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

Sport Wales Opens Up £3m Community Physical Activity Fund

/in , /by

Sport Wales Opens Up £3m Community Physical Activity Fund – The National Lottery funding will be distributed via two pots – the Community Chest fund and Development Grants.

The former offers start-up grants of up to £1,500 for smaller organisations to stimulate sporting and physical activity, while the latter is offering individual funds of up to £25,000 for more established sport and physical activity offers.

Grants can be used for start-up equipment, upgrading local facilities, physical recreation projects and business development.

Wales is also the only nation in the UK that offers full financial support for volunteers, therefore money can be used for a volunteering strategy as well.

In 2016/17, 1,421 Community Chest awards totalled £1.7m, while 82 Development Grants were made at an overall cost of £962,652.

The funding is part of a larger annual £42m pot earmarked by Sport Wales to stimulate community sport and support elite success.

New Sport Wales chair Lawrence Conway said that communities were “at the very core” of growing participation.

He added: “It’s so important because it’s about sport and activity but it’s much more than that. I see first hand how we can help build togetherness, give people new skills, help people get fitter and healthier and change people’s lives.”

To read the original article from Sports Management, click here

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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

Follow us on Twitter 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.

Richard Lucas Makes First Dealership Appointment

/in , /by

New signing at Charterhouse Richard Lucas makes first dealership appointment – Six months on from his appointment as Central Area Territory Manager for Charterhouse Turf Machinery, Richard Lucas has made his first new dealer appointment in the form of Charlies Groundcare.

New signing at Charterhouse Richard Lucas makes first dealership appointment

Responsible for the Shropshire region, Charlies Groundcare will be distributing the Redexim range of products for both natural and synthetic surfaces.

Based in the Midlands, Richard joined Charterhouse in November from a regional dealership where he gained experience with the Redexim range of products and developed a good insight into the products and marketplace in the area. His new role sees him take over responsibility for the dealers and sales in Central UK, as well as working together with some key customers. On his first dealer appointment Richard said, “Now I’ve found my feet in this new role it’s good to be adding valuable dealer support within my area. The Charlies Groundcare team deliver fantastic sales, service and technical support and I look forward to working with them in the coming months to further enhance the offering to new and existing customers in this area.”

Charlies Groundcare, a division of Charlies Stores Ltd, has grown from strength to strength since gaining a John Deere Dealership ten years ago. They now represent a range of brands catering for residential, landscaping, groundcare, golf and sports markets. Commenting on their appointment, Ian Trevor Charlies Groundcare Sales Manager said, “We’re delighted to be working together with Charterhouse and adding their vast selection of machinery to our portfolio. The Redexim range is continually being updated and refined and is renowned for being versatile and efficient, meeting the demands of today’s ground professionals.”

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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

Follow us on Twitter 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.

ATT SMARTUltraGroomer™ cassettes help Ely City GC

/in , /by

ATT SMARTUltraGroomer™ cassettes help Ely City GC move over to Bent grasses – To provide a more even transition between Bent and Poa grasses in the greens surfaces, Ely City Golf Club have invested in a set of SMARTUltraGroomer™ cassettes from within the ATT TMSystem™ range.  Opened in 1962, and extended to 18 holes in 1973, Ely City GC offers a testing, compact, parkland course on the outskirts of the city.

ATT SMARTUltraGroomer™ cassettes help Ely City GC

When his existing cassette system failed, Andy Baker, Head Greenkeeper at the club, demo’d the ATT SMARTUltraGroomer™ cassette and was particularly impressed.  Andy was no novice to the system, “I’d been wanting these for quite a while but as machinery purchases are normally budgeted over a five year period, I wasn’t in a position to get them. The main plus of these over our previous units is how easily and quickly they can be dropped in and out of our triplex – without multiple pivots and joints which can seize and break. It also speeds up the process for my team as they don’t need to take the machine apart – that’s a big bonus.”

Taking delivery of the units in February, the team has been out with them at least once a week, beginning level before dropping them to -2mm as the season progressed.  “The weekly pass is to stand the bent up and remove lateral growth. We’ll go out with the groomers first, then someone will follow behind and mow. It’s amazing the quantity of material we remove with such minimal surface disruption.”

The ATT SMARTUltraGroomer™ cassette has over 80 1.3mm tungsten carbide tipped blades spaced at 5mm apart to ensure greens are maintained in the best condition. It will minimise puffiness in high density Creeping Bent and Bermuda grasses by reducing ‘scalping’ and ‘foot-printing’. The cassette will also remove seed heads in Poa annua turf and on newly established greens, it can help reduce the ingress of Poa annua by “grabbing” individual plants before they get a chance to take hold.

“Now we’ve got the taste for the ATT TMSystem™ we’re looking at adding some of the other cassettes from the range into our fleet,” says Andy. “My team and I are totally converted – It may have been a long time coming but they were worth the wait!”

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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

Follow us on Twitter 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.

Tottenham Not Allowed To Alter Wembley Pitch

/in , /by

Tottenham not allowed to alter Wembley pitch – Tottenham’s plans to reduce the size of the Wembley playing surface have been blocked by the Premier League.

Tottenham not allowed to alter Wembley pitch

Spurs will play their home matches at the national stadium next season while their new £800million home is built ready for the start of the 2018 – 19 season.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side played five times at Wembley last season in Europe and the FA Cup, but only won one of those matches.

Part of their problems at Wembley was put down to the size of the pitch which doesn’t suit their high-pressing game; the White Hart Lane surface was the second smallest in the league ahead of Stoke at 100m by 67m, while Wembley’s surface is 105m by 69m.

The Premier League introduced rules two years ago to standardise pitches at 100m by 68m. The only pitches that are allowed to be smaller are those in older grounds, like White Hart Lane and Stamford Bridge, where there isn’t room to extend the pitch outwards.

Because Wembley does have the space to meet the Premier League’s minimum requirement for a pitch, Spurs won’t be allowed to make the dimensions any smaller, although they could request it is reduced from 69m to 68m, per the league’s rules.

According to the Times, it was made clear to Tottenham at a meeting of the Premier League’s 20 chairman that they would not be allowed special dispensation to change the size of the pitch.

That could be an issue for Spurs as they seek to improve upon their second-placed finish last season. Pochettino’s men secured a record high finish and points haul, but fell short in the title race behind eventual champions Chelsea.

When it is built, the pitch at Tottenham’s new stadium will also have to confirm to the pitch size rules.

To read the original article, click here

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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

Follow us on Twitter 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.

STRI Professional Qualifications For The Amenity Industry

/in , /by

STRI professional qualifications for the amenity industry – STRI Group, the world’s leading sports turf consultancy, has announced the training dates of its amenity sector qualification courses.

STRI Professional Qualifications For The Amenity Industry

The professional training courses take place during autumn and winter 2017 at STRI’s HQ in West Yorkshire, and include both introductory and professionally recognised qualifications.

Courses consist of BASIS (Amenity Horticulture), Foundation Award in Amenity Horticulture, Fertiliser Advisers Certificate and Training Scheme (FACTS) and Nutrient Management Planning (NMP). Each qualification is recognised by BASIS, the independent standards setting and auditing organisation for the pesticide, fertiliser and allied industries.

In-depth training, and dedicated student support, will be provided by STRI research field experts, Dr Ruth Mann and Dr Christian Spring. STRI’s training courses allow individuals to build their skills and confidence by keeping their knowledge up-to-date, and enable career progression within the amenity industry. Courses include dedicated turf sessions, which have been specifically developed by STRI, to meet qualification requirements.

Courses will be held at STRI’s world-class research facilities in Bingley, and food and refreshments will be available.

Andrew Kerr, Head Greenkeeper at Surbiton Golf Club, said: “As a qualified greenkeeper and having been in the industry for 20 years, I thought that I knew a lot about being an agronomist – that is until I was introduced to BASIS. I completed the Foundation BASIS at Harrogate and this encouraged me to do the Professional BASIS.

“Two separate weeks of lectures and intensive study grounded and enthused me in everything to do with grass, weeds and chemicals. The written, practical and verbal examinations were challenging but now I know that I am a more knowledgeable and effective greenkeeper.”

 

The BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection – Amenity Horticulture
Week One: 9 – 13 October, Week two: 6 – 10 November, Exams: 4, 5, 6 December
The BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection – Amenity Horticulture is the national qualification for all field, sales and technical staff (FSTS) who advise on the use, selling or supplying of plant protection products in the amenity industry, head greenkeepers, head groundsmen, and course managers.

Foundation Award in Amenity Horticulture
31 October – 02 November
The Foundation Award offers an introduction to understanding turfgrass management, including the use of professional pesticides in the Amenity Horticulture sector. The course is ideal for deputy greenkeepers, groundsmen and landscapers who wish to then pursue full accreditation through attainment of the BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection – Amenity Horticulture.

 

Fertiliser Advisers Certificate and Training Scheme (FACTS)
13-15 November, 7-8 December (exam on 8th Dec)

The FACTS Turf Certification and Training Scheme is an independent scheme for advisers in plant nutrient management. This course provides a fundamental understanding of fertilisers, turf nutrition, and the environmental impacts of fertilisers.


Nutrient Management Planning (NMP)
20-22 November (online 30 question multiple choice exam)
The NMP course has been designed for FACTS (Turf) Qualified Advisors to update their expertise on fertiliser issues and legislation. The NMP training is compulsory for current FACTS Qualified Advisers and those gaining the qualification, to maintain their FQA status.

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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

Follow us on Twitter 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.