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Sam Green At BTME

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Sam Green At BTME: The Chief Operating Officer at Aqua-Aid, Sam Green, will be presenting ‘Thatch Reduction and Root Mass Development using WormPower’ as part of BIGGA’s renowned Continue to Learn at the upcoming BTME exhibition in Harrogate.

The presentation takes place on Wednesday 24th January from 16.00 to 16.45 and is free to all who are attending the exhibition. Sam will be focusing on the effect vermicompost and microbes have on thatch reduction and root development, as well as how to select the correct micro-organisms.

Sam Green At BTME

Sam is a graduate of Virginia Tech University with a Degree in Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences and has 27-years experience in the turf industry. He has been on the superintendent side of the business most of his career and was most recently Golf Course Superintendent for Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, NC. Eagle Point was ranked in Golf Digest as a Top 100 course three consecutive times during his tenure.

He is now the Chief Operating Officer for Aqua Aid Incorporated, Aqua Aid is the parent company of Aqua Aid Wetting Agents, Verde Cal Calcium and Potassium products, WormPower Turf Extract, and the North American importer for Campey Imants equipment lineup.

WormPower has been a massive success in America and Sam has been an instrumental part of that, with his experience using the product greatly contributing to its growing use on golf courses across the USA.

A large part of using WormPower is understanding how it works, and the aim of the presentation is to focus on what the product is, the effects it has on the root zone and soil composition and what the results of using it are.

For anyone desiring to learn about WormPower before the seminar, information is available at www.aquaaid.eu and on the Aqua-Aid EU stand B37.

For more information on the range of products please visit the www.aquaaid.eu

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Les Malin Promoted By Etesia

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Les Malin Promoted By Etesia: Les Malin has been appointed as the new managing director of Etesia UK with immediate effect, in what is his third successive promotion.

After starting his career in the farming industry at the age of 16, Les moved into the groundscare industry in 1993. He joined Etesia UK from Amazone in 2000 as area manager and was appointed general manager in 2006. He quickly became an influential figure within the company and in 2014 he was promoted to operations director – a move which saw him become the company’s first ever UK director.

Les Malin Promoted By Etesia

Following the retirement of Etesia SAS president Patrick Vives In December, the board and shareholders unanimously decided to promote Les to the position of managing director.

“Les is someone that we can absolutely rely on so this promotion allows me to take more time out and enjoy retirement!” said Patrick.

Throughout his tenure at Etesia UK, Les has seen the company grow into one of the most innovative manufacturers in the groundscare industry. What started as an unknown company with just one product, Etesia now boasts an extensive dealer network throughout the UK and has added to its wide portfolio of products after becoming exclusive distributors of Pellenc battery-powered tools in 2010 and the Oeliatec environmentally-friendly weed control range in 2017.

Les has been instrumental in helping the UK become Etesia’s third largest market behind its homeland France and Germany – which certainly is an achievement considering that Etesia now has a presence in over 40 countries.

Commenting on his promotion Les said: “It’s an achievement and an honour and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to prove myself.

“My aim is to try and help the business continue to grow and show the shareholders that we can do what we need to do and make it work for them.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk

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Irrigation With Toro Lynx

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Irrigation With Toro Lynx: Implementing moisture level monitoring, updating controllers with the latest software and frequently applying evolving course setup conditions to your irrigation programmes, all contribute to responsible and sustainable management of your golf course. Ed Stant, course manager at Trentham Golf Club near Stoke-on-Trent, has recently spoken about how recent changes to his irrigation management are paying dividends.

“Two years ago we had a completely new irrigation system installed,” Ed says. “We opted for the intuitive Toro Lynx control system with 170 Infinity series greens, approaches and surrounds sprinklers. Having the right technology greatly aids professional irrigation management, but getting the most out of it is a skill in itself, and for me it all starts with monitoring soil moisture levels. I use a HH2 Moisture Meter probe and its readings depends on what irrigation I apply.”

Irrigation With Toro Lynx

Knowing the exact conditions your turf’s health faces will lead to more informed and ecological decisions, as you will only use the water needed to sustain it. Couple this with an intuitive control system which can be accurately tailored to precise conditions and requirements, means you have even more control over water consumption and sward health. This is integral to good irrigation practice as every area of turf can be different.

“Having an intuitive control system is fantastic for precise irrigation and, of course, specific requirements around the course. We had a reasonably wet summer in 2017 but as we all know no course is uniform and for whatever reasons certain areas will need more moisture than others. Being able to apply additional water where it is needed over the last couple of years since we got the new system has resulted in us having great grass coverage across the entire course, even in the walked areas.

“Since we last spoke, we’ve also put a lot of time and effort into killing the coarse rye grass around the greens surrounds and that meant a lot of specific watering of the affected areas. Being able to water-in just the top-dressing or apply water where overseeding and spreading herbicide, has greatly aided the process, allowing us to also be far more water efficient than we could have previously been.”

Another factor contributing to improved efficiency and one of Ed’s highlights with the new system and sprinkler set-up are separate surrounds sprinklers: “Having separate surrounds sprinklers means we can irrigate in opposite directions and, therefore, avoid overwatering the greens when irrigating the surrounds. We couldn’t achieve this level of precision with our last system and I have to say it is one of the best things the new system and sprinkler set-up we opted for offers. It also allows us to dampen down the bunkers when they get dry, which is another big advantage.”

Adding to this efficient irrigation at Trentham Golf Club is the fact that the club is also sustainable. At the same time as the irrigation system installation a 42m borehole was put in and seeing as the club does not exceed its limit, it means free water for irrigation purposes.

 This carefully managed control over water usage is great; it is more environmentally friendly, plants are healthier, surfaces are more aesthetically pleasing, playability is improved, and it’s saving money too. Applying just the right amount of water is a no-brainer. Every drop counts, and every drop saved benefits the club, the players, visitors and the environment, as confirmed by Trentham Golf Club!

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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£18,000 Raised For Movember

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£18,000 Raised For Movember: One of Kubota’s dealers, Lister Wilder, and its 60 strong ‘Mow-team’ has raised a remarkable £18,318 for the The Movember Foundation, making the company the 5th largest fundraiser across the UK to support the charity.

Formed of company directors, workshop engineers, sales team members and parts advisers, Lister Wilder employees donned great, and some not so great, moustaches throughout the month of November to help raise the awareness of some of the biggest health issues faced by men.

£18,000 Raised For Movember

Phill Hughes, Groundcare Sales Director at Lister Wilder and the company’s Movember Team Captain, said: “Working in an industry where the majority of our employee’s and customers are male, the charity really hits close to home and a lot of our staff were really enthusiastic about raising much needed funds for such a great campaign. We felt that participating in Movember 2017 would help to raise awareness of the issue within the workplace and remove the stigma that can surround health issues within males.

“In addition to raising a fantastic amount of money for a great charity, the campaign has helped to enhance our team spirit here at Lister Wilder. With so many employees participating and others providing encouragement, this has been a great opportunity for the whole company to come together for a common cause and creates a bonding experience along the way.”

Lister Wilder also offered its support to The Rich Brothers of BBC Garden Rescue, who travelled across six counties in two days to mow huge, precise moustaches into fields to raise funds for the ‘MOWvember movement’. Lister Wilder donated Kubota’s popular G23 ride-on-mower, allowing for exceptional power and efficiency for the busy occasion.

Dave Roberts, Managing Director at Kubota UK, said: “It’s fantastic to see Lister Wilder’s efforts result in such a tremendous outcome for an impactful movement.

“Kubota was delighted to be able to support Lister Wilder and we are thrilled to see how everybody can come together to recognise and fight against a worthy cause.”

The Movember foundation is the leading global organisation committed to focusing solely on men’s health, whilst raising funds to support the fight against prostate and testicular cancer.

If you’d like to donate to Lister Wilder’s Movember ‘MOW-team’, visit its fundraising page: https://uk.movember.com/team/2282728.

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Greenkeeper Retires After 45 Years

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Greenkeeper Retires After 45 Years: Eaton Golf Club recently came to the end of an era, as Mick Lathrope retired from his position as head greenkeeper after an impressive 45 years of service.

Green-keeping colleagues and members from Eaton and other Norfolk clubs attended a presentation ceremony at the club to hear a warm tribute from club manager Peter Johns.

He said Lathrope’s career had begun as an apprentice at Maylands Golf Club, in Havering, Essex before moving to Eaton in 1972.

His lengthy spell with the club saw him go on to work with 46 club captains, 46 ladies’ captains, 24 club presidents and 23 lady presidents.

Johns told well-wishers: “Mick has overseen many changes to the golf course.

“He has been an extremely conscientious worker, balancing the needs of the golfer with the natural beauty of our wonderful 106 acres of land – so much so that in 2005 Eaton was awarded the prestigious Golf Environment Award.”

The ceremony was also attended by several members of Mick’s family, including his daughter Jane who said in her own tribute that there would be an enormous gap in the family’s life without their association with Eaton.

However, there would be other things ahead for her father: fishing, playing golf and in particular enjoying long rides into the country on his 1961 BSA Super Rocket motorbike, which will all keep him busy in the years ahead.

His successor at Eaton is Rob Ransome, 41, who lives in Pulham, with his wife and two children. He began as an assistant greenkeeper at Marriott Sprowston Manor and was promoted to head greenkeeper while at Diss.

“As a 16 handicap golfer myself, I appreciate the need to present the course really well and make sure it is always improving,” he said.

“I’m delighted to be at Eaton, a course that I always enjoyed playing.”

Meanwhile, Roger Garwood, the outgoing club captain of Barnham Broom, presented a cheque for £3,000 – the money raised during his year in office – to Paul Daynes, the finance manager of the Norwich and Central Norfolk branch of Mind, the mental health charity. He stipulated the money should be used in Norfolk for young sufferers.

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