ICL tank mix improves greens

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ICL tank mix improves greens: In less than a year, an ICL fortnightly tank-mix has radically improved the greens at Houghwood Golf Club according to Head Greenkeeper Michael Abbott.

“When I show people photos of the greens last September compared to this September, they cannot believe it,” said Michael, who has worked at Houghwood for an incredible twenty-two years.

ICL tank mix improves greens

ICL tank mix improves greens

Michael has seen the young course develop into one of the best in the area. Based in Lancashire, the course is an 18-hole, par 71 (6388 yard), private, parkland golf course and was the creation of two farmers in 1994.

Michael and his team of three have their challenges – particularly with some parts of the course which consists of heavy clay. He admits that his small team can feel stretched at times, and it is for this reason that he likes to be as prepared as possible.

“We’re a small team but we believe we can tackle any task put in front of us and I feel our experience is invaluable,” he said. “From a management point of view, I like having a plan in place and ICL has given me a superb integrated turf management (ITM) plan to follow.”

Houghwood Golf Club’s ITM programme was devised by ICL Technical Area Sales Manager Rob Ainscough and was based on the results of soil testing.

As part of the programme, Michael applies a fortnightly tank-mix on his greens which consists of Sportsmaster WSF Spring & Summer 28-5-19+TE, H2Pro TriSmart, Vitalnova Links and Primo Maxx II.

The 4-way tank-mix offers balanced nutrition for responsible growth and plant health through the playing season, residual wetting agent to allow consistent dry down of surfaces and avoid dry patch development; growth regulator to improve turf density and wear tolerance; biostimulants in the form of seaweed and carbohydrates to promote increased rooting, improve stress tolerance and increase microbial activity to improve nutrient cycling in the rootzone.

“Since using this tank-mix, I’ve noticed improved playability,” said Michael. “There are no bare areas, no moss, just a nice, lovely coverage with great colour throughout all the greens.

“It gives us consistency throughout the year with no flushes of growth and applying it fortnightly saves us time – which is another major reason for using the mixture.

“The water-soluble dissolves really well – within seconds; there is no residue at all, and I don’t get any blockages on my jets whatsoever.

“It’s also very cost-effective for us but most importantly, it works. The members have loved the improvements.”

Michael also revealed that he has full confidence in the support he receives from ICL.

“I really trust Rob Ainscough’s (ICL Technical Area Sales Manager) advice because of his greenkeeping experience. He has done the same job as me and has faced the same challenges. This played a part in me choosing ICL products to be honest.

“Having the technical back up and the practical experience is a big plus for me.”

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

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

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World Cup Benefits from GrassMax

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World Cup Benefits from GrassMax: 19 World Cup games and 38 training sessions in Qatar are being played on GrassMax hybrid grass NextGen technology.

GrassMax hybrid grass NextGen technology features in over 750 installations throughout the world and has played a part in stadiums that have hosted the Olympic Games, the Rugby World Cup, and the football World Cup.

World Cup Benefits from GrassMax

World Cup Benefits from GrassMax

The pitches benefitting from the innovative technology in Qatar include Al Bayt Stadium, the host venue of the opening ceremony, and the iconic Lusail Stadium, which will host the World Cup final.

19 games and 38 training sessions in 4 weeks at the Qatar World Cup is significantly above average usage, hence the need for reinforcement. The GrassMax NextGen hybrid technology controls surface and subbase damage, and by doing so reduces the risk of injuries.

Furthermore, the climate conditions in Qatar and high-intensive usage of the pitches demand a specialist approach. In close collaboration with the pitch consultants and construction companies, GrassMax Systems managed to deliver state of the art surfaces for the venues.

Two laser guided machines have stitched each pitch – injecting around 20 million hybrid PP fibres, 18cm into the subbase in a 2 x 2 cm pattern.

World Cup Benefits from GrassMax

World Cup Benefits from GrassMax

By reinforcing the surface and subbase, the hybrid PP fibres anchor the natural rootzone to avoid damage that can be caused by fierce tackles and players sliding across the surface.

The Qatar World Cup Organising Committee sought the expertise of GrassMax Systems due to the extensive experience and know-how of Marc Vercammen, General Manager, and Yves De Cocker, Sales Director for GrassMax.

The Qatar Organising Committee has also employed GrassMax Systems to be on hand across all eight stadiums in case of an emergency.

GrassMax Systems is the stitched hybrid world leader with a 45+ market share.

World Cup Benefits from GrassMax

World Cup Benefits from GrassMax

The company has been involved in several iconic projects including the new Paris Saint Germain (PSG) FC training centre (100,000m2 hybrid grass) and PSG’s stadium; the new Leicester City FC training centre (45,000m2 hybrid grass) and the club’s King Power Stadium; Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro; and various pitches for Arsenal FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Real Madrid CF, Athletic Bilbao and many more.

For more information, visit www.grassmax.com

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‘Top notch’ says super at Echo Valley

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‘Top notch’ says super at Echo Valley: The Echo Valley Country Club has just completed installing the Capillary Bunkers liner on all of its 27 holes, and head superintendent Ryan Lux says he is delighted with the results.

Echo Valley was founded in the 1960s, and its initial eighteen holes were designed by architect Larry Packard. More recently, North Carolina-based architect Rick Robbins added the Ridge nine. But, according to Lux, the time had come to pay some attention to the course’s bunkers.

‘Top notch’ says super at Echo Valley

‘Top notch’ says super at Echo Valley

“Before we started this project, we had 76 bunkers on the property and maybe five per cent of them drained properly,” says. “It wasn’t the actual drainage tile – that was working fine – but layers of sand and silt were preventing the water getting into the drains in the first place. I had done some digging in our older bunkers, and the layering of silt, contamination and other stuff was obvious. Our labour costs were excrutiatingly high and it would take eight or nine guys three days to get the course back into condition after a significant weather event.”

Lux and the club management concluded that a bunker renovation, and the installation of a modern liner system, was needed, and after a review of the market, selected the Capillary Bunkers liner technology. “We figured our best bet was to do something that would last, and we really liked the ten year warranty that Capillary Bunkers offers – it gave us a lot of confidence in the technology,” he says. “Through talking with other people, we found that there were very few problems that people had had with it. We wanted it to be top-notch. We were going with the best sand we could find and we didn’t want contamination.”

The first nine holes, the Vale, was completed in October 2021. The second nine, the newer Ridge, started construction late this April and was done by mid-July. On the final nine, the Creek, Lux and his team decided to rebuild the bunkers completely; the work began in July and finished in October.

“Since doing the work, the improvement is huge, and obvious,” he says. “Before, the washing we were getting was just terrible. The worst weather we have had since has been three inches of rain in about nineteen house, and what I have seen is that we’re not repairing bunkers any more. Now, one guy can go out and it’s a half hour job to fix the bunkers. The liner system will pay itself over the life of the ten year guarantee, easily.”

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New digital Turfgrass Seed guide launched

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New digital Turfgrass Seed guide launched: The British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) has launched a new digital version of its Turfgrass Seed guide. The annually produced guide will continue to be printed. However, to reduce the reliance on paper and make the information in-guide more widely available, a new section has been added to the BSPB website.

Commenting on the move, BSPB technical manager Jeremy Widdowson said:

“This is the first time the Turfgrass Seed guide has been published fully on an interactive platform to offer greater accessibility for all UK users.”

New digital Turfgrass Seed guide launched

New digital Turfgrass Seed guide launched

The first guide was published in November 1976 and the following year it gained the title ‘Buying Turfgrass Seed’ which has since been simplified. Turfgrass Seed 2023 includes data and information to help guide seed choice for the amenity and sports grass sector. The information in the guide is largely provided from trials carried out by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) to an agreed protocol.

“Trials conducted at Bingley, West Yorkshire, by STRI help to identify the characteristics of different cultivars. The guide reflects this by using parameters such as shoot density, recovery, colour and visual merit to help decision-making for pitch care, ground care and amenity professionals,” added Mr Widdowson.

It is hoped, by publishing the data and advice on the BSPB website, that more people in the industry will benefit from its content. Mr Widdowson was also keen to emphasise the environmental benefits of offering the guide in both digital and printed forms:

“BSPB is reducing its reliance on paper-based methods of communication and the Turfgrass Seed guide is another example where our operating practices can be made more sustainable. A little over 5000 copies will still be printed. However, this number may start to reduce in future years as users choose to access content digitally and minimise the environmental impact of producing guides like this.”

The Turfgrass Seed guide can be viewed at www.bspb.co.uk/turfgrass-list

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Groundsman on pitch fact-finding mission

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Groundsman on pitch fact-finding mission: The pitch manager of Croke Park is among the groundsmen from sports stadiums across the world who have flown to Qatar to see what might be learned from the maintenance of pitches at the 2022 World Cup. 

Read the full article from The42 here

Groundsman on pitch fact-finding mission

Groundsman on pitch fact-finding mission

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