ICL Scholars Revealed For Continue To Learn

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ICL Scholars Revealed For Continue To Learn: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association and ICL have confirmed the five successful recipients of the third ICL Continue to Learn scholarship.

The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship offers five BIGGA members the opportunity to attend the Continue to Learn education programme. Taking place at BTME 2019 in Harrogate, the world-leading education programme features more than 250 hours of education, making it the most influential event in the turf management calendar within the United Kingdom.

ICL Scholars Revealed For Continue to Learn

The scholarship, worth approximately £500, comprises three nights’ hotel accommodation and a 15-hour education bundle.

The successful BIGGA members are:

  1. Blair Shearer, assistant greenkeeper, Dunbar Golf Club
  2. Dan Dooley, greenkeeper, Mount Murray Golf Club
  3. David Stewart, deputy head greenkeeper, Walmley Golf Club
  4. Jorge Manso, deputy head greenkeeper, Coombe Wood Golf Club
  5. Andrew Brown, course manager, Boundary Lakes

Sami Strutt, BIGGA’s head of member development, said: “The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship is a great initiative, providing five BIGGA members with the chance to attend education classes that have been specifically designed with greenkeepers in mind.

“Staying in Harrogate, visiting BTME and networking with like-minded colleagues and peers is a fabulous way to ignite the passion of this great industry for the year ahead. Our thanks go to the sponsor, ICL, for enabling this desirable opportunity.”

Michael Hughes, deputy course manager at Scotscraig, was an ICL Scholar at Continue to Learn 2018. He said: “The scholarship was priceless for me because I knew my golf club couldn’t afford to send me to Continue to Learn. When you add up the cost, including a hotel for the week, what ICL and BIGGA do for anyone in my position is just priceless. Just those few days in Harrogate benefit your career immensely because you take so much away from them.”

Ed Carter, UK sales and development manager for ICL, said: “We are delighted to be involved with the scholarship for the third year running. The feedback we received from previous scholars has been excellent and we hope those chosen for 2019 get as much out of it as the previous 10 did.”

Continue to Learn at BTME will take place at the Harrogate Convention Centre, Crowne Plaza Hotel and The Majestic Hotel from Sunday 20 to Wednesday 23 January 2019. The extensive programme will run alongside BTME, the largest indoor exhibition in Europe for the sports turf industry.

The Turf Rewards loyalty scheme from ICL and Syngenta enables BIGGA members to claim Continue to Learn education vouchers with reward points for buying products that are used on golf courses. For further information visit www.turfrewards.com

For more information about BTME and Continue to Learn, visit www.btme.org.uk

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Andrew Pledger Appointed By ICL

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Andrew Pledger Appointed By ICL: ICL Turf & Landscape are pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Pledger as their new Technical Area Sales Manager. Andrew will cover the South East of England including Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Kent and East London.

Andrew has worked in the industry for many years and brings with him a wealth of experience.

Andrew Pledger Appointed By ICL

A previous Toro Student Greenkeeper of the year in 2002, Andrew studied at the University of Massachusetts before embarking on a number of greenkeeping roles which included the positon of Deputy Course Manager at The Wildernesse Club and the Deputy Superintendent at The Hertfordshire. He then spent six years as Head Greenkeeper at Frinton Golf Club before moving to Chelmsford Golf Club as Course Manager – a position he held for seven years.

In addition to his Golf Course Manager roles, Andrew has also enjoyed many years of being a volunteer groundsman at West Ham Utd FC.

A well-known and respected member of the industry, Andrews knowledge and experience will serve him well and provide ICL customers and distributors with the very best in terms of advice and support. Andrew starts his new role with ICL on 8th October.

For more information please contact ICL on +44 (0)1473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk.

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SCH Supplies’ New Apprentices

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SCH Supplies’ New Apprentices: We at SCH Supplies have recently taken on three young apprentices. Our company, based in Holbrook in Suffolk, design and manufacture attachments for small tractors and ride on mowers.

It’s due to a very busy summer and increased orders that we have decided to take on more staff. We feel that it’s only fair to give younger people an opportunity to get their careers started in engineering. The apprentices were recommended to us by WS Training of Ipswich, and will be supervised and mentored by them during the duration of the course. They will receive training in various departments, and will gain skills across the entire manufacturing process, from processing raw materials to assembling the finished products.

SCH Supplies' New Apprentices

Our workshops manufacture a wide variety of machinery, from trailers, leaf suction units, flail mowers and much more.  The apprentices will have hands on experience with both petrol and electric engines, and will benefit from the variety of products that they will work on.

SCH have had huge success with apprentices in the past, with one of our first apprentices still with us over 20 years later. It’s due to this success that we’ve continued to employ local aspiring engineers.

We wish them all the best of luck in the future, and we’re proud that the experience and training gained at SCH will help them throughout their careers.

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Greenkeeper’s Anglo-Portugese Alliance

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Greenkeeper’s Anglo-Portugese Alliance: Henrique Ferreira, a 23-year-old Portuguese national, has been at The London Golf Club for just five months.  During a break from his studies, at agronomy college in his home country, he has been assisting Golf Courses & Estate Manager, Lee Sayers.  Headland Amenity work closely with his employers, Belas Golf Club, as well as The London Golf Club and were very happy to see this young greenkeeper gain valuable course preparation experience in the UK.

Henrique, a greenkeeper at his home course of Belas GC, came to London in April and his experience of using Headland Amenity products helped him fit right in! “Lee and the team included me in all of the daily tasks” he explains “from raking bunkers through to cutting all areas. I have also been involved with feeding, working with Headland Multigreen slow release fertiliser.”

Greenkeeper's Anglo-Portugese Alliance

“The biggest difference I have found between greenkeeping here and at home is the aeration programme – how frequently it is conducted and how it makes such a big difference to the quality of the course. All in all I have learnt a great deal and have to thank the whole greenkeeping and landscaping team at The London Club, for such a great experience.”

For more information, visit: www.headlandamenity.com

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Greenkeeping Award For Gregg Hood

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Greenkeeping Award For Gregg Hood: Trainee greenkeeper Gregg Hood has been crowned SRUC Elmwood’s annual John Deere HNC Student of the Year, after making a career change in is early 40s. Greg won the award, sponsored by John Deere and Scottish turf dealer Double A, for a conscientious and enthusiastic approach to his programme of studies during the 2017/2018 academic year.

Born and bred in Glasgow, Gregg had a successful career as a qualified accountant and then a mortgage broker before making the jump into greenkeeping at the age of 42. “It was one of those life changing decisions that I just had to make,” he says. “I had thought for a couple of years that it was time for a change. I’ve always loved my golf, and thought it was a great environment to work in. I was also interested in how golf courses are put together, how they’re looked after and made to look so good.

Greenkeeping Award For Gregg Hood

“My partner Lisa was very supportive, so I finally left work in June 2017 and applied to the SRUC, having been in contact with Elmwood’s greenkeeping coordinator Mike Clark for a year or so before that. We agreed that the HNC in Golf Course Management would be the best entry level course for me, combined with volunteering on a golf course to get some practical experience.”

That golf course turned out to be St Andrews Links, where Gregg started volunteering two days a week from September 2017, about two weeks after starting the course. “It’s been fantastic, and course manager Kevin Muir and his team couldn’t have been more helpful. Everyone’s been very happy to give me the benefit of their time and knowledge, so it’s been an absolutely brilliant opportunity.

“Going in I was obviously a little apprehensive about my age, but both Mike and Kevin said if you show a good attitude and you’re there to learn, then as long as you can do the work and be a part of the team, there are no issues. I haven’t given it another thought since.

“I’ve never been part of anything like this before, certainly not in accountancy, where there’s always that element of competition, even when you’re working in a team. The only competition on a golf course is to improve your skills and make yourself a better greenkeeper. People at St Andrews Links and the college are really impressive, and all round I’ve found it to be a very encouraging environment to work in – I’m still very excited by it all.

“I’m now a BIGGA member and contracted at St Andrews Links until November 2018, and if a permanent position became available then I’d definitely apply. If not then I might try a warm weather grass course abroad over the winter months. Ultimately I would like to hone my skills and get more experience, including tournaments at other courses.”

Course tutor Paul Miller, who is based at SRUC’s Elmwood campus in Cupar, Fife, adds: “Gregg’s decision to change career was made after a great deal of research, preparation and consideration of all the implications. This thoroughness of preparation soon became evident in his course work, which he produced most conscientiously and to a very high standard right from day one – his commitment to making the most of the learning opportunity was impressive.

“Quickly realising that he would also need to build up his practical skills and his industry networking, Gregg volunteered to work at St Andrews Links, again demonstrating his enthusiasm and willingness to learn in that environment as well as in the classroom. He also applied for and was successful in gaining an R&A Greenkeeping Scholarship through SRUC.

“Having also secured a seasonal position on St Andrews Links, Gregg’s development continues apace. We all look forward to watching his growth in the industry and the contribution that he will make to greenkeeping as his career progresses.”

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

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