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

Curators Cry – Local Cricket Groundsmen Struggle In Face of Financial Challenges

/in /by

Despite weekly wages in the region of $6,000 and very little recognition, local cricket groundsmen are expressing their commitment to the craft, even if there has been a considerable falloff among their ranks in recent years.

Local groundskeepers say that although they face financial challenges, they still remain dedicated to their jobs due to their love for the profession and the sport.

Lucas Cricket Club’s Travis Reid, who also plays for the outfit, says that despite the measly returns, he continues to carry out his duties because of love for the sport of the cricket and for his club.

“You have to love the game to be a groundsman because most men who are in it have been in it for years. They have dedicated their time to it,” said Reid, who has been curator for the past seven years.

“It is an underpaid job in Jamaica because nobody recognises the work that the groundsmen do,” Reid noted. “The main reason why I do it is because of my club Lucas, and so I will continue to do my work here.

“It is only when we have International and first-class matches you will make little money,” Reid said.

In fact, Reid said that many curators who have been in the profession before him are now walking away from the craft, because of the limited funds.

“Locally, there is no money in it, and because of this a lot of people are turning away from groundsman work in Jamaica,” he said.

Floyd Williams, who has been a curator at the Melbourne Cricket Club for 23 years, said that despite the lack of financial rewards, he, too, remains committed to doing his job to the best of his abilities. 

“Cricket is my main sport, and so this why I continue to be a groundsman,” said Williams. “The money don’t’ matter to me because it may be small, but I just love doing my job as a groundsman,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, Lucas Cricket Club president Daniel Wilmot, said the lack of financial support at the club is hampering its ability to properly pay its grounds staff.

“The curators, or groundsmen, don’t earn that much money, and what they earn is not enough to keep doing that alone. This is partly because the clubs are struggling for money, and only maybe two clubs are doing well, and so they are able to pay their staff.

“However, generally, the clubs are struggling, and this is one of the reasons why cricket as a sport is struggling,” Wilmot said.

However, all is not lost as the University of Technology (UTech) is set to stage a curator’s course this year in a bid to create new opportunities for those with interest in the field.

Anthony Davis, UTech’s director of sports, said that the aim of the course is to improve the standard of Jamaican curators.

“I realise that we really don’t have a consistent formal way of training groundsmen because people learnt the trade as a ‘prentice’, and there is no scientific method of doing it,” said Davis.

“Looking around the world, we realise that it is a job in itself and a very distinguished job because if you are a curator in Sydney or Lords or any of the big places in the world, it is a serious job you have, but we don’t treat it that way,” he said.

He said that the university would be engaging the services of a well-known curator from Durham in the England to conduct the course.

To read the original article, click here

Dennis S500: The Riverside’s Best Kept Secret

/in /by

Tony Bell, head groundsman for Middlesbrough FC, has revealed that the secret behind keeping the pitch at the Riverside Stadium in such pristine condition is his unique and innovative approach to using the Dennis S500 PLUS ‘dual purpose’ machine.

Tony, who has been at the club since 1997, not only oversees the grounds maintenance at the Riverside but also at the training ground in Darlington and at the club’s foundation site in Eston. Including the pitch at the Riverside, Tony and his team are responsible for maintaining thirteen grass pitches and two artificial pitches as well as 50 hectares of green space at the training ground.

Anyone would think that Tony would struggle to find enough hours in the day to ensure that the pitches and facilities live up to his extremely high standards. However, he still manages to find time once a month to overseed the whole pitch – using just the Dennis S500 Plus. Ever the perfectionist, Tony believes that this pedestrian machine with its quality and quantity of tines enables him to achieve the results he desires.

“Quite simply, I’m just not a fan of taking tractors on the pitch – as I don’t like any weight on the pitch whatsoever. We originally purchased the S500 to use it on the linesman’s runs, goalmouths and warm-up areas but then we got used to it and thought that we would use it to overseed the whole pitch.”

“Yes, it is a full day’s work but we can cope with it, and it does the exact job which we need it to. We use about four bags of seed, and it is probably a seven hour job, which admittedly is a little bit excessive – but this is why we have just taken delivery of another S500. Therefore, it will only be a half day’s job and in my mind it is absolutely worthwhile.”

Known as the ‘dual –purpose’ machine, the Dennis S500 PLUS has a 510mm (20″) operating width complete with interchangeable spiker and slotter reels. The spiker reel punches through the ‘surface pan’ allowing air, water and fertiliser to penetrate the root zone, while the slotter reel creates ideal seed germination pockets thus reducing seed wastages. Using the optional seed box attachment, as Tony does, will ensure grass seed is dropped onto the ground at the prescribed rate and brushed into the pockets.

“It just has the double advantage of aerating the pitch as well,” says Tony. “It allows a little bit of air and water into the top inch, which helps with oxygen, and at the same time we are putting some seed down – it’s a win-win situation.”

The S500 PLUS is not the only Dennis machine in Tony’s armoury; a long-term admirer of the Dennis G860 interchangeable cassette mower, Tony recently upgraded his existing G860’s to two brand new ones at the start of the season.

“I like to use the Dennis G860, and I use it on a daily basis,” says Tony. “I’m very impressed with the quality of cut it offers, and I would say that the smoothness of the machine is the G860’s best feature. It’s extremely comfortable to use and when I am walking behind it, it’s as if I am simply gliding along.”

“The interchangeable cassette system is also a massive advantage; in just a minute or so you can turn it into a brush or a verti-cutter – or anything else depending on the requirement.”

With the option of being able to fit a variety of heads including scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, spikers, and slitters as well as 6,8 or 11 bladed cutter cassettes, it is easy to see why the G860 is relied upon in stadium environments all over the world. In Tony’s case, he uses the 8 bladed cutting cylinder to keep the grass at a constant height of 25mm. After games he will apply the brush cassette to clean out all the debris and in the summer months he turns to the verti-cutting cassette.

“All in all Dennis have been helpful all the way throughout and have provided a first-class service. They are very flexible in what they can do – they listen to what we say and want we want to achieve and I think that is really important,” said Tony.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

Berkhamsted School bowled over by MM50

/in /by

Mike Herring, head groundsman at Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire, has reported excellent results after using Limagrain’s MM50 grass seed in a new construction and in the renovation of the school’s two cricket wickets.

Berkhamsted School’s illustrious history can be traced all the way back to 1541, when John Incent, Dean of St Paul’s, was granted a Licence by Henry VIII to found a school in his home town. Today, Berkhamsted School is one of Britain’s leading independent schools, offering both single sex (from age 11 – 16) and co-educational teaching for boys and girls aged 3 – 18.

Boasting excellent academic results, students excel not only in the classroom but also in sports. Over the last two academic years, Berkhamsted School pupils have secured nine national titles in rounders, netball and lacrosse, the 1st XV rugby team lost only one regular fixture and the U13 Football team made it to the last 16 of the national ISFA competition.

Berkhamsted sport is not just about the elite performers, however, it is also about taking part; the vast majority of boys and girls in Year 7 represent the school at sport as teams are fielded at C, D and E level.

Students can participate in a wide variety of sports which take place on truly first-class facilities. Overseeing the 40 acres of playing fields and sports facilities is head groundsman Mike Herring, who decided to bring in leading sports turf contractor Fineturf to renovate an existing cricket wicket and construct a completely new one.

“I had heard of the work Fineturf had done at various sites across the country – at the test grounds and county grounds and I was under the impression that Fineturf were the best in the construction of cricket wickets. I just thought that the service and the aftercare was the finest that I’d ever come across. They were by far the best contractor myself and the school have ever dealt with,” said Mike.

 

The Fineturf team got to work by starting on the renovation and the new construction and when the time came for seeding, there was only one brand of product they were going to use.
“We only exclusively use Limagrain seeds,” says Anthony Hardy, operations director for Fineturf. “We just wouldn’t use any other grass seed unless specified, mainly because of the quality and guaranteed results that the Limagrain seed produces. We have to be 100% confident in the products that we use for our contracting work, to absolutely know that we are going to get the desired results for the end user. Limagrain seed gives us that reassurance.”

For the project at Berkhamsted, Fineturf used Limagrain’s MM50 – which is the number one choice of seed for cricket groundsmen. Those representing grass roots, schools, local clubs and international test venues have all benefitted from using MM50 as it possesses exceptional shoot density along with tolerance to close mowing making it particularly suitable for all cricket squares. Other key features include fast recovery from wear and damage and high disease resistance.

This superior mix contains the perennial ryegrass cultivars, Venice, Alison and Malibu, which are renowned for providing a great sward for cricket use. MM50 is also treated with HEADSTART® GOLD – Limagrain’s unique seaweed based seed treatment which helps to ensure rapid and even germination. This tried and tested grass seed treatment helps the seed get off to the best possible start – therefore it is ideal to use in the less than favourable conditions that can sometimes be found on cricket squares during renovations.
Mike was certainly impressed with the end result.

“The weather was very kind when the project was being carried out and as soon as it rained the germination was absolutely superb – the establishment was excellent – in fact I would say it was 100% or as near to 100% as you could measure. We didn’t need to overseed, we didn’t put any patches in, and quite simply it was just an excellent choice of seed,” he said.

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.limagrain.co.uk

For further information about Fineturf please visit www.fine-turf.co.uk

Aspirations of excellence at Trump Turnberry

/in /by

The history of golf at Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire continues to evolve, with the summer of 2016 marking the official reopening of the world renowned Ailsa course, following extensive changes by golf course architect Martin Ebert. In summer 2017, King Robert the Bruce will be unveiled as Trump Turnberry’s second major course.

In the largest equipment deal John Deere has ever signed in the UK and Ireland, a new and comprehensive golf course maintenance fleet was supplied by dealer Nairn Brown Ltd of Busby, Glasgow, on a John Deere Financial four-year lease arrangement.

The package of 95 machines included walk-behind greens mowers, tees & surrounds mowers, E-Cut hybrid electric greens and fairway mowers, rough mowers, top of the range compact tractors and both diesel and electric Gator utility vehicles. Additional machines and staff were also provided by John Deere and dealer Nairn Brown as tournament support for the 2015 Ricoh Women’s British Open.

Golf courses and estates manager Allan Patterson, whose CV includes Gleneagles and 10 years on the Castle Course at St Andrews Links, oversees a team of more than 40 greenkeeping, gardening and estate staff at Trump Turnberry. All were involved in some way in the choice of the new machinery fleet, as workshop manager Jim Campbell explains:

“The staff were asked to fill in appraisal sheets, looking particularly at the things they were most comfortable with, which helped the selection and final decision making processes,” he says. “Price is always a key consideration, but back-up is more important still. It’s no good simply having the best kit – if it does break down, the question is how quickly can it be fixed? The relationship with the dealer is also very important.”

In response to the need to maintain a consistent finish across the course, Jim programmes the A Model mowers’ TechControl system before going out with each operator and tweaking the mowing and turning speeds to suit the individual. This strikes a balance between getting the job done in the time available and achieving the best possible cut quality.

“Height of cuts on the tees, surrounds and greens are pretty standard, we try not to change them around too much,” says Jim. “The 8000AE hybrid electric mowers are used on the Ailsa fairways, while 2500E hybrids cut the greens on the Kintyre and 220SL hand mowers cut the greens on Ailsa. The Kintyre has more grass and bigger fairways, so more productivity is required from the mowers on that course.

“We tend to cut the fairways twice a week, the greens every day, the tees and surrounds three times a week and the rough once a week. Generally we aim to hand cut as much as possible, for the visual results. Quality of cut on the John Deere walk-behinds and triples is very good, and meets our expectations.

“The fairway mowers are equipped with Quick Adjust seven-blade cutting units plus rotary brushes instead of groomers – these are less aggressively set, and help to flick up the grass into the boxes. The 220SLs are also equipped with brushes, and 11-blade cylinders.”

Allan Patterson adds: “Mr Trump is the first owner of Turnberry to really address the changes that have been needed for some time. To allow the course to regain and maintain its top status, we have to push on and improve what’s here. Over the last couple of years Turnberry has probably experienced the biggest and most significant of all the changes to Trump courses, and this underlines our desire to return to the very top tier of golf in the UK.

“Our aspiration is to raise standards and the quality of course presentation by increasing cut frequencies. For tournaments and big events, there’s enough kit to cope, and we aim to maintain the very best condition possible. Mr Trump’s support and investment will allow us to move forward with confidence to achieve our ambitions.”

For more information visit www.JohnDeere.co.uk

Pellenc leaves the champions blown away

/in /by

John Ledwidge, grounds manager for reigning Premier League champions Leicester City FC, believes that his new range of Pellenc battery powered equipment offers his staff a safer, healthier and higher performing alternative to petrol powered products.

From a team that spent the majority of the 2014/15 season close to the bottom of the table and among the favourites for relegation for the 2015/16 season, a combination of hard work and talent saw them transform into Premier League champions. In doing so, Leicester City FC captured the imaginations of football fans around the world with one of the most unlikely sporting triumphs ever seen.

Arguably, the key ingredient in that success was team-spirit and that applied to everyone at the club – from the manager and players through to the employees who do a magnificent job on a daily basis behind the scenes. It is safe to say that Leicester City FC is a tightly-knit family, so when the opportunity arose to provide a healthier and safety working environment for his grounds staff – John wasn’t about to dismiss it.

“As a manager it is imperative that I consider health and safety as well as the comfortable use of machinery for my staff. For example, heavy vibrating tools can bring about White Finger (an industrial injury triggered by continuous use of vibrating hand-held machinery). Then of course if you’ve got a hand held product with the engine at the base – they are quite heavy and cumbersome and they take their toll on your arms. Then there are the petrol fumes to consider.

“The Pellenc equipment had been recommended to me on a few occasions so I felt that I needed to see them in action. To be honest, I was a little sceptical because I wasn’t sure if you would get enough power out of battery products compared to a petrol engine. However, a full demonstration ensued and every one of us tried every product. We were all blown away and were exceptionally impressed with just how powerful they were. By our own admission I think we were a little ignorant as to just how far advanced battery powered products had become.”

With more than 100 experts including engineers and technicians specialised in research, computer modelling, prototyping, electronics, electrical engineering and mechanics, Pellenc works tirelessly to create the most innovative battery powered products which contribute to reducing the consumption of fossil fuels while increasing your productivity and cost effectiveness.

John went onto purchase a range of Pellenc equipment, including an Airion blower, a Helion hedge cutter, a Selion M12 chainsaw, a Selion polesaw and the Rasion Smart rotary mower – which are all used at the King Power Stadium and its surrounding areas as well as at the club’s training ground.

“We have been over the moon with all of the products but the one we use the most is the Airion blower. Not only do we use it for clearing leaves and debris but we also use it to ‘blow off’ our machinery. Everything that goes into our store has to be clean and dry so that we haven’t got any water sitting on any of the products. For that reason we use the Airion blower on the highest setting, which knocks all the water out of the bearings or joints.

“The engineering behind the Rasion mower is simply fantastic. The way it adjusts itself, the different speed settings, and the way it moves the deck up and down simply knocked our socks off – it was almost like someone landing a spaceship. Outside the stadium we have a nature reserve which is cut down to 70mm and a memorial garden which is cut to 25mm – to be able to press just two buttons to drop the deck according to the height of cut you require is fantastic.”

The products are all powered by Pellenc’s ultra-lithium batteries which feature carrying harnesses to effectively and evenly distribute the weight of the battery. This multi-purpose battery can be used to operate any tool from Pellenc’s electric handheld range and they have been designed to last for up to a full day’s work.

“I’m really impressed with the battery life and how you can get a full day’s work out of one charge. The versatility of simply plugging in a number of products to one battery is also extremely beneficial. Then of course there are the savings – your battery is in effect your fuel costs and electric is considerably cheaper than fuel. I think that just with the mower, we forecasted that we will save around £4,500 over the course of a few years.

“For me, ultimately it’s always about the end product. Is it as powerful as a petrol engine? Yes. Does it do as good a job? Yes. If all that falls into place as well as having the added bonus of being environmentally friendly and being better for my staff to use – then it makes complete sense. I think more and more people are gaining confidence in battery powered equipment and they are right to do so.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk where you can also find more information on Pellenc which is sold exclusively in the UK by Etesia UK.