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NEWS ARTICLES

April dates & new venue for Turf Maintenance LIVE!

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Turf Maintenance LIVE! a unique turf care event with an emphasis on working demonstrations and up close inspection of the new season’s products returns for 2017.

The collaborative event by eight of the industry’s leading innovators will be held on Wednesday, April 26 and Thursday, April 27. Location is The Worcestershire Golf Club at Malvern Wells and those involved are Martin Lishman, Wiedenmann UK, Husqvarna, Rigby Taylor, Jacobsen, Iseki, GKB Machines and Wessex International.

The event, hosting working kit not confined to exhibition halls, targets groundsmen, greenkeepers, contractors, local authority personnel, estate managers and schools as well as amateur and professional clubs.

A TML organiser said: “The Worcestershire Golf Club will make a formidable back drop and as it’s within striking distance of the M5/M50 intersection and Three Counties Show Ground it’s pretty accessible. We’ve had good indications of people travelling not just locally but from Shropshire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, Bristol, South Wales and Oxfordshire so there should be a bit of a buzz. We’ll be showcasing some of the latest technology with a serious amount of diverse kit on view, so there’s plenty of incentive to make a day of it.

“We’re indebted to two associate sponsors – The IOG and BIGGA – both of whom will be awarding CPD points to attendees. Starting time on both days is 10.00 with free registration and bacon rolls. Lunch is provided at no charge and those who can’t make the morning can come along grab lunch and do the afternoon session. “

Online registrations are being taken at www.turfmaintenancelive.com or by phone on 0141 814 3366. Follow the event as it develops on Twitter @live_turf or on Facebook.

Saints Manager Praises Groundstaff

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Claude Puel jokingly thanked the Saints groundsmen for their good work after a second “lucky” penalty miss for an opposition at St Mary’s this term, in which they’ve slipped on the turf at the Northam End.

Harry Kane of Tottenham skied a spot kick back in December in the very same place Harry Arter booted another penalty miles over for AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.

On both occasions the turf by the penalty mark has become unstable, with both Kane and Arter’s standing foot slipping on the surface.

When asked if he’d patted his grounds staff on the back, Puel joked: “Yes, of course, I am happy with the groundsmen … I am happy with them two times now! It’s a good thing.

“We are, of course, lucky with this situation with these penalties because the pitch, it’s fantastic, and the work of groundsmen is fantastic.

“I wanted to say to them thank you very much … not just for the penalty though!”

“Perhaps the next time we go to have a penalty for us, it’s the same, it’s a problem,” he added, smiling. “It was a good situation for us, of course, but for the future this will unlikely happen again.”

In his press conference, ahead of the Crystal Palace match at home tomorrow night, the St Mary’s chief was also asked about whether or not he was satisfied with his first season as Saints boss.

He replied: “I don’t know…it is difficult to say, if it’s a good or not a good season. We must see how many points we can win, we will see this at the end.

“Of course we can do better with some games and some competitions but it’s interesting season because all of the players can learn from a difficult schedule.

“They played every three days since the beginning of the season and now they play one game every two weeks, we learn and I think perhaps all of the results are not good for the moment but we stay with a capacity to play good football, for me, it’s always important.

“I’m sure you can continue to improve of course and we see with Nathan Redmond and James (Ward-Prowse) in the national team its good for them but its important to develop all of the players.”

To read the original article, click here

Kawasaki Engines And Spider Look Back On 15 Years

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Today the option of remote controlled mowing for hard-to-reach or hazardous terrain is well established. Back at the start of the millennium this was certainly not the case. Professionals faced with steep inclines simply had to do their best with conventional technology, or at worst employ dangerous practices to ensure hillsides weren’t neglected.

That all changed 15 years ago thanks to the vision of Lubomir Dvorak founder of DVORAK – svahove sekacky s.r.o., the Czech company who created Spider mowers. It was Lubomir’s invention of the first remote controlled mowers designed to cope with steep slopes and uneven terrain, that introduced a new, and more importantly safer way of working to groundscare professionals.

“In the beginning it wasn’t as easy to open minds to the idea of the Spider as you might think”, comments Lubomir. “Ideas of how mowing should be done were very entrenched. However, once they saw the manoeuvrability of the mower and ease of remote operation, the benefits became clear”.

Since the start of production in 2004 Spider have chosen Kawasaki Engines to power their professional grade mowers, the ILD01 and ILD02. This year Kawasaki Engines celebrate their own milestone of 60 years of engine production, and their collaboration with Spider remains one of which they are particularly proud.

“We have huge respect for what Lubomir and his team have developed. Not only did they create a pioneering product, but their continual commitment to technical innovation, state-of-the-art design and high quality components means that they have remained at the forefront of their market and deservedly developed a reputation for one of the most innovative groundscare companies in the world” comments Jack Ford, Senior Product Manager at Kawasaki Engines Europe.

Lubomir is equally complimentary about the power solution provided by Kawasaki’s FS541V and FS691V currently fitted in the ILD01 and ILD02 respectively. “Kawasaki’s FS engines are built for durability and reliable performance day in, day out. This is important for the demanding environments that our Spider mowers are expected to work in”, says Lubomir.

Britain’s Huxley Golf Helps Inspire Young Golfers In Shanghai

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Global leader in artificial surfaces for golf, Huxley Golf, exhibited at the China Golf Show (CGS) in Shanghai for the first time this spring. The three day event is one of the biggest in Asia, welcoming over 15,000 visitors and over 500 exhibitors showcasing premier golf technologies from around the World.

Paul Huxley, Director of the Hampshire-based company said: “The political landscape in China means that, surprisingly, golf remains a fledgling sport there. However, after bringing home the nation’s first golf Olympic medal from Rio last year, Chinese interest in the sport continues to grow, particularly amongst young people. We established Huxley Golf China in 2014 and are proud to be a great British business making headway in China, when, as we know, many goods travel in the other direction.”

Huxley Golf China is based in Shanghai, host to a number of major golf events and home to one of China’s largest golfing populations – accounting for nearly 300,000 players in Shanghai city proper and neighboring cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. The company advises, designs, supplies and installs bespoke all-weather greens, tees, practice nets, pathways and lawns, modular greens and practice mats for both commercial and domestic use.

Song Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Huxley Golf China said: “It was a real pleasure to showcase Huxley Golf at our country’s premier golfing event for the first time. It was particularly heartening to see so much interest amongst young people and I’m sure that we have played a vital part in inspiring the next generation of golfers, signaling the future success of the sport here.”

The Chinese General Sports Administration Ten Year Development Plan for Teenagers lists golf as a key sport because of its ability to help young people with teamwork, concentration, self-control and competitive spirit. Currently, there are around 10,000 young golfers in China.

Huxley Golf provides premier all-weather surfaces for golf around the world. Clients include training and coaching establishments, golf resorts, ranges and academies as well as many well-known golf courses.

SALTEX 2017 leading the way in innovation

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SALTEX 2017 continues to attract some of the sector’s biggest names ensuring that visitors can again expect to see an impressive line-up of world-class innovation for use by managers of pitch, grounds, landscaping, park and estates when the event opens its doors at the NEC, Birmingham on 1 and 2 November.

John Deere, Toro, Ransomes Jacobsen and Kubota have all confirmed that they will be returning to the show for a third consecutive year to showcase their latest product innovations. With over 200 exhibitors already signed up, they will be joined by companies such as STIHL, ICL, Rigby Taylor, DLF Trifolium, Dennis & SISIS, Charterhouse Turf Machinery, Advanced Turf Technology, Fleet Line Markers, plus many more leading companies.

Featuring the broadest ever spectrum of exhibitors that plan to launch a multitude of new products, SALTEX 2017 is set to play host to the most technologically advanced equipment showcase in grounds management. Combined with the two-day Learning LIVE educational seminar programme, which will cover topics linked to every aspect of the industry, the show will offer innovation, education and networking opportunities at every turn.

Reesink Turfcare, the sole UK distributor of Toro products, enjoyed a successful SALTEX 2016 and marketing manager Holly Jones says plans are set for its return this year.

“SALTEX 2016 was a very successful show for us. It certainly seems to be growing year-on-year in terms of visitors and exhibitors! We decided to sign up for SALTEX 2017 as we feel the show is attracting exactly the right potential customers for our goods and services.”

Likewise, Adrian Langmead, groundcare business development manager for Kubota, said: “SALTEX continues to provide an excellent platform for both existing and potential Kubota customers to get close up to the machinery and talk to our experts about the right machine to suit their needs. We had a fantastic time at last year’s event and we look forward to the 2017 event to again meet with the industry’s leading groundcare individuals to discuss our products and after sales support which we offer as part of the complete Kubota experience.”

Rebecca Rassie, PR and communications manager for STIHL, also reflected on a ‘buzzing’ SALTEX 2016: “From STIHL’s point of view, SALTEX 2016 was an extremely successful show. The team on the ground received a myriad of requests from new customers eager to open STIHL accounts, leads from councils enquiring about cordless demonstrations and many conversations with STIHL-approved dealers who were in attendance too. Our private upper floor level of the stand offered us a one-to-one opportunity to catch up with dealers, members of press and key UK and international contacts, and offered a great view over the buzzing show. STIHL will absolutely be in attendance at SALTEX 2017!”

After a year’s absence it has also been confirmed that Campey Turf Care Systems is returning to SALTEX to profile its turfcare products. Regarding its re-engagement with SALTEX, managing director Richard Campey said: “For Campey Turf Care Systems, 2016 was the year of the UK and Ireland Grassroots renovation tour which brought us into contact with groundsmen and women from across the UK. In 2017 our marketing plans will be to build on this momentum.

“A significant part in re-enforcing our connection with grounds professionals across the natural sports turf spectrum is to meet face to face through practical demonstrations and educational seminars. We are delighted to be attending SALTEX again as part of this continuing process.”

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com