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NEWS ARTICLES

Snake Maintenance Reduced

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Snake Maintenance Reduced: Trimax Mowers has introduced an auto belt tensioning system for the Snake rotary mower, designed to improve performance and cut downtime.

The system ensures that the correct belt tension is always applied during operation, improving the drive to the spindles.

Snake Maintenance Reduced

There’s no risk of fitting the belts in the incorrect configuration due to the design of the idler arm, and no need to keep checking that belts are fitted and tensioned correctly.

Customers are assured this new development will boost productivity and ensure a top-quality cut for which the Snake has become renowned.

Not only is this new system fitted to all new Snake models, it’s also available as a retrofittable kit allowing existing customers to reap the same benefits. Only basic hand tools and a power drill are all that is required to perform this upgrade.

Caroline Shaw, European Marketing Manager at Trimax commented: “We’re very excited to launch this new system for the Snake. It’s a popular machine which is transforming green areas around the world. As with all new innovations, the auto belt tension system underwent rigorous testing – 100,000,000 cycles to be precise!”

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

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Rain Bird Award For MJ Abbott

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Rain Bird Award For MJ Abbott: MJ Abbott Limited, a golf and sports turf contractor based is Wiltshire, was recognised at Rain Bird’s distributor and contractor awards ceremony held at the Golf Industry Show in San Antonio.

Contracts Director Steve Briggs and Contracts Managers Nathan George and Jim Price were there to accept the ‘Top Flight’ award for exceptional growth on the company’s behalf.

Rain Bird Award For MJ Abbott

The presentation of awards is a celebratory conclusion to Rain Bird’s training and education event for golf contractors and distributors, which takes place at the show each year.

“2017 was a busy year for us,” Nathan George explained. “Many of our golf customers upgraded their central controllers, weather stations and rotors to provide the greatest efficiencies and levels of control. Our construction teams are currently building the brand new course at Royal Norwich where a fully-integrated Rain Bird IC system is being installed. It was great to hear all about global developments at the training event and to receive this award in recognition of our achievements as an Approved Rain Bird Contractor.”

Rain Bird’s Regional Golf Sales Manager for the UK, Ireland, Iceland and Scandinavia, Jimmy Sandison, said: “It was fantastic to see a UK contractor recognised at our annual awards ceremony. MJ Abbott had a superb year working with us to grow their golf business. As a company, we are grateful for their installation expertise, and for the first-class support they continue to provide to Rain Bird system and Global Service Plan users across the country.”

For more information, visit: www.rainbird.eu/golf

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Duncan Ross At Hurlston Hall

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Duncan Ross At Hurlston Hall: The condition of a golf courses greens is what a head greenkeeper is often judged on, and Duncan Ross’ surgical precision has ensured they are the go to contractor for Hurlston Hall Golf Club.

The completion of the latest two greens are the latest in a project that has seen nine completed. For Chris Ball, former head greenkeeper at Hurlston Hall who recently took up the role as links manager at Hillside Golf Club, working with Duncan Ross on a long-term drainage project generated a refined understanding whilst solving the clubs’ problem greens.

Duncan Ross At Hurlston Hall

“For us they are a local company and when you factor in getting other companies in from the North West of England there’s not many specialising in drainage.” Chris said. “I think Duncan has refined his methods over the years and it’s almost like key hole surgery.

“We’d done seven greens previously with Duncan and we’ve been going around the course targeting the nine worst and the ones that have just been completed were the last two that were screaming out to be done.

“You can immediately see the difference in the greens, but you’ve still got to do your bit as a greenkeeper and maintain the organic matter.

“I can’t fault the work they do, and the fact now is that he knows what he’s doing, and we now know what he wants to do beforehand and that’s key. The first year everyone was still learning, we put holes in the greens for aeration but this would slow them down as when it came to taking the Turf up it would fall apart, and now we know not to do anything when Duncan is coming in because it makes it more efficient for them and prevents adding time onto the project.”

Having gone through the process of getting to know how one another works the other aspects of being able to use a local contractor have become more prominent. All of the materials used on the project are locally sourced, which keeps costs down with no compromise on quality.

And when it comes to drainage quality is paramount. Like everyone else, Chris was under pressure to have the course open, but because of the weather in the North East of England his focus was primarily on providing the best greens possible during the peak golf season.

“They all perform great in the summer which is key,” he said. “I’d say they’ve improved play in the winter if we have a normal winter, but what’s happening now is the greens are drier than the rest of the course and people still can’t play because the rest of the course is under water.

“We’ve definitely got better performing greens for longer but in the North West of England it’s seriously wet. But when it does stop raining they dry out a lot quicker and you know you can withstand the torrential down pours in the summer because the drains are going to take care of it.”

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

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Apprenticeship Week Celebrated

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Apprenticeship Week Celebrated: Renfrewshire is marking Scottish Apprenticeship Week with a series of events designed to encourage young women to consider careers in traditionally male dominated sectors.

The week celebrates the benefits apprenticeships bring to businesses, individuals and the economy, and coincides with International Women’s Day on Thursday.

Apprenticeship Week Celebrated

Apprentice greenkeeper Heather Love is used to being one of the few women in her role but hopes more will follow in her footsteps.

The 21-year has been working at Barshaw Public Golf Course since 2016, when she started an apprenticeship with Renfrewshire Council .

The former Park Mains High pupil from Erskine, helps maintain the grounds and equipment, as well as tending the greens.

Heather also attends a Sports Turf course at specialist centre Gosta Training in Glasgow and  said: “I’ve always enjoyed working outside and wanted to be a gardener originally. When I saw this apprenticeship advertised I decided to go for it, especially as the role wasn’t seasonal but all year.

“As well as working outdoors it also sent me to college, so the apprenticeship means that I get the best of both worlds.

“There’s always plenty to do, I prune, sweep leaves and cut the greens and tees and make sure they are tidy and look after machinery.

“I’ve also had experience on football pitches and bowling greens. It’s still quite a man’s world although there is another woman on another team that I don’t work with directly.

“My favourite part of the job is working outside – quiet mornings and sunrises are the best and I find it satisfying seeing a freshly cut green.”

Heather says she hopes that more women will find the confidence to pursue traditionally male dominated careers.

She added:  “There are only a handful of women doing this and I hope more women will apply.

“Learning something completely new is great and I love playing a part in something much bigger and being a female in a male dominated field.

“We are built differently to men and sometimes I do have to work a bit harder to lift things for example but I’d say to any other females who are thinking about a similar career or apprenticeship to just to go for it.”

There will be a series of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) events for young women at various venues across Renfrewshire.

The Young Women into Stem initiative is being delivered in partnership by Renfrewshire Council, DYW West, Invest in Renfrewshire, West College Scotland and a number of local businesses.

It was set up to address how women are underrepresented in the sector and encourages them to apply for apprenticeships by forging links between employers, colleges and schools.

At West College Scotland’s Paisley campus this week, students will complete specific pieces of work which will enhance their skillset, covering bricklaying and painting and decorating.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are hosting an event on Thursday at Paisley’s Royal Alexandria Hospital where school pupils will visit the engineering departments, clinics and laboratories and will be given an insight into the various job roles.

They will also hear about the apprenticeship opportunities available.

Morrison Construction will take students on a tour of the St Paul’s School site in Paisley to give an understanding of what is required to keep the project on track and to deliver a high quality build.

One of Morrison’s female quantity surveyors will also be on-hand to share her experience of working within this sector.

Paisley firm Clark Contacts will give students a tour of its head office where they will learn about the company’s in house academy and the roles available, from estimating and quantity surveying to marketing.

They will meet also many of the firms female employees and have the opportunity to discuss their experience of the sector.

Rolls Royce Inchinnan is hosting a site visit of its engineering plant on International Women’s Day, with all attendees asked to wear purple to mark the day which celebrates women across the globe.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “In line with the rest of Scotland, Renfrewshire has a significant gender gap in terms of so few young women going into the traditionally male dominated careers of construction, science, technology and engineering .

“It’s vital to open up their horizons and provide access to STEM opportunities and I’m delighted that so many will have the chance to find out about a wide range of jobs during Scottish Apprenticeship Week.”

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Tehidy Park Golf Club Picks Toro

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Tehidy Park Golf Club Picks Toro to enable year-round play: Tehidy Park Golf Club in Cornwall has chosen Toro for the first time as it takes a new approach to its course machinery replacement to ensure a better golfing experience for its members, including year-round open play.

Club secretary, Ian Veale, says there were two reasons behind opting for a five-year machinery replacement programme: “In 2017 we received a VAT refund. With the help of that, we decided to invest it into what we believe will bring the most benefit to the club and its members, something everyone will enjoy, and that is new machinery to improve playability and help with the challenging conditions of the course.”

Tehidy Park Golf Club Picks Toro

Although only two miles from the North Cornwall coast, the 18-hole par 71 course is very much parkland in nature with heavy clay-based soil, and that was an important factor in the decision-making process of what machinery the fleet should comprise. Ian says: “Because of the clay-based soil, drainage is difficult and the course can become water-logged in inclement weather.”

The popular ProCore 648 and ProPass broadcast-style top dresser forms the club’s new renovation fleet and will be used to increase the frequency of its aeration programme. Traditionally held in March and October, the plan is to be more consistent and regular with the aeration and renovation of the course throughout the year.

“We see the Toro ProCore and ProPass top dresser, and a change in the aeration programme, as the key to alleviating the problems that can occur in bad weather, and we see this as something that can easily be achieved with little to no interruption to play. We literally will be preparing for a rainy day!

“If the machinery fleet does this, then it will have been an investment well made. As with most clubs our priority are our members, and if we can improve the terrain so the course is at its optimum throughout the year that’s better for everyone.”

But the order, through dealer Devon Garden Machinery, doesn’t end there, it also includes mowers. A Groundsmaster 4300-D and a Reelmaster 3100-D with Sidewinder, chosen because the club, which is on the County rota as a tournament venue and regularly hosts the Men’s and Women’s Championships will, for the first time, hold both Championships in its centenary year in 2022.

Ian says: “These machines were considered to be the ones to get the grass in the best possible condition for preparations for the all-important year.”

All the machinery chosen was well considered by Ian and head greenkeeper Andrew Eddison to tackle the terrain and bring a new approach to the club’s course maintenance. Ian continues: “It’s the start of a five-year partnership agreement which was not taken on lightly. Andrew and the team spent many months trialing machines here at the course to test their capabilities on this terrain, and their ability to not only keep on top of the course, but make the big changes we want to see, which is what this investment is all about.

“We’re investing in our main asset, which is the course, and it had to be the right decision. Andrew always said he knew Toro was meant to be the best, but the only way to be sure of that was to see it here in action. Toro proved itself, above and beyond the original order, and we have recently purchased another machine.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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