Stressbuster & Primo Maxx A Winning Formula

/in , , /by

Stressbuster & Primo Maxx A Winning Formula: Brian Scott, Course Manager at the Rosemount course at Blairgowrie Golf Club in Perthshire, Scotland, has praised a tank-mix combination of ICL’s Vitalnova Stressbuster and Syngenta’s Primo Maxx II growth regulator for the success of his greens.

The Rosemount Course, venue of Greg Normans first European tour victory was designed by James Braid with influences from Dr. Alistair McKenzie – the renowned architect of the Augusta National course. It has played host to a number of prestigious professional and amateur tournaments and provides a challenging test for golfers of all abilities.

Stressbuster & Primo Maxx A Winning Formula

This heathland course is set through mature pines, silver birch and heather and has many admirers across the world. One of Rosemount’s greatest attributes is its immaculate greens which are frequently praised by members and guests alike.

For the past three years Brian has been applying a tank-mixture consisting of Vitalnova Stressbuster and Primo Maxx to the greens – which was a combination recommended to him by Jamie Lees, ICL’s Technical Area Sales Manager in Scotland.

“A few years ago; we were looking for something we could use consistently instead of mixing four or five products. Jamie suggested the combination of Stressbuster and Primo Maxx and in the first year we had such good results it made sense to continue with it.

Brian applies a mixture of both Vitalnova Stressbuster and Primo Maxx II at half rate (0.2 L/ha Primo Maxx II & 20 L/ha Stressbuster) every two weeks from May through to September and believes the two products perfectly complement one another. While Primo Maxx II helps keep excessive growth at bay, Vitalnova Stressbuster pre-conditions turf against stress and helps generate a quick recovery. Featuring iron which provides an instant colour, Vitalnova Stressbuster also contains a unique combination of macro and micro nutrients, wetting agents, biostimulants and amino acids which help to fight off unwanted stress as well as stimulating the good bacteria in the soil.

Stressbuster & Primo Maxx A Winning Formula

With a hectic maintenance schedule and the un-predictable Scottish weather, Brian believes that flexibility is key to keeping the greens in impeccable condition throughout the year.

“I particularly like how you can be so flexible with this tank-mixture. Depending on how your growth is, we might up the Primo application, add an extra bit of nitrogen or if it is dry then we might add more wetting agent.

“Since we have been using this formula we haven’t suffered with any disease or loss of colour – in fact after applying it we see colour up in just a couple of days. We wanted longevity and it provides us with exactly that.”

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

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 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.

Woodland Work At Fife Golf Trust

/in , , /by

Woodland Work At Fife Golf Trust: Thanks to Fife Golf Trust’s purchase of a GreenMech QuadTrak chipper and trailer, almost 20 years of little woodland management across a number of course in Scotland has come to an end. Fife Council owns seven golf courses and the Trust has maintenance responsibilities for all of them. Golf Courses Manager Paul Murphy and his team of 21 greenkeepers has now put the disposal of the woody waste firmly back on the agenda with their recent purchase.

“Each course is equipped with a basic fleet of machinery for routine maintenance, however we also have a bank of equipment that’s shared between the sites” explains Paul, who has been with the trust for five and a half years. Prior to Paul joining, woodland management had been on the back burner, something that changed two years ago. “We’re now a couple of years into a long overdue tree thinning programme, for which we use an external contractor. However, following the work they mainly conduct with tree harvesters, we found there was a lot of material that required clearing.”

Woodland Work At Fife Golf Trust

When hiring a chipper was ruled out for being too costly, Paul lead the search for a chipper that would fulfil the requirements of the various courses. “We looked at a few alternatives, but I was keen on the GreenMech product from previous experience. We had a demonstration of the QuadTrak from local dealer Henderson Grass Machinery and were impressed with how it performed. That, together with the back up support from them as a dealer and the no quibble warranty from GreenMech, sealed the deal.” Paul took delivery of the QuadTrak, together with a bespoke road-towable trailer in February 2018.

“Having the tracked chipper complete with a trailer gives us the best of both worlds. The self-levelling tracks are fantastic for work on uneven ground while the trailer makes it easy to transport the chipper around the course or between sites.” While it’ll earn its keep mainly between November and February, should anything come down during the season, the team are now equipped to deal with it. “The machine is simple to operate, build quality is fantastic and all of these elements combined will help us ensure our courses are tidy for the start of the season, for many years to come.”

For more information, visit: www.greenmech.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 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.

ICL Praised At Downfield GC

/in , , /by

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.

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 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.

Sherriff Impresses At Sweetwoods

/in , , /by

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

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 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.

Mark Harrod At Molineux

/in , /by

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.”

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 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.