South Staffordshire Invests to Prevent Wash-Out

South Staffordshire Invests to Prevent Wash-Out

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South Staffordshire Invests to Prevent Wash-Out

Faced with frequent heavy rainfall, and nearly 70 wash-out prone bunkers, South Staffordshire Golf Club has invested in the long term playability and maintenance of the course with a program of bunker improvements.

South Staffordshire Invests to Prevent Wash-Out

South Staffordshire Invests to Prevent Wash-Out

After thorough research, the team at South Staffs decided on a trial with industry leading erosion management specialists EcoBunker and its proprietary EcoTec™ bunker liner.

“Whenever we get heavy rainfall 50% of our bunkers get washed out and it takes us several days to get the course back in good condition,” said Mark Guy, Course Director at South Staffordshire Golf Club. “We needed a solution that drained well, held sand in place and reduced contamination. After a lot of research we settled on the EcoTec™ liner from EcoBunker and we’re delighted with the results.”

To accurately test the effectiveness of the EcoTec™ liner, the team installed three different options on the course. In one bunker they installed pipe drainage, hardcore and two layers of sand, in another simply hardcore and sand, and in the three bunkers surrounding the 18th green they installed pipe drainage and the EcoTec™ liner.

“The results have been quite clear. While drainage has improved in all cases, the EcoTec™ bunkers are now virtually maintenance free. They’re holding sand incredibly well, sand contamination has been eliminated and the amount of sand we are using has reduced dramatically,” continued Mark. “Drainage and wash-out were the main presenting issues, but in addition to performing brilliantly on those fronts, we are seeing many benefits including freeing up time to focus on other areas of the course.”

In addition to the final results of the trial, the team were impressed with the simple installation and the long-term cost savings from being able to take on future projects themselves.

“One of the deciding factors was that we could easily fit the liner ourselves,” concluded Mark. “Richard from EcoBunker came and trained the team on the first bunker and then we took over from there. It was such a simple process that the team picked up with ease. We’re now planning on upgrading the bunkers on the second and look forward to reaping the benefits for our maintenance team and keeping our members on course, whatever the weather.”

For more information on EcoBunker please visit www.ecobunker.co.uk

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TGA Advises Temporary Cost Adjustment

TGA Advises Temporary Cost Adjustment

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TGA Advises Temporary Cost Adjustment

The Turfgrass Growers Association (TGA) is advising its grower members to introduce a temporary “Energy & Production Cost Adjustment” in response to recent increases in key input costs driven by external factors.

TGA Advises Temporary Cost Adjustment

TGA Advises Temporary Cost Adjustment

Ongoing geopolitical tensions and continued volatility in global energy markets have led to sharp rises in fuel prices, alongside sustained pressure on fertiliser costs. These inputs are critical to turf production, and the speed and scale of recent increases are creating immediate cost challenges for growers across the UK.

In response, the TGA is encouraging grower members to apply a clearly identified, temporary adjustment to invoices. The proposed “Energy & Production Cost Adjustment” is intended to provide a transparent and proportionate mechanism to reflect these short-term increases in input costs.

This recommendation follows discussions with grower members and is positioned as a shortterm response to exceptional market conditions. The level of the adjustment will be regularly reviewed by the TGA and adjusted or removed as conditions stabilise.

Separately, the TGA’s most recent Market Survey, conducted at the end of 2025, highlights the longer-term cost pressures facing the sector. Growers reported consistent increases in production costs over recent years, including an average rise of 5.64% in 2025. Importantly, many businesses indicated that selling prices have not kept pace, placing ongoing pressure on margins.

Richard Owens, Chair of the Turfgrass Growers Association, commented:

“Growers are facing a combination of sustained long-term cost pressures alongside more immediate increases driven by external factors, particularly fuel and fertiliser. This recommendation provides a clear and transparent way to reflect those short-term increases, while the wider industry continues to address the underlying cost challenges.”

The TGA continues to monitor developments closely and is working with its members and industry partners to support a resilient and sustainable turfgrass industry.

For further information, please contact:

Turfgrass Growers Association
info@turfgrass.co.uk
www.turfgrass.co.uk

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