IOG Young Board Member To Promote Careers

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IOG Young Board Member To Promote Careers: Young entrepreneur Sam Cain has recently joined the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Young Board of Directors, which is sponsored by Toro and Reesink Turfcare, to show young people the wide range of career opportunities available in the industry.

23-year-old Sam who has his own business specialising in line marking and playground design, says: “I’m really excited to begin my time on the board. Showing the range of career opportunities available within the sector will encourage young people to get more involved, at the moment I think the perceived lack of options is a barrier. Ultimately, I want to redefine what being in groundscare means, and make people realise how many different options there are and how much choice there is; there are so many more options than just working at a football club for example.”

IOG Young Board Member To Promote Careers

After having studied Graphic Design and Communication at Central Saint Martins, 23-year-old Sam recognised a gap in the market and began his own business creating innovative line marking designs for underused open spaces in schools and public areas. His business, Cain Markings, now designs, produces and maintains high-quality line markings for a host of surfaces and venues. Sam credits the experience and skills he gained at university in helping him succeed, and his Dad, who worked his way up in groundscare from an apprentice to an operations director, as his biggest inspiration.

Sam says: “I’ve grown up around groundscare, so it’s always been in my blood. It hasn’t been an easy ride starting my own business. It’s been a challenge and a huge learning curve, but I don’t regret it one bit. I really enjoy my work; it’s so rewarding to be able to see a process through from beginning to end. Helping the client by coming up with innovative ways to solve problems and seeing how happy they are with the finished result provides so much job satisfaction.

“Joining the IOG Young Board of Directors in November 2018 has opened up a lot of opportunities already. Everyone on the board brings something different which collectively we hope will improve the industry and help shape it for the future. I hope for my contribution to be helping change perceptions of exactly what being a groundsman entails.

“When you look at the board, it’s mostly made up of groundsmen at football clubs, so I’m one of the odd ones out. My involvement in the business side should go some way to show there are lots of opportunities and career paths you can take in grounds! There are also jobs and opportunities in technology and at other sports venues such as tennis and basketball courts.”

Sam also feels compelled to promote the difference the younger grounds generation can bring to the industry: “The industry is predominantly made up of an older generation and while many are really supportive of the young ones coming through, there’s always more we can do to promote their ideas and contribution within the sector, to make sure their voice is heard and taken seriously.”

David Cole, Reesink Turfcare’s managing director says: “The reason we got involved in sponsoring the board was to give people like Sam as much of a voice to help promote the benefits of a career in grounds as they feel will make a difference. It’s one of the most important things we can do as a company in a position to provide sponsorship. The young generation has so much passion for their sector and this will only help inspire others and help break down any barriers that exist.”

Geoff Webb, IOG CEO, says: “It’s great to see new faces on the IOG Young Board of Directors. The whole point of this group is to enable young aspiring people to showcase this industry and be an advocate for the profession. It’s pleasing to see so many who have gone on to key roles in the industry such as Leicester City FC’s John Ledwidge – the original chairman of the group. It’s a good network and affords great opportunity to network, learn and advance a young career.”

Sam concludes by saying: “If you’re enthusiastic and prepared to work hard, you can get really far in this industry. I would recommend volunteering or work experience to get a taste of what it’s really like. I would also advise considering educational routes where possible. University was a great experience for me and taught me how to manage my time and run projects which prepared me for the working world.”

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Time Of Change At Woking GC

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Time Of Change At Woking GC: It’s been a time of change for Woking Golf Club in Surrey culminating in the recent signing of a machinery agreement plan with Toro and Reesink Turfcare.

It all started a couple of years ago and has seen the appointment of Andy Ewence as course manager, major works to restore the course to its fast running heathland roots and the undertaking of some modern initiatives in preparation for the milestone 125th anniversary in 2018. The result is a club that has risen 22 places in the Golf World Top 100 Golf Courses in Britain and Ireland ranking in 2018, now ranked 17th in England, and the delivery of a new Toro fleet is the icing on the cake says Andy.

Time Of Change At Woking GC

For 125 years golfers have been playing at Woking Golf Club, Surrey’s oldest heathland golf course, and it was this milestone moment that sparked a period of change, confirms Andy: “My appointment in 2017 coincided with progressive plans for the club. There have been major works to the course and the pressure is always on to maintain and improve.”

Andy has long been a Toro customer so is very aware of the quality of the machinery and the advice and service provided by Reesink Turfcare. At The Buckinghamshire, where he spent five years before joining Woking Golf Club, there was a five-year leasing plan for machinery in place and Andy had just finished overseeing the installation of a new irrigation system across the 226 acre course.

He says: “I knew from experience that Toro was well ahead of the competition, but it’s like chalk and cheese when you compare Toro to what we had here before. The quality of machinery and the service is just unbeatable. However, we made sure to explore all the options when the last lease ended. We trialed machines from several different brands, but it proved quickly that Toro was the right way to go.”

Now with a comprehensive Toro fleet which includes a Greensmaster TriFlex 3400, Groundsmaster 4000-D, ProCore 1298 and a Workman HDX-D to name a few, Andy is thrilled with how the new machines are meeting the needs of the club as it enters its 126th year.

“We have undulating greens, so having pedestrian mowers that provide precision and a high quality of cut is really important,” says Andy. “In particular, the Toro Greensmaster eFlex 2120 is great. The Lithium-ion battery technology reduces noise so we can get out and start work earlier, plus it saves fuel.”

And, as mentioned, it’s not only the machines that have impressed Andy, but the advice and service from Reesink, too. “The whole process with Reesink has been great,” he says. “They didn’t try to sell us anything the club didn’t need – they listened to what we wanted and came back with the best possible solution. They’ve also come in and given a day long training course to the team on how to use the machines. Nothing has been too much trouble.”

Woking Golf Club is a prime example of golf course architecture. Designed by Tom Dunn and further improved by former members John Low and Stuart Paton, it has long been regarded as an essential place to study for aspiring and existing golf architects and with keen eyes on the club, Andy is confident that with Toro on board the course will go above and beyond expectations.

“I’m sure the playing surface is only going to improve massively with Toro now at the club,” he says. “It’s definitely going to bring the already high standard of the course up a notch, which we’re all really excited to see.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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An Update From Scott MacCallum

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An Update From Scott MacCallum: As I write we are coming to the end of March and we can well and truly smell spring. It is a significant time of year for me as it coincides with our wedding anniversary. This year will be our 29th, given that we were married in 1990. In some ways it seems like only yesterday but in others it’s a lifetime away.

It got me thinking about all the things we didn’t know or know about back then – a time when mobile phones were of similar proportions to a small child’s shoe box and were used to make phone calls and phone calls alone. Text messaging didn’t come in until 1992, never mind the concept of the smart phone.

An Update From Scott MacCallum

And the way of finding that information? Well Google (1998) and Wikipedia (2001) were later arrivals too. For heaven’s sake the DVD wasn’t invented until… (I’m having to pause at this juncture because the WIFI has crashed – not a phrase you would have heard back when I was saying “I do”). The Sony PlayStation didn’t start occupying the nation’s youth until 1994 and the Nintendo 64 two years later.

It’s back! DVD was 1996.

Brexit was a word only employed by over enthusiastic Scrabble players.

In sports turf there have been many innovations since the start of the 90s, in all aspects of the industry. Who would have thought about stadium lighting back then, Primo Maxx was a distant dream and the idea of a hand mower, never mind a triple, being powered by battery!

No doubt another 29 years down the line we’ll be saying “Remember when we had to sit in the back of our driverless car and wait for hours to get to our destination” as we step into our Star Trek-style teletransporter.

Dennis & SISIS Kick-Start Bowls Season

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Dennis & SISIS Kick-Start Bowls Season: In preparation for the new season, an overwhelming number of greenkeepers made their way to the recent Dennis and SISIS Bowling Green Maintenance Seminar, in order to gain advice and tips on best practice.

The popular seminars, which are designed to educate greenkeepers on how to maintain and look after bowling greens, have been credited for improving the greens at numerous bowls clubs throughout the country. Combining insightful seminars and practical tips, a number of industry experts take to the stage to discuss a wide range of key topics.

Dennis & SISIS Kick-Start Bowls Season

Held at the Herts Bowling Club in Watford, this most recent seminar attracted a phenomenal 80 greenkeepers.

After an introduction from Dennis and SISIS’ Robert Jack, the seminar welcomed the extremely knowledgeable sports turf consultant Alan Lewis, who drew upon his wealth of experience to deliver a presentation entitled ‘Spring Maintenance on a Bowling Green.’

Grass seed was the next topic of the day when Luke Hunt from Barenbrug UK advised delegates on how to choose the correct seed for their greens.

A refreshment break allowed attendees to soak up and discuss the advice they had just received before John Noyce from Collier Turfcare took to the stage to offer an insightful look into ‘Chemical & Fertiliser options.’

The ever popular Turf Clinic followed and enabled all of the greenkeepers to ask their own questions to the panel of expert speakers.

After a complimentary lunch, an on-green demonstration took place in which delegates got the opportunity to see a number of turf maintenance techniques in action.

Kev Brazier, a contract greenkeeper working in partnership with Harpenden Bowls Club, felt that the seminar was a great opportunity to enhance his greenkeeping knowledge.

“It was a really informative seminar. The speakers had great knowledge and they presented it in a way in which everyone could understand. I was particularly interested in hearing that there is actually a place for Dwarf Ryes on bowling greens in certain situations.

Dennis & SISIS Kick-Start Bowls Season

“It was brilliant for networking and there was a broad range of subjects discussed. They were all incredibly relevant and I took a lot away from the spring maintenance tips.”

John Hay, Hertfordshire bowls greens co-ordinator, worked alongside Dennis & SISIS in arranging the seminar and felt that the day was a huge success.

“The seminar had a fantastic response and it was very timely because it has helped greenkeepers prepare for the season ahead. It was invaluable to all of the clubs that attended; the speakers were amazing, there were a few myths put to bed about what should and shouldn’t be done and there was a nice turf clinic which gave the greenkeepers the chance to speak their minds.

“Most of the people who attend these seminars are people who work voluntarily to support their clubs and therefore seminars like this can really make a big difference.”

Forthcoming seminars can be found below:

Tuesday 9 April – Hykeham Bowls Club, North Hykeham, Lincolnshire.

Wednesday 10 April – Ashbourne Bowls Club, Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

Thursday 11 April – Hewell Bowls Club, Redditch, Worcestershire.

To register for the FREE and highly informative seminars, please contact Roger Moore on 01332 824777 or email roger.moore@dennisuk.com.

Further information about the range of bowls maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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Makita Hold Back The Water

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Makita Hold Back The Water: The 10th Welcome to Yorkshire garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019, designed by multi award-winner Mark Gregory, features an authentically built canal with flowing water and genuine canal lock gates.  A massive volume of water will be circulated by several Makita submersible water pumps that will ensure the towpath, lock keepers lodge and, importantly, RHS Chelsea’s Main Avenue remains safe, dry and disaster-free for the anticipated 157,000 annual visitors and members of the Royal family.

This atmospheric garden is inspired by Yorkshire’s proud history of industry, manufacturing and innovation and the county’s unrivalled natural environment and green spaces.  The working canal has two gates and a bypass sluice system that runs alongside a perennial meadow and the planting will celebrate the rich diversity of native flora typically abundant in Yorkshire.

Makita Hold Back The Water

“I’m honoured to be involved yet again on the Welcome to Yorkshire’s garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea show,” comments Mark Gregory, the 22-time Gold medal winner and Managing Director of Landform Consultants.  “The scale of this project is huge and complex but, as last year, I hope it will be effortless and flow beautifully, just as the canals did centuries ago.”  Mark has taken inspiration for his design from a narrow canal in Huddersfield and has enjoyed the adventures and discoveries of recreating this historic vista.  This will be the 99th garden Mark has worked on at this prestigious, internationally renowned show.

No less than ten Makita PF1110 submersible pumps will push the flow of water in the Welcome to Yorkshire garden.  Each pump will deliver a minimum of 250 litres of water per minute from a submersion depth of 5m, to a max head height of 10m.  These pumps have a stainless steel body making them suitable for draining muddy water, wells and tanks and are also ideal for lifting water for irrigation.  Each pump weighs 7kg, has an input wattage of 1100w and is available in 240V only.

“Submersible pumps are among the most efficient options available when it is necessary to pump liquid from a large body of water,” says Mark Earles, Business Development Manager OPE, Makita UK.  “Whereas most water pumps are positioned outside a body of water and pull water to the surface, submersible pumps are submerged within the water and push water to the surface.  Our pumps will do a great job pushing almost 150,000 litres of water per hour throughout the duration of the five-day Show in what we hope will be another huge success for Landform Consultants.”

For more information on the Welcome to Yorkshire garden: https://www.yorkshire.com/inspiration/chelsea/the-welcome-to-yorkshire-garden-2019

For more information about Landform Consultants: www.landformconsultants.co.uk

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