Le Golf National’s Short Game Area

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Le Golf National’s Short Game Area: Not content to rest on its laurels after the stunning success of last year’s Ryder Cup, the team at Le Golf National is continuing to invest in its facilities, building a substantial new training area for short game practice.

Located between the sixteenth green of the Albatros course and the club’s driving range, the new short game area housed a large grandstand during the Ryder Cup. “When the stand came down after the event, all the grass in the area was dead, so it was clear we needed to do something with the ground,” said Lucas Pierré, golf courses and estates manager at Le Golf National. “At the same time, we decided to rebuild all our training areas using better materials. They are really important for us and get a great deal of use, both from our paying golf customers and from our coaches running clinics for local schoolchildren.”

Le Golf National's Short Game Area

“The area between the sixteenth green and the driving range was ideal for this use, as it was already covered by our irrigation system,” said Pierré. “The new short game area was designed in house, jointly by me, by Alejandro Reyes [LGN’s former superintendent, now an agronomic consultant] and by our head golf teacher. We saved as much of the USGA rootzone as possible – it is quite large, with 3,000 sq m of green space, 4,000 sq m of surrounds and 1,000 sq m of sand, in two big bunkers.

“We already have Capillary Concrete on the Albatros course, and we are used to working with their French distributor, Stan Chapus of Greenmix,  so we know that the system works, and we decided on EcoBunker to create the bunker edging. Together they make an advanced system – not cheap, but they work well together. We can keep the sand on the bunker faces; it doesn’t wash down every time there is a big rain.’”

The new area will open in September for use by the local childrens’ golf schools, and be in use when the French Open returns to Le Golf National in October.

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Fantasy Football Is Back!

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Fantasy Football Is Back!: The new Premier League season is almost upon us, which signals the return of the Turf Matters Fantasy Football league, sponsored by Dennis & SISIS.

Entry into the league is once again FREE of charge with a share of a £500 prize pot up for grabs.

Fantasy Football Is Back!

Simply create your team at https://fantasy.premierleague.com and then register your details with us here to enter. Upon completion of the entry form we will send you our unique code which will allow you to join the league and take part in the competition.

PRIZES

Prizes will be issued at the end of the season in the form of Love2shop high street vouchers:

POSITION PRIZE MONEY
1st Place £250
2nd Place £100
3rd Place £50
4th Place £25
5th Place £20
6th Place £15
7th Place £10
8th Place £10
9th Place £10
10th Place £10

Good luck!

Ireland To Host 2026 Ryder Cup

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Ireland To Host 2026 Ryder Cup: The Ryder Cup will return to Ireland in 2026 when Adare Manor, in County Limerick, hosts the biennial contest between Europe and the United States for the first time.

Ryder Cup Europe – which comprises the Managing Partner the European Tour, the Founding Partner the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland, and the PGAs of Europe – today announced the five-star resort will follow in the footsteps of Whistling Straits in Wisconsin (2020), Marco Simone in Italy (2022) and Bethpage Black in New York (2024) as the venue for golf’s greatest team contest.

It means The Ryder Cup will be staged in Ireland for the second time, 20 years after The K Club hosted the 2006 contest when Team Europe – under the captaincy of Ian Woosnam and featuring three Irishmen who would go on to captain Europe over the next decade; Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley – memorably defeated the United States by a record margin of 18½ – 9½.

Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup Director, said: “We are delighted to announce The 2026 Ryder Cup will be staged in Ireland at Adare Manor which is a world class venue, both in terms of the golf course and the wider resort facilities.

“Today’s announcement would not have been possible without the support of An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Irish Government who are in receipt of our grateful and heartfelt thanks. Months of careful negotiation behind the scenes have seen us arrive at this point and we could not be happier to be able to take golf’s greatest team contest back to Ireland.

“Equally in receipt of our appreciation are Adare Manor owners JP and Noreen McManus and their entire team at the magnificent County Limerick venue. JP has shown unwavering support for golf and the European Tour over many years and we are delighted that Adare Manor will be the venue to showcase the next chapter in Ireland’s Ryder Cup story in seven years’ time.

“Aside from having provided three Captains over the past four editions, in addition to world-class talent such as Rory McIlroy, Irish players such as the late Christy O’Connor Jnr, Philip Walton, Eamonn Darcy, Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley are intrinsically linked with providing Europe’s winning moments over the years.

“Added to that the fact that Irish golf fans are rightly recognised as some of the most knowledgeable and passionate in the world, as was shown during Shane Lowry’s emotional Open Championship triumph at Royal Portrush on Sunday, there was no question in our minds that the time was right.”

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “This is a tremendously proud day for everyone at the European Tour and everyone associated with the island of Ireland and Irish golf. When we started the discussions with both the Irish Government and Adare Manor on this entire project they promised to deliver, and they have both done that today.

“Over the past few weeks we have seen truly wonderful golfing occasions at both Lahinch and Royal Portrush and I know such memorable scenes will be repeated in seven years’ time at Adare Manor. Ireland has golf in its DNA and especially in relation to The Ryder Cup.”

Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D. welcomed the announcement stating: “I am delighted that Ireland will be the host of The Ryder Cup in 2026. It is great news for Ireland, and for County Limerick and the west of Ireland in particular.

“This news comes at the end of an historic week for golf on the island of Ireland, following the hugely successful hosting of the Open Championship by Royal Portrush Golf Club, and the historic victory by one of Ireland’s most popular sporting heroes, Shane Lowry.

“Shane’s victory is one of many great achievements by Irish golfers, not just in Major Championships but also in The Ryder Cup. Over the years, Irish captains and Irish players have played a huge role in the success of the European team.

“I am sure that when The Ryder Cup comes to Adare, we will see many more great sporting memories created, and great sporting friendships forged. It will be a fantastic occasion for everyone on the island of Ireland, and for the many visitors from both sides of the Atlantic who can look forward to another great Irish welcome.”

Commenting on the announcement, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross T.D. stated: “The passion of Irish people for golf across the island is well known and that was reinforced by the fantastic crowds at last Sunday’s Open Championship in Portrush and the joy at Shane’s great victory. Hosting The Ryder Cup here will be a great occasion for Irish golf and Irish tourism. The Ryder Cup in 2026 will be a must go event for golf fans when we expect thousands of overseas visitors to come to Ireland.”

The news was further welcomed by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin, T.D. who stated: “It’s been a fantastic week for golf in Ireland following Shane Lowry’s heroic win in Portrush. The announcement of The Ryder Cup for Ireland in 2026 is further great news and is a wonderful honour for all of us in Ireland, North and South. It’s a special honour for the people of Munster, a province steeped in sporting culture, where this marvellous global event will be embraced by the people to make 2026 the greatest ever tournament in the history of The Ryder Cup.”

JP McManus, owner of Adare Manor, said: “I am delighted that the prestigious Ryder Cup will return to Ireland. We were very happy that Adare Manor was chosen as the venue for this world renowned tournament in 2026 and we look forward to welcoming our worldwide visitors.

“It is a wonderful tribute to the many great Irish golf ambassadors and success stories Ireland has had in golf over the years and a nice follow on from Shane’s momentous Open win on Sunday in Portrush. The nation was behind Shane, it was a great achievement and very well deserved.

“I am confident that the people of Ireland will get behind The Ryder Cup and take the opportunity to showcase Ireland on the world stage and ensure that The 2026 Ryder Cup will be an outstanding success.

“I hope the many tourist, golfing and business organisations will work together to identify all the opportunities for the benefit of The Ryder Cup, the Irish economy and across the south west community.”

Since Ireland last hosted The Ryder Cup in 2006, the biennial contest has extended its reach as one of the world’s leading sporting events.

Last year’s Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in France attracted more than 270,000 fans on course across the week – the largest attendance for a Ryder Cup held in Europe – with record social media engagement of more than 22 billion impressions globally.

The Ryder Cup also boosted economic activity in France by €235.7million – a significant increase compared to the £106 million of economic activity generated in Scotland in 2014 when Gleneagles hosted the contest.

Adare Manor, which was extensively renovated two years ago, hosted the Irish Open in 2007, a tournament won by Padraig Harrington two months before he went on to clinch the first of his two successive Open Championship titles at Carnoustie. The Irish Open was staged again at Adare Manor the following year in 2008 when Englishman Richard Finch triumphed.

The venue has also hosted the JP McManus Pro-Am in 2005 and 2010 and is scheduled to do so again next July, with confirmed participants already including Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods.

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Avro Promoted On Greenfields Pitch

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Avro Promoted On Greenfields Pitch: After two seasons of playing on their GreenFields 3G pitch, Avro FC have celebrated a second successive promotion which will see them move up from their short-lived stay in the North West Counties First Division to play the 2019-20 season in the North West Counties Premier Division.

Having won the Manchester Premier Division in 2018, then to gain promotion last season (finishing second but gaining promotion with points-per-game), Avro FC are certainly on a roll and definitely a team to look out for. Rob Fuller, Avro FC Chairman attributes their success in part to the installation of the 3G pitch back in Autumn 2017, he commented: “We are about to begin our third season with our GreenFields 3G pitch and we could not be more pleased with it. We are certain that the pitch has played a huge part in our back to back promotions. Last season was our first in semi-professional football, and we received only positive comments from visiting teams regarding the pitch. Several teams pointed out that the GreenFields surface was far superior to any that they had played on previously and they were impressed with the quality of the grass, and the natural bounce and run of the ball during game play. We are proud of our GreenFields pitch and look forward to continuing our successful partnership in 2019/20 as we look forward to playing in the NWCFL Premier Division for the first time.”

Avro Promoted On Greenfields Pitch

Last season saw the club compete in the coveted Buildbase FA Vase for the first time and their most recent promotion which will see them play at step 5 will also open the door to a place in the Emirates FA Cup, a dream for all clubs and footballers alike.

As part of their commitment to supporting non-league football clubs, GreenFields have renewed their sponsorship agreement with Avro FC for the 2019-20 season. Paul Milton, Commercial Director at GreenFields commented: “We are thrilled to see that Avro FC have been promoted for the second year in a row. It’s a brilliant achievement for them and we couldn’t be happier that the GreenFields pitch has played a part in their success. We look forward to seeing them continue to flourish and are proud to be partnering and supporting them for another season.”

More information on GreenFields can be found at www.greenfieldsturf.co.uk

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Complete DLF Range At Goodwood

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Complete DLF Range At Goodwood: The Goodwood Estate relies on mixtures from across the DLF Seeds portfolio to deliver results site-wide. With a remit including two 18-hole golf courses, a cricket ground, gardens and farmland, a grass airfield, and a motor circuit, General Manager of Sports Turf & Grounds, Phil Helmn, is certainly kept busy with such a momentous breadth of surfaces to prepare.

Joining the Goodwood Estate four years ago, from a greenkeeping background, has seen a steep but fascinating learning curve for Phil – “everyone says it, but in this job no two days really are the same!  One day me, and anyone of my full-time grounds team of 35, could be working on golf course renovations, or the next coordinating ground preparations for Goodwood’s Festival of Speed which has an attendance equal to that of Glastonbury Festival!  What’s really interesting is how every environment has such different performance criteria so I’ve taken a lot of guidance and advice from companies and distributors, DLF being one of them.”

Complete DLF Range At Goodwood

As a long-standing user of seed from DLF’s Masterline and Johnsons Sports Seed mixtures, introducing those across the estate was one of Phil’s first exercises. “Ryegrass is the primary species used across the estate because of its hardwearing qualities and quick germination making it suitable on a wide variety of sports and fine turf areas. On our cricket wicket, Johnsons J Premier Wicket mixture has been working really well.”

Johnsons J Premier Wicket features a four-cultivar blend of Clementine, Monroe, Dickens and Chardin perennial ryegrass and delivers outstanding shoot density, rapid establishment and high disease resistance. In terms of its usage, Goodwood’s cricket ground has seen a surge in popularity, which is driving investment into the facilities later this year. “We currently host lots of local league matches but developments on one of the wickets will hopefully see that prepared to a higher spec with the J Premier Wicket, along with a £1m new pavilion, in the hope of heading towards county level play.”

Complete DLF Range At Goodwood

“On our golf greens, we’re currently on a bent grass overseeding programme and over on the grass airfield, which has a resident academy of three Spitfires, we’re using the hard-wearing ProMaster 70 mixture from Masterline. With so many sports arenas, there’s always new challenges, and peaks and troughs in demand, which keeps you on your toes. The seed from DLF gives us one constant we can rely on.”

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