James On Course For New Role At Castle Stuart Golf Links

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James On Course For New Role At Castle Stuart Golf Links: The internationally-renowned Castle Stuart Golf Links has appointed James Hutchison as head greenkeeper as it seeks to build on its reputation for sustainable and environmentally-friendly course management.James On Course For New Role At Castle Stuart Golf Links

James, who joined Castle Stuart as a greenkeeper during its construction in 2007, has been deputy course manager since the four-time Scottish Open venue opened in 2009.

He replaces Chris Haspell who is leaving Castle Stuart to take up a new post within the industry. Senior greenkeeper Stuart Hawker is the new deputy head greenkeeper.

During his time at Castle Stuart, James helped create the famous links overlooking the Moray Forth while safeguarding the environment and the rich wildlife it supports.

The course – designed by Mark Parsinen, who also co-designed Kingsbarns Golf Links, and Gil Hanse, creator of the Olympic course in Rio and the new Black Course at the Streamsong Resort in Florida – has won awards for its protection of the landscape and marine areas that make up a Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

James has worked on all four Scottish Opens at Castle Stuart – from 2011-2013 and in 2016 – and has played an integral role in developing the course, regarded as a modern icon at the forefront of discussions on the playability of golf courses that challenge the best players and makes the game engaging, enjoyable and fun for higher handicappers.

A nine-handicap golfer and Scottish shinty international player, he previously spent 12 years at Boat of Garten Golf Club, including six years as deputy course manager.

His first major event at Castle Stuart in his new position will be the Highland Golf Links 54-hole Pro-Am sponsored by Blue Group, a Tartan Tour tournament which will feature a capacity field of 80 teams. The three-day event, which runs from 2-4 October, will also be played at Royal Dornoch Golf Club and The Nairn Golf Club.

James is also expected to be in charge of the Castle Stuart greenkeeping team that will work on a second championship course, which is being planned in partnership with the Arnold Palmer Group.

James said: “This is a huge and exciting challenge for me. It was fantastic to work at Castle Stuart from the construction phase, and being able to do the same on a second course is such a massive opportunity.

“What makes the job so enjoyable is creating and developing a course that works with the environment and provides a visual experience as well as being playable by golfers of all abilities.”

Stuart McColm said: “James has been an integral part of the Castle Stuart team almost since we cut the first turf and the time is right for him to take us into the next phase of our evolution.

“Chris’s departure has left a strong agronomic and environmental platform, one that James and I are passionate about and determined to improve upon, in our pursuit of increased customer satisfaction as well as sustainable environmental stewardship.”

Castle Stuart underlined its environmental credentials this month when it hosted the latest event in the Leading Edge series of conferences. The event brought together a number of course and club managers to look at the challenges and successes of running golf clubs in challenging conditions worldwide.

Held in conjunction with GEO (Golf Environment Organization), the event included contributions from David Roy, a past president of the Club Managers Association of Europe; Paul Armitage, director of Le Golf National, venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup and 2024 Olympic golf tournament; Dr Thom Nikolai, renowned professor of turfgrass agronomy at Michigan State University; Castle Stuart general manager Stuart McColm; David Withers, president and CEO of Jacobsen; and Steve Johnson, Golf Course Superintendent at Almouj Golf Course, The Wave, Muscat.

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Reading FC Have A Pitch Fit For Royals

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Reading Have A Pitch Fit For Royals Thanks To Ground-Breaking SISGrass Technology: The Madejski Stadium becomes first venue with dual-use pitch to experience added durability of SIS Pitches’ advanced hybrid system.

Reading FC have become the first UK sports club with a dual-use pitch to install the revolutionary SISGrass hybrid system – to help the club’s hallowed turf endure almost 250 hours’ playing time.

Global pitch specialists SIS Pitches introduced their advanced hybrid turf technology at the Madejski Stadium this summer as part of a full reconstruction of a pitch that staged over 55 matches last season.

With the Berkshire venue hosting all home first-team fixtures played by Reading and London Irish, the Aviva Premiership Rugby side that have been ground-share tenants for over 16 years, plus a selection of the Royals’ Under-23s and Under-18s games, the playing surface gets a severe workout.

Reading FC Have A Pitch Fit For Royals

So much so there were times last season that Adam Grantham, Reading’s Grounds Manager for 13 years, and his hard-working staff had to prepare for four matches in as many days.

With such little time to recover from wear and tear, the quality of the playing surface inevitably suffered.

To manage such high usage, the Sky Bet Championship club opted for the increased durability of Cumbria-based SIS Pitches’ award-winning SISGrass, a reinforced natural turf system featuring patented fibre injection technology.

Reading have the added bonus of having SISGrass Universal at their disposal. The compact machine, combining speed, mobility and laser precision, specialises in repairing high-use areas such as touchlines, goalmouths and penalty spots.

Main contractor MJ Abbott Ltd were central to the six-week pitch reconstruction project at the ‘Mad Stad’, while Premier Pitches completed the turf finishing process.

Adam said: “The pitch was last reconstructed to this extent way back in 2007 and it reached the end of its shelf life last season, becoming ineffective in areas.

“Balancing all the football and rugby commitments on an ageing pitch was extremely tough at times and there was some criticism over the winter period, so it was good to start afresh in the summer.

“We completely reconstructed the pitch, taking the old hybrid system out and starting from the bottom up, reshaping all the sub-base levels, reinstalling the drainage, the undersoil heating and adding a new irrigation system.

“We have been really pleased with both the high quality of SIS Pitches’ service and the pitch they have installed. With the increased durability of SISGrass, we’re extremely hopeful the end result is a much stronger and healthier pitch all year round that suits our manager Jaap Stam’s style of play.

“By September 9, we’d played five matches on it already but the pitch is holding together really well and I’ve been getting good feedback from the coaching staff and players.”

SISGrass’ laser-guided installation combines a 95% natural grass pitch with 5% of specially-designed PE yarn stitched into the ground, offering unrivalled durability, improved pitch recovery time and increased playing hours.

Phil Blackwell, SIS Pitches’ UK Projects Director, said: “With the Madejski Stadium staging so many fixtures during a season, Reading require the most durable and stable pitch on the market, which we firmly believe our award-winning SISGrass hybrid pitch technology provides.

“The installation process went extremely smoothly and we have no doubts that both Reading and London Irish will experience a higher quality and more durable playing surface this season.

“SISGrass is essential for sporting clubs striving for the highest quality pitch on the market, and an absolute must-have for all dual-use pitches.”

The ground-breaking SISGrass hybrid pitch system has been installed at prestigious venues across the globe, taking pride of place at six of next summer’s World Cup venues, including the iconic Luzhniki Stadium, which will host the Russia 2018 final.

SISGrass has been installed at Premier League duo Newcastle United and AFC Bournemouth, Serie A side Verona and a quartet of Türkish Super Lig clubs.

It also features at Championship clubs Birmingham City, Derby County and Fulham and at the training grounds of FC Barcelona, Chelsea, Swansea City, Hull City, Fulham, Derby County and the National Football Centre at St. George’s Park, home of the English FA.

With offices in the UK, Ireland, Russia, Turkey, Holland, Middle East and Angola, SIS Pitches has many years’ experience in delivering both natural and synthetic turf pitches to some of the greatest names in sport as well as to schools, colleges, universities, sports clubs and local authorities.

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STRI Research Shows How To Make Every Seed Count 

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STRI Research shows how to make every seed count: Every seed counts when it comes to restoring playing surface quality on golf courses or getting stadium pitches established and stable for the new season. Typically there are now greater expectations for turf managers to achieve excellent turf surfaces, with shorter intervals in which to achieve it.

Reporting new trials at STRI Research in Bingley, Yorkshire, this week (20-21 September), Syngenta Technical Manager, Marcela Munoz, highlighted the push for rapid seedling growth – with warmth and high humidity – creates conditions highly conducive to disease, especially in sports stadiums with poor airflow or under germination sheets.

“Seedling blight diseases can affect success at many levels, from individual plant losses reducing sward density, to patches of bare ground or even total seedling kill – possibly losing two or three weeks in the restoration timeline that may never be recovered,” she warned.

STRI Research shows how to make every seed count 

Syngenta research, in association with STRI, has investigated application timings and agronomy options to utilise new fungicide technology that can reduce the impact of seedling diseases and establish stronger swards more quickly.

“The work has looked at ways to protect seedlings through the first 14 to 21 days from emergence, when new growth is especially vulnerable to infection, but managers want to avoid travelling or walking on the surface to avoid seedling damage,” reported Marcela.

Pot trials at STRI have already established that the crop safety of new Instrata Elite has no adverse effect on germination or seedling establishment on the Fescue, Bent or Ryegrass species tested. The trial looked at application at sowing, or in the days immediately prior to sowing, to investigate the potential to reduce disease pathogens on the soil surface and provide a reservoir of protection that may be taken up by the seedlings.

“Following that success, new pot trials have established that Instrata Elite is also safe to use on plants from first emergence. The trial showed no phytotoxicity effects from applications at the seeding; 1st leaf or 2nd leaf stage – with sprays at label rate and even tested at double the label rate.

“Although most turf managers would aim to avoid such early applications, to prevent physical damage to the plants during spraying, well-timed treatment with an appropriate fungicide could stop disease outbreaks from developing further, and help to protect clean seedlings from infection,” she advised.

Marcela pointed out that preventing seedling blight infection is seen as important not only to protect against die-back and losses, but also to avoid the stress on small plants associated with disease attack; clean healthy seedlings are better able to establish and develop stronger roots.

A further development of the seedling establishment research – which is being shown at STRI Research 2017 – is a field-scale evaluation of the pot trials. Instrata Elite has been applied to turf pushed to create disease conducive conditions for seedling blight pathogens, to test the fungicide activity.

The trial has also been extended to include Primo Maxx II in the early foliar application, to provide information for future recommendations on the optimum time to begin the PGR programme after seeding. The work assesses potential benefits of physiological effects to promote tillering and stronger rooting, whilst evaluating any effect of growth regulation on the establishing leaf.

“The new fungicide trials are part of an initiative to provide future fully integrated recommendations for seeding best practice,” added Marcela. “It builds on previous successful Syngenta and STRI seedling establishment research with Qualibra wetting agent – which demonstrated the significant advantages for seedling growth from more effective soil moisture management.

“Together with ITM aspects of seed selection – for varieties with good germination, vigour and disease resistance – along with management of shade, moisture and fertility, there will be real chance to enhance the speed and reliability of future seedling establishment and successful renovation,” she concluded.

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New Non-Turf Practice Nets Impress At Oxenhope CC

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New Non-Turf Practice Nets Impress At Oxenhope CC: When Halifax Cricket League side Oxenhope CC looked into investing in a new synthetic cricket nets facility at its village ground near Keighley, due to minimal space on site it became evident that additional land was required to enable construction. The club purchased land adjacent to the ground after three years of negotiation – however, the project was not to be plain sailing.

The club applied and was subsequently rejected for Sport England funding but, led by club Chair Derek Hopkinson, launched an in-house fundraising campaign to generate capital. A significant sum was raised through club efforts, with the club then applying successfully for an ECB loan to make up the remainder of the required funds.

With the funding secured, the next stage involved the selection of a supplier from a shortlist of companies providing ECB approved non-turf facilities. Significant research was carried out before total-play was awarded the contract, with the team’s in-depth knowledge, quality of product and fair quote highlighted as key factors in its appointment.

New Non-Turf Practice Nets Impress At Oxenhope CC

At construction stage came another new challenge. The newly procured land on which the facility was to be constructed was not only overgrown with unmanaged established trees and self-seeded shrubs, but the run off from the adjacent cricket fields drained into the area. The gradients on the plot were also well outside those acceptable to build a practice facility. To remedy these issues, total-play worked closely with the club’s local groundwork contractor to specify a programme of clearance and levelling.

This involved the removal of all trees, shrubs, associated root mass and organic material before the gradients – as much as 1.5m over the length of the area – were graded out. During this phase of works, catchment drains were installed to protect the base of the system from the main pitch run off, connected into new purpose-built soakaways. The exposed boundary edge was retained with a concrete sleeper wall and the whole area consolidated and graded to the required tolerance for building the new ECB approved practice facility.

With total-play then taking the reins on site, the specification for the system itself was adapted to include a deeper than normal base aggregate profile. This raised the system above the formation layer and surrounding ground and was finished with a concrete kerb perimeter to offer increased drainage capacity, longevity and performance. On top of this bespoke foundation, total-play then installed a 2 lane, 33m facility to its ECB approved tp365 system design.

Finishing touches to the facility included black powder coated steelwork, batting curtains, training lines added to the full width woven playing surface carpets, HD Protection Tunnel netting, a 2m high security fence and access steps down to the facility from the outfield. A stretch of carpet was also laid in front of the pavilion to help keep this high-traffic area clean and tidy.

Club Chair Derrick Hopkinson says:

“We’ve known David Bates from the circuit for a number of years, so had full confidence that his expertise would deliver a first-class facility. When at quotation stage the total-play proposal was among the most competitive on the table, our decision was pretty much made.

 “The project ran smoothly throughout despite it not being the most straightforward. total-play worked well with our local contractors and the entire club is delighted with the new nets. The facility has been used throughout the season and saved wear and tear on our cricket square. Visiting Clubs are very impressed with our new facility and consider it to be one of the best, if not the best, in the League.”

To find out more about total-play’s range of ECB approved non-turf cricket pitch solutions, visit www.total-play.co.uk

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A Numbers Game At The Buckinghamshire

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A Numbers Game At The Buckinghamshire: Club completes course redesign and Toro irrigation install

It’s all in the numbers for The Buckinghamshire Golf Club, which has recently undergone a £3 million course redesign. The course has been lengthened to 7200 Championship yards, 112 bunkers have been redesigned to 64 and the 25-year irrigation system has been replaced with a new Toro Lynx controller with 1275 Flex 35 and T5 sprinklers, ensuring that not an inch of the 226 acre venue goes without a good watering.

Course manager Andy Ewence who has been at the club in Denham for five years says the club has very high standards and the course, which was designed by John Jacobs OBE and is host to numerous competitions, needed some alterations to ensure its position as one of the finest inland course in the British Isles: “We wanted to update some aspects of the course. Lengthening it adds a new challenge for our members and better suits the tournaments we host. We’ve reduced 112 bunkers to 64, relocated the remaining 64 and lined every one with bunker Blinder. We’ve added lake edges to two feature holes and concrete pathways for ease of movement around the course.”

A Numbers Game At The Buckinghamshire

It was while making these changes that Andy and the team decided to replace the irrigation system. Andy explains: “The irrigation system was 25 years old and as a result the PVC piping was turning brittle, it was very unreliable and the computer system needed updating. And all of these factors were visibly displaying on the course. We had dry patches and grass that was turning yellow. Redesigning the course was the perfect time to update the system.”

Andy says the owners were very much behind the investment and encouraged him to seek out “the best”, a decision Andy turned to irrigation specialists Lakes and Greens to help him make. “We were after the highest specification, the full package,” says Andy. “Wall-to-wall sprinklers, a mapping system and Grundfos pumps that work with the controllers were key.

“We are very familiar with the Toro brand as we are on a five-year leasing package for all our turf machinery and the quality is outstanding. But Toro Irrigation was chosen for its own merit and it was the Lynx control system in particular that sold it to me. I’ve been using the system since April 2017 and in my opinion it is the best system I could have chosen, it’s so easy to work with. But the real proof is in the grass, it looks amazing: green and lush and the members have really noticed a difference.” It definitely helps having over a thousand sprinklers working their magic!

Mike Collins, managing director of Lakes and Greens, the company renowned for meeting the standards required by Championship venues, installed the product and comments: “The installation at the Buckinghamshire was achieved in two very tight windows of opportunity, both deadlines were met despite appalling weather conditions in early 2016 thanks to the leadership of contracts director Mark Collins. We enjoy a strong relationship with the Reesink team and its support of the Toro product is excellent.”

The Buckinghamshire is a regular host of Ladies European Tour events, including the ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters, but it has taken a break while the renovations have taken place. With a return to normal hosting duties expected next year all the eyes on The Buckinghamshire will be rewarded with a green and glorious view.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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