Aeration At Cumberwell Park GC

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Aeration At Cumberwell Park GC: Few course managers have the challenge of creating an aeration programme for 45 holes.  Step forward Matt James at Cumberwell Park GC who is responsible for five nine hole courses at Bradford-on-Avon, eight miles south of Bath.

The original courses – the ‘red’ and ‘yellow’ were created in 1994; ‘blue’ followed in 1999, while ‘orange’ in 2006.  Then, in summer 2016, a shorter Par 3 course was opened. Unlike traditional venues, the USGA based greens and tee constructions on the first four courses are generously sized, their design nonetheless still reflecting the natural contours and landscape of the 400 acre site.

Aeration At Cumberwell Park GC

Matt James’ aerator of choice is the Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi. Previously the club owned a Wiedenmann 1.4 m wide GXi6 but upgraded to the GXi8 HD when it was launched to take advantage of the productivity an extra 40 cm offered.

“With 36 holes we just about got away with owning one spiker,” said Matt James. “Jumping to 45 we were over stretched. In autumn 2017 we added a second; two brings flexibility.  Take last month as an example: we’ve had one machine set with hollow cores coring greens. The other is on solid tines for tees. So, two machines ready to go when weather permitted helped us catch up. Changing tines is fast on a Wiedenmann, even quicker now when you just swap machines.  Terra Spikes are recognised across the turf profession. You see users happily posting their results on Twitter. We’re pleased with ours and the support we get from Stuart Fry and T H White at Knockdown.

Some form of aeration is carried out at the Wiltshire club every two to three weeks.

The Cumberwell plan is to aerate tees at least once in the winter with 12 mm solid tines varying depth and heave as conditions allow.  A handful of areas displaying signs of more compaction might be given a second run as spring approaches.  During March, hollow coring takes place using 10 mm coring tines. Again repetition may be carried out. Over the summer the tees get lightly pencil tined with several passes.

The true-running expanse of USGA greens which Cumberwell is renowned are tined twice in the winter with 12 mm solid tines and then throughout the year receive maybe half a dozen passes with 8 mm tines. Fairways don’t get spiked.

Increasingly the Cumberwell Park team has been introducing multi tine heads for finer work and for coring throughout the year.  The GXi8 HD can be fitted with multi tine holders on all eight legs, each solid multi- tine head holding up to twelve 5 mm needle tines while each coring multi-tine head takes six tines per head with a coring diameter from 6mm.

“We certainly vary the tines. With the Wiedenmann we can always achieve the depth which is important. In the past we tried fitting tining units on our greens mower but couldn’t get the necessary depth.  Now we get finite control from just a few mm all the way to 250 mm depending on what tines are fitted.”

Cumberwell Park’s innovative and inspired approach to course layout delivers an excellent golfing experience to members and visitors alike. Yet maybe less apparent to the golfer is how in parallel, clever forethought means it delivers a perfect solution to accommodate its many maintenance needs.

“Our Par 3 is separate but in terms of the other four nine holes courses we are quite unique,” explained Matt James. “They all start and finish at the clubhouse. Our booking system is such that golfers play any combination of courses. We treat it as a four tee start.  Crucially I have access to the system.  With appropriate notice I can close an individual course for maintenance.

“For example, tomorrow one course is shut from first thing until 9.30 am for top dressing. It really helps to be able to shut for tining or top dressing.

“I have to make a judgement on operations I can do. You have to be organised and plan activities ahead. Key things get booked well in advance, for example coring is traditionally March time.  Naturally you plan around big events or tournaments. We wouldn’t choose to tine or top dress before something important but you’ve got to fit it all in. Fine tines leave negligible disturbance so it is not particularly disruptive. We wouldn’t do it days before a competition; but aeration is necessary so you fit it in somehow rather than avoid it.”

The scale of Cumberwell Park is not for the feint hearted. Its setting is enhanced by nine lakes, 34 acres of woodland and free-flowing streams.  The establishment has been awarded four stars in Golf World’s Top Courses in Britain and is also an accredited Golf Mark and Club Mark facility. Nine of Cumberwell Park’s 20 greenkeeping staff are trained on the aerators.

So, how does Matt James keep track of what’s been aerated?  “We keep detailed records for all operations carried out. Specifically with spiking, details include which tines used, depth, where on a particular course and the operator name.”

With another nine hole par 3 course in the pipeline, Matt James and his greenkeeping team strive to maintain their constant high standards.  Only last month the club won the Environmental category at the Bath Life Awards 2018 while Head of Conservation, Jon Keepen was announced as a finalist for Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year at this year’s STRI’s Golf Environmental Awards.

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.com

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Amenity Forum Speakers Named

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Amenity Forum Speakers Named: The Forum has recently opened for booking for its popular annual conference and exhibition. This year it will be held once again at the Pirelli Stadium in Burton upon Trent, on Tuesday, October 9th. The conference will be entitled ‘Change, challenge and opportunity’.

Once again it has an impressive range of speakers and the full programme can be found at www.amenityforum.co.uk The speakers include Professor Michael Eddleston from the University of Edinburgh who is set to provide an entertaining and informative presentation on Human Health issues and Francesca Baylis from Royal Holloway who will report on her ongoing research into biological control for weed, pest and disease control.

Amenity Forum Speakers Named

There will be updates on policy matters from senior staff from both the Environment Agency and the Chemicals Regulation Directorate. These will be followed by a series of leading speakers looking at the current issues within their own areas of amenity. During the conference category winners for the Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards will be announced.

To book your place, contact Admin@amenityforum.net Delegate places are competitively priced thanks to our supporters who will be exhibiting throughout the event. For non-members, the rate is £85 + VAT or £75 + VAT if you book before September 1st. Member organisations receive a £10 discount on the above rates.

Professor John Moverley, Independent Chairman of the Amenity Forum, said ‘’This conference has attracted an enviable reputation for the quality of its speakers and the opportunity to network with the key people in our sector. Early bookings are recommended.”

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John Deere Partners Solheim Cup

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John Deere Partners Solheim Cup: John Deere, one of the world’s leading golf course equipment suppliers, is confirmed as the latest big-name partner to commit to The Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, taking place from 9th-15th September 2019.

John Deere will be the Official Golf Course and Turf Maintenance Machinery Event Partner at Gleneagles for the 16th edition of the biennial match. The John Deere brand has a long association with professional golf having been a title sponsor on the PGA Tour, Official Supplier to the PGA Tour for 25 years, Official Supplier to the Ladies European Tour and a partner at numerous Solheim Cup events.

John Deere Partners Solheim Cup

In addition, John Deere is also the partner of choice for Gleneagles, where the company exclusively provides golf course maintenance machinery and equipment for use across all three golf courses.

John Deere’s partnership at The 2019 Solheim Cup will include on course branding, a display of John Deere products in the Spectator Village and utilising the association and event collateral for customer promotions and incentives at dealerships worldwide.

Carlos Aragones, John Deere European turf sales & marketing manager, said: “The Solheim Cup is one of the biggest events on the 2019 sporting calendar and we are delighted to be a part of it. We are very proud of our history of collaborating with major golf events and our association with both The Solheim Cup and Gleneagles is very important to our brand. The countdown is now on and we are very much looking forward to next year’s event.”

Scotland’s Sports Minister Aileen Campbell said: “John Deere is a global company and an innovator in its field, and the partnership with The 2019 Solheim Cup is evidence of the significant international pull that both Scotland – the Home of Golf – and The Solheim Cup have in the sporting world. We look forward to working with them and our other partners to stage an outstanding event.”

Ross Hallett, IMG Executive Tournament Director, added: “As we build towards The 2019 Solheim Cup, we have been overwhelmed with interest from within the golf industry. Announcing John Deere’s support today is another important step as we work alongside VisitScotland in fulfilling their ambition of hosting the best Solheim Cup to date.”

The recently appointed European Captain and VisitScotland Ambassador, Catriona Matthew, will be looking to return the trophy to Europe in 2019 after an inspired USA team retained the trophy by 16½ to 11½ points, in front of record crowds in Iowa. Organisers are now aiming to set a new record for a European edition in 2019.

Themes of equality, innovation and experience will be threaded through all the event’s communications as The 2019 Solheim Cup aims to engage both the traditional golf audience and the wider sport fan, raising the profile of women’s golf both in Scotland and internationally.

The Scottish Government and VisitScotland have been long-time supporters of the women’s game, having partnered with the Ricoh Women’s British Open and the recently significantly enhanced Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, which took place as a co-sanctioned LET and LPGA event for the first time last year.

The 2019 Solheim Cup will not only showcase the stunning assets of Scotland, the Home of Golf, but also build on the legacy of the successful 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. It will underline that Scotland is the perfect stage for major golf events as it seeks to help inspire a new generation of children to take up the game invented in their home country.

For more information, visit: www.deere.co.uk

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Climate Change In Cricket

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Climate Change In Cricket: Cricket has always been a sport at the mercy of the weather.

In the 1930s, county cricket clubs in England were headed for financial ruin after a succession of wet summers. Twenty years later, persistent rain saw desperate clubs experiment with blankets, rubber mats and suction machines.

Climate Change In Cricket

As recently as the summer of 2012, three of England’s 13 ODIs were abandoned due to rain, while no result was possible in two of their seven Test matches with West Indies and South Africa.

That’s why the sport must take notice of a report published by Climate Coalition, the UK’s largest climate change action group, in February.

The document names cricket as the sport that will be hardest hit by climate change in England, stating that “wetter winters and more intense summer downpours are disrupting the game at every level”.

That was reiterated by Glamorgan Head of Operations Dan Cherry, who warned that climate change could “fundamentally change the game”.

“The less cricket we play, the fewer people will watch it, the less they will come to the ground and pay to enter, the less chance there is for young people to be inspired,” said Cherry.

This change, it seems, has already begun.

In international cricket, 27 per cent of England’s home one-day internationals since 2000 have been played with reduced overs because of rain delays. The rate of rain-affected matches has more than doubled since 2011, with five per cent of matches abandoned completely.

Part of the problem with climate change in England, though, is that it’s not always straightforward to identify.

“In this country, you’re relying on the weather,” says Steve Birks, head groundsman at Nottinghamshire, who are available at 5/2  to win the 2018 County Championship in the latest cricket betting.

Climate Change In Cricket

“One week it’s 27 degrees, and the next its central-heating weather again. You can’t rely on it being red hot for a week.”

British weather has always been famously unpredictable. Yet Birks, who will prepare the Trent Bridge pitch for England’s Test match with India in August, reveals there are subtle differences now.

“The rain is getting tropical, it is getting heavier,” he says. “We’re getting thunderstorms more often when it rains – I think that’s when you can tell the difference. But then that’s when the new outfield comes into its own.

The new outfield Birks is referring to is the product of a £600,000 grant from the ECB to Trent Bridge – plus the Swalec Stadium and Headingley – to renovate its outfield in 2008, including a new turf surface, drainage and sprinklers.

“The drainage at Trent Bridge is now second only to Lord’s,” he says. “It can take up to 25mm per hour in most places on the square.

“Beforehand, it was just a clay-based outfield with land drains in. Now it’s got a root zone up to 150mm, drains every five metres, and pop-up sprinklers in between drainage. It really takes it away.”

The new drainage system is too efficient, according to ex-England captain Kevin Pietersen, who claimed in 2014 that it resulted in the pitch for England’s Test match with India becoming “dry and lifeless”. He was not the only one, either, with other players and pundits declaring the surface to be slow and unfavourable to entertaining cricket.

Birks apologised at the time but says it had nothing to do with the drainage, which allows the surface to retain as much moisture as is required.

“We knew the 2014 pitch was coming to the end of its life, but it’s trying to fit in when you’re going to dig it up,” he says. “When you dig it up and take it away, you can’t play on it for two years.

“They deal with it in Australia, where the temperatures are twice as hot as here. Last year we mowed the square slightly longer, so that plenty of moisture stays in it.

“Our pitches start with maybe 32 per cent moisture in. That’s plenty.”

Birks understands, however, the extra scrutiny that comes when the national team is in town. “There is a lot more pressure when you’re dealing with England,” he says. “You want the pitch to be fair. Whatever England ask for you try and give them.”

The importance of delivering the right pitch is as much financial as it is tactical. Weather swings have the power to cruelly impact on a country’s finances, while international cricket – especially Test matches – must entertain if it is not to be squeezed out of the cricketing public’s consciousness.

“We lost our first ODI last year because it rained all day,” says Birk. “It’s a massive financial hit, particularly if it’s an ODI.”

Birks says that measures against climate change are likely to increase in years to come, but – for now at least – he is confident that Trent Bridge’s infrastructure can withstand the elements.

“Our new drainage system can take most of the storms we’ve had so far,” he says. “Whatever gets thrown at us, it’s our job to deal with it.”

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Waveney Norse Goes Toro

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Waveney Norse Goes Toro: Waveney Norse have made their first investment in Toro as part of a new grounds strategy to better meet the requirements of its core partner Waveney District Council and its growing customer base.

Operating as part of Norse Commercial Services, a major national supplier of facilities management services to the public and private sector, Waveney Norse previously used a tractor-drawn gang mower to maintain all sports fields and open spaces across the Waveney District in the East of England.

Waveney Norse Goes Toro

As Waveney Norse maintains a host of sites across the district’s 370.4km sq area, and with a wider area to cover thanks to their growing private customer-base, it was a good time to rethink the company’s grounds strategy. Central to this was changing from mowing with a tractor to a dedicated ride-on Toro T4240 cylinder mower.

Grounds operations manager, Richard Hackney, explains: “We have been lucky enough to win new work over a wide geographic area and driving a tractor long distances is inefficient in both manpower and fuel. The Toro mower solves this problem because we can simply fold up its wings and put it on a trailer. This will enable us to deliver best value even when our customers are further afield.”

Richard isn’t alone in his praise for the T4240, he says: “Our operator is very positive about the Toro’s manoeuvrability around obstacles, as the cutting units can be lifted and it has a smaller turning circle than the tractor.”

He adds: “Overall it’s a quick, efficient machine that provides a good quality cut. Downsizing to a ride-on mower also gives us flexibility for who can operate it. We have a 48-strong team and any of them could be easily trained to use it.”

The purchase was delivered with good service from Reesink sales representative Danny Lake who, Richard says, was very helpful in organising a demonstration at local Normanston Park.

Richard explains: “We haven’t traditionally used Toro, so wanted a demonstration to make sure it was right for us. We did consider an alternative supplier for this type of machine but had feedback from another company that, although their competitor machine was fit for purpose, they found it overdesigned, which led to more opportunities for issues to take place.

“This prompted us to review the market thoroughly and choose a robust, simple-to-use Toro mower that will deliver on our requirements. We are very pleased with our decision: the machine will enable us to continue to deliver highly professional, reliable grounds services to our customers at a best value price, no matter where they are based.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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