KAR raises tempo at Bromley

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KAR raises tempo at Bromley: Bromley FC’s players and staff have reported a huge improvement in their synthetic pitch after a Hunter Industries irrigation system from KAR UK was installed at the stadium.

Bromley FC is currently plying its trade in the Vanarama National League and plays its home games at Hayes Lane Stadium – which, over recent years, has undergone a significant transformation.

KAR raises tempo at Bromley

The stadium investment saw the construction of a new South Stand which has allowed for an additional 1,450 seats, and two years ago an all new FIFA certified synthetic pitch was installed.

Bromley FC’s First Team Coach Alan Dunne provided the reasoning behind the club’s switch from natural to synthetic turf.

“In winter, our natural pitch would often be in a bad condition and games would have to be called off, which would have a huge impact on revenue,” he said. “Even when the games were on, the pitch could be waterlogged, it would slow down our play which would then cause further damage. It is for this reason that we decided to have a synthetic surface installed because it offers all-year round play as well as providing the club a constant stream of revenue by renting it out for the local community.

“We are a hugely ambitious club and we are doing everything possible to make sure that we continue to progress up the football leagues.”

The new pitch was soon installed and opened up to the wider community, and even though the extra revenue would help the club compete in terms of transfer fees and player wages it became apparent that something was missing.

“It’s a great pitch,” said Bromley FC’s Director Jerry Dolke. “However, over the past 24 months we had an increasing amount of comments from players who were claiming that the rubber crumb, which is used as the infill in the synthetic surface, was uncomfortable to play on. During hot weather we were not playing at the same fast tempo we like to play, so we identified that we urgently needed to start getting water on to the pitch.

“Ultimately, we want to give this group of players all of the tools and equipment to be successful and therefore after a consultation with Ian Jordan from Jordan Sports Ground Solutions who look after our pitch, an irrigation system became a priority.”

KAR raises tempo at Bromley

It was at this point that a Hunter ST1600 irrigation system would be the ideal solution.

The Hunter ST irrigation system is designed for the specific needs of synthetic turf sports pitches. Featuring long-range irrigation sprinklers, unique swing joints, durable irrigation valves and nearly indestructible vaults, Hunter’s ST system offers everything required to keep synthetic turf pitches cool, clean and playable. The enhanced radius rotors are perfect for football pitches, where smaller radius rotors might fall a little short – meaning that every inch of the pitch can be watered.

The system, which also comprises of an ICC2 controller and an EZ decoder system, sees the ST1600 rotors installed in six positions around the pitch – one on each of the four corner areas and one either side of the halfway line.

“It’s made a huge difference to the way we play – we like to play quick football and when the pitch is watered we have that effect,” said Alan. “We now water before the game and at half-time and it sees us through nicely. The system is so quick and simple and it takes just eight minutes to have the whole pitch watered.”

“We needed a system that was going to work efficiently on our pitch and within our budget,” added Jerry. “We now have that in place and all of those previous problems have disappeared. We had a very short timescale to work to because our first pre-season game was on the 6th July so we had a five-week window to get the project completed. The contractors met the deadline and we are all very happy with the end result.

“The irrigation system is just another step in the right direction as we try and push on to that next level.”

Hunter Industries is distributed in the UK by KAR UK. For more information, please visit www.karuk.com or www.hunterindustries.com.

You can also follow KAR UK on Twitter @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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EcoBunker at unique ‘golf lounge’

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EcoBunker at unique ‘golf lounge’: One of the most unusual and innovative golf projects in the world is taking shape in Mexico City, and EcoBunker technology is playing a critical role.

Architect Agustin Piza was commissioned by his client, a leading Mexican executive, to build a golf practice facility in the grounds of the client’s under construction new house. “I think my client had a regular putting and chipping green in mind, but I don’t do regular things,” says Piza.

EcoBunker at unique 'golf lounge'

The architect conceived something he calls the ‘Golf Lounge’, a large, freeform putting green and surrounds that enables users to practice any golf shot they like from up to 70 yards. At the centre of the construction is a large revetted sand bunker, which is where the EcoBunker solution is deployed. And, in the heart of that bunker is to be found the centrepiece of the whole ‘Golf Lounge’ concept – a fire pit.

“The central bunker is key to the entire composition,” says Piza. “During the day you can practice all types of shots from 70 yards in. Flops, bump and runs, lag putts. Anything you want to create, it’s there. It is a multi-purpose area – during the day the family can enjoy either practicing golf or playing in the sandbox. In the evenings, you turn on the music, turn on the lights, turn on the firepit and relax. You can still putt around it, have a putting contest, whatever you like. I knew I needed the central sandpit to be revetted. I did my research and with the evidence available to me EcoBunker is the most proven system in the world for constructing revetted bunkers, especially in climates like Mexico City’s. I spoke to Richard Allen, the inventor of synthetic revetting, who I had met several times at EIGCA functions and said ‘Send me your best installer’. He sent me Llewelyn Matthews who did a fantastic job.”

Piza says that this job, because it is in a domestic environment, was rather different to most architectural projects. “The safe rule in architecture is that form follows function, but in this case I wanted the function to follow the form. This meant extra detail to creative and engineering work,” he explains. ”I wanted the client and his family to fall in love with it just by seeing it through the windows of their home, whether or not they were golfers. So I conceived it as a kind of ‘grass sculpture’ that would be both beautiful to look at and functional. If it is just a golf facility, it is a waste of space to anyone who doesn’t play golf. This way, it is something for the entire family to enjoy.”

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Campey coats for Kidsgrove Athletic

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Campey coats for Kidsgrove Athletic: Campey Turf Care Systems has helped keep Kidsgrove Athletic Blues U8’s warm over winter as the team’s new coat sponsor.

The company has been a long-time supporter of grassroots sport and aims to help clubs at every level provide pitches that encourage participation in football. While the surfaces played on are usually the priority, Campey also knows that it’s not as fun to play when you’re freezing cold, as does the team’s assistant manager, Matt Davies.

Campey coats for Kidsgrove Athletic

“Living in England it does get cold in the winter, so having these nice big coats is great for the boys,” Matt began. “The lads like them, and it keeps them warm, which is the main thing. At this age, it’s all about the players having fun and developing and anything that can contribute to that, like keeping warm, is important. They’re all really enjoying their football, and as a team, they have improved massively over the last year.

“It can be difficult to get sponsors because we need it for different things like balls, etc., so it’s great that Campey has got involved. The parents all pay a monthly fee for subs, training and pitch hire, so having a sponsor makes it that bit less expensive for everyone.”

The team currently play in a development league which sees each side categorised as they progress through the season, ensuring that games remain competitive and enjoyable. This season, Kidsgrove’s improvement has seen them placed into the top tier with the impressive young team also playing a friendly against Stoke City FC U7’s.

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Huxley tees proving a return on investment

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Huxley tees proving a return on investment: World leading golf surface experts, Huxley Golf, has completed a major installation of 27 all-weather tees at Poult Wood, one of the finest pay and play golf courses in the South of England. With this installation the facility will stay open for the enjoyment of resident and visiting golfers throughout the coming winter months.

Set in picturesque woodland near Tonbridge in Kent, Poult Wood offers a choice of two interesting and challenging courses for regular and casual golfers. It is run by the Tonbridge & Malling Leisure Trust, a not-for-profit organisation responsible for the delivery of sport and leisure facilities for Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council. As such, the course must be affordable, high quality and accessible to all members of the community.

Huxley tees proving a return on investment

Darren Lanes, Head of Leisure at Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, explains: “Our vision, in partnership with Tonbridge & Malling Leisure Trust, is simple: ‘more people, more active, more often’ and we’re delivering this through the provision of a wide range of facilities which enable participation in activities that promote physical and mental wellbeing. Consistency is incredibly important but this is naturally harder to achieve when it comes to enabling outdoor leisure pursuits given the vagaries of the British weather.

“This is why we have invested in renewing our all-weather tees at Poult Wood Golf Course. These winter tees have proven to deliver excellent value for money through operational resilience and an uninterrupted year-round revenue stream which we can reinvest in, extending our efforts for the whole community’s benefit.”

Huxley Golf used its Premier Tee Turf 2 across both the 9- and 18- hole courses. Each tee measures 12ft x 12ft (3.66m x 3.66m).

Poult Wood Head Greenkeeper, Stuart Crowley, said: “It’s safe to say that the Huxley Golf winter tees have been a real return on investment.

“We first installed all-weather tees with Huxley Golf twenty years ago and we’ve never looked back. With virtually no maintenance requirement, the use of these winter tees not only delights our customers, but it also frees my team up to ensure that the remainder of the course remains playable in increasingly challenging seasonal conditions. We renewed the tees after ten years in 2010 and we’ve just done so again, such is their considerable contribution to our well-regarded course.”

For more information about winter golf surfaces, call 01730 829608 or visit www.huxleygolf.com.

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DLF Seeds for Exeter Chiefs

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DLF Seeds for Exeter Chiefs: A change in career is a daunting prospect, but it can often be made easier with training and support from new industry peers.

For Max Sandford, a joiner by trade, he is swiftly learning ‘all things turf’ after taking over as Head Groundsman at Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club 18 months ago. One of those trusted contacts is Ian Barnett of DLF Seeds who has supported Max with the Johnsons J Premier Pitch, in use across the club’s stadium and training facilities.

DLF Seeds for Exeter Chiefs

“The world of grass seed was very new to me” Max explains, when he accepted the top job in early 2018. “Ian, our regional DLF Technical Manager, together with my local distributor have spent a lot of time going back to basics, looking at cultivars and mixture qualities which has given me a much better understanding. The support has been invaluable and has certainly given me enough of an insight to see that the Johnsons mixtures are doing a fantastic job!”

A combination of J Premier Pitch and the ProNitro coated version, J Nitro Premier Pitch, have been used across the site for the last seven years. “We carry out a full renovation on both pitches each year after the final game and overseed roughly every six to eight weeks, depending on the time of year and pitch usage.”

“I am very impressed with the germination, the density of coverage and the strong colour we achieve year on year. The wear tolerance is a major factor for rugby, especially in the scrummaging areas, but the J Premier Pitch holds firm which is testament to the strength of the rooting.” On the back of Ian’s advice, Max is looking forward to trying Johnsons J 4Turf mixture for the first time this winter, to deliver deeper rooting and rapid establishment even under low soil temperatures.

Max concludes, “I enjoy reading about what other groundsmen are using and when I see Johnson’s mixtures used at leading facilities around the country, I feel confident that I’m sourcing the best products I can for the club. Ultimately, I’ve found if you ask the right people the right questions, you will get the right answers!”

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