Duralock Sports Performance Fencing

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Duralock is the market leading manufacturer of PVCu sports and equestrian fencing systems; including post and rail, movable barriers, gates and crowd barriers.

Duralock Sports Performance Fencing has been developed specifically with sports clubs in mind and is approved by governing bodies Worldwide.

We’ve designed it to flex under impact, reducing the risk of injury and concealed fixings and smooth rounded surfaces make the whole system exceptionally safe. The award winning PVC-u construction withstands heavy use in all weathers without warping, splitting or breaking.

All of our fencing systems are suitable for use on all surfaces, from natural turf to AGP and 3G and are available as permanent or removable fixtures. Specially developed ‘feet’ for 2 metre sections are available for temporary boundaries making them ideal for multi-use sports facilities.

Competitively priced, with a 15 year guarantee, Duralock offers the perfect choice in Performance Fencing for all applications.

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Bowood GC Succeeds With All Bent Programme

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Bowood GC succeeds with All Bent programme thanks to J All Bent mixture from Johnson’s Sports Seed: Bowood’s championship golf course near Chippenham is set in 2,000 acres of glorious parkland and is renowned as one of the finest courses in Wiltshire.

To introduce some biodiversity into their greens, Course Manager Jaey Goodchild began an all bents programme on the courses 18 greens 3 years ago. To give them the best chance at success, Jaey put his trust in the highest rated cultivars, employing the J All Bent mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed.

Bowood GC Succeeds With All Bent Programme

“The decision to go for an all bent overseeding regime wasn’t one that was taken lightly” explains Jaey. “A huge amount of work went into solving any agronomic issues and preparing the ground before we could consider introducing the seed.” A dedicated aeration and topdressing programme was conducted to tackle issues with thatch, creating an environment which would give the seed the best chance to establish. “Once we were happy the ground was ready we looked into mixtures and cultivars. With it being such a commitment, we wanted a mixture with the highest rated cultivars.”

In addition to using the STRI turf grass booklet as a guide, Jaey used his first-hand experience to make his decision. “Prior to joining Bowood, I worked at Richmond Golf Club and there we built a USGA trial plot where we would trial various varieties. One variety that sticks in my mind is Manor – it performed very well, especially in the colour it produced. That, coupled with its high performance in other trials means it’s a must have for me.”

Johnsons J All Bent mixture contains 60% Arrowtown, the top rated browntop bent, and 40% Manor. “This year was our 4th year of overseeding with J All Bent and we’re all very pleased with the results it’s delivering. The main benefits for us are the performance characteristics, particularly early in the season when the poa is struggling, plus these varieties provide us with fantastic fineness of leaf and colour. The overseeding approach, together with our cultural management programme is helping the bent species outcompete the Poa annua, helping us achieve our goal of switching to bent dominated greens.”

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Hybrid Is Pitchmark’s New Line

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Hybrid Is Pitchmark’s New Line: Following trials with a number of the leading Premier League clubs, Pitchmark will be introducing their new Hybrid sports pitch line marker at Saltex, complete with a lifetime warranty.

This is a real breakthrough for turf professionals and their clubs, offering a wide range of benefits compared to traditional methods.  Mark Rodman, Pitchmark Managing Director, has been working closely with groundsmen at top clubs to create a new approach with a product that offers the benefits of both a transfer wheel marker and a spray marker.

Hybrid Is Pitchmark’s New Line

“A large number of top stadia groundsmen use transfer markers for many good reasons,” says Mark, “it’s easier to lift the back wheels up to mark over intersecting lines, there’s balanced weight and groundsmen like to walk slowly, with more control. With a transfer wheel marker you are using the same amount of paint on a pitch no matter how slowly you walk.”

The problems with transfer markers, Mark points out, is that they only tend to coat the leaf-tips of the leaf, and in order to cover more of the leaf to get the required result it is double marked. This can also result in a ‘trenching’ effect due to the continuous heavy weight of the front roller, coupled with the loss of grass coverage due to overdosing of paint. The end result is the paint becomes so thick on the leaf it takes much longer to dry. With many modern ‘hybrid’ pitches requiring regular watering, ‘ghosting of paint over the pitch is highly likely.

The Pitchmark Hybrid overcomes these problems with a three-wheeled spray design for ease of use, especially on intersecting lines where a conventional four-wheeled machine requires awkward manoeuvring over wet lines. The Hybrid feels like a transfer marker: well weighted and perfectly balanced. With a range of nozzles to suit the user, you never use too much paint while still being able to walk slowly.

“The Hybrid cone nozzles give perfect deep leaf coverage, “Mark says: “you only need one pass and, because of the depth of the leaf coverage, the line isn’t cut out fully week to week. It’s based on the proven Pitchmark Eco Club and Eco Pro markers spray system. The thin coating of paint dries extremely quickly so there are no issues with irrigation, rain, or ghosting.”

The Limited Edition UK manufactured Hybrid uses a 12V 14ah SLA battery which gives up to 4 hours from one charge. The clever, highly-engineered front discs act as the front wheel, leaving crisper lines, and wide, low ground pressure solid puncture-proof rear wheels never go flat-and leave less of a mark on the pitch. Designed for use with Pitchmark’s Direct and Ecoline+ advanced low-volume, ready-to-use paints, the Hybrid also features adjustable line width to suit different competitions and goal post widths. Paint is contained in a 25L moulded tank and you can bleed the system into the paint tank for cleaner operation with no wastage. The patent pending Hybrid comes with a lifetime warranty, providing Pitchmark paints are used.  Pitchmark are taking pre-orders now and welcome groundsmen to come along to stand E125 at Saltex where they will be launching the Hybrid alongside their existing range of paints, machines and accessories.

You can call 01454 776666 or email sales@pitchmark.com to arrange a demo. www.pitchmark.com

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Lynx Control For A Links Course

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Lynx Control For A Links Course: Easy Toro irrigation for Portmarnock’s challenging Links course

The 27-hole private members club, Portmarnock Golf Club, has updated its previous irrigation system with a Toro Lynx control system and 1,220 Toro Infinity Series Sprinklers across the site. Irrigating the challenging course is now easy thanks to round-the-clock access to course conditions via apps synced to the new Lynx control system.

Portmarnock Golf Club not only offers golfers a stunning view of Velvet Strand beach, but the William Chalmers Pickeman, George Ross and Mungo Park designed course makes the most of the natural terrain to keep players on their toes. Links manager of ten years Gary Johnstone also thrives on the challenges presented by the course, saying it: “keeps the job interesting.”

Lynx Control For A Links Course

So when the club’s cable network started to degrade, leaving the old irrigation system unreliable, those at Portmarnock Golf Club saw it not as an obstacle but an opportunity to update the system to suit the course down to a tee.

Gary explains: “We looked at all the irrigation products on the market over a two-year period to find out which company had the best products to suit our needs, and Toro was the clear winner.”

He continues: “Local contractor Aquaturf Solutions Ltd installed our Toro irrigation system and carried out the work over six months with minimum disturbance to the course, in a very professional manner.”

According to Gary, setting up the new system was simple: “With Lynx, it’s easy to set up specific irrigation programmes to meet the needs of Links turf.”

Gary’s favourite aspect of the new system is the accessibility: “The control system is easy to operate and can be accessed anywhere via apps, allowing us to monitor the course’ water needs at all times. This gives us greater control over our irrigation management, as real-time adjustments can be made to give turf the right amount of water.”

The 1,220 Toro Infinity Sprinklers installed course-wide have impressed too: “The Infinity sprinklers have so many good points: their ease of operation, that you can access the top of the sprinkler for repairs, and they are future proof,” says Gary.

“Before, it was difficult to keep the course up to Championship standard with our failing irrigation system. Now irrigation is easy thanks to Toro and we can focus on the challenges ahead, such as hosting the Amateur Championship in 2019, knowing the grass plants will be healthy and play will be great.”

For more information, please visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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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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