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Gorleston Golf Club Go Jacobsen

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Gorleston Golf Club Go Jacobsen: With an ageing fleet and the decision made to replace it, quality of cut, comfort and simplicity saw Gorleston Golf Club go for nine new Jacobsen mowers.

Situated in Norfolk, the course hugs the coastline with stray shots on some holes in danger of landing in the North Sea. Its location in East Anglia makes it England’s most easterly course, with the seventh green claiming the accolade of being the most easterly in the country.

Gorleston Golf Club Go Jacobsen

Gorleston Golf Club Go Jacobsen

The new fleet of machines including three Greens King 522s, an AR320, and three GP400s were selected by Course Manager, Danny Perring, with the backing of the greens committee and the advice of Jacobsen dealer Ernest Doe.

Various manufacturers were assessed throughout the procurement process. Still, it was what the Jacobsen’s offered as a package, including the service of Ernest Doe’s Groundcare Area Sales Manager, Stuart Patterson, that impressed Danny the most.

“The golf club was in a situation where we needed to renew all our machinery, and that is what initially drew us towards Jacobsen,” Danny Began. “The best way of doing this was all together in a package deal, so we put some quotes together, and other manufacturers came in, Ernest Doe with Jacobsen were on top of the job, and they came back really quickly.

“The quality of cut on all the mowers is brilliant. It’s as good if not better than anything I’ve used before. The whole simple factor of Jacobsen is they don’t make things too complicated, the machines are easy to maintain, they’re comfortable, and the guys really enjoy using them.

“That’s one thing myself and the guys really like about Jacobsen and also it’s the aftercare and maintenance. Ernest Doe and Jacobsen are always quick to get someone here within 24 hours. We never have any mowers out of working order for more than 24 hours, and that’s one of the main reasons we bought and went with Jacobsen.

“In the past at previous jobs, I have used other manufacturers, and Jacobsen was just as good if not better in quality of performance and to top everything off the price was good value for money. Nobody else could really touch the price, and that’s how we settled on the mowers and using Jacobsen.”

Simplicity with maintenance and operation combined with a signature high-quality cut has always been the cornerstone of Jacobsen machines. Providing comfort where it is needed on the AR320, simple maintenance with the swing-out centre reel on the GP400 or an easy to use command systems on the Greens King 522 allows operators to consistently make the most of the high-quality cut.

For more information on the Jacobsen range, contact your local dealer or visit www.jacobsenbuilt.com.

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Cees van der Pols passes away

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Cees van der Pols passes away: Kioti UK Ltd have confirmed the sad passing of Cees van der Pols.

Patrick Desmond the General manager for Kioti Uk comments that, “For Kioti UK Cees was a great and much loved figure head, mentor and friend. He was well known throughout the Groundcare industry. His contacts went back many years and all have great tales to tell of their experiences doing business with Cees.

Cees van der Pols passes away

Cees van der Pols passes away

The family have been taken back by the high volume and warmth of the messages that have received from across the world. No one can believe that a man who, right to the end was full of so much life and vitality.

Cees suffered a heart attack Wednesday  18th Wednesday  2020. Regrettably he never came to. He died surrounded by his family the following evening”.

Piet van der Pols makes the following statement.

“It is with great sadness that we have to inform you that our father, husband and grandfather Cees van der Pols, passed away on Thursday, November 19th. We feel deflated and words cannot express our loss.

Led by Cees van der Pols, initially with his brothers, our family business, founded in 1933, has grown over the last 40 years into a leading company in the groundscare- and recycling industry. With his entrepreneurship and great business vision, Cees has managed to secure many import contracts for the Dutch market and helped our company to grow to it’s current position.

In 2015 Cees had decided to take a step back and let the next generation take over the business. As passionate and lively as Cees was, he was still heavily involved and working on a daily basis in the company.

Since 2016 one of his pet projects and passions was the launch of Kioti UK. The success of the company was a result of his energy and vision.

Cees van der Pols, a remarkable person, an entrepreneur, a leader, a beacon and above all an example for everyone, is no longer with us. Cees van der Pols reached the age of 70 and will be missed by all.

On behalf of the family and staff,

Piet van der Pols

Director Technische Handelsonderneming C. v/d Pols & Zn. And Kioti UK Ltd.

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Biodegradable tree guards reduce environmental impact

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Biodegradable tree guards reduce environmental impact: A NEW RANGE of biodegradable guards are now available, helping to reduce the environmental impact of planting new whips and improving landscape management.

WhiptecBio tree and hedge guards are made from recycled material and are 100% sustainable, biodegradable and compostable. Developed with expert arboriculturists during the past 14 years, the guards have been successfully trialled in a range of scenarios and are now available exclusively from Agrovista Amenity.

Biodegradable tree guards reduce environmental impact

Biodegradable tree guards reduce environmental impact

Landscape Team Manager for Agrovista Amenity, Ed Smith, said: “Although they play a vital role in establishing young saplings, there has also been some negativity surrounding tree guards and their impact on the environment.

“The majority are single-use and not always removed once the tree or hedge has established, leaving micro plastics in the ground and posing a risk to wildlife if ingested.

“The new WhiptecBio range is a great solution. They offer all the usual benefits of plastic tree guards such as improved establishment and protection from grazing animals, whilst also being kinder to the environment.”

The average lifespan of the WhiptecBio range is around 3-4 years, due to the product containing a natural additive that makes the guards biodegradable and compostable. Flat packed and easy to install, the guards are secured with a cane, negating the need for plastic ties.

An additional benefit of the product degrading naturally is there is no need to remove the guards – easing the burden on landscape management and improving workload efficiency.

Ed added: “Tree planting is firmly on the Government’s agenda in order to offset carbon emissions and improve the UK’s sustainable credentials.

“Trees are also often planted to restrict flooding and are therefore near to watercourses. In those instances, using WhiptecBio tree guards is even more important to reduce the risk of plastics entering watercourses and damaging our ecosystem.

“Of course, there will be instances where traditional plastic tree guards are more suitable, such as if they are required for a longer period of time. But, it’s paramount that in those cases, the guards are removed once the trees have successfully established.

“As landscape professionals, we all have a role to play in reducing the environmental impact associated with our work. Something as simple as improving our use of tree guards will be a considerable contribution.”

WhiptecBio tree guards are manufactured by Ezee Tree and available to purchase through Agrovista Amenity.

For more information about Agrovista Amenity, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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STIHL launches new-look app

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STIHL launches new-look app: Offering fleet managers more visibility and control over the usage of connected tools, STIHL has announced a new Connected app.

With a new streamlined design, fleet managers can easily find the data they need from the STIHL Connected homepage, which provides an overview of the fleet of tools as well as model and ownership information. From the homepage, users can also quickly and easily access information on machine running time and maintenance schedules.

STIHL launches new-look app

STIHL launches new-look app

To help improve efficiency and minimise downtime, the maintenance page is where fleet managers can easily see which tools are due for servicing. It is also where they can access the maintenance history, making it easier to effectively plan based on the tool availability, as well as minimise downtime by ordering spare parts ahead of time.

One of the new features available to users is the “nearby” function, which shows users the tools that are in their immediate vicinity, as well as allowing them to view the last known locations of the devices on a map.

STIHL Connected comprises four central system components; STIHL Smart Connector, which is attached to the tool, STIHL app which connects to the STIHL cloud and STIHL connected portal. When used in conjunction, STIHL Connected enables professional users to easily analyse key machinery performance data that can be used to not only improve daily work processes, but also help achieve optimal task scheduling for an even more efficient team.

STIHL Smart Connector is easy to install and transmits the working time data via Bluetooth to a smartphone or tablet and then the cloud, giving users universal transparency about where power tools are being used and their current status.

The smart technology has been introduced by STIHL so professional users can ensure that their power tools are reliably ready for operation, leading to time and cost savings.  The new STIHL Connected app is currently available to download free for Android and iOS on the app store.

For more information on STIHL Connected or STIHL’s extensive range of power tools, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

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Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2

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Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2: The Air2G2 from Campey Turf Care Systems is being used at Emirate’s Golf Club, Dubai, to keep the award-winning Majlis Course in prime condition.

As Dubai’s number one golf course, it is imperative that machinery manager and second assistant, Dónal Mulvey, and the 72 strong golf course maintenance department consisting of greenkeepers, mechanics, irrigation, landscape and spray technicians maintain the high standards expected by members and customers.

Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2

Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2

Dónal has worked for Emirates Golf Club since January 2017 having completed a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture, which included a 30-week placement at Royal Dublin Golf Club as a greenkeeper, where he stayed for a further five years training as a greenkeeper and mechanic. With almost four years of experience working on the Middle East’s first grass golf course, he is familiar with the issues faced in one of the driest and arid regions of the world, where reusing salt-rich treated sewage effluent (TSE) water is common practice.

After seeing the Air2G2 on various social media platforms and first-hand at GIS, the club thought the machine could be a huge asset to the Majlis’ 30-year-old push-up greens that host 45,000 rounds of golf a year as well as the Faldo Course, which takes 55,000.

“We purchased the Air2G2 for many different reasons,” Dónal explains. The main one being the Majlis greens are 30-year-old push-up greens with no drainage. Given the high volume of water we put out which is all TSE water, we have a constant issue with salt build-up and air exchange. We also have a high volume of golf throughout the year, and any aeration we can do with no disturbance to the greens is extremely beneficial.

“The machine does exactly what it claims to do providing deep aeration with no surface disturbance. We can run it at any time, and the golfers are none the wiser. We mainly tackle weak areas on the greens, and the machine is used three times a month on the entire green and four to six times on collars and affected areas.

“The more and more we use it, the less noticeable it is. When we first started the ground would move slightly due to compaction. Now that we run it regularly, there is no movement in the soil, and there is less compaction and more oxygen, and we can also see moisture and EC levels drop after using the machine.”

Nick Brown Product Specialist for Campey Turf Care is delighted to be working closely with The Emirates Golf Club to provide turf maintenance solutions. “Campey Turf Care always encourages best practice, and we like to work closely with our end users to ensure they have access to the right advice and equipment to suit their specific needs. Working closely with Dónal, we have examined all the options and helped provide the right solution. In this instance the Air2G2 has delivered the results and we are extremely pleased.”

The Air2G2 uses three probes to latterly inject pressurised air up to 12-inches beneath the surface of the soil to fracture the compacted layers that form because of footfall, mechanical traffic and daily wear and tear. Because the air is injected directly into the root zone, the surface of the turf is left undisturbed, allowing play to continue instantly.

For more information on the Air2G2 or any of Campey’s aeration machinery, please visit www.campeyturf.com

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