ICL Praised At Downfield GC

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ICL Praised At Downfield GC: ICL products have been a mainstay throughout John Watson’s 20 year greenkeeping career, and the Downfield Golf Club Course Manager has recently singled out H2Pro TriSmart and Greenmaster Pro-Lite Invigorator for praise.

This beautiful parkland course in Dundee was once described by Paul Lawrie (1999 Open Champion) as ‘one of the finest inland courses in Britain’ and has played host to many prestigious events over the years. In 2016, Downfield was chosen as a qualifying course for the Senior Open which was played at Carnoustie. In the past, it has seen the Scottish PGA Open, the SPGA Masters, Scottish Amateur Championship 2014 and the UK Girls Home Internationals all take place. It was also the venue for the 1999 and 2007 Open Qualifying stage.

ICL Praised At Downfield GC

John has been in the industry ever since leaving school and after landing the Course Manager position at Downfield he revealed that he was keen to further improve the course.

“I’ve been a greenkeeper for 20 years and have used ICL products throughout my career. All three of my main areas (greens, tees and fairways) are covered by ICL products.”

John firstly focussed on his greens and has noticed a significant improvement since applying H2Pro TriSmart wetting agent.

“My greens have always performed well but I am of the mind-set that there is always room for improvement. I started using TriSmart and it has worked really well for us. The greens are not drying out as quickly as they used to and even the greens that are prone to drying out because of nearby tree roots are retaining moisture better.

“We go with our first application in April and continue to apply it on a monthly basis until September at 10L/ha. We try to get it on early because the greens tend to dry out in April when the spring winds start coming in.”

For his tees and aprons, John has reported fantastic results from using Greenmaster Pro-Lite Invigorator 4-0-8+2MgO+4fe. Over recent years, Greenmaster Pro-Lite Invigorator has gained a reputation as an outstanding micro-granular fertilizer for high quality, fine turf nutrition and just last year ICL launched  Greenmaster Pro-Lite Invigorator Plus 4-0-14+2MgO+8Fe. This new formulation features a higher iron and potassium content than the original Invigorator.

“We used the original Invigorator last year at the start of April after aeration work and we saw a very good recovery, good colour and it lasted for over six weeks which I was extremely happy with.

ICL Praised At Downfield GC

“This year, we had a prolonged spell of rain through the winter, so I decided to go with an application of Invigorator Plus as it has a higher iron content and because we had a bit of moss on the tees. In the past I haven’t used granular feeds on my tees but the more experience that I have gained, the more I have learnt about the course and what it needs.

“With the added iron content, we saw a good bit of colour within a couple of days and then we saw the growth within a week or so. I actually decided to apply it to the greens as well.”

The new Invigorator Plus contains the mineral polyhalite, which has been found to bring enhanced turf colour and quality responses. It is a complex crystal product discovered at a depth of 1300 metres below the earth’s surface under the North Sea and is mined at ICL’s own mine in Cleveland – a site which John has been fortunate enough to visit.

“I went down the mine recently and it is great to be in a position where I have seen how it goes from a raw product through to a final product suitable for an end user. I’ve also been over to the laboratory in Holland and after seeing both of these I would say that it gives you confidence in just how good the ICL products are. You see first-hand exactly what goes into a producing a bag of fertilizer for example. The research and science behind this process really is quite remarkable.”

Please contact ICL on +44 (0)1473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

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Sherriff Impresses At Sweetwoods

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Sherriff Impresses At Sweetwoods: Two tank mixes containing a range of Sherriff Amenity products have been impressing at Sweetwoods Park Golf Club in Cowden, Kent, with Course Manager Allan Tait reporting excellent results. Based on the borders of Kent and Sussex in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Sweetwoods Park offers a fantastic golf experience through its par 72, 18-hole golf course.

Widely praised by its 450 members, the Championship course is kept in impeccable condition from season to season thanks to Allan Tait and his greenkeeping team.

Sherriff Impresses At Sweetwoods

Allan, who has been the Course Manager at Sweetwoods Park for just over 4 years, predominantly uses Sherriff Amenity products on key areas of the golf course and has singled out two tank mixes for particular praise.

“The majority of products I use on my greens, fairways, tees and approaches are all from Sherriff Amenity and I’ve always had consistently good results. I’m a fan of foliar feeding as I feel I have more control over growth and more flexibility with regards to tank-mixing,” said Allan.

Therefore, on his fairways, tees and approaches he relies on a liquid tank mixture which consists of Evolution Xtra 46.0.0 Soluble, Ferromel 20 – a water soluble formulation of iron sulphate hepta-hydrate and Primo Maxx II growth regulator.

“I use this mix for recovery in spring; Evolution Xtra encourages steady growth, whilst Ferromel 20 provides colour and discourages moss. The Evolution Xtra provides rapid greening, while the iron in the Ferromel 20 discourages the moss and the Primo Maxx II keeps control of the growth.

“For fairways I normally budget for two applications per year of this mix and that is more than enough because it has great longevity. It is nice and controlled and you don’t get a flush from it. I also like how soluble the product is. With some solubles you really have to grind them down but with the Evolution Xtra 46.0.0 Soluble, you simply run a hose over it and it disperses perfectly into the tank. I never get any blockages either. For me, it’s been a game changer.”

Allan admits that he prefers the preventative route, but most recently, following a prolonged dry spell, he turned to a tank-mix containing Aqua-Zorb 45 wetting agent, Rootmass Plus soil and plant conditioner and Amino Turf – a bio-stimulant.

Sherriff Impresses At Sweetwoods

“I’ve experimented with wetting agents before but for the past couple of years I’ve not really touched them – I’ve mainly used penetrants. However, after the recent weather conditions the greens were beginning to show signs of heat stress, drought stress and disease. I had watered them quite heavily and it was clear that it wasn’t enough or that it wasn’t getting into the right places so I decided to look at Aqua-Zorb 45 as a solution. I had heard of numerous golf clubs reporting great results from it so thought I would give it a go. With the seaweeds and amino acids in the mixture, which have been proven to reduce the stress and lessen the chance of getting disease, it seemed like a perfect tank-mix.

“We applied it down and the next day, literally within 24 hours, the greens had a completely different look to them – they were so much healthier. I will continue to apply that mixture every four to five weeks right through until the end of the season. It has made a huge difference to the greens and it means that I could sleep easy at night!”

Ever the perfectionist, Allan is always looking at ways in which he can take the course to another level and he believes that the technical support he receives from Amenity Specialist Joseph Dormer is another benefit in his decision to work with Sherriff Amenity.

“I like to think I’m quite technically minded and I like to know every product inside out – Joseph is exactly the same and we are quite often having discussions about the technical aspects of greenkeeping. It’s great to be able to bounce ideas off one another.”

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriffamenity.com

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Mark Harrod At Molineux

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Mark Harrod At Molineux: Wolverhampton Wanderers FC’s Premier League campaign is underway after winning promotion last season, and have kicked off with upgrades at their Molineux Stadium home, which include new match goals.

Leading sports equipment manufacturer Mark Harrod Ltd delivered and installed the socketed goalposts, nets and net support posts ready for Wolves’ first home game of the 2018-2019 season, against Everton FC.

Mark Harrod At Molineux

“Once Wolves had been promoted to the Premiership, we began upgrading various elements at Molineux to meet higher-level requirements ready for the new season,” said Head Groundsman Wayne Lumbard.

“Our match goalposts were showing their age so I turned to Mark Harrod Ltd for help. They surveyed the site and delivered and installed brand new replacements ready for our first home fixture on the Saturday. They are the cherry on top of the cake and compliment the Desso Grassmaster pitch laid a year ago.

“Every Premiership club has to conform to set criteria for stadium provision,” Wayne explained. “Goal nets have to be uniform white and grounds teams can only mow match pitches from goal to goal or across their width, for example.”

The aluminium powder-coated white 24ft x 8ft match goalposts form part of a package of provision for the Midlands club that includes warm-up goals for their pioneering Sir Jack Hayward training ground and academy base nearby.

With its host of pitches, including three equivalent Desso Grassmaster full-size surfaces, the training base hosts a season-full of competitive matches across the U7 to U18 age groups.

Mark Harrod At Molineux

“Wolves has enjoyed a long and happy association with the company stretching back many years,” added Wayne, who moved into post nine years ago.

The training centre includes Mark Harrod Ltd’s Ball Stop net system, freehanging 420S Box Nets and aluminium 1m x 1.2m Target goals. “The latest warm-up goals will help limit wear and tear in the goalmouths,” he said.

Mike Bugajski, Mark Harrod Ltd Head of Sales, noted: “The old Molineux match goals had passed their sell-by date. Under their programme of improvements, Wolves needed new ones in time for their first home game of this Premiership season and we were more than happy to oblige.”

Wayne adds: “I’ve known Sean Wallett, Mark Harrod Ltd’s managing director, for many years and can rely on the company to supply a premier service for what is now a Premier club. If I call Sean about something, he will come here the same day.”

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Tennis A Priority In London Transformation

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Tennis A Priority In London Transformation: A long term masterplan is set to take place in a London borough, and the redevelopment of Tennis courts is the top priority.

The London Borough of Hounslow’s planning committee approved Gunnersbury 2026 in January 2016 to unlock the potential of sports facilities at Gunnersbury Park – with tennis courts the first priority and a new indoor community sports hub.

Tennis A Priority In London Transformation

Essex-based ETC Sports Surfaces has completed the eight outdoor tennis courts with floodlights, while the sports hub is scheduled to open in summer 2019.

ETC worked alongside Zaun Ltd, who manufactured and supplied 414m of 3m high Duo6 Advantage tennis sports fencing with six single leaf gates and two divider fences with a central 3.5 m wide walkway between courts.

Zaun’s Advantage tennis court fencing system can withstand heavy use with a 42.85mm x 200mm twin wire mesh pattern that won’t let balls through yet allows a great view of on-court action.

It offers better whole-life value than chain-link fencing, which is easily cut with pliers for unauthorised use, and deforms quickly when people lean against it.

Ten grass football and rugby pitches, four cricket pitches and two full-size 3G artificial grass pitches with floodlights are also planned.

Gunnersbury Park, jointly owned by Hounslow and Ealing councils, features one Grade I listed and one Grade II listed Georgian mansions, as well as many historical buildings all set within the stunning community park.

The site is undergoing major transformation since the councils secured two grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2014 to overhaul the museum and make major improvements to the park landscape.

The aim of the project is to transform Gunnersbury Park into a sustainable, high quality public space that serves the local community.  The plans include the creation of a diverse mix of culture, heritage, events, sports and recreational activity to add to a rich history that the councils want to preserve.

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Le Golf National Remains GEO Certified

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Le Golf National Remains GEO Certified: Le Golf National is preparing to host the 2018 Ryder Cup and 2024 Summer Olympics, and has retained GEO certification, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable business management.

Having completed the new and improved OnCourse® programme, the venue was recently visited by independent verifier Pablo Munoz Vega, who confirmed demonstrable results and continual improvement actions over the previous three-year period.

Le Golf National Remains GEO Certified

Paul Armitage, General Manager – Le Golf National, said: “By proudly flying the GEO flag every day we are showing our customers, whether they be local residents, international visitors or corporate groups that we care about the same things that they do. We also want our staff to feel engaged and proud of the fact that Le Golf National provides great golf and much more for our community.

“Thanks to our Environmental Co-ordinator Artur Lecomte and the staff out on the course and in the clubhouse, the work we have done on waste separation, with increased reuse and recycling is particularly rewarding for all involved. All the team have found OnCourse® to be very easy to use and helpful in guiding and tracking the work and GEO Certified® is a tremendous reward.”

Le Golf National continues to show how an approach to fostering nature, conserving resources and supporting the community is part and parcel of running a profitable and highly respected golf facility.

The venues efforts are also contributing to The Ryder Cup Green Drive – the event’s sustainability programme – with partners Ryder Cup Europe and The Ryder Cup Organising Committee in France aiming to deliver the cleanest, greenest and most sustainable Ryder Cup yet.

Ryder Cup Europe Director, Richard Hills, said: “Le Golf National is a world-class golf course and we commend Paul and his team for their commitment to sustainable business management. It is vitally important that along with delivering one of the greatest sporting events in the world, that we also address these important issues and continue to work on maximising the social and environmental contribution of golf in the communities in which we play.”

Alejandro Reyes, Golf Course Superintendent added: “In the last three years sustainability has really become a facility-wide effort – moving from the golf course and maintenance facility into the clubhouse and now into marketing and communications. OnCourse® has helped a lot in that process and gives us a consistent way to make sure our practices are delivered and extended, our key data is in one place and our highlights are communicated and shared.”

Julie Duffus, Olympic Movement Sustainability Manager at the International Olympic Committee added: “Le Golf National is an excellent example of how a sustainable and successful Olympic Venue can be planned, designed, constructed and operated.  Our Congratulations to the team for their efforts and success on retaining GEO Certified Status.  We look forward to working together in the lead up to the Olympic Games in 2024”.

Richard Allison, Certification Manager at GEO Foundation, said: “We congratulate Le Golf National on this excellent and thoroughly deserved achievement. With the eyes of the sporting world on the course this autumn for The 2018 Ryder Cup, Le Golf National continues to strengthen its position as an ethical leader – fostering nature, conserving resources and supporting the community.”

Munoz Vega added: “It has been tremendous to witness the development of Le Golf National since their initial certification a short time ago. Commitment to sustainability and a desire to improve and keep innovating is deeply embedded in the management culture. With performance already very high I look forward to seeing the new projects and initiatives of the future.”

Key activities and results at Le Golf National include:

Resources

  • Commissioned 19 hybrid electric Jacobsen Eclipse walking mowers
  • Reduction in irrigation consumption by almost 40% as result of new Toro irrigation system
  • 16 hectares removed from irrigation (20% of irrigated area)
  • Sprinkler heads improved water distribution by 26%
  • New storage reservoir and drainage allows recycling of rainwater (44% of total consumption)
  • 340 tons of material recycled every year including glass, plastic, paper, cardboard and organics
  • Sand from ‘Paris beach’ recycled after every summer for fairway top-dressing
  • Trialling of non-chemical pest and disease control with UV lighting unit to reducing fungicide applications

Nature

  • Partnership with Natural History Museum and French Golf Federation to evaluate, conserve and promote biodiversity
  • Interconnected management of 10 EUNIS habitats including forest, wetland, open water, meadows and mineral landscape (three of which are classed as rare including tree species, riparian reeds and willows)
  • At least 350 flora and fauna species identified to date, including 70 birds
  • 13 species identified as rare including European, French and regional ‘red list’ species
  • Eight microhabitats created including hibernaculums for amphibians, rock walls, beehives, bird nests, dead branches and standing tree remnants
  • Increase in low-maintenance ecological rough areas
  • Significant reduction of maintained turf areas, new no-spray areas and habitat buffers

Community

  • New policies and pricing to increase public access to the golf courses
  • ‘GoforGolf’ campaign to introduce new players to the game
  • Spearhead the development of new affordable short courses around the country
  • Increase in social media presence to communicate the benefits of sustainability
  • Collaboration with local government to restore the ‘Porte du Merantais’, an historic gate to Versailles Palace

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