Fast Greens At Knole Park GC

/in , /by

Fast Greens At Knole Park GC: Located within the boundaries of Knole Estates in 1,000 acres of outstanding Kent parkland and with 600 deer roaming freely around the estate is a club like no other. 

Knole Park is one of the most unique courses in the country; not only for the aforementioned reasons, but also for the fact that this one course plays home to two clubs. 

Fast Greens At Knole Park GC

Course manager at the club, which is home to Knole Park Golf Club and Sevenoaks Town Golf Club, is Gavin Kyle who has been at the club for 15 years. Gavin keeps a regular annual machinery replacement programme and this year he had a focus on choosing the right machines to create firm, true, fast surfaces, which is where Toro joins the story.  

 “It is important to consistently maintain a challenge for players,” says Gavin. “It’s for this reason that recent years have seen us extend the course by 200 yards, with further extension planned in the next year. There is a fine balance between offering a good game to all golfers, including those with a five handicap and below. We have players of all abilities across our two-club membership including a lot of scratch players and our greens needed an update this year to offer a consistent challenge to all.  

“When choosing our next greens machines we checked out the market, going through rounds of demos from distributors. If I’m honest I haven’t bought Toro since I’ve been at Knole Park, so for 15 years! But Toro is renowned for its greens machines in particular so were naturally included on the demo list. What appealed with the Greensmaster TriFlex 3420-H machines, which we went for, was that they’re hybrids. I sought to reduce the risk of hydraulic leaks on the greens and I wanted the advanced control these machines can offer.” 

The TriFlex Hybrid’s electric cylinder circuit is designed to eliminate up to 90 percent of hydraulic leaks, and the Turf Guardian leak detection system provides immediate audio and visual indication of possible leaks. Plus, the electric cylinders have less drag and spin more freely than hydraulic motors providing a sharp cut which leads to firmer and faster greens, exactly what Gavin is after. “Firm, true and fast greens is what we’re all after and the Toro TriFlex is helping us achieve this at Knole Park,” he confirms.  

Providing the advanced control Gavin mentioned is the machines’ Info Centre, which has an easily customised clip for different heights of cut as well as other operational settings to give complete machine control on cylinder speed, hours of function, system voltage for cylinders and diagnostic descriptions. It’s this that provides the advanced control that appealed to Gavin in the TriFlexes.  

But as Gavin goes on to say, it’s never just as simple as the machines: “A machine is often only as good as the backup that comes with it. We’re dealing direct with Reesink Turfcare for the first time and we’ve found that to be a great experience so far.” 

It seems opportune that Toro arrives back at Knole Park for the first time since the 1970s in the year that it hosted the Tillman Trophy, the tournament widely attributed to changing the face of amateur golf. We’re sure with Toro on side, Gavin and his greenkeeping team of six will change the challenge of the course for all its members.

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

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Apprenticeships At Leicester City

/in , /by

Apprenticeships At Leicester City: Leicester City Football Club has become the latest in a length list of Premier League Football Clubs to choose Myerscough College as their apprenticeships delivery partner. 

 The implementation of the Apprenticeships Levy has seen the club invest heavily in the recruitment of new apprentices and also taken the chance to upskill existing staff to a higher level of competency. 

Apprenticeships At Leicester City

As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we caught up with the team as they prepared the stadium pitch for an FA Cup fixture. As part of the day we also allowed Leah, Josh and Ryan the chance to explain why they chose an apprenticeship and what skills they are developing. 

As part of their apprenticeship Josh, Leah and Ryan will learn a wide range of skills, and rotate across sites also working at the Belvoir Drive training complex. This ensures their experiences are as varied as possible as they learn the complexities of the job. They’re supported with regular college tutor visits, technical workshops and access to a sophisticated e-portfolio and virtual learning environment, where they can log their training and complete any associated knowledge assignments. Myerscough has a proven track record in apprenticeship delivery and this blended approach has delivered significant success over the past decade. 

Grounds Manager at Leicester City, John Ledwidge, shares his vision for the award winning team, and the need to be at the forefront of learning, innovation and technology: “For us it’s always about a team effort. It’s vital that we maintain our playing surfaces to the highest standards possible and we embrace any innovation technologies that allow is to achieve this. Apprenticeships allow us the chance to recruit new workers into our team and to shape their training to our model of excellence. The Apprenticeships Levy has allowed us to now enroll seven members of our team onto apprenticeship programmes at level 2 and level 3. 

 ‘’We have also recently recruited three new team members straight onto apprenticeships. This is a significant investment from the club and allows us for succession planning and internal team development. Myerscough College come highly recommended and we look forward to seeing our apprentices develop. We have exciting plans for the future and hope our new apprentices play a big part in our future success.” 

 Employer Services Manager at Myerscough College shares his thoughts on recruiting apprentices: “We assist employers across the country to recruit and train apprentices. It’s fantastic that Leicester City have chosen us as their sportsturf apprenticeships provider and I am looking forward to seeing the journey the apprentices make as they develop in their new roles.  

 ‘’If any employers are unsure about Apprenticeships, or the recruitment process, then they can get in touch with our expert Employer Services Team who will support them every step of the way. This service is completely free of charge to all businesses choosing Myerscough College as their Apprenticeships provider.” 

For more information, visit: www.myerscough.ac.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Bailoy Makes Irrigation Simpler

/in , /by

Bailoy Makes Irrigation Simpler: Newly introduced to the Bailoy range is the GTI EC irrigation control software in Pro and Lite versions. These GTI EC controllers retain many features of the GTI PC stablemate while also being more economical and easy to use, making them perfect for smaller sites with modest budgets. 

For those needing flow-managed irrigation with real-time email notifications, the GTI EC Pro is ideal. The automated flow-managed feature provides precise application to holes or areas in the fastest, most efficient order.

Bailoy Makes Irrigation Simpler

Plus its comprehensive email notification feature alerts the user if issues occur during an irrigation programme, giving access to a range of diagnostic data on programme and station issues.

If required, the GTI EC Pro can also be switched from flow management to the sequence-based system used by its sister model: the GTI EC Lite.

The GTI EC Lite is the control system for sites needing simple sequence-based irrigation. Ideal for sports venues, small to mid-sized clubs and landscape projects, the customer can arrange irrigation order by area or hole and design up to ten sequences.

Bailoy’s managing director, Adam Lovejoy, explains: “Many sites don’t need the all-singing, all-dancing Pro, but still want to update to a modern reliable controller with the familiarity of their previous ‘clockwork’ controller. The Lite gives them this.”

Should the customer ever decide they’d like to upgrade their GTI EC Lite to benefit from flow management and email notifications, this can be done by simply requesting a feature unlock key.

As both the GTI EC Pro and Lite are available for sites using 2- or 3-core control cables, they are flexible and upgradeable from all equipment manufactured by Bailoy. This also means the GTI EC controllers will be compatible with most existing site control cables, decoders and solenoids, resulting in a seamless upgrade.

In fact, the majority of GTI EC installations are completed in a day. With guided steps for every process, you will be able to create programmes and irrigate within minutes of installation.

To learn more about these new products, call 020 8897 0125 or email info@bailoy.com.

For more information, visit: www.bailoy.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

New Sales Director At MTD

/in , /by

New Sales Director At MTD: MTD have announced the appointment of Tony Whelan as the new Director of Sales and Marketing for their Specialty Turf Products division. The new role will see Tony grow the specialty turf sector of the business, working on both the golf and sports turf sectors.

Tony has worked in the industry for a number of years holding both domestic and international roles in sales and marketing, previously spending 15 years at Rain Bird.  Here he was also responsible for working with key accounts including Pebble Beach. Tony also enjoyed over 4 years as Sales Director at Jacobsen where he was involved with distribution, before taking responsibility for the running of the factory-owned stores in the US. As the Director of Sales and Marketing at MTD Specialty Turf division, he will be looking to develop the current products as well as exploring new opportunities in the market.

New Sales Director At MTD

Commenting on his appointment, Tony adds “I was approached for this position and it was the product range that really sold the job to me. I spoke to some contacts in the UK about the Cub Cadet INFINICUT® and ATT TMSystem™, as well as getting feedback on the Cub Cadet RG3 in the States, and everyone said how truly fantastic the products are. Joining a company is about more than just good products though and after spending time at the MTD facilities it was clear it operated with a good organisational culture, supported by some great individuals. Having people like John Coleman and Vinny Tarbox driving the products forward is a great plus.”

“I’m really excited to leverage my passion and understanding of the industry with a company that are investing in advanced technology and techniques to improve efficiency for the users. As the INFINICUT® brand continues to grow in the US, we’ll be looking to explore new opportunities, especially in the baseball market.”

As a self-confessed ‘golf fanatic’, Tony spends a great deal of his time away from work enjoying the sport and when not on the course he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters.

For more information, visit: www.cubcadetturf.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

New Masterline ‘Colour Boost’

/in , /by

New Masterline ‘Colour Boost’: New for 2018 from the Masterline range are 3 new and exciting ‘Colour Boost’ flower mixture formulations designed to create enhanced, attractive amenity spaces. Available in the UK through DLF Seeds, the range also provides an essential food source and habitat for many species of animals and invertebrates, especially pollenating insects.

The mixtures have been designed for maximum floral impact, incorporating both wild flower and garden flowering species, that establish rapidly to deliver a colourful display throughout the whole year. Sowing a colour boost mixture brings many cost savings for the commercial user compared to more traditional bedding schemes – particularly appealing to local authorities and golf courses with increasing pressure on budgets. The mixtures are sown directly onto the final recipient site, requiring little irrigation, fertiliser/chemical application or maintenance throughout the season.

New Masterline ‘Colour Boost'

Designed to create a robust and attractive display in any park; open space or golf course, Colour Boost 1, features high impact annuals that are quick to establish and offer a long flowering period from 8 weeks after sowing up until the first frosts. Colour Boost 2 is a low-growing seasonal annuals mix, particularly relevant for areas where final growing height is of paramount importance. Finally, featuring 90% perennial flower species and 10% annual species, Colour Boost 3 high impact perennial mix ensures good adaptability to different growing conditions and provides a colour scheme that changes throughout the season depending on which species are in bloom.

The mixtures within the Colour Boost range feature 100% flower seed which can be notoriously difficult to sow when applying at just a few grams per m2. To combat this and ensure even sowing and correct application rates, the mixtures are sold in conjunction with Rehofix MK1500 corn skin granule – a natural, biodegradable carrier which makes sowing at low application rates easier and saves the more expensive seed mix running out midway through a project.

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

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.