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Man City’s John Ledwidge Awarded Pioneer Mark 001 

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John Ledwidge Awarded Pioneer Mark #001: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) is pleased to award John Ledwidge Pioneer Mark #001 in recognition of his contributions to the industry.

The ‘Pioneer Legacy’ initiative celebrates individuals who have made a lasting impact on the industry through the GMA’s NextGen group, formerly known as the GMA Young Board.

John Ledwidge Awarded Pioneer Mark #001

John Ledwidge Awarded Pioneer Mark #001

Pioneer Mark

Each Pioneer Mark is uniquely numbered and represents the individual’s contribution to supporting the next generation of grounds people.

The presentation of John’s award is particularly timely during National Apprenticeship Week, which highlights the crucial role apprenticeships play in creating career pathways in the industry.

Ledwidge, himself, began his career as an apprentice at Coventry City Football Club and, after 18 months away, returned as Grounds Manager where he was also part of the first GMA Young Board cohort between 2011-2014.

As the group’s inaugural chair, he played a key role in laying the foundations for its evolution into GMA NextGen which supports and develops emerging talent within the industry.

Since his time with the Young Board, Ledwidge has progressed through senior positions at Leicester City Football Club and is now Head of Grounds and Landscapes at Manchester City Football Club.

What they said

Jennifer Carter, Director of Communications and Marketing at the GMA, said: “John’s journey not only with the GMA but within the industry highlights his dedication to the profession and his ability to inspire meaningful change.

As the first chair of the Young Board, he showed great leadership that set the foundation for GMA NextGen. Seeing his achievements recognised with Pioneer Mark #001 is a proud moment for everyone who has worked alongside him.”

Commenting on the award, John Ledwidge said: “It is a genuine honour to be awarded with the #001 pioneer mark from the GMA. As the first chair of the young board and part of the founding group, we created something that had never been done before, hopefully laying the foundations for today’s NextGen group to continue the legacy we left.

Personally, I feel we all have a responsibility to encourage and develop new and emerging talent and to share our knowledge and expertise with them. I have always been proud of what I do and will always be grateful for the opportunities this wonderful industry has given me and my family, so it is such a pleasure to receive this recognition from the GMA.”

For more information about the Pioneer Legacy initiative or GMA NextGen, please visit thegma.org.uk/who/ambassadors/.

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Awards season begins for Toro

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Awards season begins for Toro: Entries for Toro’s renowned Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards 2025 open on 1 March.

Lecturers and employers can give their students the chance to unlock life changing opportunities by nominating them, or student greenkeepers can have faith in their own abilities and put themselves forward.

Awards season begins

Awards season begins

Aside from industry-leading prizes which include, for both award winners, all-expenses-paid trips to the USA to visit Toro HQ, R&D and manufacturing, educational opportunities, and a one-week work experience placement at a prestigious UK or overseas golf course, it’s as much the long-term benefits winning and taking part bring that make it worthwhile entering.

Jon Cole, Divisional Business Manager at Reesink Turfcare, award sponsor and main award judge, says: “The awards are the only in the industry to recognise young greenkeepers in such a way and bring extraordinary rewards for those who reach the finals.

The awards

These are some of the biggest prizes available in the industry, alongside an invaluable platform for young professionals to use to take their career to the next level.”

The finals on 9-11 September will be held at Rudding Park in Harrogate.

This award-winning family-owned luxury resort is home to two previous winners of the Toro Student Awards – Matthew Milligan who won in 2021 and John Norwood winner in 2019.

Finalists get to meet and compete with the best student greenkeepers in the country and network with influential industry leaders, increase skills and knowledge to enhance professional development and build lasting relationships in the greenkeeping community.

What the awards can do

David Timms, Reesink’s National Accounts Manager and young award judge, says: “The awards act as a massive stepping stone in these greenkeeper’s careers and taking part holds a lot of credence with future employers.

Entering couldn’t be easier and could be the beginning of the next stage of their lives.”

But really what it comes down to is passion. Passion for the industry and in the belief that a greenkeeper’s role makes a difference.

These are the reasons why the awards are the longest standing in the industry and why Reesink, Toro, organisers BIGGA and all the judges believe in them so whole-heartedly.

As John Keenaghan, 2024 BIGGA President and young award judge, confirms: “It’s a wonderful opportunity for young greenkeepers to show their passion in the greenkeeping world.”

For more details and how to apply head to reesinkturfcare.co.uk/students-awards. Entries can made from 1 March to 11 April.

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Kubota or nothing for Watford Football Club

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Kubota or nothing for Watford Football Club: When it comes to tractors, it’s Kubota or nothing for Scott Tingley, Grounds Manager at Watford Football Club.

The club’s Kubota STW40 is proof that compact doesn’t have to mean compromise when it comes to providing the reliable power for maintenance operations at Vicarage Road, while a Kubota L2-622 delivers impressive versatility at the training ground.

Kubota or nothing for Watford Football Club

Kubota or nothing for Watford Football Club

Performance

The dependable performance of the pair is matched by a fleet of four Kubota RTV’s used across both sites.

Scott is into his 9th season at the club and oversees the home of The Hornets with a team of three, and the 27 pitches at Watford’s training ground. “On the Vicarage Road stadium pitch, it’s all about weight – we need something small and compact, with enough horsepower to lift all the various implements we use” he explains. The solution, for the last seven years, has been a Kubota STW40.

“We look after the tractor well and, in return, it looks after us. It’s small, lightweight and at 40hp can operate our seeder or aerator for example without leaving much of a footprint.” Scott continues, “All of our Kubota equipment is incredibly reliable, we’ve had no issues with this tractor at all.”

At the training ground, the delivery of an L2-622 from dealers George Browns Ltd in October 2022 is delivering even more versatility “We’re yet to find anything we can’t do with this tractor! Together with powering implements, the forks and bucket are invaluable for moving pallets around, managing deliveries or loading topdressing into our spreader. It makes every task quicker and easier.”

“The cruise control feature on the Kubota L2-622 is especially important when we’re aerating at the training ground as, by setting the speed, we get consistency across all the surfaces” he adds. “It’s also incredibly user-friendly to operate which is important to aid the training and efficiency of some of our newer and younger team members.”

RTV’s

Complementing the pair of compact tractors across the two sites are four RTV’s, including two RTV520’s installed by George Browns at the training ground in July 2023. “Here, especially, the RTV’s are the workhorses of our maintenance operation.

Whether its moving equipment from pitch to pitch or transporting clippings, they’re our go-to. At the stadium we have a Kubota RTV500 which, again, is a people and machinery mover. We also use this to tow our lighting rigs into place after a match which shaves an hour off the job.”

Scott concludes by praising the after-sales support from the Kubota dealer, “On the odd occasion we’ve needed help with our Kubota equipment, George Browns have always been brilliant. With high levels of usage and even higher expectations it’s reassuring to know we can always rely on Kubota to get the job done.”

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High branch pruning made easy

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High branch pruning made easy: Makita has added a new telescopic pole saw to its growing range of LXT tools designed for professional outdoor use.

With a 200mm cutting width, 2.5m reach and lightweight design, the new DUA200 18V LXT Brushless Pole Saw provides effortless reach and precision for high branch applications.

Smooth Cutting

Delivering a chain speed of 6.7m/s for smooth cutting, Makita’s new DUA200 extendable pole saw can reach from 1.6m to over 2.5m when fully assembled.

This, combined with a lightweight head section and equipped with Torque Boost Mode that maximises output to power through thicker branches, makes Makita’s latest launch a highly effective tool and ideal companion for pruning and trimming high branches.

High branch pruning made easy

High branch pruning made easy

When used with a 6.0Ah BL1860B Battery, the pole saw offers up to 600 cuts in 50 mm cedar square timber and in addition to its high work efficiency, Makita has incorporated several design features to offer increased ergonomics and greater versality for users to tackle a range of cutting situations.

Reducing The Burden

The slim, lightweight design of the tool head not only reduces the burden during operation, it also enhances accessibility to branches and increases manoeuvrability.

Furthermore, the tool head is adjustable which can be locked and unlocked with a single touch, enabling precise positioning in nine stages between 60° upwards and 60° downwards.

It also includes a convenient branch hook to easily remove cut branches.

Other features include a translucent bar oil tank with a large opening for straightforward refilling, and the tool-less bar tensioning and automatic chain lubrication simplifies maintenance and ensures consistent performance.

On the new launch, Kevin Brannigan Marketing Manager at Makita said: “This new tool is part of Makita’s expanding 18V LXT System, which encompasses over 300 tools from garden machines, power tools and accessories such as kettles and heated jackets – all powered by the same battery.

We are delighted to add this fantastic pole saw to the range, that delivers impressive performance for high drain applications, while reducing fatigue for the operator.”

To find out more about Makita, visit www.makitauk.com

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Toro, the only choice

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Toro, the only choice: Dullatur Golf Club is moving towards a more sustainable future for turfcare – and the club, which is situated near Glasgow, saw Toro machinery as the only choice when it came to trusted quality.

At the helm of the move is experienced Course Manager Richard Bell. Richard has worked at Dullatur for 23 years, beginning his career as an apprentice at 16 – and was even a junior member of the club prior. Golf has nearly always been a central part of Richard’s life, and with a team that combined has several decades of experience at the club, their turfcare expertise is second to none. 

Toro, the only choice

Toro, the only choice

Managing an expansive club like Dullatur, with two 18-hole courses, demands a constantly evolving, proactive approach. With a year-round team of seven, supplemented with four seasonals, Richard understands the importance of efficiency – and reliable equipment.

“With a total of 36 holes, the sheer volume of greens, tees, fairways and rough is a lot of ground to cover for the team and the machinery, and we have to maintain the highest standards for our club members,” he says. “We’ve worked predominantly with Toro machinery to deliver the quality of cut we need – I trust Toro equipment to perform at the highest level.”

Richard has added to his fleet three new pieces of equipment: the all-electric Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370, Reelmaster 5010-H hybrid fairway mower and Reelmaster 3100 sidewinder. 

Richard was particularly impressed with the eTriFlex 3370, as his first all-electric mower: “I had read about the 3370, and I had the chance to operate one while volunteering at the British Open at Royal Troon. I spent the entire week cutting greens with it, which was an amazing experience. It gave me the best hands-on demonstration I could ask for.

“The quality of the cut was phenomenal – it rivalled hand-cutting, which is considered the best quality of cut achievable. Even after greens were double-cut by hand, the eTriFlex was still removing clippings. It’s rare to find a machine that delivers results comparable to hand-cutting, but this one did.” 

Richard emphasised the importance of sustainability and local community to Dullatur Golf Club, and how the new machinery benefits both: “We’re looking to be better for the planet. It’s our first all-electric piece of equipment, and we already know how good the hybrid 5010 is, as we have one in our fleet. Now that performance is at such a high level, we see this as a start of the long-term plan. 

“With electric equipment, you’re more sustainable, there’s no need to worry about oil spills, and we aren’t concerned with noise pollution – so we’re not bothering golfers playing or our neighbours in the morning!”

Ross Neil, Area Sales Reesink Scotland West, has supported Dullatur Golf Club with the acquisitions. Richard commented on the service: “They provide a great service; I’m always able to get them on the end of the phone, and they’re happy to answer any questions I’ve got whenever I need it”. 

Ultimately, Richard trusts the future, more sustainable outlook of Dullatur Golf Club with Toro. “For the new electric machinery, I expect we’ll see the same longevity you get with every other Toro mower. It’s just trust in the brand. It’s strongly my belief that Toro is the best – the best longevity, the best value for money. I can’t see us looking at any other brand in future.” 

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