St Andrews milestone

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St Andrews milestone: One of the most prestigious golf courses in St Andrews is preparing to mark a significant milestone. The recognition surrounds a key member of staff at The Duke’s who has spent the last two decades providing a world-class experience at the only heathland course at the Home of Golf. It also accompanies a tranche of investments at the well-regarded venue.

A lot can happen in 20 years, as anyone visiting the five-star Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa will confirm. The Duke’s, for instance, has matured gracefully since opening 26 years ago, undergoing a detailed revamp in 2006 that included upgraded drainage and bunker changes alongside the unveiling of three stunning closing holes.

St Andrews milestone

St Andrews milestone

Overseeing that evolution has been Ayden Roberts-Jones, who started at the resort as senior PGA assistant in 2002. Now manager of The Duke’s, he has been integral to the continued development of the golf operations and more recently supervising the introduction of a new fleet of buggies.

“The Duke’s was my introduction to Scottish heathland golf and I was captivated by it,” he said, recalling his debut at the resort. “We went through a lot of changes during those early days which were dramatic but certainly enhanced the course and its playability. We’ve now engaged in a programme of improvements that will take The Duke’s, once again, to another level in terms of delivering a world-class golfing experience.”

Roberts-Jones confirmed the completion of a detailed winter maintenance schedule by The Duke’s greenkeeping team, whose numbers have increased by 50% in less than a year. The programme of works, he explained, also included changes to the stunning par 4 10th. This, along with a new portfolio of photography, means the carefully maintained course, which is also part of the prestigious collection of Kohler championship courses, is set for a summer to remember.

“As well as completing an extensive winter programme of upgrades, the greenkeeping team has also finished tweaking the right-hand side of the fairway of #10 creating a new landing area which provides different options off the tee. It’s exciting – we’re pushing forward with our service delivery and marketing initiatives which include new imagery of the course. It highlights the ambition of the team at The Duke’s to deliver the most manicured golf experience in St Andrews.”

He continued: “The expansion of the greenkeeping team means the consistency and playability of the course has gone up a notch. It means we can maintain each hole more frequently and provide the attention to detail that our guests expect from a five-star resort.”

In the latest round of golf course ratings, The Duke’s has been ranked #15 in Golf World’s Top 100 Best Golf Resorts in Great Britain and Ireland (May 2021). Also, at the annual Scottish Golf Tourism Awards, the team at the Old Course Hotel were winners of the Best Large Hotel category.

The Duke’s will play a central role in the recently announced Old Course Hotel Pro Am which will bring together championship courses at The Home of Golf in an exciting format for both amateurs and professionals. The inaugural Old Course Hotel Pro Am will take place between 21-23 September 2022.

“The changes we’ve brought in recently are part of a much wider plan to deliver continued improvements across all departments at The Duke’s,” said Roberts-Jones. “Being part of a team with such a dedicated approach to securing enhanced service levels year on year makes me extremely proud.”

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Boost your wellbeing

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Boost your wellbeing: Ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week (9 – 15 May), wildflower specialist Seedball is looking at how nature and wildlife can improve mental health and wellbeing.

It has long been considered the case that gardening and tending to plants are effective ways to relieve stress and improve wellbeing, and this connection is increasingly being recognised by science. In fact, Sky News reported people who garden daily have wellbeing scores 6.6% higher and stress levels 4.2% lower than those who do not garden at all. Quite simply, a connection to nature has proven benefits for mental health, and this can be enjoyed even without a garden – the simple act of growing something from seed can increase this feeling of connecting with the natural world.

Boost your wellbeing

Boost your wellbeing

Seedball makes it easy to grow wildflowers from seed, no matter how much space is available, or how much experience a person has of gardening. The company believes that the benefits of growing should be available to everyone, so has developed a range of products to make it accessible to all.

Each seed ball acts as a mini ecosystem so the seeds can germinate and grow with very little help. Every ball has between 30 to 100 seeds depending on the variety, and contains clay to protect it from birds, ants and other predators. Peat-free compost is also added to provide nutrition and a small amount of chilli powder is used to deter slugs and snails from eating the young shoots.  There are a wide variety of seedballs available, and they can all be thrown onto soil or compost in a garden bed, pot or planter during the Spring or Autumn.

Here are some of the ways the easy ways Seedball can help you encourage wildflowers, wildlife and nature into your life:

Wildflower Tins

RRP: £6.00

Seedball has a variety of compact tins , which are bursting full of 20 balls ready to be grown, the perfect amount for a small flower bed. They are also a great choice for those living in urban environments, with limited outdoor space as the seeds can be sprinkled into three – five medium sized pots to create a wildlife haven on a balcony or terrace. Each seed ball contains approximately 30 seeds with a variety of wildflowers included.  Wildflower tins have multiple varieties including the Bee Mix, Urban Meadow and Butterfly Mix, all that wildlife will just love!

RRP: £8.00 – £12.00

For those looking to create a wider patch of wildflowers, Seedball has a variety of  Grab Bags.  For generously sized gardens and outdoor spaces, the larger Grab Bags, each containing 100 seed balls are perfect, making it easy for anyone to create a larger wildflower patch or multiple smaller areas within an area. These bags are available in different varieties, such as the Bee Mix, Foragers Mix and Annuals Mix, each including a variety of wildflowers, which make growing a beautiful field of colour simple and uncomplicated.

For further flexibility, Seedball also has a range of Single Flower Grab Bags, each containing 50 seed balls of a single flower, allowing people to design their garden, balcony, patio or terrace, whether it be a plant pot bursting with blissful bluebells, or a garden bed filled with the hugely popular poppies. With over 20 varieties to choose from, there is something for everyone, with wildflowers including buttercups, red clover, chamomile and yarrow.

Meadow Pots

RRP: £20.00

The Mini Meadow pots are the all in one gift set for anyone who loves gardening or new plant growers as they provide a simple and easy way to create a wildlife haven. Everything needed comes supplied in the 100% recyclable box, including the 12 seed wildflower balls, along with a set of three biodegradable and compostable bamboo pots and saucers and peat-free coir discs. All you need to do is add water, and you are ready to watch the flowers grow! The pots are best positioned outdoors, on a windowsill, and can be set up at any time of the year. There are three varieties available, the Bee Mix, Butterfly Mix and Garden Meadow, all with a different combination of seeds.

Find out more about how Seedball is helping encourage wellness and wellbeing at https://seedball.co.uk/about/.

You can also find Seedball on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

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The latest XGT 40VMax products

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The latest XGT 40VMax products: Leading power tools manufacturer Makita UK has expanded its XGT 40VMax range of machines with the launch of the DK0014G 2-Piece Combo Kit, DK0172G XGT 2-Piece Combo Kit, KT001G Kettle, KP001G Planer, HS011G Circular Saw and VC005GL, VC002GL and VC004GL Dust Extractors.

DK0014G and DK0172G XGT 40VMax 2-Piece Combo Kits

A must have for any tradesperson, the DK0014G and DK0172G combo kits both feature two of Makita’s most popular professional cordless power tools in a convenient storage solution. The DK0014G includes the TD001GZ XGT 40VMax Impact Driver and HP001GZ XGT 40VMax Combi Drill. The DK0172G includes the TD001GZ XGT 40VMax Impact Driver and HP002GZ XGT 40VMax Combi Drill.

The latest XGT 40VMax products

The latest XGT 40VMax products

Both kits also include two 2.5Ah XGT batteries and the DC40RA Fast Charger, and everything is helpfully packed into a type 3 Makpac case for easy storage and transportation. The kits also come with the 191C10-7 ADP10 charger adaptor, so tradespeople can use the DC40RA to charge their existing LXT batteries, making it even easier to switch between tools and tasks.

With the TD001GZ close at hand tradespeople can easily remove or drive screws into harder materials – and the HP001GZ and HP002GZ make screwdriving and drilling applications a breeze.

KP001G XGT 40VMax Planer

The incredibly powerful KP001G is perfect for smooth, rough and thin planing. It has a planing width of 82mm and an impressive cutting depth of 4mm, and can deliver a no-load speed of 15,000rpm for maximum efficiency and rapid cutting. With left and right chip ejection, the brushless KP001G also features a foot on the base plate to raise the base of the machine off the bench or material when not in operation, which protects the workpiece from scratches and damage.

To ensure user safety, this machine has an electric break that works to quickly stop the blade once the tool is powered down. It also includes Makita’s soft start technology – and an anti-restart function to prevent accidental start up. Thanks to the inclusion of Makita’s Auto-start Wireless System (AWS), the KP001G can also be wirelessly connected to a compatible dust extractor via Bluetooth, enabling the dust extractor to automatically start when the tool’s trigger is engaged.

HS011G XGT 40VMax (270mm) Circular Saw

Compatible with a guide rail, this powerful circular saw is designed for precision rip cutting and delivers output that is equivalent to corded alternatives. It has a no-load speed of 3,500rpm, it bevel cuts up to 1° (left) and 60° (right) and has a maximum cutting capacity of 101mm at 0°, 71mm at 45° and 51mm at 60°.

The HS011G features constant speed control that works to maintain the blade speed and ensure optimum cutting performance. To ensure user safety, this machine includes AWS technology for efficient dust extraction and includes an electric brake to quickly slow down the wheel rotation.

VC005GL, VC002GL and VC004GL XGT 40VMax Dust Extractors

The VC005GL, VC002GL and VC004GL Dust Extractors have been developed to offer tradespeople a powerful solution for quickly and effortlessly cleaning up at the end of the workday. All machines deliver a maximum sealed suction of 23kPa and have large tank capacities (VC005GL – 8L, VC002GL – 8L and VC004GL 15L) to prevent regular work breaks to empty the tank. The VC002GL and VC004GL also include an automatic self-cleaning filter to prevent blockages and ensure optimum efficiency.

The VC005GL can be used for dry vacuuming and the VC002GL and VC004GL are both suitable for vacuuming finer, airborne particles.

KT001G XGT 40VMax Kettle

The KT001G Kettle is the perfect jobsite companion. It can be powered by Makita’s XGT 40VMax batteries or the PDC1200 portable power pack to boil water wherever you are on site. It is equipped with an anti-spill lock button to prevent accidental spills and it stops boiling automatically when the kettle or power supply stand is lifted to ensure safety. It has also been designed to provide high heat retention, while keeping the kettle surface cool.

Thanks to the carry handle on the power supply stand, the KT001G is easy to transport around site.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita said: “Our latest 40VMax products join the wider, expanding XGT range, which now consists of over 50 models that can all be powered using the same XGT batteries. This means that professionals can effortlessly switch between tools and tasks to maximise their on-site productivity and efficiency, or even pour themselves a hot cup of tea!”

To find out more about Makita visit: www.makitauk.com

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KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City

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KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City: A new Hunter Irrigation system, supplied by KAR UK, has given Lincoln City FC Head Groundsman Craig Housley a certain peace of mind.

Craig, who has been at Lincoln City since September 2020, revealed how his previous irrigation system caused many sleepless nights.

KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City

KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City

“Our old system had been in for about 20 years, and it was so difficult to work with,” he said. “The sprinklers were constantly breaking down; we just couldn’t trust the system to work overnight and there were parts of the pitch that were getting heavily watered and some parts that were not getting any water. Even on matchdays we would be back and forth manually changing the irrigation from the control point. It was a total nightmare.”

At the end of last season, a renovation and new pitch construction, proved the ideal opportunity to explore the possibility of installing a new irrigation system.

“It seemed like the perfect time and after being highly recommended, we got in touch with KAR UK. Mike McDonnell (UK Sales Manager) came to visit us at the training ground, and we had a great chat. He talked me through all the different Hunter products, the installation process, the various programmes and how we could control the system on a mobile phone. Based on that meeting we decided to go with KAR UK.”

KAR is the largest UK wholesaler of irrigation equipment and has long-term relationships with every irrigation product manufacturer of note. The company is also an integral distributor of Hunter Industries irrigation equipment, and this is the route that Craig decided to take.

After Craig’s meeting with Mike, KAR UK supplied a variety of Hunter I-80 and TTS-885 rotary sprinklers and the innovative ACC2 controller, with Centralus Software.

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 meters. The I-80 features a wide range of highly efficient, dual-trajectory, wind-fighting nozzles for highly efficient performance in a range of applications. It also provides total top serviceability (TTS) via its integrated, surface-mounted snap-ring for no-dig easy maintenance.

Craig had eight I-80 sprinklers installed through the centre of the pitch and sixteen TTS-885’s on the pitch surrounds.

KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City

KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City

The renovation, pitch construction and installation of the irrigation system was all undertaken by leading contractor Fineturf.

“There is not one blade of grass that doesn’t get watered now which is exactly what we were looking for,” he said. “We wanted the pitch watered evenly because the manager is trying to play quick, one-touch football. The Hunter sprinklers have enabled us to achieve this now. Not only are we covering a much bigger area, but we have definitely saved water because we can manage it a lot better.”

Craig also lavished praised on his new Hunter ACC2 controller. This allows users, through the Cloud Based Centralus Software, to change settings, view forecasts, and receive instant notifications of important system alarms — all without costly and time-consuming travel and site visits.

“It’s great for the pitch but perhaps not so good for my personal life,” joked Craig. “We have cameras set-up at the stadium so when I’m at home I’m aways keeping an eye on the weather. To have this kind of control over the irrigation no matter where I am is brilliant. At any time, I can see how much water is going on; I can look at the moisture settings and turn sprinklers on and off whenever needed.

“For me the biggest bonus is never having to worry about irrigation again – this new Hunter system has given me a peace of mind for sure.”

For more information, please visit www.karuk.com

You can also follow KAR UK on Twitter @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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