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EcoBunker Synthetic Revetting More Sustainable than Natural Turf*

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EcoBunker Synthetic Revetting More Sustainable than Natural Turf*: *A recent report by the Welsh government has found that EcoBunker synthetically revetted bunkers have a significantly lower environmental impact than naturally turfed revetted bunkers.

The report specifically cites EcoBunker’s promotion of a circular economy alongside the consumption of vast resources including water, chemicals, fertilisers, and energy associated with turf farming.

EcoBunker Synthetic Revetting More Sustainable than Natural Turf*

EcoBunker Synthetic Revetting More Sustainable than Natural Turf*

“People often ask what is ‘Eco’ about synthetic revetting,” said EcoBunker founder Richard Allen upon the release of the report by the Welsh government. “We start with the fact that an average EcoBunker saves two tons of waste astroturf from landfill. All our turf is recycled so nothing new is created. Then there’s virtually zero maintenance in comparison with natural turf revetting, so no emissions or chemicals needed for upkeep. We eliminate contamination from bunker wall erosion, reducing the need for replacement sand which brings its own environmental impact, and this is all before you consider the negative impact of turf farming.”

The report measured the use of fertilisers, pesticides, weed-killers and disease-controlling chemicals[1] in the production of farmed turf. One Hectare typically (depending on geography, soil and climate) requires 89kg Nitrogen, 12kg Phosphorous, 40kg Potassium[2] and 92kg Lime[3]. This often washes off into nearby water courses contributing to “algal blooms” and a reduction in marine bio-diversity.

The report goes on to show that intensive farming of turf removes the nutritional layer of topsoil and the soil organisms (fungi, earthworms, bacteria) leaving it largely barren. Repeated use of the land this way necessitates intensive artificial fertilising.

The various advantages of EcoBunker synthetic revetting detailed in the report align with the most recent advice from golf’s governing bodies and environmental experts. Golf Wales, England Golf and the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf all highlight recycling, reducing waste and reducing the use of chemicals as key targets to help bring down emissions[4].

“Turf farming does provide a vital resource to the landscaping industry, and not all natural revetted turf is intensively farmed. Where large areas of turf coverage is needed there are some superb examples of turf suppliers using sustainable practices, and quickly solving urgent landscaping challenges,” added Richard. “But with thick cut revetting turf, the evidence is clear. Not only do EcoBunkers use 100% recycled materials, the ongoing maintenance burden with the associated cost and resources, are slashed. Finally, all but the top layer of naturally turfed revetted bunkers just don’t have enough access to light and soil to maintain a root structure. So, they gradually disintegrate and, on average, have to be replaced every 5 years. The evidence for the sustainability of one EcoBunker is convincing. When you have to re-build a natural turf bunker four times in our minimum guaranteed 20 year lifespan, it really is overwhelming.”

The sustainability credentials of EcoBunker were recently highlighted when the company completed a project at Royal Ostend Golf Club. With stringent environmental regulations in place designed to protect the natural environment in coastal areas, EcoBunker was chosen as the most sustainable solution, preferred to natural revetting and surpassing all standards for use of new resources and harmful chemicals.

For more information on EcoBunker please visit www.ecobunker.co.uk

[1] Cornell University Turfgrass Program, study on cool climate turf management practices, https://turf.cals.cornell.edu/environment/
[2] Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from turf management of two Swedish golf courses, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.11.009
[3] https://www.horticulture.com.au/globalassets/hort-innovation/resource-assets/tu16000-lifecycle-assessment—goal-and-scope.pdf
[4] https://www.walesgolf.org/sustainability, https://www.englandgolf.org/sustainability, https://sustainable.golf/developments/

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‘Crouchy’ features on the cover of Your Course

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‘Crouchy’ features on the cover of Your Course: The Spring edition of Your Course magazine will this week appear in golf courses across the country and there’s a somewhat prominent star gracing the cover.

Standing at 6ft 7in tall, Peter Crouch made a name for himself as an outstanding striker for the England Men’s football team, Liverpool FC, Tottenham Hotspurs FC and others, but since retirement has turned his attention to broadcasting, podcasting and golf.

‘Crouchy’ features on the cover of Your Course

‘Crouchy’ features on the cover of Your Course

In the latest edition of Your Course, the twice-yearly publication from the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), ‘Crouchy’ talks about his appreciation for the hard work of greenkeepers and groundsmen, who enable elite sportspeople such as himself to perform, whether on the football pitch or the putting surface.

“Without greenkeepers and groundsmen, certainly at grassroots level, we wouldn’t have anything to play on,” Crouch says in the magazine’s lead feature. “It’s a great job they do and they make it incredibly enjoyable for the rest of us.”

Your Course is an in-print magazine distributed twice a year to golf clubs across the United Kingdom alongside National Club Golfer. The magazine is produced by 18Players in collaboration with BIGGA and is supported by a growing array of online features, able to view on the BIGGA website.

Also featured in the magazine are conversations with the course management teams at The Belfry and St Andrews Links Trust, as well as extended sections looking at greens maintenance and the growing use of autonomous technology on golf courses.

Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO, said: “At BIGGA, we’re big on spotlighting the incredible work of our members and the entire greenkeeping profession. That’s why we produce Your Course, a magazine and online resource designed to help golfers appreciate the skill, dedication and innovation that go into maintaining their courses.

“This latest edition is packed with fascinating insights, from Peter Crouch’s love of the game to the cutting-edge technology shaping its future, including autonomous mowing. Whether you’re a weekend golfer or a club captain, Your Course will give you a fresh perspective on the people and practices that make the sport we love possible.”

Your Course is intended to raise awareness of the greenkeeping profession and the vital role greenkeepers play in the ongoing success of the game of golf. In highlighting the expertise, training and ability of today’s course professionals, BIGGA seeks to redress the balance that has often seen greenkeepers overlooked within the sport, from major championships through to grassroots levels.

The Your Course resource library including previous editions of the magazine is available to view on the BIGGA website.

For more information about BIGGA and its various activities including how to become a member, visit www.bigga.org.uk.

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Take the chore out of coring this spring

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Take the chore out of coring this spring: Spring is in the air, aerating is on the to-do list and Reesink Turfcare is reminding customers how to make this essential task more efficient – and it’s all with one simple, cost-effective Nordic Plow Core Solutions blade attachment.

Aeration is hands down one of the best practices to promote root growth and the movement of air and water within the soil, which is key in spring to ensure a healthy, strong growing season.

Take the chore out of coring this spring

Take the chore out of coring this spring

Up until recently collecting the resulting cores had been a mucky, time-consuming job, but following in its ethos of making turfcare professionals’ lives easier, Reesink procured the perfect solution to that problem when it introduced to its range the clever core collecting blade attachment from Nordic Plow.

This lightweight 64-inch collector fits perfectly, but not exclusively, to the Toro ProCore 648s to aerate the turf and remove the cores in one pass in minutes. It considers the fact that aerating with the grain of the landscape or side to side reduces stress to the turf and results in a flawless measured scrape.

Further advantages include the removable sleeve which removes cores on severely undulated ground without the need for tools and the adjustable scraper edge, which can free float or lock into position.

Brushes drag top dressing into the cores and they can still be removed even if the turf is wet, and there’s no issue with small tine clear up, despite them having less structure and more sand, which normally makes the job more difficult and time-consuming. Additionally, creating tall piles of plugs with little spillage has the added benefit of brushing sand deeper into the holes as it goes.

Jon Cole, Business Divisional Manager of Reesink Turfcare, comments: “It’s always a priority for us to bring to our customers equipment that can complete a labour-intensive process with less manpower. It’s always going to be about working smarter not harder, whether that’s with the most cutting-edge, ground-breaking technologies or an innovative tool that does a simple job brilliantly which is exactly what the Core Collector does.”

For further information, or to place an order, call 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Bernhard & Company’s new Territory Manager for Turf Technologies

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Bernhard & Company’s new Territory Manager for Turf Technologies: Bernhard and Company, industry leader in grinding solutions and turf care technology, has announced the appointment of Jason Connaughton as its new Territory Manager for Turf Technologies in a brand-new role for the company.

Connaughton has an extensive career in golf turf, having started out as a greenkeeper in Ireland, then spending a year working in Australia at the Australian Club in Sydney. He eventually moved to the UK, becoming a qualified mechanic and eventually Golf Course Manager at Yeovil Golf Club, his most recent position before joining Bernhard and Company. His practical experience feeds directly into Bernhard’s strategy as a pioneer of data-driven technology solutions.

Bernhard & Company's new Territory Manager for Turf Technologies

Bernhard & Company’s new Territory Manager for Turf Technologies

“It’s really exciting to be part of the Bernhard and Company team,” said Connaughton. “The turf care industry is moving so rapidly towards data collection – it’s become such a powerful tool. With the products and technology that we are now distributing and selling, we can help turf managers both collect important data and understand how to use it to make smart decisions and operate in the most efficient way possible.”

Bernhard and Company is a driving force in the modern turf industry, which is embracing and harnessing the power of data collection. Connaughton’s role as Territory Manager for Turf Technologies means overseeing the array of Bernhard solutions, and working with companies like Maya Global that is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence for sustainable land management. Bernhard’s research also shows that 75% of turf grass problems occur beneath the surface, so understanding how to better manage those is crucial to turf management.

Bernhard and Company Turf Technologies and Solutions:

Soil Scout – Soil Scout provides the most advanced fully buried underground wireless soil sensors and monitoring solution for professionals in golf and sports turf maintenance. Details: https://bernhard.co.uk/products/soil-scout/

Maya Global – Maya Global provides an intelligent software platform for sustainable land management, offering real-time insights, task optimisation, and data-driven decision-making for golf courses, vineyards, parks, and sports pitches creating ultimate efficiencies. Details: https://bernhard.co.uk/products/maya

SubAir – SubAir is the world’s leading subsurface aeration and moisture management solution, designed to moderate and control environmental subsoil conditions. Details: https://bernhard.co.uk/products/subair/

TurfBreeze – The leading global name in sports surface aeration, TurfBreeze fans generate essential surface air movement to create high quality playing surfaces. Details: https://bernhard.co.uk/products/turfbreeze/

Connaughton cited Bernhard’s industry leading reputation as a vital factor in his transition to his new role, alongside his positive experience as a long-time customer of Bernhard in his previous roles.

“They are a great company with a solid reputation. You always want to work for a good business, and I’ve known them for years as industry leaders. Joining Bernhard felt like a natural progression for me.

“I’ve used Bernhard and Company equipment right from the beginning of my career. They are synonymous with excellent turf health. The turf technologies that they have more recently added to the offering are an integral part of modern turf management.”

To learn more about Bernhard and Company and the turf technologies on offer, visit: https://bernhard.co.uk/turf-tech/

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Historic Houses launches 2025 Garden of the Year Award

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Historic Houses launches 2025 Garden of the Year Award: The Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award 2025 has kicked off, with eight beautiful gardens competing to be named the Garden of the Year in a public vote. The award, launched in 1984 and sponsored by Christie’s auction house, has gone from strength to strength since then, with tens of thousands of votes cast in recent years.

Shortlisted entries are chosen from among the hundreds of gardens, parks, and grounds that offer free entry to members of Historic Houses, the association that represents and supports the UK’s independent historic homes, castles, and gardens. Details of this year’s eight finalist gardens can be found below. Voting is open now on the Historic Houses website.

Historic Houses launches 2025 Garden of the Year Award

Historic Houses launches 2025 Garden of the Year Award

Ben Cowell, Director General at Historic Houses, said: “This year’s shortlist shows the variety on show across England’s finest gardens. They range from the historic grandeur of Arundel Castle to the bluebells and wildflower meadows of Hole Park. Hestercombe blends Georgian formality with Edwardian charm, while Iford Manor offers Italianate terraces and tranquil vistas. At Lowther Castle, a planting scheme has taken over the ruins, while at Penshurst Place visitors can enjoy 11 acres of Elizabethan gardens. The walled gardens at Raby Castle have recently had a complete makeover, while Wollerton Old Hall delights with intimate garden rooms and exquisite planting. Each of our shortlist offers a unique journey through history, beauty, and seasonal splendour.”

Ursula Cholmeley, Chair of the Historic Houses Gardens Committee, said: “There is such a wonderfully diverse range of gardens in the UK under independent ownership, and this annual award is a great opportunity to recognise and reward the hard work that goes into the upkeep of these gardens, from both the owners and full gardening teams. This year’s shortlist showcases the natural beauty up and down the country, with eight impressive gardens.”

Orlando Rock, Chairman at Christie’s UK, said: “As proud supporters of this wonderful initiative since its inception in 1984, we always look forward to this time of year with great anticipation. The announcement of the nominations aligns perfectly with the arrival of spring, a season that reflects renewal and beauty. Each garden in this year’s nominations offers a unique vision, brimming with creativity and elegance. We invite everyone to explore these breathtaking gardens and cast their votes for their favourite. Best of luck to all the nominees, and may the gardens continue to inspire us all. “

About the eight competing gardens

Arundel Castle Gardens, West Sussex

Set high on a hill, Arundel Castle commands the local Sussex landscape with magnificent views across the South Downs and the River Arun.

The extensive 38 acres of gardens and landscape provide visitors with beautiful floral displays throughout the spring, summer, and autumn months, with wonderful specimen trees within the landscape and an immense variety of plants throughout the gardens.

https://www.historichouses.org/house/arundel-castle/visit/

Hestercombe Gardens, Somerset

Hestercombe Gardens, located near Taunton, spans 50 acres of quintessential Somerset beauty and showcases four centuries of garden design. Visitors can explore the Georgian Landscape Garden from the 1750s, the Victorian Shrubbery, and the Edwardian Formal Gardens, crafted in the early 1900s by Sir Edwin Lutyens with planting schemes by Gertrude Jekyll, offering a rich and varied horticultural experience.

Through meticulous research and conservation efforts, Hestercombe Gardens Trust have brought back the gardens to their original splendour, blending historical accuracy with enduring beauty.

https://www.historichouses.org/house/hestercombe-house-and-gardens/visit/

Hole Park, Kent

Hole Park is an extensive, private family garden of rich variety set in classic English parkland. Created after World War I in the style of an Edwardian gentleman’s garden, it has evolved into a wonderful blend of the formal and informal thanks to the dedicated vision and care of four generations of the Barham family. Standout features include extensive Yew topiary, herbaceous borders; sweeping lawns with fine specimen trees, ponds and pools, and a magnificent walled garden.

The gardens are centred around a beautiful Georgian house with spectacular views of the surrounding parkland and hills of the High Weald National Landscape.

Historic Houses website

Iford Manor Gardens, Wiltshire

Tucked away at the bottom of a tranquil valley, the garden at Iford is historic and has evolved over many generations of passionate private gardeners, most famously landscape architect Harold Peto who made Iford his home 1899-1933.  He took a Georgian terraced garden and developed it further, building on Mediterranean as well as Japanese influences, with statues, colonnades, rills and ponds gracing the terraces.

By 2025, Iford will have been on a 60-year restoration journey, over two generations. Thought lost after the war, the structural recovery was undertaken by John and Elizabeth Cartwright-Hignett. William & Marianne Cartwright-Hignett encountered a new generation of challenges when they took over in 2016. They have recovered and restored many areas, extending and enhancing in the process.

https://www.historichouses.org/house/iford-manor-gardens/visit/

Lowther Castle, Cumbria

When Lowther Castle & Gardens Trust recruited a garden designer to take on the sleeping beauty that the gardens then were, their brief was clear: the gardens should not be restored as such; instead, the gardens should see layers of the new and layers of the old side by side.

The resulting gardens at Lowther Castle are amazing. They take the formality of the seventeenth century, the pseudo romance of the neo-Gothic, the extravagance of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and blow them all up – in consequence presenting ideas that are novel and striking and bold.

https://www.historichouses.org/house/lowther-castle/visit/

Penshurst Place Gardens, Kent

The formal gardens at Penshurst Place have records dating to 1346, though their formal structure didn’t begin to take form until the 1560’s, when Henry Sidney divided the area into “rooms” to grow fruit trees.

Today the thriving formal Gardens are divided into eleven distinct rooms which cover a variety of styles including herbaceous borders, renaissance-inspired box hedging, water features, statues and patterns. Visitor highlights include the 100-metre long Peony Border which features four varieties of pink peony, the Union Flag Garden which uses a selection of roses and lavender to create the Union Flag, and the bright vivid colours found along Jubilee Walk.

https://www.historichouses.org/house/penshurst-place/visit/

Raby Castle, Park, and Gardens, County Durham

When 12th Lord Barnard inherited Raby in 2016, he and Lady Barnard commissioned award-winning designer Luciano Giubbilei to join them on a journey of reimagination. The result opened in June 2024; a transformation & ingenious re-thinking of its distinctive spirit. Historic features from red-brick walls to mature yew hedges blend perfectly with new additions, a grass amphitheatre, mazes & graceful rill.

Described by the 4th Duchess in 1870 as “A never-failing delight”, the walled gardens have enchanted visitors for centuries. Evolving to embrace innovation, nurture an ever-increasing variety of plants, and respond to global changes, the most recent transformation sees the garden grow into the 21st century with a graceful, contemporary reimagining.

https://www.historichouses.org/house/raby-castle/visit/

Wollerton Old Hall Garden, Shropshire

Designed by Lesley and John Jenkins, the garden is set around a Grade II* sixteenth century Hall and has developed into an important modern garden in the English Garden tradition with echoes of Arts and Crafts. Covering three acres, it consists of a series of 14 linked garden “rooms” filled with modern and often specialist plantings.

The carefully managed successional planting ensures that each season has its appeal to visitors. The early months of the year are awash with drifts of anemones, erythroniums, snowdrops, trilliums and hellebores and dotted with bursts of colour from scilla, corydalis, muscari and tulips. The summer months are filled with the scent of roses, delphiniums, dahlias and phlox.

https://www.historichouses.org/house/wollerton-old-hall-garden/visit/

About the Garden of the Year Award

For over forty years the public have voted one of Historic House’s member gardens their favourite of the year. The award, run in conjunction with Christie’s, has gone from strength to strength since then.

Shortlisted entries are chosen from among the hundreds of gardens, parks, and grounds that offer free entry to members of Historic Houses, the association that represents and supports the UK’s independent historic homes, castles, and gardens.

In addition, the panel will make a second, direct, award to a garden they consider embodies excellence on a smaller scale, either of area, staffing, or access, and hence has less opportunity to influence the popular poll – known as the Judges’ Choice Award.

Each winner holds the crown for the whole of the following year – the sought-after title can considerably boost visitor numbers, really putting the garden on the map.

Further information about the Garden of the Year Award can be found here.

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