy Team to headline at BTME

R&A’s Agronomy Team to headline at BTME

Continue to Learn is BIGGA’s world-leading education programme and runs alongside the conference. Considered among the most influential events in the golf industry calendar, Continue to Learn features hundreds of hours of learning for sports turf professionals on a wide variety of topics.

The three-day Continue to Learn: Conference will be hosted by former BBC Sports editor Gareth Jones. Headlining that element of the programme will be The R&A’s Championship Agronomy team, which is responsible for presenting host venues each year for The R&A’s championships, including The Open.

Members of The R&A Agronomy team will reveal how they work, the preparation and data collection processes involved with championship preparation, the interactions with the host greenkeeping team and give an insight into the modern requirements for the delivery of golf’s greatest championship. Joining The R&A team of Alistair Beggs, Richard Windows and Adam Newton at Continue to Learn will be Paul Larsen, course manager at Royal St George’s Golf Club, host venue for The 149th Open in 2021.

Alistair Beggs, Head of Agronomy at The R&A, said: “It is a privilege for The R&A Agronomy Team to work with the host venue for The Open and its staff to help deliver the stage on which it is played each year. In 2021 Royal St George’s hosted The Open and despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it developed into a great championship.

“This session provides the opportunity to learn a little more about Royal St George’s journey to being a championship venue, both from the perspective of The R&A and Royal St George’s own links manager, Paul Larsen. This will include the years building up to 2021, playing surface and rough preparation, environmental management and delivery of the championship itself.

“We are incredibly excited to be attending BTME and are thankful to BIGGA for giving us the opportunity to share our experiences of The Open in this way.”

Also revealed to be taking part in the Continue to Learn: Conference schedule is Linda Moir, who led the Spectator Services team at the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, where 15,000 volunteer Games makers hosted 9 million spectators. Prior to that, Linda accepted the challenge from Sir Richard Branson to join Virgin Atlantic and ‘make flying fun’. As director of In Flight Services she was responsible for the airline’s award winning on-board service.

Continue to Learn is the sports turf industry’s largest single education event, providing hundreds of hours of education for greenkeepers and groundsmen everywhere. The programme runs alongside the BTME and will be held 20 to 23 March 2022 at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

Bookings are open and more information can be found at www.btme.org.uk

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Redexim return to BTME

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Redexim return to BTME: Following their official re-brand in July 2021, Redexim will be returning to BTME 2022 to showcase equipment from across their sports turf and landscaping divisions.

While a stop by stand Purple 432 will see a new name, the same technical team will be on hand to discuss some of the iconic machines from across their extensive portfolio – including the high-speed Verti-Drain 2519 and Redexim Multiseeder.

Redexim return to BTME

Redexim return to BTME

Thanks to its 1.9m working width and ability to accept a range of tine options, the Verti-Drain 2519 has proven its credentials as the ultimate in versatile, precision aeration. Re-engineered to include a new draw-rod system and an easy-to-adjust heave lever, the 2519 offers a PTO speed of up to 540rpm – allowing it to cover almost 9000 sq.m per hour when spaced at 165mm. This high-productivity output has made it a popular choice with greenkeepers and grounds managers alike since it was officially launched at BTME two years ago.

Also on the stand, and making its debut in Redexim red, will be the Multiseeder. The Multiseeder is perfectly suited for work on both fine turf and amenity areas and has gained a reputation for being one of the most accurate dimple seeders on the market. Two spiked rollers saturate the ground with up to 1890 holes per sq.m, creating the perfect dimple in which to deliver the seed, brushed into the hole by a rear-mounted brush to ensure not just optimal soil contact but a clean and tidy finish. The ability to have the rollers fixed or floating means the Multiseeder takes undulating surfaces easily in its stride, and with three working widths of up to 2.1m, there’s a model to suit most applications.

With machines spanning aeration, topdressing, overseeding, brushing and synthetic maintenance to name but a few, the Redexim team look forward to answering any technical questions and reconnecting with visitors, once again, in Harrogate.

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Test your pedal power with Infinicut at BTME

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Test your pedal power with Infinicut at BTME: If you’ve ever considered yourself as a bit of a cyclist, be sure to make a pit stop on the INFINICUT® stand at BTME 2022 for a true test of pedal power – all raising money for BIGGA’s Benevolent Fund!

Once you’ve taken the challenge, take a breather and check out some of the other highlights on stand Red 272 including the TMSystem™ collection of cassettes for grooming, mowing and maintenance and some new innovative products from the INFINICUT® stable.

Test your pedal power with Infinicut at BTME

Test your pedal power with Infinicut at BTME

The Greenkeepers Benevolent Fund is the official charity of BIGGA, assisting current or past members and their dependants with financial support and practical help during difficult times. A voluntary donation will permit entry to the ‘Pedal Power vs Battery Power’ challenge – to see if competitors can generate enough power (500 watts) to enable the operation of both the traction and cutting unit of an INFINICUT® mower. The bike set-up is designed to illustrate why it is critical for an electric mower to be running as efficiently and accurately as possible, keeping resistance to a minimum to avoid wasting energy.

A leaderboard will be kept of all the attempts across the three days, with a prize awarded to the person who generates the highest reading.

The full selection of cassettes from the renowned TMSystem™ will also be on display. 12 cassettes make up the range, which coverts fairway and triple greens mowers into multi-use units for complete turf refinement. Using the universal chassis, and appropriate adaptor kit, the TMSystem™ replaces OEM cutting reels with application specific cassettes for grooming, mowing and maintenance.

The TMSystem™ is also an integral part of the INFINICUT® mower. Since last on show in Harrogate, a number of innovative new features have been added to design and operation of both the FX and FL ranges, designed specifically with the golf market in mind.

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GKB has machines for all seasons

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GKB has machines for all seasons: Stand 406 in the purple zone promises to be a showcase of equipment for all seasons as GKB Machines get set to return to BTME in 2022.

Whether its aeration, scarification or overseeding on the agenda, solutions will be on show in the form of the Deep Tine Aerator (DTA), Sandfiller and Combiseeder – with the GKB Technical Team on hand to discuss these products and many more from their innovative golf and sports turf portfolio.

GKB has machines for all seasons

GKB has machines for all seasons

The name speaks for itself with the GKB Deep Tine Aerator – efficiently and effectively aerating the ground down to depths of up to 400mm (16”) for optimal air and moisture movement. Four working widths are available between 1.2m and 2.6m, meaning there’s a model to suit most applications in and around the golf course and beyond. Quickly building a reputation for its build quality, the unique tine mounting system on the DTA allows for more tines per head and improves both the speed and efficiency when changing between sets.

As the seasons change and thoughts move from moisture management to spring renovations, the Sandfiller will prove its worth as the true multi-tasker! The Sandfiller scarifies the surface down to depths of up to 40mm, removing organic matter and creating channels which are simultaneously filled with sand or a combination of sand and seed – maximising efficiency and improving drainage and ground firmness in one single pass.

If a dedicated unit is required that is capable of both seeding and overseeding, then the Combiseeder provides an accurate solution. The tried and trusted combination of two spiked rollers and two brushes create the optimal number of holes in the ground, allowing for precise seed distribution and maximised conditions for germination. With smaller models in the range ideal for work on golf greens, the Combiseeder is available in four working widths up to 2.4m making it a machine suited for greenkeepers, grounds managers and contractors alike.

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Finalists for BIGGA Awards revealed

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Finalists for BIGGA Awards revealed: From Loch Lomond in Scotland to England’s south coast, the finalists of the BIGGA Awards 2022 showcase ingenuity, innovation and determination in the face of global turmoil and the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) is proud to reveal the incredible greenkeeping teams who have been shortlisted for an award, to be presented at BTME 2022 later this month.

The BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) will be taking place this March for the first time in its history, with a two-month delay caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of turf managers, greenkeepers, golf club owners and key industry decision makers are expected to take part in the industry’s premier exhibition and educational programme.

Finalists for BIGGA Awards revealed

Finalists for BIGGA Awards revealed

One of the highlights of BTME each year is the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, sponsored for the first time in 2022 by AMS Robotics. Taking place on the opening night of BTME and hosted by television broadcaster and golf enthusiast Naga Munchetty, the BIGGA Welcome Celebration feature the presentation of the prestigious BIGGA Awards 2022.

With incredible prizes up for grabs, the BIGGA Awards recognise that high standards of quality and dedication are vital to the success of any golf course or championship. They reward the innovation of BIGGA members who are at the cutting edge of their profession and any BIGGA member within the UK, regards of their golf facility’s size, age or reputation, can enter. The BIGGA Awards provide golf clubs with an opportunity to showcase a greenkeeping team’s success and celebrate their achievements.

The finalists of the BIGGA Awards 2022 are:

Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year sponsored by Origin Amenity Solutions

  • Richard Ponsford and the team at Clevedon Golf Club for hosting the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Wright-Morgan Championship
  • Simon Olver and the team at Ganton Golf Club for hosting The R&A Senior Amateur Championship and England Golf’s Brabazon Trophy
  • Stuart Hogg MG and the team at The West Lancashire Golf Club for hosting The Rose Ladies Series and Regional and Final Qualifying for The Open

Greenkeeping Project of the Year sponsored by Baroness

  • Darren Anderson MG and the team at Bromborough Golf Club for the ‘Leverhulme Project’ that saw the reconstruction of the 17th hole and various other course improvements
  • David Cole MG and the team at Loch Lomond Golf Club for the complete reconstruction of the course, often described as the largest course redevelopment in UK golf history
  • Matt Plested and the team at Stoneham Golf Club for the construction of the Stoneham Academy and various other course improvements

The winner of the Outstanding Contribution of the Year sponsored by Bernhard and Company will be revealed on the night.

More information about each of the finalists can be found on the BTME website at https://www.btme.org.uk/attendees/what-s-on/the-bigga-awards.html

BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton said: “Much has happened since we last met in Harrogate at BTME 2020 and revealed the winners of the BIGGA Awards that year. Society has changed and together we have overcome some of the most difficult challenges any of us will face in our lifetime. Yet there have been bright moments along the way and I’m incredibly proud that BIGGA is today able to reveal the finalists of our annual awards, with six outstanding greenkeeping teams in with a shout of taking home the top prizes. It was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to these finalists and everyone who was nominated should be very proud of their efforts.

“When BTME returns this month, we’ll be kicking things off at Tuesday’s BIGGA Welcome Celebration and I can’t wait to unveil the winners of these awards. I look forward to seeing our friends and colleagues from across the industry in Harrogate for what promises to be a wonderful opening to our annual exhibition.”

BTME runs from Tuesday 22 March to Thursday 24 March 2022 with over 120 exhibitors taking part.

You can register online now for BTME or head to www.btme.org.uk for more information.

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