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

Heathland course on top form with ISEKI

/in , /by

Heathland course on top form with ISEKI: Working hard to restore this beautiful heathland course back to its former glory, Ipswich Golf Club with its 9-hole and 18-hole courses just keeps getting better every year.

The driving force behind all this is Graham Brumpton, Course Manager who has dedicated his last 33 years to developing the course, gradually introducing heathland elements back and managing the woodland areas to allow the natural habitats to thrive.  With numerous industry awards for best environmental golf course and conservation greenkeeper, wildlife and environmental concerns are a high priority for the club.

Heathland course on top form with ISEKI

Heathland course on top form with ISEKI

With all these projects and constant renovation, Graham has a team of 9 staff to carefully nurture the golf course, and with that workload they require numerous pieces of machinery.  Their previous ISEKI tractor was in need of replacement after over 25 years of hard graft.  Another compact tractor with a higher horse power was required, so following demonstrations with different manufacturers the ISEKI TH5370 ticked all the boxes!

Graham explained; “What sold it for us was the versatility of the tractor, with the 1,200kg lift capacity, loader and 35hp high torque engine. We use the machine for so many jobs on the course include aerating, brushing the fairways and topdressing.  Another reason we particularly chose the TH5370 was for the width of the tractor itself, we needed a tractor to power the Pro-core and ensure there was no overlap, at 1.3m wide it was perfect for the job!

“Alongside powering the implements it is used for all greens work, towing the trailer to carry bunker sand and divot material around the course, then transporting the greens mowers to each hole. So versatilityand operator friendly with very intuitive controlswas important asthe whole team use the tractor.

“We have a long-standing relationship with our local dealer Ernest Doe Groundcare and ISEKI, however we always ensure we buy the right equipment for the course making sure we look across the marketplace, ISEKI were hands down the best option!”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Using Attraxor for growth regulation

/in , /by

Using Attraxor for growth regulation: A Scotland based golf club has explained the key benefits of using Attraxor for growth regulation and the suppression of Poa annua.

Head greenkeeper, John Cunningham, based at the Isle of Skye Golf Club, explains that he has been using Attraxor for the past two years on golf greens and surrounds.

Using Attraxor for growth regulation

Using Attraxor for growth regulation

Officially formed in 1988, the Isle of Skye golf club boasts an 18 hole course across 9 greens, nestled at the foot of the Red Cuillins. The club welcomes golfers of all ages and abilities to visit and enjoy the wonderful scenery it has to offer.

John discussed the reason he began using Attraxor at the Isle of Sky Golf Club: “I began using Attraxor mainly as a growth regulator, and I believe it is the best growth regulator on the market. Its longevity out performs other competitors.”

Attraxor has been shown to effectively regulate growth of managed amenity turf. The active substance, Prohexadione-calcium, inhibits the gibberellic acid pathway, which results in a reduction of turf height and turf biomass. Root growth is also promoted through use of Attraxor whilst turf colour and quality are maintained.

John confirmed: “Using Attraxor has led to lower maintenance levels across the course, resulting in a reduced need to cut and roll.”

Attraxor also limits the spread of annual meadow grass, Poa annua, by reducing seed-head production and physiological weakening. John states: “Attraxor has obliterated Poa annua seed heads. It’s absolutely fantastic and very quick acting.”

John has also noticed that there has also been improvement in grass quality: “Since using Attraxor the sward has thickened, providing a smoother, more uniform putting surface”.

John was very impressed with the results from using Attraxor compared to other PGR products: “I have previously used other alternatives, and none work as well as Attraxor. Its longevity also outperforms other competitors.

“Using Attraxor has reduced costs, there’s no doubt about it. The growth regulation results in less cutting and less rolling. It’s a win-win all round.”

To find out more about Attraxor, visit https://www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk/en/Products/Overview/Growth-Regulator/Attraxor.html#section-benefits

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Convenience is key with Toro MVP kits

/in , /by

Convenience is key with Toro MVP kits: Now more than ever, any opportunity for businesses to reduce the cost of goods is welcome, so Reesink Turfcare is reminding customers about its Toro MVP kits.

Standing for Multi Value Packs, these kits save 20 percent on the cost of the individual parts for over 100 different maintenance issues such as rebuilding rollers, replacing hydraulic hoses or overhauling cutting units.

Convenience is key with Toro MVP kits

Convenience is key with Toro MVP kits

Michael Hampton, Reesink Turfcare parts manager, comments: “One of the greatest money vacuums on the golf course is machinery downtime, but with an MVP kit ready to go you can both protect your equipment and see it working all season long. The thing about machinery parts is that they’re not really needed until something has already gone wrong. With Toro MVP packs, you’ll never be caught short in a crisis – any genuine Toro part you need is right there conveniently packaged in one handy box.”

Toro’s MVP packs are all about convenience and minimising downtime, enabling customers to respond quickly to problems so that their turfcare machinery can spend less time in the workshop and more time working. Having everything in a single package makes ordering and completing the job easier.

Michael continues: “At this time of year, productivity is key so machines need to be able to perform constantly and consistently. You can’t always prevent hiccups with machines, but having an MVP kit on the shelf means you can get a machine back up and running quickly without wasting time sourcing individual parts as issues arise.”

MVP kits are also ideal for keeping on top of routine maintenance, having parts to hand making the process hassle-free. And it’s not just the maintenance itself that’s made easier with MVP kits, they allow for more accurate forecasting when setting budget aside for parts and servicing too.

“When things get busy at this time of year, there’s always that temptation to run turf machinery harder and longer without proper maintenance. The kits also provide instructions on when to carry out maintenance depending on the model and number of hours of use so that operators can prevent issues before they ever happen,” Michael adds.

Toro MVP kits are a smart investment, ordering is easy and handy presentation boxes make storage easier. For more information contact distributor Reesink Turfcare’s Toro parts department on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Soil Scout announces partnership with Bernhard and Company

/in , /by

Soil Scout announces partnership with Bernhard and Company: Soil Scout are pleased to announce a new and exclusive distribution partnership with Bernhard and Company to supply our world-leading real-time, wireless soil monitoring solution to golf courses and sports turf facilities in England, Scotland and Wales. 

Bernhard and Company is the industry-leader in fine turf management solutions, and its team has considerable experience in the turf care industry, with expertise across multiple disciplines including; engineering, agronomy and product design. All of this, combined with unrivalled understanding of the development and maintenance of playing surfaces makes the company the perfect partner to take our business forward, with the support of Sales and Sports Turf Specialist, Nick Durkin.

Soil Scout announces partnership with Bernhard and Company

Soil Scout announces partnership with Bernhard and Company

Bernhard and Company are associated with some of the most prestigious golf clubs and courses around the world. Its expert teams support the DP World Tour, PGA Tour and the United States Golf Association by providing specialist tournament support for high profile competitions, such as the US Open, the Ryder Cup, and the Open Championship. The company’s machines are also used by more than 65% of the world’s top 100 golf courses.

Through this exciting new partnership, we will look to make certain that we service all our current clients with even greater efficiency whilst also creating lots of new opportunities with potential customers through this new and exclusive distribution channel.

Bernhard and Company are, of course, already synonymous with the Soil Scout brand, having installed the solution worldwide on numerous occasions on behalf of their partner, leading subsurface and moisture management solution, SubAir Systems. Most recently and successfully installing multiple soil monitoring sensors in all eight of the stadium venues for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

Soil Scout CEO, Jalmari Talola commented; “Soil Scout continues strong international growth as a leading supplier of soil monitoring solutions. The UK represents the most significant market potential for professional turfs in Europe, and our goal is to help the industry operate more efficiently by making critical soil information available to all users.

“Bernhard and Company is well known all over the world for its leading turf health products and, above all, for its high-quality expertise in the industry. Bernhard has been our familiar partner for seven years, and last year’s successful collaboration at the 2022 World Cup contributed to strengthening the relationship.”

Jalmari continued; “We are very pleased to have Bernhard onboard as the Soil Scout UK distributor and bring the company’s 100+ years of experience to the Soil Scout family. This is an exciting opportunity and we are very much looking forward to getting to work with them!”

Soil Scout’s UK Sales and Sports Turf Specialist, Nick Durkin said; “I am very pleased to announce Bernhard and Company as our exclusive dealer for the UK. The industry leading experts have been providing the highest level of turf care machinery, support and education for many years.

“It’s extremely important we continue to align ourselves with like-minded partners who also value the importance of soil and plant health. We have been working with Bernhard for some time thanks to our relationship with SubAir Systems, and I am excited to continue growing this relationship and provide world leading turf management solutions together.” Steven Nixon, Managing Director for Bernhard and Company, added: “A partnership with Soil Scout was a very easy decision for us to make. We have been working together through SubAir Systems for many years now, and it feels like a natural evolution for us to add this product to our portfolio of turf health Solutions. We are very excited to be part of the continued business growth in the UK.”

Scott Purdy, Business Development Manager EMEA for Bernhard and Company, said: “Soil Scout has already done a great job developing its brand in England, Scotland and Wales. I am really looking forward to taking these conversations forward, and supporting customers with an additional way to understand their turf needs.”

The agreement starts with immediate effect, and for more information, Bernhard and Company can be contacted on 01788 811 600 and info@bernhard.co.uk, or visit Bernhard.co.uk for more.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Tillers Turf and Fineturf fleet expands

/in , /by

Tillers Turf and Fineturf fleet expands: Whether it’s through the delivery of expert construction and renovation services, or the supply of 26 different varieties of turf, the combination of Fineturf and Tillers Turf have proudly worked with a huge number of the UK’s leading sporting venues – and at the heart of nearly every operation is a Kubota.

Following the delivery of six more Kubota units to their fleet, Managing Director Simon Hutton explains how it’s the reliability of the brand that keeps them coming back for more, having not let them down on a job in over 28 years.

Tillers Turf and Fineturf fleet expands

Tillers Turf and Fineturf fleet expands

Working for high profile clients across the sporting sector comes with high expectations and means that for Simon and the team, reliability is key when it comes to specifying new equipment. “The oldest tractor we have is a Kubota L4630 which is 18 years old, with close to 11,500 hours on it and continues to give us what we need day in, day out” explains Simon. “The simplicity of operation, consistency in performance and value for money we get from the brand is unparalleled.”

Among the recent delivery were two L2522 tractors from Kubota’s popular L2 series of cabbed, compact tractors – taking Simon’s total tally of L-Series machines up to the mid-twenties! “These are the workhorses on our contracting division” he explains. “We’ll have at least one on most jobs, and they’ll remain on site for the duration of the contract whether that’s one day or six months. The operators love the durability of the L2’s, they work long hours and stand up to every task. Because they’re not ‘over-computerised’ we can also conduct all of the servicing and maintenance ourselves and, if something does go astray while we’re on a job, nine times out of ten the team can resolve it quickly and easily to get the work complete.”

Tillers Turf and Fineturf fleet expands

Tillers Turf and Fineturf fleet expands

While the L2522’s are additions to meet with demand, the new Kubota M6111 and M4073 are replacing another brand and join an M6002 series already in use on the Tillers Turf operation. “We use these tractors at every stage of turf production on our 2200 acres – from getting the seed in the ground to getting the turf onto the pallets and out to the customers.”

“Where we are now and with the scale of the operation, I honestly believe that without the level of service we get from our equipment and the fabulous people at Kubota who provide outstanding ongoing support, we wouldn’t be in business.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.