Turf News is the perfect place for professionals working within the UK’s vibrant turf industry – keeping you up-to-date with topical news, latest market developments and much more across all areas of the industry.
NEWS ARTICLES

Amenity Forum’s Recent Events

/in , /by

Amenity Forum’s Recent Events: The management of amenity areas is a vital and important task creating safe and healthy public spaces fit for purpose. It is vital that such tasks are undertaken to the highest professional standards but, as it stands, although there are a number of recognised assurance schemes, there is no overall standard which can easily be recognised as demonstrating those undertaking amenity management operations are professionally competent and using methods at the highest standards of best practice.

Given that, the Amenity Forum is developing a standard for the sector. This will inform the public, and those who place tenders or employ operators that the processes implemented are safe and healthy and fit for purpose. The standard will be akin to the Red Tractor logo which is widely recognised in the food sector. It will be instantly recognisable and will verify that the various assurance schemes in the sector are maintained at the overall standard.

Amenity Forum's Recent Events

In the current climate, cost will always be a key factor when considering amenity management plans but it is vital that quality and standards are an essential element in the final decision. The new standard and accompanying logo will give confidence to all involved.

Those attending London and Belfast recently as part of the popular series of free Amenity Forum Updating events organised welcomed the proposals. It was recognised that many do currently look to employ contractors and the like with assured credentials such as Amenity Assured, there remains others who operate outside such standards. The new Amenity Standard seeks to address this and ensure it is as widely recognised in the amenity sector as the Red Tractor is in food.

Professor John Moverley, Chairman of the Forum, said ‘’I would like to see this standard as an essential requirement when employing anyone involved in amenity management. If employing a gas fitter, I seek to ensure he or she is CORGI registered, a similar requirement should be essential in amenity management. There are a number of well recognised assurance schemes in our sector, this new standard seeks to embrace these and in a simple way, provide everyone of an assured standard and best practice. I would like to see the logo associated the standard to be proudly displayed across the UK in our parks, golf courses, sports grounds and indeed all our public spaces’’

The new standard is due to be launched later this year and in the meantime, everyone is urged to seek evidence of a recognised assurance scheme when employing those charged with amenity management in all its forms.

The Amenity Forum is continuing its free Updating Event series and for details please contact Admin@amenityforum.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Killeen Castle Invest In John Deere

/in , , /by

Killeen Castle Invest In John Deere: Killeen Castle Golf Club in Co Meath, Ireland is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2019, as well as its recent investment in a state of the art golf course equipment fleet deal with John Deere and local dealer Dublin Grass Machinery worth in excess €500,000, with finance arranged through Deere’s partner Bank of Ireland.

The machinery acquisition represents a significant investment on the part of Killeen Castle in the future of the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, as the club enters its second decade of golf operations. The championship golf course opened in 2009 and was described by the 18-time Major winner and course designer as “one of my proudest designs”.

Killeen Castle Invest In John Deere

The upgraded equipment fleet includes tees, fairway, greens and rough mowers, utility tractors, Gator utility vehicles, sprayers, top dressers and bunker rakes – with the latest John Deere E-Cut hybrid electric mowers now playing an important part in future-proofing the work of course superintendent Mark Collins and his team.

Killeen Castle has hosted The 2011 Solheim Cup between Europe and USA in addition to three Ladies Irish Opens from 2010 to 2012. The 630-acre estate also features a number of signature residential properties, The Dave Pelz Scoring Game School, Fore Golf Custom Club Fitters and a Norman castle dating back to 1181.

The castle will become the focal point of the estate following a recent grant of planning permission for a 177-room luxury hotel, including the renovation and restoration of the original structure which will house 17 suites and a number of luxury dining rooms. The new three-storey structure partnering this renovation will incorporate 160 rooms, a day spa, function rooms and a winter garden restaurant.

The investment in new equipment also included an upgrade and enhancement of the club’s rental golf cars and trolleys to the latest state of the art GPS units, as well as re-kerbing of the entire clubhouse compound. This was in addition to significant works around the golf course and peripheral areas to enhance the sanding and drainage profile of the course, all designed to ensure championship standard golfing conditions for members and visitors alike all year round.

“There were many key factors in choosing John Deere equipment,” said Mark Collins. “The relationship with Dublin Grass Machinery and sales manager Noel Bennett was high up the list, with the excellent technical and back-up service provided for the past 12 years.

“The quality of John Deere machinery is quite simply second to none, and the company’s advances in technology with the hybrid electric mowers made the decision an easy one. The overall package will allow us to continue to improve our work practices and deliver even better standards of course presentation to our members and guests.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Holes Appear In Cricket Pitch

/in , , /by

Holes Appear In Cricket Pitch: Vandals have hit a cricket club in Tameside after digging up more than 150 holes on the pitch.

The damage to the wickets at Ashton Ladysmith Cricket Club was discovered earlier this week.

It’s thought to have happened some time between 5pm on Tuesday and 2pm on Thursday.

The ground on Rosehill Road in Ashton-under-Lyne is secure and to get inside someone would have had to scale a 6ft metal fence – with a spade.

That’s why club bosses believe the attack on the pitch was deliberate and premeditated.

Club house manager David Gaskin discovered the damage.

“It’s definitely deliberate,” he said.

“Over 150 holes have been dug up with a spade.

“It happened last year as well, it wasn’t as bad and we thought at the time it may have been kids but not this, this is deliberate.

“It’s the same area that’s been targeted as well so it seems like someone has a grievance against the club.”

David said it took him three hours to put the dug-up grass back in the holes but says it will be at least a month before it is fit to play on.

Members will have to use practice pitches for the time being.

“Out of 10 wickets, seven had been damaged, and they’re the main ones that we use so whoever did this knew what they were doing.

“They will have also had to get over a 6ft metal fence with a spade to get in, and needed 30-40 minutes to do what they did so it had to have been planned.

“I just don’t understand it.”

The incident has been reported to police and enquiries are being carried out.

David said the club is now looking to install CCTV and is appealing to any local businesses who would be willing to help out to get in touch.

Click here to read the original article

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Eliet Speeds Up Scarifying

/in , /by

Eliet Speeds Up Scarifying:Leading Belgian manufacturer Eliet have launched an innovative new machine, set to dramatically reduce the time landscapers and groundsmen spend undertaking scarifying operations and disposing of thatch and moss.

The NEW C550ZR Collector brings a new standard in turf maintenance, collecting moss and thatch into narrow rows for easier disposal, resulting in huge time savings for the operator by reducing the cleaning time by up to 50%.

Eliet Speeds Up Scarifying

As every landscaper and gardener knows, mowing the grass is only one small step in maintaining healthy turf. Dehatching is also a key element of lawn care and with the increased use of mulching and robotic mowers, the requirement is now greater than ever. The constant deposit of hard-to-break-down organic material can result in a layer of thatch accumulating within the turf structure. If left undealt with, this will seriously inhibit lawn development and can encourage both invasive species and diseases to develop. Dethatching removes this layer of material and moss from the turf, providing the space for the grass plants to grow and your lawn to flurish.

Eliet have now introduced an effective solution to this issue with the C55OZR Collector, which provides efficient scarification, moss and thatch removal with improved collection. As material is removed from the turf, it is deposited into a discharge channel with an Archimedean screw that carries it to the side of the machine. It is deposited into a narrow row, which on the next pass of the operation can be re-collected by the machine and integrated into a new row, along with the raked-up material from the second strip of turf. In this way the C550ZR can collect the moss and thatch of a 1m working width into one row, which is hugely time saving.

This new machine is self-propelled and features an above-average 55cm working width which limits the number of rows to collect, and opreates at 2.5km/hr. The scarifying blades are spaced every 15mm to provide an intensive treatment to the turf and are designed to rotate forwards; thus maximising dethatching performance. This contra-rotation results in improved removal and collection of material which is pulled out and thrown vertically onto the collecting auger, increasing the efficency of dethatching by up to 30%. In addition, the extremely fine blades have Permanently Sharp BladesTM technology to ensure minimum turf damage and extended blade life. The machine also features controls with an anti vibration damper for improved operator comfort and safety and runs on a rubber-coated roller that ensures an aesthetically pleasing striped pattern on the lawn.

Gracienne Geenens, Sales Director at Eliet says:

“We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing the C550ZR Collector to the UK market. It’s a fantastic, innovative piece of equipment which will save landscapers both time and money.”

The C550ZR will be available for demonstration during April through UK distributor PSD Groundscare. For more information please contact:

Tel: 01282 856819 or email sales@psdgroundscare.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Groundsman’s Expertise At Aintree

/in , , /by

Groundsman’s Expertise At Aintree: The head groundsman from Cartmel Racecourse headed to Aintree over the weekend to play a crucial role in the 2019 Grand National.

Gary Sharp, 40, has worked at the south Cumbria course since 2002, ensuring the track is in peak condition for each of its nine race days every year.

But tomorrow he will join eight fellow head groundsmen from across the country to take charge of fences in Liverpool as 40 runners and riders line up to contest ‘the most famous horse race in the world’.

While there, Gary will use his years of experience to quickly decide whether his assigned Grand National fences are safe to jump, need to be replaced or should be left out altogether on the second pass.

Gary said: “I’ve done this role at Aintree for 17 years now. It’s a big responsibility but it’s always exciting to play a part in such an important race.

“We’re stationed by the fence so we’re first on the scene.

“It’s my job to assess whether it’s safe to jump after the first lap or whether it should be bypassed if someone has fallen.

“I’m always guided by the medics on site. Safety is absolutely the priority.

“If the fence is damaged, it can also mean replacing the hurdle altogether before the horses come round again.

“You have to be quick, but there’s enough time to do it between laps,” he added.

The Grand National is run over four miles and 514 yards. It includes 30 fences, many of which are made from spruce from the Lake District.

Gary will arrive for the start of the three day festival on Thursday with three other members of Cartmel Racecourse’s grounds team; Brad Thompson, Tony Hadwin and Ceri Eccles.

Gary, who won the Groundstaff of the Year title at the Racecourse Association Showcase and Awards in 2016, said: “This is a great experience for everyone to be involved in.

“Going to the Grand National also marks a turning point in the calendar for my team because it means our first race at Cartmel is getting closer.

“A lot of work goes on here over the winter to look after the ground, build fences and prepare the course for the racing season.

“Now we’re all looking forward to seeing the horses and crowds arrive back on track on May 25.”

Click here to read the original article

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.