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Super Exciting STIGA Prizes to Be Won at GroundsFest 2026

Super Exciting STIGA Prizes to Be Won at GroundsFest 2026

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Super Exciting STIGA Prizes to Be Won at GroundsFest 2026

The STIGA team are ridiculously excited to be heading to Groundsfest this September, and not just because they have been planning a stand so spectacular it may need its own postcode!  Why all the excitement? Well, alongside a seriously impressive line-up of STIGA, Mountfield and ATCO machinery, STIGA has teamed up with England Rugby to bring you some rather brilliant prizes too.

Super Exciting STIGA Prizes to Be Won at GroundsFest 2026

Super Exciting STIGA Prizes to Be Won at GroundsFest 2026

Join the team on 16th and 17th September for two days packed with machinery, technology, food, coffee, competitions and plenty of opportunities to put the products through their paces.

The coolest stand at Groundsfest? You bet!

Let’s be honest, even the most enthusiastic machinery fan needs a sit-down occasionally.

The STIGA stand will be your VIP pit stop, complete with comfy seating, charging points and plenty of friendly faces. Whether you’re catching up with customers, talking shop with fellow professionals, recharging your phone, or simply recharging yourself, come and put your feet up for a while.

Coffee will be available for dealers, and because no one should ever have to survive on coffee alone, Jack’s Meat Shack will be back for STIGA or Mountfield dealers to enjoy too!

Fancy owning a tiny piece of rugby history?

STIGA has teamed up with England Rugby to celebrate the iconic Allianz Stadium pitch, which is being reconstructed this summer as part of its major renovation.

The famous turf is being replaced for the first time in 14 years, bringing one chapter of rugby history to a close. But rather than simply saying goodbye to it, the turf is being transformed into a limited collection of commemorative cubes…meaning fans can own their very own little piece of sporting history.

And there will be THREE of these exclusive cubes to give away to lucky winners at Groundsfest!

So, if your idea of a good day out involves machinery, burgers and the possibility of going home with a piece of England Rugby history… you know where to be.

And if you cannot wait until next month, enter for the chance to win one of these cubes now at: www.stiga.com/uk/own-a-piece-of-sporting-history

Come and get hands-on with the latest kit

There’ll be plenty to see, try and talk about on the STIGA stand, with a huge selection of machinery from STIGA and Mountfield.

From keen gardeners looking to make life easier to professional users demanding serious performance, there’ll be something worth getting your hands on.

Visitors can get up close and personal with products including the award-winning APX Pro, VISTA Robot range, ePark Pro and Battery Tractors, showcasing just how far battery technology has come, and how effortlessly it can help get even the toughest jobs done.

And yes, there will be plenty of opportunities to see the machinery in action and, where possible, have a go yourself.

So, mark 16th and 17th September in your diary, grab your Groundsfest essentials and head over to the STIGA stand.  Come for the machinery. Stay for the burgers. Enter for the rugby history. Leave wondering why every trade show isn’t this much fun.

Come and see us at:

  • STIGA Stand: OSA790
  • GroundsFest 2026, NAEC, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, CV8 2LH

Register for free: www.groundfest.com

Find out more: www.stiga.com/uk

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Turf Tank Unveils Expanded Robot Capabilities at GroundsFest

Turf Tank Unveils Expanded Robot Capabilities at GroundsFest

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Turf Tank Unveils Expanded Robot Capabilities at GroundsFest

Turf Tank, the leading name in robotic line marking solutions, is returning to GroundsFest 2026 to showcase the newest additions to their robot line marking solution. Visitors to stand RB200 will experience live demonstrations and get a first look at new technologies.

Turf Tank Unveils Expanded Robot Capabilities at GroundsFest

Turf Tank Unveils Expanded Robot Capabilities at GroundsFest

Introducing Base Station Pro

Turf Tank is proud to announce the release of the Base Station Pro at GroundsFest 2026. A permanent, fixed installation designed to deliver high accuracy through a private connection signal. Base Station Pro extends signal coverage to 5 miles without requiring a clear line of sight.

A single Base Station Pro can support multiple robots at once. Multiple units can also operate together on the same network, extending coverage across large sites or facilities with complex layouts.

What Else to Expect at Groundsfest 2026:

Alongside the Base Station Pro, Turf Tank will be showcasing versatile features designed to save grounds teams significant time and labour.

  • Car Park Marking: Beyond sports pitches, Turf Tank now simplifies site management. Facility managers can mark complete car parks or individual bays on their own schedule, completing the job in stages to minimise disruption and avoid closing off large areas.
  • Logo Bundles for Pro Subscribers: Grounds teams can instantly select and paint from a preloaded library of sports logos, seasonal graphics, and event designs. Detailed pitch art for school sports days, awareness campaigns, or key fixtures can be set up and painted straight from a tablet.

Live Demonstration & On-Site Experience

Curious to hear more about the new Base Station Pro and see the robot in action? Visit the Turf Tank stand at GroundsFest 2026 for a live demonstration.

For those unable to attend, request a demo at your site by visiting www.turftank.com/en/ or contacting your local Turf Tank Representative:

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Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

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Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

Plant nutrition can be optimised by helping turf grass to utilise more from fertilisation. This, suggests Agronomist Kate Finlayson, can be achieved by incorporating silicon into grounds care maintenance routines.

Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

Improve nutrient management in elite turf nutrition

“Silicon is not always discussed in the same way as nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium or iron, but I think that is changing,” she says. “In elite turf, the question is not just what has been applied. It is whether the plant can actually use that nutrition effectively and turn it into performance.”

Granular fertilisers, foliar feeds and soil drenches all remain essential tools for professional grounds teams. Granular fertilisers provide the nutritional foundation, foliar nutrition allows more targeted support when a faster response is required, and soil drenches can focus activity in the rootzone.

Plant-available silicon sits alongside these approaches. Its role is not to replace existing nutrition, but to help strengthen the plant and support more efficient use of the programme already in place.

“A nutrition programme is only as effective as the plant’s ability to access and use the nutrients available to it,” says Kate. “If rooting is weak, uptake is restricted. If the plant is under stress, nutrient assimilation can be compromised. If photosynthesis is limited, the plant has less energy available for recovery and growth. That is particularly relevant in stadium turf, where light, temperature, wear and recovery windows are constantly changing,” she adds.

Plant-available silicon is associated with stronger cell walls, improved leaf rigidity and greater tolerance to wear and environmental stress. In practical turf terms, this can support a tougher plant that is better able to tolerate mowing, play, divoting and short recovery windows.

Recovery is where Kate believes silicon becomes especially relevant. “After play, the turf plant has to rebuild damaged tissue, maintain density, continue producing new roots and shoots, and restore surface integrity. Nutrition is central to that process, but the plant has to be in a position to use the nutrients being supplied. That is where plant-available silicon can add value,” she says.

Trial work carried out with the STRI, using Orion Future Technologies’ plant-available silicon, Fossil, showed improved uptake of several key nutrients. In the turf data, the most relevant responses were silicon, calcium, iron and magnesium. Kate says that profile matters because each nutrient links directly to turf performance.

“Silicon supports structural strength. A plant with stronger cell walls and improved rigidity is better equipped to tolerate wear and maintain leaf quality. Calcium is essential for actively growing tissue, particularly root tips, shoot tips and new leaf growth. In sports turf, that links directly to recovery because the plant needs to rebuild damaged tissue and keep producing new roots and shoots after play. Iron supports chlorophyll function, colour and plant performance, while magnesium sits at the centre of the chlorophyll molecule and is essential for photosynthesis. That is particularly relevant where light is restricted, such as shaded stadium environments or winter periods,” she says

She further suggests that silicon should not be treated as a standalone input and instead should be considered as part of the wider nutrition strategy.

“Traditional fertiliser planning often focuses on what is being applied: nitrogen levels, potassium balance, iron source, foliar mix or rootzone treatment. Those questions still matter, but the next question is how effectively the plant is using that nutrition,” she says.

For top-end venues, sustainability is also becoming a bigger part of the nutrition conversation. The focus is not simply on reducing fertiliser inputs, but on demonstrating that nutrition is being managed intelligently, with a clear link between inputs, plant response and surface performance.

“Silicon should not sit outside the nutrition programme, it should be built into it with a clear objective,” adds Kate.

She suggests potential outcomes could include improved recovery in high-wear areas, better rooting in restricted zones, support during periods of shade, or helping the plant cope when recovery windows are tight.

“The most effective approach is targeted and measurable. Using tissue analysis, visual assessment, recovery observations and surface performance data will help understand the response,” she says.

Plant-available silicon provides a way to strengthen the link between nutrition and performance. By supporting plant structure, nutrient uptake and recovery, it can help grounds teams get more value from granular fertilisers, foliar feeds and soil drenches.

“In modern sports turf management, nutrition is no longer just about feeding the plant, it’s about building a stronger, more resilient plant system,” she concludes.

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John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

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John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

The course managers at Royal Birkdale and Royal Lytham & St Annes have praised the monumental effort from volunteers and staff in executing The Open Championship and the AIG Women’s Open over an intense fortnight.

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

John Deere supports back-to-back championships at Birkdale and Lytham

John Deere and local dealer Turner Groundscare provided additional machines, technicians, and training for the two courses to ensure preparations were perfect, while dozens of volunteer greenkeepers descended on the venues to support.

Both clubs are established John Deere customers, but for the strict timescales required for televised tournament golf, they benefitted from additional resources to prepare for the events.

The Open Championship – Royal Birkdale

Birkdale’s Course Manager, Sean McLean, has worked Opens before, but this was his first in charge.

“It’s been years in the planning with John Deere, talking about what machinery would be needed, how we were going to work it, and how many volunteers we needed,” he said.

For tournament week, Birkdale’s regular team of 16 swelled to around 45, with volunteers drawn from other Open venues, among others.

Tee times started at 6.30am on Thursday and Friday, so the crew was on course from 4am with seven John Deere 8000AE fairway mowers and seven 2775 E-cut greens mowers deployed simultaneously to get everything ready before the first drive.

The standout addition for Sean was the John Deere 2775 E-Cut. Birkdale took delivery of two of the new electric triple riding mowers just months before The Open, specifically to have them ready for championship week. They were cutting greens, tees and surrounds.

“The staff really enjoyed using the electric mowers,” Sean said. “It’s less noise, and the finish they provided was ideal for what we needed for The Open Championship.”

Dealer Turner Groundscare arrived on site around five weeks before the tournament to begin machine preparation alongside Birkdale’s own workshop team. They supported with key tasks such as servicing, sharpening, setting bottom blades, and dialling in roller settings. During championship week a dealer technician was present full-time.

“For the week before and the week of the tournament we had a Turner Groundscare technician here pretty much all day, every day. Even outside of tournaments, the dealer provides very good support for us,” he said.

John Deere’s own staff from its Langar headquarters in Nottinghamshire also arrived on site to work with the greenkeeping team and dozens of volunteers. They provided on-site training for anyone who was not familiar with John Deere machinery, ensuring everyone was up to speed before championship week began.

“It was invaluable to have help with training for all the volunteers that might not have seen these machines before. That support made a real difference,” Sean added.

Fresh from seeing New Zealander Ryan Fox close out his first major championship, the team moved up to Royal Lytham & St Annes for the AIG Women’s Open.

AIG Women’s Open

Royal Lytham’s Course Manager Paul Smith began preparations for hosting the Women’s Open years in advance, making sure the course is ready to host the world’s very best players.

“It takes a lot of planning, hard work, dedication, and professionalism to maintain and manage a well prepared and conditioned course all year round, which is never that far away from being the best it can be,” he said.

John Deere has been instrumental in supporting Royal Lytham & St Annes in hosting every major championship since 2001, over time proving to be a very beneficial relationship in helping the greenkeeping team plan, learn and develop from each competition.

“Having John Deere and Turner Groundscare present and supporting on site provided us with an added level of assurance, knowing that any problems would be addressed promptly, ensuring the continued smooth running of the operation throughout,” said Paul. “John Deere worked closely with the club’s mechanic and lead ensuring that we delivered the very best.”

An extensive fleet of John Deere machinery was deployed on all areas of the Championship course, made up of eleven 2775 greens mowers, six 8000AE fairway mowers, and eight TE Gators, with over 30 greenkeepers operating the machines – double the amount of Royal Lytham’s regular team.

“The feedback on the performance and quality of the John Deere machines was recognised widely from not just the professionals who operated the machinery, but also by the elite players testing their game on the surfaces that the machines helped refine.”

The extra machinery and dealer back up made the difference when combined with additional greenkeepers volunteering for the event.

“Delivering a modern-day championship is reliant on the support of an adequately sized, professional and skilled team,” said Paul. “The level of planning, organising, and directing is maintained at a high level throughout, with data collection and course preparation critique positively influencing informed decision making, helping to deliver the marginal gains in all areas for the course to be at its very best.

“A major championship is only ever achievable by having this high level of support, backup, and knowledge in all areas, but particularly the machinery element  that John Deere and Turner Groundscare provided.”

While hot and dry conditions made it an especially difficult year for greenkeeping in the build-up to the tournament – which was won by Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki – Paul praises his team and the support team for delivering a successful championship.

“The challenges were exacerbated by the difficult conditions but ensuring that the course and the competition was a success was the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and professionalism by an outstanding team.

“Our support team were also fantastic and made the championship that bit more special.”

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More Than Mowing

More Than Mowing

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More Than Mowing

As labour pressures and tighter maintenance windows continue to shape grounds care, getting more useful working hours from every machine is becoming increasingly important.

More Than Mowing

More Than Mowing

As autumn arrives and morning dew becomes a familiar sight across golf courses and sports pitches, grounds teams face a familiar challenge. Daylight hours become shorter, but the list of jobs rarely does.

Before the first tee time or match, dew may need clearing, grass needs cutting and driving ranges require ball collection. For teams already working with limited labour and narrow maintenance windows, fitting everything into the day can place considerable pressure on both people and equipment.

It also raises a simple question when facilities invest in automation: once an autonomous mower has finished cutting, what does it do next?

The FJD Rough Ranger has been developed around the idea that one robotic platform can remain productive beyond mowing. At its core, it is an autonomous mower designed for demanding turf environments, while interchangeable attachments allow the same machine to take on other routine jobs as priorities change.

That versatility starts with capable mowing. Golf course roughs and facility surrounds can present slopes, uneven ground, dense grass and obstacles. The Rough Ranger combines a front suspension chassis with a floating cutting deck, helping it remain stable on uneven terrain and follow ground contours for a more consistent cut with less turf scalping. It can operate on working slopes of up to 20°.

But its working day can begin before mowing starts.

On an autumn morning, the Rough Ranger can be fitted with a three-section dew brush spanning 2,930 mm. Working ahead of play, it can clear dew from the turf, while automatic lifting and folding allow the brush to retract during turns and manoeuvring around obstacles.

Dew brushing is a simple but repetitive and time-sensitive task. Moving it to an autonomous platform can free experienced staff to focus on work that requires more judgement and attention.

Once dew removal or mowing is complete, the same machine does not have to return to the shed. With the ball-picking attachment fitted, it can move to the driving range and collect up to 3,000 golf balls per hour, returning automatically to the unloading area when its basket is full.

In practical terms, one machine can begin work before golfers arrive, move on to mowing during the maintenance window and later continue working on the driving range.

That is the real value of a multi-functional robotic platform. The point is not simply how many attachments can be fitted to the same machine, but how much of the working day it can remain useful.

Other attachments can extend the platform into tasks such as sports-pitch line marking and the collection of grass clippings, leaves and light debris, giving facilities additional flexibility as requirements change.

Autonomous navigation uses RTK fused with LiDAR to build a 3D terrain map, helping the Rough Ranger operate in challenging areas such as under trees or around obstacles. Real-time LiDAR obstacle detection adds another layer of support for autonomous operation.

For grounds managers, this changes the conversation around automation. The question is no longer only how much labour an autonomous mower can save while cutting grass, but how much useful work the same machine can complete across the rest of the day.

For teams under pressure to maintain standards with limited time and resources, keeping one machine productive across different tasks can be as important as autonomy itself.

The thinking behind the FJD Rough Ranger is straightforward: rather than using robotics for one job at a time, make better use of the robotic platform already on site.

Doing more does not always mean having more machines. Sometimes, it simply means getting more from each one.

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