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Life-changing award for Jason Norwood

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Life-changing award for Jason Norwood: Having the confidence to make a huge career move and the knowledge to back up key decisions in the job are two of the benefits Jason Norwood says winning the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award in 2019 have had.

As Reesink Turfcare, award sponsor, and BIGGA announce the finalists for the 2021 competition, the timing is perfect to see what winning greenkeeping longest-standing and industry-leading awards has brought to Jason and his career.

Life-changing award for Jason Norwood

Life-changing award for Jason Norwood

The first is a life-changing one, he says: “By far the biggest difference winning the award has brought to my life is the confidence to make the big decision to leave my job in Harrogate and move countries to take the course manager job at Reay Golf Club, Britain’s most northerly 18-hole link course, in Scotland.

“I couldn’t visit the course before accepting the role due to COVID restrictions and I took the job knowing I would go from being one of nine in my previous role to working mainly on my own with help from volunteer members. But I knew it was the move I had to make to gain experience on a links course and put my newly acquired knowledge to the test.”

The newly acquired knowledge Jason is referring to comes from completing the turf management study course at the University of Massachusetts as part of the prize for winning the award.

Jason says: “The course and the experience were fantastic. They’ve given me the belief that what I am doing is right and I’ve got conviction in the decisions I make with the knowledge I acquired. As the only person tending the course, I’ve got no one to refer to so this is an essential quality to have in making day-to-day decisions.

“When I started at Reay, there hadn’t been a qualified greenkeeper on the course for 20 years and so very little science had been used when it came to fertiliser applications. This was something I wanted to change and have a programme dedicated to help maintain a healthy playing surface.

“One of my favourite lectures at UMass were those on soil. Being able to use the knowledge I gained from the lectures has been incredibly helpful and made it easier to understand how best to work towards giving the plant the correct amount of nutrients when required.

“My main achievement has been the definition and consistency of cutting I’ve been able to bring to the golf course. The amount of positive comments I’ve received about how the course is looking is really pleasing and hopefully overtime the changes being made to the fertiliser programme and with a few more additions of equipment will only make the course perform even better.”

At Reay is a small but perfectly formed Toro fleet, comprised of three Greensmaster 3250-D greens mowers, a Reelmaster 3100-D triplex mower with SideWinder and a Groundsmaster 4300 mower. Jason says: “The next new addition will hopefully be a new fairway mower. I’ve recommended a few other additions that will not only improve the the course, but also make it easier for the volunteers to mow areas of the course safely when they provide help during the growing season.”

So what about advice for this year’s shortlisted candidates for the Finals? “It’s an opportunity to grab with both hands,” he says. “You will learn so much and meet so many great people. Be yourself. Focus on your strengths and don’t force the situation. Lastly, enjoy it. It can literally be a life-changing experience.”

The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards finals will be held on 6-7 September 2021 at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.

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The Aspen alternative

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The Aspen alternative: From September 2021, regular grade unleaded petrol (95 octane) in the UK is changing. To help in the Government’s target of reducing carbon emissions, ethanol content will increase to 10% (E10) from the 5% (E5) currently available on pump.

While this is not an issue for modern petrol car engines designed to be operated with E10, users of garden and grounds machinery now face and increased risk of experiencing reliability issues attributable to the increased ethanol content.

The Aspen alternative

The Aspen alternative

Ethanol is a renewable bio-fuel that can be mixed with unleaded petrol in various grades and, when burnt, produces fewer emissions. It is anticipated that the switch to E10 will remove 750,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and, for those with modern machines designed to handle E10 fuel, few problems are expected during day-to-day operation. However, ethanol is a solvent that is damaging to plastic and rubber and is the ingredient often responsible for ‘gummy deposits’ left behind once the fuel has evaporated. The additional ethanol content therefore threatens to shorten the service life of certain system components and contribute towards the poor running of small power equipment.

In addition to issues with reliability, ethanol also reduces the storage life of petrol, through the binding of moisture which then acidifies – in turn, leading to problems for owners who use their machinery infrequently or store them for long periods of time. Many manufacturers, including Stihl, Husqvarna and Honda recommend that fuels containing ethanol should be consumed within a 30-day period in order to minimise the risks.

Being free from ethanol as well as benzene, sulphur and many other harmful substances, Aspen Alkylate petrol offers a clean alternative for both 2 and 4-stroke engines – improving the health and performance of your equipment, the working conditions for the operator and significantly reducing the harmful impact your machinery makes on the environment. The increase in purity compared to traditional pump petrol means Aspen can also be left in fuel tanks for many years without degrading.

While the introduction of more ethanol into regular petrol will reduce environmental emissions, and E5 petrol will remain available in the ‘super’ grade (97+ octane) at some larger filling stations, the remaining emissions and overall impact on operator and machinery health is still substantially more hazardous than those operating with Aspen fuel.

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Top-Brush leaves tip-top finish

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Top-Brush leaves tip-top finish: At Windlesham Golf Club in Surrey, brushing is becoming a regular, year-round operation following the purchase of a Redexim Top-Brush in December 2020.

Bought initially to aid the dispersal of worm casts, Assistant Course Manager Graeme Roberts has also discovered the benefits the Top-Brush can bring to course presentation and moisture removal – playing a core role in maintaining plant health.

Top-Brush leaves tip-top finish

Top-Brush leaves tip-top finish

Nestled in the Surrey countryside, Windlesham offers a championship parkland golf course shaped and maintained by Course Manager Leigh Powell, Graeme and the team of 9, that provides a test to golfers of all abilities. “Because of the heavy soil profile of the course, and the ongoing reduction in chemicals, it became apparent that we needed to find a solution to the issues we were experiencing with worm casts over the autumn and winter months” explains Graeme. “We had the Top-Brush in on demonstration for a week and were so impressed that we bought the demo unit from our dealer, Lister Wilder.”

“The Top-Brush gives us a sustainable way to stay on top of casts, and at 6m wide it is quick and effective at covering the fairways, leaving a high-quality finish while staying ahead of the golf.” When worm cast season died down, the Top-Brush was then utilised twice weekly for brushing ahead of the mowers – to remove dew and dry the plant out, improving the quality of cut and reducing the clumping of clippings. “The fact that the brushes can change rotational direction is really handy. We tend to run them in the opposite direction of travel to stand the plant up more effectively but if we’re working on smaller areas, we can simply change the brush direction as we move backwards and forwards.”

As well as changing brush direction, working depth can also be adjusted, making the Top-Brush a versatile tool for a light surface brush – suitable for clearing dew, incorporating topdressing material or removing clippings – or a deeper, more aggressive surface agitation to effectively rid large areas of organic matter. “We’ve been really pleased with how it has been removing dead material and debris from the sward, thereby helping to improve the plants growing environment without having to use more invasive and time-consuming techniques.”

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Change in leadership for Reesink UK

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Change in leadership for Reesink UK: David Cole is leaving the role of Reesink UK’s managing director in April 2022.

David has passionately and successfully overseen the company’s turfcare, agriculture, used machinery and electric vehicles business since 2014, and had previously worked for the former Lely business between 1990-1999. The reasons for his departure are personal; he says: “There are no business reasons attached to this, only personal. The unexpected loss of my wife last year was a huge blow. And after seeing the business through some strange and challenging times and identifying clearer waters ahead, my desire now is to spend more time with and focus on my grandchildren.”

Change in leadership for Reesink UK

Change in leadership for Reesink UK

Leading the recruitment process alongside David is Roon Hylkema, divisional director of Reesink UK’s parent company, Royal Reesink. Roon comments: “Reesink UK is one of the UK’s leading turfcare distributors and has 38 years working with The Toro Company, as such the role of managing director presents an exciting opportunity for the right candidate.

“The company has history on its side, stability and longevity, but also exciting growth opportunities as we look to continue David’s good work diversifying our offering, introducing new brands and new product lines that compliment our core activities.”

Work will start shortly to identify David’s successor and to enable a handover period before next April.

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A Mezmerising pitch thanks to Mansfield Sand

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A Mezmerising pitch thanks to Mansfield Sand: Mansfield Town FC Head Groundsman Michael Merriman, known to most in the industry as Mez, has revealed how products from Mansfield Sand have signalled a ‘massive improvement’ to the pitch at the One Call Stadium.

Mez might be a Liverpool fan but there is no team closer to his heart than Mansfield Town FC after working at the club for an incredible 24 years. It all started after seeing a job advert for the role of a trainee community football coach for Mansfield Town. From there he moved into the role of an assistant groundsman but also adopted the duties of kitman and a self-proclaimed ‘bath filler’. His hard work and dedication to the club paid off in 2004 when he was promoted to the role of Head Groundsman.

A Mezmerising pitch thanks to Mansfield Sand

A Mezmerising pitch thanks to Mansfield Sand

He now oversees the stadium and the training ground and manages a grounds team which is very much a family affair – his two assistants are his son Scott and Lewis Sprigg – who is the son of previous Head Groundsman Rob Sprigg.

It’s safe to say that Mez has become a part of the club’s fabric who has endured and enjoyed both difficult and prosperous times in the club’s recent history. It was perhaps during the more difficult times that he was particularly grateful of the help he received from Mansfield Sand.

“We’ve been working with Mansfield Sand for the entire time I have been at the club,” he said. “Before the new chairman came in, we had some hard times when we didn’t have any money and Mansfield Sand really showed their support for us. It is things like that which will never be forgotten, and I’d like to say a huge thank you.”

Support aside, there is a reason why the club has been relying on products from Mansfield Sand for so long, and Mez explained how they have been just so beneficial.

“We’ve been using MM40 (predominantly used in the construction and maintenance of a wide range of sports surfaces) for as long as I have been here,” he said. “We used to use it every year during the May renovation and even when we weren’t able to turn the pitch over due to lack of funding, we would still put about 50 tonnes of the MM40 over the top, followed by a verti-drain to get a bit of drainage in the pitch.

“We’ll also very often follow up with a light coating of the MM40 in October – just to get us through winter; and I would say that over the past couple of years we have applied about 200 tonnes, if not more, of MM40 at the training ground.”

In 2017, Mez used a pure sand and polypropylene fibre reinforcement product that is particularly advantageous when grass cover has been reduced due to heavy usage and wear during the winter period. It is incorporated into an upper sand soil rootzone and consolidated to provide a stable divot-free environment.

A Mezmerising pitch thanks to Mansfield Sand

A Mezmerising pitch thanks to Mansfield Sand

“We applied 300 tonnes of the Fibresand mixed to a depth of 100mm and it transformed the way the pitch played,” he said. “It has signalled a massive improvement; we no longer get the sloppy surface and providing you do your renovations and prepare your pitch in the correct way then you won’t have a better surface. Fibresand is a great product, and I would recommend it to everybody.”

In further praise of Mansfield Sand, Mez commended the customer service he receives.

“I work with Sharon Morris from Mansfield Sand who is an absolute diamond,” he said.

“There have often been times when I have put orders on her late and she always pulls it out the bag for me. With Mansfield Sand it is not just a case of providing you with products and then off they go. Sharon will come in and take samples, makes sure it is at the right depth and ensure that the contractors applying it are doing a good job. The delivery drivers are also extremely helpful and courteous.

“It is a great service all round.”

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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