Aeration At Cumberwell Park GC

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Aeration At Cumberwell Park GC: Few course managers have the challenge of creating an aeration programme for 45 holes.  Step forward Matt James at Cumberwell Park GC who is responsible for five nine hole courses at Bradford-on-Avon, eight miles south of Bath.

The original courses – the ‘red’ and ‘yellow’ were created in 1994; ‘blue’ followed in 1999, while ‘orange’ in 2006.  Then, in summer 2016, a shorter Par 3 course was opened. Unlike traditional venues, the USGA based greens and tee constructions on the first four courses are generously sized, their design nonetheless still reflecting the natural contours and landscape of the 400 acre site.

Aeration At Cumberwell Park GC

Matt James’ aerator of choice is the Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi. Previously the club owned a Wiedenmann 1.4 m wide GXi6 but upgraded to the GXi8 HD when it was launched to take advantage of the productivity an extra 40 cm offered.

“With 36 holes we just about got away with owning one spiker,” said Matt James. “Jumping to 45 we were over stretched. In autumn 2017 we added a second; two brings flexibility.  Take last month as an example: we’ve had one machine set with hollow cores coring greens. The other is on solid tines for tees. So, two machines ready to go when weather permitted helped us catch up. Changing tines is fast on a Wiedenmann, even quicker now when you just swap machines.  Terra Spikes are recognised across the turf profession. You see users happily posting their results on Twitter. We’re pleased with ours and the support we get from Stuart Fry and T H White at Knockdown.

Some form of aeration is carried out at the Wiltshire club every two to three weeks.

The Cumberwell plan is to aerate tees at least once in the winter with 12 mm solid tines varying depth and heave as conditions allow.  A handful of areas displaying signs of more compaction might be given a second run as spring approaches.  During March, hollow coring takes place using 10 mm coring tines. Again repetition may be carried out. Over the summer the tees get lightly pencil tined with several passes.

The true-running expanse of USGA greens which Cumberwell is renowned are tined twice in the winter with 12 mm solid tines and then throughout the year receive maybe half a dozen passes with 8 mm tines. Fairways don’t get spiked.

Increasingly the Cumberwell Park team has been introducing multi tine heads for finer work and for coring throughout the year.  The GXi8 HD can be fitted with multi tine holders on all eight legs, each solid multi- tine head holding up to twelve 5 mm needle tines while each coring multi-tine head takes six tines per head with a coring diameter from 6mm.

“We certainly vary the tines. With the Wiedenmann we can always achieve the depth which is important. In the past we tried fitting tining units on our greens mower but couldn’t get the necessary depth.  Now we get finite control from just a few mm all the way to 250 mm depending on what tines are fitted.”

Cumberwell Park’s innovative and inspired approach to course layout delivers an excellent golfing experience to members and visitors alike. Yet maybe less apparent to the golfer is how in parallel, clever forethought means it delivers a perfect solution to accommodate its many maintenance needs.

“Our Par 3 is separate but in terms of the other four nine holes courses we are quite unique,” explained Matt James. “They all start and finish at the clubhouse. Our booking system is such that golfers play any combination of courses. We treat it as a four tee start.  Crucially I have access to the system.  With appropriate notice I can close an individual course for maintenance.

“For example, tomorrow one course is shut from first thing until 9.30 am for top dressing. It really helps to be able to shut for tining or top dressing.

“I have to make a judgement on operations I can do. You have to be organised and plan activities ahead. Key things get booked well in advance, for example coring is traditionally March time.  Naturally you plan around big events or tournaments. We wouldn’t choose to tine or top dress before something important but you’ve got to fit it all in. Fine tines leave negligible disturbance so it is not particularly disruptive. We wouldn’t do it days before a competition; but aeration is necessary so you fit it in somehow rather than avoid it.”

The scale of Cumberwell Park is not for the feint hearted. Its setting is enhanced by nine lakes, 34 acres of woodland and free-flowing streams.  The establishment has been awarded four stars in Golf World’s Top Courses in Britain and is also an accredited Golf Mark and Club Mark facility. Nine of Cumberwell Park’s 20 greenkeeping staff are trained on the aerators.

So, how does Matt James keep track of what’s been aerated?  “We keep detailed records for all operations carried out. Specifically with spiking, details include which tines used, depth, where on a particular course and the operator name.”

With another nine hole par 3 course in the pipeline, Matt James and his greenkeeping team strive to maintain their constant high standards.  Only last month the club won the Environmental category at the Bath Life Awards 2018 while Head of Conservation, Jon Keepen was announced as a finalist for Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year at this year’s STRI’s Golf Environmental Awards.

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.com

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John Deere Partners Solheim Cup

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John Deere Partners Solheim Cup: John Deere, one of the world’s leading golf course equipment suppliers, is confirmed as the latest big-name partner to commit to The Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, taking place from 9th-15th September 2019.

John Deere will be the Official Golf Course and Turf Maintenance Machinery Event Partner at Gleneagles for the 16th edition of the biennial match. The John Deere brand has a long association with professional golf having been a title sponsor on the PGA Tour, Official Supplier to the PGA Tour for 25 years, Official Supplier to the Ladies European Tour and a partner at numerous Solheim Cup events.

John Deere Partners Solheim Cup

In addition, John Deere is also the partner of choice for Gleneagles, where the company exclusively provides golf course maintenance machinery and equipment for use across all three golf courses.

John Deere’s partnership at The 2019 Solheim Cup will include on course branding, a display of John Deere products in the Spectator Village and utilising the association and event collateral for customer promotions and incentives at dealerships worldwide.

Carlos Aragones, John Deere European turf sales & marketing manager, said: “The Solheim Cup is one of the biggest events on the 2019 sporting calendar and we are delighted to be a part of it. We are very proud of our history of collaborating with major golf events and our association with both The Solheim Cup and Gleneagles is very important to our brand. The countdown is now on and we are very much looking forward to next year’s event.”

Scotland’s Sports Minister Aileen Campbell said: “John Deere is a global company and an innovator in its field, and the partnership with The 2019 Solheim Cup is evidence of the significant international pull that both Scotland – the Home of Golf – and The Solheim Cup have in the sporting world. We look forward to working with them and our other partners to stage an outstanding event.”

Ross Hallett, IMG Executive Tournament Director, added: “As we build towards The 2019 Solheim Cup, we have been overwhelmed with interest from within the golf industry. Announcing John Deere’s support today is another important step as we work alongside VisitScotland in fulfilling their ambition of hosting the best Solheim Cup to date.”

The recently appointed European Captain and VisitScotland Ambassador, Catriona Matthew, will be looking to return the trophy to Europe in 2019 after an inspired USA team retained the trophy by 16½ to 11½ points, in front of record crowds in Iowa. Organisers are now aiming to set a new record for a European edition in 2019.

Themes of equality, innovation and experience will be threaded through all the event’s communications as The 2019 Solheim Cup aims to engage both the traditional golf audience and the wider sport fan, raising the profile of women’s golf both in Scotland and internationally.

The Scottish Government and VisitScotland have been long-time supporters of the women’s game, having partnered with the Ricoh Women’s British Open and the recently significantly enhanced Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, which took place as a co-sanctioned LET and LPGA event for the first time last year.

The 2019 Solheim Cup will not only showcase the stunning assets of Scotland, the Home of Golf, but also build on the legacy of the successful 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. It will underline that Scotland is the perfect stage for major golf events as it seeks to help inspire a new generation of children to take up the game invented in their home country.

For more information, visit: www.deere.co.uk

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Waveney Norse Goes Toro

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Waveney Norse Goes Toro: Waveney Norse have made their first investment in Toro as part of a new grounds strategy to better meet the requirements of its core partner Waveney District Council and its growing customer base.

Operating as part of Norse Commercial Services, a major national supplier of facilities management services to the public and private sector, Waveney Norse previously used a tractor-drawn gang mower to maintain all sports fields and open spaces across the Waveney District in the East of England.

Waveney Norse Goes Toro

As Waveney Norse maintains a host of sites across the district’s 370.4km sq area, and with a wider area to cover thanks to their growing private customer-base, it was a good time to rethink the company’s grounds strategy. Central to this was changing from mowing with a tractor to a dedicated ride-on Toro T4240 cylinder mower.

Grounds operations manager, Richard Hackney, explains: “We have been lucky enough to win new work over a wide geographic area and driving a tractor long distances is inefficient in both manpower and fuel. The Toro mower solves this problem because we can simply fold up its wings and put it on a trailer. This will enable us to deliver best value even when our customers are further afield.”

Richard isn’t alone in his praise for the T4240, he says: “Our operator is very positive about the Toro’s manoeuvrability around obstacles, as the cutting units can be lifted and it has a smaller turning circle than the tractor.”

He adds: “Overall it’s a quick, efficient machine that provides a good quality cut. Downsizing to a ride-on mower also gives us flexibility for who can operate it. We have a 48-strong team and any of them could be easily trained to use it.”

The purchase was delivered with good service from Reesink sales representative Danny Lake who, Richard says, was very helpful in organising a demonstration at local Normanston Park.

Richard explains: “We haven’t traditionally used Toro, so wanted a demonstration to make sure it was right for us. We did consider an alternative supplier for this type of machine but had feedback from another company that, although their competitor machine was fit for purpose, they found it overdesigned, which led to more opportunities for issues to take place.

“This prompted us to review the market thoroughly and choose a robust, simple-to-use Toro mower that will deliver on our requirements. We are very pleased with our decision: the machine will enable us to continue to deliver highly professional, reliable grounds services to our customers at a best value price, no matter where they are based.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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The ‘Point’ Picks Toro

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The ‘Point’ Picks Toro: It’s out with the old and in with the new for the Old Loop, New Loop and Front Loop courses at Nefyn Golf Club. Toro was chosen for its power and green credentials by a course which bases its machinery choices solely on individual merit.

Bringing in a Toro Reelmaster 5010-H, a Groundmaster 4500-D and two Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 mowers, head greenkeeper Richard Lloyd Jones explains what it is about these mowers that secured their place at the Championship club near Pwllheli in Wales.

The 'Point' Picks Toro

“We’re making a concerted effort to be more green. We’ve been running the risk of hydraulic leaks with the old machines, having had four or five over the last couple of years. Repairing the turf after one of those is time consuming and negates all the hard work that was put in to getting it to the standard it was. So, we’re eliminating that risk with Toro.

“We’ve got both ends of the spectrum covered with these two machines. The TriFlexes bring green precision to our greens mowing, while we can rely on the RM5010-H to deliver up to 40hp of green power to the fairways. We’re very pleased with the performance of these mowers so far, they’re coping with the size of the course and the demands we place on them with ease.”

The demands Richard refers to come from the course inhabiting over 200 acres and being exposed to the elements on the Welsh peninsular. This is a particular issue for the Old Loop course, the world-famous ‘Point’, so named for its situation on top of a high point of land jutting out into sea on which its nine holes are situated.

Frequent waves hit the rocks, splash the greens and the salt water scorches the grass. “The weather is definitely our biggest challenge,” says Richard. “We’re prone to being windswept and water damaged. In fact, this winter we had four greens lost due to sea water damage, so renovation takes up a lot of our time.”

It’s important then to have machines that can deal with the challenges, and as well as choosing Toro for its green credentials, Richard has also chosen the brand for its unadulterated power. As Richard says the Groundsmaster 4500-D is a ”big old beast of a machine! 200 acres doesn’t faze it.”

This is far from the first time Toro has been at Nefyn, but a five-year lease deal with another brand has come to an end meaning the club is making its machinery replacement choices on a case-by-case basis, each decision made purely on performance and merit.

Richard says: “Working with our local dealer, Major Owen, we make our choices based on what will bring the best results to the course, and we’re delighted to have Toro back at Nefyn.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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SISIS Flexicomb Perfect For UKC

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SISIS Flexicomb Perfect For UKC: Lee Ballard, senior groundsperson at the University of Kent (UKC) in Canterbury, believes that his newly purchased SISIS Flexicomb is the perfect tool to help extend the life of one of the synthetic sports surfaces at the University.

Canterbury in Kent may well be known predominantly as the place of Thomas Becket’s murder at Canterbury Cathedral or for Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th-century literary classic The Canterbury Tales, but it also boasts an internationally recognised university.

SISIS Flexicomb Perfect For UKC

Ranked in the top 10 in the UK in a national student survey, with over 5,000 students from different nationalities, the University of Kent has a reputation for academic excellence. It also has outstanding sports facilities, which includes two grass football pitches, two grass rugby pitches and synthetic sports surfaces.

Overseeing the maintenance of the sports pitches is Lee Ballard, who admits that one of the synthetic surfaces requires extra special attention due to its age and heavy usage.

“We’ve had one of the pitches for nearly 12 years now and that houses full-size football games, four five-a-side pitches and lacrosse games. It gets a lot of usage and is used from 5pm until 10pm seven days a week. You have the students who use it as well as local sports clubs and Gillingham FC’s academy teams.

“The pitch has had years of not having the best machinery to get deep enough to give it a good clean and we are trying to extend the life of the surface as much as we can,” he said.

The common misconception is that synthetic surfaces are maintenance free. Just like natural turf surfaces, synthetic surfaces require maintenance as soon as they are constructed if they are to perform to the standard expected of them. Regular brushing along with periodic aggressive brushing and maintenance is required to ensure that the playing surfaces achieve their full life expectancy, and to help Lee with this task he chose to purchase the SISIS Flexicomb.

“When I first started in this role my aim was to improve the synthetic surfaces. Previously we were using a machine which just had tines on it and it never seemed to do a very professional job. So, we started looking around and I saw an online video of the Flexicomb being used at Tottenham Hotspur. It looked great so I took all the details down, passed it further up the chain to say this was the machine we needed, and luckily there was money in the budget to purchase it.

“We obviously had a demonstration before we bought it but if I’m honest I knew that it was the tool we wanted because when I saw the video it just ticked all of the boxes.”

Designed primarily for use on synthetic surfaces, the Flexicomb ensures even distribution of infill materials and lifts the pile. The adjustable setting ensures the effect of a rake, but with the softness of a brush, reducing the risk of damage to the fibres. The bristle sections are replaceable and the Flexicomb is designed for a long working life with minimal maintenance.

SISIS Flexicomb Perfect For UKC

Furthermore, it can be used with SISIS Singleplay, Twinplay or Quadraplay mounting frames, which can all be connected to any tractor with 3 point linkage and utility trucks with suitable frames.

“We tend to use the Flexicomb three times a week depending on the maintenance schedule and make sure we give the surface a good brush after every ten hours of usage,” says Lee. “Sometimes we will double brush it both ways if time allows.

“It has so many good features – I like how easy it is to set-up and how simple it is to use. It does such a good job and leaves you with a great finish which is important because presentation is key. I also like how you can be slightly more aggressive on the ground and get in and move some of the crumb about and get rid of some of that compaction.

“The pitch is our front window so we try to look after it as much as possible and the more you put into it the more rewards you reap. The SISIS Flexicomb plays an integral part in helping us to achieve this.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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