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NEWS ARTICLES

Emirates Stadium And Their Success With DLF

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Together with some key distributors and customers, DLF Seeds recently hosted a groundsmens trip to the Emirates Stadium in London. Delegates were treated to a stadium tour, a look around the maintenance sheds and discussed how the Johnsons J Premier Pitch mixture has played a fundamental role in the recent re-build of the stadium pitch and the results it has already delivered.

Commenting on the day, Regional Manager for DLF Craig Spooner said, “It was a fantastic opportunity for our customers to see and hear first-hand how the Emirates team monitor and maintain their facilities. We had a great day for it, the turnout was fantastic and the feedback we’ve received from all so far has been very positive. I’d like to pass on my sincere thanks to Paul Ashcroft, Reece Watson and Alan Russell at the Emirates for delivering a factual and informative day for all.”

Johnsons J Premier Pitch is the UK’s No. 1 sports turf renovation mixture, featuring top rated perennial ryegrass cultivars Eurodiamond and Columbine. It is also available as J Nitro Premier Pitch, the ProNitro coated option.

ICL launch Landscaper Pro Range

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The Turf and Landscape division of ICL has announced the launch of Landscaper Pro – featuring a range of unique products for landscapers and gardeners to help meet the demands of modern day lawn and landscape management.

The fertilizers in the Landscaper Pro range will result in less waste and healthier turf as well as improve its tolerance of environmental stresses such as shade and drought.
The Landscaper Pro range includes:

Lawn Fertilizers

  • Landscaper Pro Spring & Summer which offers a strong immediate response.
  • Landscaper Pro Autumn & Winter to help prevent stress during colder months.
  • Landscaper ProTablet a controlled release fertilizer that feeds the plant for up to two years.
  • Landscapers Pro Feed Weed & Mosskiller which maintains growth and contains a selective herbicide for weed control plus iron for moss control.
  • UNIVERSTAR Balance which has been developed as a convenient and cost effective general purpose fertilizer for use on lawns, beds and borders.

The Landscaper Pro Performance grass seed provides the perfect foundation to get turf off to the best possible start. Containing high quality perennial Ryegrass and Fescue, Landscaper Pro Performance produces a hard-wearing and fine blade which is ideal for areas used by children and pets. Offering rapid germination, it is available in both 5kg and 10kg bags.

For fertilizer and grass seed application, the Landscaper Pro range features a variety of spreaders such as the Handygreen II – with an ergonomic design to reduce wrist fatigue and the Accupro 1000 which has been designed to deliver an even and balanced spread pattern.

Also included within the Landscaper Pro portfolio is Osmocote PrePlant which helps growers add value to their offering and help boost incremental sales to the landscaping sector. Designed for use when planting trees, hedging plants, hardy nursery stock (HNS) and herbaceous perennials, Osmocote PrePlant provides an ideal NPK and trace element package (16-11-10+2MgO+TE) promoting good establishment and ongoing healthy plant growth. It is suitable for a wide range of trees and plants including Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Buxus, without fear of root scorching.
Along with Ranger – a hard surface cleaner for use on concrete, asphalt, tarmac, block paving, artificial sports surfaces and any hard surface areas (except memorial marble/slate).
Landscapers and gardeners will be pleased to see the inclusion of the Humax range of growing media, which offers a wide choice of products and package sizes to suit the amateur as well as the experienced.

For further information, please contact Mark Pyrah, ICL’s Landscape & Industrial Manager, for the UK & Ireland on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or
www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

A week is not such a long time for Charterhouse and their dealers

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Some say a week is a long time, but not Charterhouse Turf Machinery’s Nick Darking. Their Dealer Training Week “flew by” he said, “with 68 dealer staff from across the country converging on Charterhouse School for us to update them on new and updated kit.” Existing, and recently appointed dealers from their distribution network had the opportunity to get ever-valuable hands-on experience and ask questions.

Burden Bros Agri Group Turf Manager, Alan Pierce, went along with the whole of his sales team. “We all attended the same day and found it to be very well organised with plenty of Charterhouse staff on hand, as always helpful and professional. It was hugely beneficial to see such a wide range of kit in action and we all came away with an enhanced knowledge which we look forward to sharing with our customers.”

Ben Turner, Group Grounds Care Equipment Manager from Ben Burgess GroundsCare Equipment added, “6 of my team and I attended and found it to be a worthwhile event. It’s always great to get hands on and develop our understanding of the products. A big thanks to the Charterhouse team for the event and their hospitality on the day.”

The winners of the Golf Environment Awards 2017 have arrived back in the UK

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Alex James (Frilford Heath Golf Club), Edward Ainsworth (Avro GC) and Adi Porter (Greetham Valley GC), travelled with STRI ecology and environment specialists, Bob Taylor and Sophie Vukelic, to visit some of the most environmentally conscious golf clubs in Portugal.
Host Alexandra Almeida, of the Portuguese Golf Federation, organised visits to golf courses, so that the winners could gain a further understanding of the role that biodiversity plays in European golf course management.

Environmental Golf Course of the Year 2017 winner representative, Alex James, said: “When I was told that I’d be going on the GEA winners trip to Portugal, it was described as a once in a lifetime experience. Sometimes phrases like that are thrown around without any substance to back it up… well this time that phrase doesn’t even come close to describing just how amazing it was. It was more than a once in a lifetime trip, it was life changing!”

Almeida arranged visits to Espiche Golf Club with Greenkeeper Paulo Coelho, San Lorenzo Golf Course with Greenkeeper Carlos Santos, Monte Rei Golf Course with João Goulão and Luis Pinto, and Onyria Palmares Golf Resort with Joel Nunes, who has recently been elected as President of the Portuguese Greenkeepers Association.

Edward Ainsworth, Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year tweeted: “A very exciting moment for me, seeing and capturing on camera my first Swallowtail butterfly @EspicheGolfSA last week with @golfenvawards.”

The greenkeeping teams led the winners on an educational tour of the facilities, to highlight their sustainable initiatives. Alex James, said: “I was guilty of thinking that the GEA awards are mainly about bird boxes and bug hotels, but it is so much more than that! Yes, these things are important to promote wildlife and help the environment, but so is turning off heaters, using energy saving bulbs, moving irrigation water in the most efficient way, and recycling waste. All of these things help the environment, and we should all take a look at what we do and ask ourselves how we can do it better. We have a collective responsibility to be the best that we can possibly be.”

On his return, Adi Porter said: “This trip has been so inspirational and I will be taking so much back to my own club to help us do more to become more sustainable. I have learnt that it only takes small changes to make a massive difference!”

STRI’s Sophie Vukelic, said: “Yet again, the winners trip was a delight for all involved. This year’s winners continued to be enraptured by the knowledge shared by their Portuguese counterparts at some of Europe’s most environmentally sound golf clubs. We all shared ideas for creating a more sustainable business, from water-saving techniques to nature conservation initiatives and visitor experience. Indeed, the trip highlighted more than ever the need to understand that ‘sustainability’ incorporates so much more than bird boxes and wildflowers.”

STRI would like to thank the sponsors of the GEA 2017 for their continued support, Ransomes Jacobson, Farmura, Syngenta, Tillers Turf and Wiedenmann.
STRI recently announced that The R&A has agreed to become lead partner of the Golf Environment Awards. Entry for the 2018 awards is now open. For more information on the GEA, or to submit your entry, visit https://golfenvironmentawards.com.

Jacobsen Impresses

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Ipswich, Suffolk (11 April 2017) Jacobsen, a Textron Specialized Vehicles brand, showcased a range of machinery at the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF) Turfgrass Management Expo held at Pattana Golf Club in Thailand.

More than 250 course superintendents, club managers and industry representatives from 21 countries attended the event. Guests visited the Jacobsen stand on the golf course to experience some of the latest innovations from the renowned turf equipment manufacturer. The machinery being demonstrated included the AR3, the Truckster XD, the GP400 riding greens mower, the LF570 light fairway mower and the Eclipse2 122F pedestrian mower showing the pioneering frequency of cut adjustment system.

Representing Jacobsen was Annie Boriraj, South East Asia Regional Sales Manager, Li Meng Sheng, Product Support Manager and Josh Gagnuss, Product Support Manager. Ten sales and service representatives from local Jacobsen dealer Shriro (Thailand) supported the event.

“It has been another fantastic event,” Boriraj said. “We have had lots of interest in the machines that we have been demonstrating and we are pleased that we have been able to share our passion for innovation and customer experience with industry professionals in this region.

“We also organised a small networking session with refreshments, which more than 40 golf course superintendents attended. We would like to thank AGIF for organising this event, our dealer Shriro (Thailand) for its support, and to everyone who visited our stand to take part in our machinery demonstrations.”

In 2016, the AGIF organised Turfgrass Management Seminars and Field Days in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Plans are to run at least another five in 2017.

The AGIF has confirmed that the Vietnam Turfgrass Management Seminar and Field Day will be held at Hanoi’s BRG Legend Hill on April 27-28 with the Philippine Golf Course Management Conference at Cavite’s Orchard Golf and Country Club taking place on May 4-5.

About Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc.
Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of golf cars, utility and personal transportation vehicles, snowmobiles, side-by-sides, all-terrain vehicles, professional turf-care equipment, and ground support equipment. Textron Specialized Vehicles markets products under the E-Z-GO®, Cushman®, Arctic Cat®, Textron Off Road™, Jacobsen®, Dixie Chopper®, Ransomes®, TUG™, Douglas™, Premier™ and Safeaero™ brands. Its vehicles are found in environments ranging from golf courses to factories, airports to planned communities, and theme parks to hunting preserves.

About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Textron Off Road, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit www.textron.com.