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Cosby GC Prepares Course For A 50/50 Bent/Poa Split

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Cosby GC prepares the course for a 50/50 Bent/Poa split with help from Headland – Cosby Golf Club Head Greenkeeper, Thomas Flavelle, is in the process of preparing the course for a sward conversion programme. 

Cosby GC Prepares Course For A 50/50 Bent/Poa Split

To help him get the course best prepared for the change he has been working closely with Andy Lane of Headland Amenity.  Previously called the Narborough Golf Club, it was founded in 1895 and today offers a challenging and picturesque parkland course set in the heart of the Midlands.

Thomas came into the role in 2015 with a clear strategy to implement a sustainable maintenance regime. “During my degree, and some time spent studying in America, it’s evident that there’s a shift in the way courses have to be managed. We’re losing more and more chemicals as the years go by so the focus must be on creating sustainable greens to give surfaces the best chance of thriving through the winter months. Here at Cosby we’re trying to conduct a sustainable regime with the main aims of lowering organic matter to try and encourage finer species into the greens.”

Thomas intends to embark on a 5 year project to achieve a 50/50 (or better) Bent to Poa split.  To give the Bent seed the best chance, Thomas has enlisted the help of Andy Lane from Headland to assist with a feeding and soil preparation programme. “Andy came in and we discussed my aims and objectives and he then created a nutritional regime around this. Following the results of some soil samples we began a full Headland programme on the greens, tees, approaches and fairways.”

“When I started at Cosby we struggled with some hydrophobic areas on some of the greens and improving those areas was one of my first tasks. Andy suggested we use a combination of TriCure AD and Turf Complex which quickly improved the drainage and dry-down characteristics. We’ve continued to use TriCure AD on a monthly basis and have cured the hydrophobic areas and seen no new areas form. Another great product that we apply before big maintenance tasks in spring and autumn is           C-Complex 4-3-4. The high humic acid content is excellent for encouraging root and shoot development which is ideal after aeration work.”

Thomas faces the challenge of managing three different green constructions at Cosby; sand based, clay push-ups and one USGA spec green, but trusts the Headland products to work for them course wide. “We achieved fantastic results in the first year from the products we used, in particular noticing how quick the uptake is – you notice the differences very quickly. Andy gives sound, honest advice and knows the vast product range so well that he can suggest which products to tank mix, maximising the efficiency of our time and applications. We also use Headland’s Weathercheck service and follow Mark Hunt’s WeatherBlog which provides an invaluable source of information.”

They’re currently awaiting the results of some soil analysis which could signal the start of Bent seed applications. “What we didn’t want to do is put the Bent seed down before the soil conditions were correct and consequently lose the newly germinated seedlings through further maintenance procedures. I am always confident with the Headland products that they are designed to 100% deliver everything required for a healthy sward and when combined with the correct cultural practices, it is now possible for us to achieve a very sustainable course.”

 

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10% off the Etesia Donky Electric Wheelbarrow

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10% off the Etesia Donky Electric Wheelbarrow – Etesia UK has announced that the Donky electric wheelbarrow is now available with a 10% price discount.

10% off the Etesia Donky Electric Wheelbarrow

Lightweight, noiseless, no fumes and big savings on fuel – since its launch in 2015, the environmentally friendly Donky electric wheel barrow has quickly become a popular choice for those responsible for landscape management.

With a powerful 1700 W engine, electronic advance management and two driving wheels with an agricultural profile, the Donky has an impressive capacity to move in difficult terrain. Unlike non-electric motorised wheelbarrows, users can enjoy up to two days of work without any harmful pollutants – in turn helping to protect the environment.

Working and moving in complete silence, and not creating any noise problems for the surrounding area, the Donky electric wheelbarrow can move up to 250 kg or 180 L (400L with the boards) in one trip. With a tank integrated in the tray and a 1″ valve, it can carry 85 L of water or liquid and a spray hose can be connected to it.

The Donky is not just comfortable, environmentally friendly and silent, it is also a true tool carrier; with its exclusive MRM tray and accessories, it will help you in a large variety of jobs throughout the year from cleaning, landscaping, snow removal, transportation of liquids and work platforms. It allows the transport of bulky products (boards, cross member, closing fabric and reel), and provides a working surface at a suitable height. The Donky also features a tray emptying function which is achieved by a central lever, with unlocking and assistance.

This versatile machine can be used in many areas including building and landscaping sites, breeding farms, transport activities, snow clearing, green space maintenance, vegetable farming and plant nurseries.

Furthermore, the hourly cost of use of an Etesia Donky wheelbarrow is approximately £0.03 meaning that the operator will notice significant savings when compared to a fuel based wheelbarrow.

Now with a 10% price reduction, the Donky is an even more cost-effective solution priced at just £3231 +VAT.

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

 

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Shelton Sportsturf Drainage win Exporter of the Year Award

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Shelton Sportsturf Drainage win Exporter of the Year Award – Lincolnshire based drainage company Shelton have won the ‘2017 Exporter of the Year’ in the East Lindsey Business Awards after reporting export growth of over 65% in the past year.

Shelton Sportsturf Drainage win Exporter of the Year Award

Shelton design, manufacture and sell machinery specifically for the drainage of sports pitches, turf playing surfaces and agricultural land and have over 15 specialist drainage machinery products in the range, all built in the UK by Shelton who can boast nearly 60 years of combined experience in the drainage industry.

Director Richard Clark said: “We export our machinery to 20 different countries; we have overseas dealers in USA, Australia, Germany, Denmark and Sweden which are our main markets, followed by Ireland, Belgium and France. Export sales now represent 35% of our total business with growth having largely been driven by the launch of the CT150 Agricultural Chain Trencher after we were awarded a Rural Development Fund from East Lindsey District Council enabling us to progress its development. The grant was key to the success of the project as it enabled us to use computer aided design to develop the production of the CT150 and to invest in the marketing of the product in a new market. Export sales growth has also been attributed to our ability to manufacture bespoke machinery; we can modify our machines to suit the different working conditions of our clients, i.e. in Denmark their high silt content soil can cause problems with fines entering the drainage pipes and causing a build up, leading to blockages preventing the drainage from working efficiently. We engineered our Supertrencher+760 to suit this market by adding on a reel to lay geotextile material at the bottom of the trench underneath the pipework, preventing the small fines from entering it, thereby improving the efficiency and longevity of the drainage system being installed.

We have had a positive start to 2017 with machines being exported to Hungary which is a completely new market for us and we are committed to growing our export business, so it’s great to be recognised by ELBA with this award.

 

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Hartfield Golf Club Members Happy with Course Improvements

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Hartfield Golf Club Members Happy with Course Improvements – Hartfield Golf Club, located in Perth, Western Australia, has seen drastic improvements on the course after purchasing a range of machinery from Jacobsen. Delivery was made by local Jacobsen dealer McIntosh & Son. 

Hartfield Golf Club Members Happy with Course Improvements

Nick Kinley is the course superintendent at Hartfield Golf Club having joined three and a half years ago from Mount Lawley Golf Club in Perth. Nick recently made the decision to purchase new machinery to improve the playing condition of the golf course. The machinery purchased includes two Eclipse 322 ride-on greens mowers, two LF570 light fairway mowers, a Truckster XD, a Truckster HX, a Cushman Hauler utility vehicle and an Eclipse 2 walking greens mower.

Commenting on the new machinery, Nick said:

“One of the reasons behind the purchase of the fairway mowers in particular, was the positive feedback from the team after previously using an LF570 on the course. The quality of cut is second to none, and it is a very comfortable and easy-to-use machine, which is also very important. In my opinion, nothing is comparable to the Jacobsen machines, the staff all felt we would have been mad not to go with Jacobsen.

“We also had the Eclipse 322 on demo for a week and we received a comment from one of our members who thought we had double cut and rolled the greens, but the only change we had made was using the Eclipse 322! That was quite amusing, but also eye-opening that using this machine had obviously made a huge difference.

“Another big contributing factor was our local dealer McIntosh & Son which has been brilliant. Nothing is ever too much trouble for the staff who work there, and I am very confident that we will receive all the support and guidance we need from them.”

Mike Foskett, Regional Sales Manager for Jacobsen, commented on Hartfield Golf Club’s purchase of machinery:

“I am really excited about working with the team at Hartfield Golf Club in the years to come. It’s great to hear that the new machinery on the course has already had such a positive impact, and we will ensure that the club receives all of the support that they require in order to maintain their high quality surfaces.”

 

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Visiting the Spider’s Web

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Visiting the Spider’s Web – A number of the UK turf industry press attended a factory visit in the Czech Republic enabling them to catch up with the latest developments being made by the manufacturers of the unique four-wheel drive wheel Spider remote controlled slope mower. 

Visiting the Spider’s Web

The company’s  new 1.8 million Eur, 3,500 square metre factory that was officially opened in 2014, replacing the old factory owned by DVORAK – machine division was opened in 2004 by its current owner, Lubomír Dvořák, the man responsible for coming up with the original concept of the remote radio-controlled slope mower, which was named the Spider.

The idea stemmed from the need of their highway construction company, who having constructed many miles of motorway embankments, were then tasked with the ongoing maintenance of the steep grass road verges. So, to help reduce time and make the job safer, Lubomir came up with the solution of a remote-controlled banks mower.

The first Spider the ILDO1 was launched in 2003, offering an 80cm cutting width, using one blade with the capability of mowing slopes of a maximum of 55 degrees using a winch.

This was then followed three years later with the ILD02 in 2006, offering a 123cm cutting width using four blades, again with the capability of cutting slopes of a maximum of 55 degrees.

In 2014 the company launched its now popular Spider, offering a 56cm cutting width using one blade with the capability of mowing slopes of a maximum of 30 degrees.

The company manufacture over 1500 parts of the mower themselves, reducing the reliance on other providers, thus improving their quality control and waiting time.

The factory is geared up to produce two spider mowers a day, while there are plans to extend the factory doubling its size in the coming years enabling to cope with the growing demand for spiders worldwide.

Like most companies, not content to rest on their laurels, they spend a huge amount of money on research and development, refining their products, improving performance and above all listening to their customers.

With the future in mind, the company was keen to allow the press a chance to witness a demonstration of a new prototype of one of the next generation of machine expected to come on line next year, to be named Spider 3.

It is essentially a remote-controlled ride on transport unit that can offer different mowing options to the end user. The operator can sit on and operate it from a seated position, when mowing reasonably flat areas and then jump off and stand and control the mower on steeper slopes.

Offering a triple deck option will no doubt be a big hit with Local Authorities, Highway agencies and contract firms thus allowing the machine to operate efficiently over flat and steep ground using the same mower and operator.

The company has recently changed their distribution in the UK and are now represented by T H WHITE Machinery Imports Ltd. They also recently recruited two well-known UK Sales Managers, Nick Penn is European Sales Manager, while Jason Bristow leads the Americas sales operation, supported by Lubor Hladik, International Sales Manager.