Brand switch for Massereene Golf Club

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Brand switch for Massereene Golf Club: Massereene Golf Club in Northern Ireland has recently changed its cutting fleet to Toro. The significant overhaul was driven by performance, reliability, and reassurance in the brand and dealer service in Keys Brothers who managed the deal.

For the parkland course with narrow fairways and small greens, accuracy is the key to successful play. The same rule applies for cutting these areas. It needs to be precise and exact and Course Manager Mark Cassidy knew it would be Toro that could best handle these intricacies.

Brand switch for Massereene Golf Club

Brand switch for Massereene Golf Club

“I’ve been working as a greenkeeper for 35 years and know what’s required to deliver the best results,” he says. “I know from experience that when it comes to performance Toro is what we can rely on when it comes to ensuring the best finish across the course, but it especially withstands the test in the trickier areas. We couldn’t be happier with the results.”

Trusting in the brand’s performance is equally as important as ensuring a top quality finish, and this was something the club as a whole needed to get behind.

Mark explains: “The committee was of course involved in the decision to move away from our previous supplier and bring Toro on board – everyone needed to be in agreement that this was the best route forward for the club to guarantee its success over the next five years. We had to consider the tournaments we were hosting, machinery servicing and backup and support.

“For the ISPS HANDA World Invitational for example, Toro stepped forward with loan machines for us to use in preparation for and throughout the event. We were well supported and the view from everyone was that using Toro guaranteed the immaculate presentation we needed.”

The maintenance support and customer service from Keys Brothers completed the package and the club will take advantage of a full service plan from the dealer including regular sharpenings, new blade fittings and preset checks.

“We don’t have a mechanic but by having the maintenance supplied by Keys Brothers it’s like we do. It enables us to be consistent with our records and keep on schedule. It guarantees peace of mind when it comes to health and safety too.”

The deal comprises a full cutting fleet of greens, tees, fairways and rough mowers including hybrid cutting options such as the Reelmaster 5010-H and three new Workman models in a utility vehicle refresh.

Andy Keys, Company Director for Keys Brothers, says: “Massereene is a club with big plans and aspirational goals. They didn’t want the equipment they were using holding them back. By talking to us they realised there was a way to have the quality machinery and the support they needed in a comprehensive package that brings better value for money. Now they have a fixed price for the machines and the maintenance and no unexpected bills or unwelcome surprises like they were having before.”

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The British greenkeeper building a world-class course

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The British greenkeeper building a world-class course: Jamie Faulkner’s journey from suburban London to the searing heat of Bahrain has been defined by travel and an enduring love of greenkeeping.

He first got on a mower at 16, working at Bletchingley Golf Club in Surrey. “I just liked using the machines,” he says. “It felt like a fun job at first, but once I started playing golf, I was hooked. I’ve never thought about doing anything else.”

The British greenkeeper building a world-class course

The British greenkeeper building a world-class course

That early enthusiasm has taken him across the world. From his roots in Croydon, Jamie has built a career that’s seen him work on courses in Australia, the United States, India and Saudi Arabia before settling in Bahrain as Director of Agronomy at The Royal Golf Club — the only grass course on the island.

The Royal hosted a DP World Tour event this month, so it’s a venue where expectations are high and presentation is everything. The course is also the country’s golfing flagship, setting the standard for two new developments now being planned elsewhere on the island.

“The players love coming here because it’s such a contrast to the rest of the region,” says Jamie. “Presentation and playing consistency are everything. Our goal for the DP World Tour was for the course to be the best it’s ever been.”

Huge investment

The club recently completed a £1.5 million machinery investment, replacing an ageing competitor fleet with a full suite of John Deere equipment supplied by Orient Irrigation Services.

“The guys love the machines, especially the mowers,” says Jamie. “The kit we had before was 15 years old and completely run into the ground, so these are a huge step up. Everyone’s very happy with them.”

The new fleet includes compact tractors, mowers, and two HD200 sprayers on ProGators. While the purchase was driven by the golf course, the machinery will also support the wider operation, which includes maintaining the nearby horse racing track and landscaping around 1,000 villas that neighbour the club.

“I’ve got 85 staff in the landscape business and 45 on the course,” Jamie explains. “It’s quite normal managing big teams here in the Middle East because the conditions are so demanding. The desert environment means there’s a lot of manual labour, from weeding and raking sand dunes to constant irrigation work.”

Away from home, but the weather still dominates

The heat presents relentless challenges. Temperatures can climb to 50 degrees with 90% humidity, making disease and pest prevention a year-round priority. “It’s a brutal climate,” he says. “We have to stay on top of everything, especially pythium root rot, which can take hold fast in the summer.”

Jamie’s journey to this point has been anything but ordinary. After several years working in and around London, first at Chipstead and then at The Addington, he decided to take his greenkeeping skills overseas.

His first stop was Kalgoorlie Golf Club near Perth, Australia, followed by a posting to Fiddlesticks Country Club in south-west Florida through the Ohio State University internship programme.

He spent three years in Bahrain before taking a superintendent’s role at a course in Bangalore, India, before moving to Riyadh to work for Golf Saudi. When travel restrictions hit during the pandemic, he commuted 600 kilometres between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain every two weeks to see his family.

“I’ve been away from the UK for 12 years now,” he says. “I was desperate to see the world, and I wanted to learn something new with every move. You pick up so much experience working in different climates and with different grasses. I think it makes you a better greenkeeper.”

The Royal’s 450 members are mainly ex-pat golfers, but with two new courses planned in Bahrain, there’s optimism that more international visitors will follow. For now, Jamie’s focus is on perfecting the playing surfaces and ensuring the club continues to set the standard for golf in the region.

Dealer support a major factor 

Dealer support plays a big part in that. Jamie works with Orient’s Harry Pattinson, a former outlet manager at John Deere dealer Thomas Sherriff in the UK. Despite being based an hour’s flight away, Harry provides ongoing technical and parts backup.

“We’ve agreed to do an annual expert check of the fleet,” says Harry. “We’ll spend a week going through every machine, checking for any small warranty issues and making sure Jamie’s team gets the most from the investment.”

For Jamie, keeping things simple is key. “We’ve got a huge workforce with people jumping on and off machines all day,” he says. “They need to be easy to use and reliable, which John Deere delivers. Out here, that’s what really matters.”

From his early days cutting greens in Surrey to preparing a DP World Tour venue in Bahrain, Jamie’s story is proof that passion and persistence can take you a long way. Even to the edge of the desert.

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Increase in Number of Tree Shelters Collected and Recycled

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Increase in Number of Tree Shelters Collected and Recycled: Tubex®, a Magnera brand, has announced a significant growth in the use of its Tree Shelter Collection & Recycling Programme. The first of its kind scheme saw a 39 percent increase in the number of shelters returned and recycled in 2025 compared to previous year, with the Programme now close to a milestone of two million shelters collected and recycled.

At the end of the 2025, 1,982 dumpy sacks of collected tree guards had been returned to Tubex®, up from 1,421 in 2024.

Increase in Number of Tree Shelters Collected and Recycled

Increase in Number of Tree Shelters Collected and Recycled

Once collected, the tree shelters are sorted, washed and reprocessed back into raw material, at an impressive yield of 95.6 percent – meaning that 95.6 percent of the collected shelter material can be used to manufacture new product.

For Pete Stevens, Business Development Manager at Tubex®, the 2025 figures reinforce the long-term success of the Programme and its national hub network.

“Last year, we announced that since the start of the Collection & Recycling Programme in 2022, we had recycled more than 1 million tree shelters.  With these figures, we are now approaching the 2 million milestone – a testament to the collective endeavour of the forestry sector to collect used shelters at end of life.”

Polypropylene (PP) shelters containing recycled material that are recycled at end of use are still the lowest environmental impact option (Independent LCA study here: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10130156/) and represent a circular use of materials which is a key pillar of sustainability.

With a growing network of 24 recycling hubs nationwide, Tubex® has collaborated with its distributors and various forestry organisations to create accessible and convenient free drop-off points for legacy tree shelters.

Hub partners include Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust, Forest Working Plastics Group, Tilhill, Maydencroft, British Hardwood Tree Nursery, Ashlea Landscaping and Green-Tech among others.

For more information visit – https://tubex.com/sustainability/tree-shelter-collection-recycling-programme/

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STIHL’s powerful battery-powered hedge trimmers

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STIHL’s powerful battery-powered hedge trimmers: STIHL has expanded its hedge-trimmer line-up with the launch of new high-performance long-reach models, the HLA 150 B and the HLA 140 K-B and B. Designed for demanding landscaping applications, the new machines deliver powerful battery performance for trimming tall hedges safely and efficiently from ground level.

The HLA 150 B’s telescopic shaft allows the user to adjust its length between 207-332cm without the need for additional tools, providing greater flexibility when working at height. This enables efficient maintenance of tall and wide hedges, bushes, and shrubs. Its double-sided, double-edged blades also allows users to achieve a clean cut and rapid progress for maximum productivity, even when working with overgrown hedges or tough material. The tool’s cutter bar can be adjusted between 145 degrees, allowing professionals to trim the top, sides and bottom of hedges easily.

STIHL's powerful battery-powered hedge trimmers

STIHL’s powerful battery-powered hedge trimmers

The HLA 140 models’ fixed length shafts are designed to provide stability and control for flexible working at low, mid, and high levels, with the added benefit of keeping the cutting attachment away from the user. The shorter, fixed shaft HLA 140 K-B offers a length of 214cm, while the longer fixed shaft model, the HLA 140 B has an overall length of 245cm.

Thanks to their battery operation, the machines’ powerful motors are exceptionally quiet during use, making them ideal for work in noise-sensitive environments. In addition, their anti-lock function prevents the jamming of blades to maintain consistent cutting performance, while their robust design, including metal mesh air-filters, ensure a long-service life for professional use.

Powered by EC motors, the tools’ blades are capable of rapid acceleration, helping users to get the best cutting performance. Both models are also easily regulated continuously using their throttle lever, with 3 blade speed settings to choose from with the simple press of a button. This means thicker branches can be cut effectively at lower blade speeds with high torque, while their high-speed modes produce a cleaner and neater cut when trimming finer leaved hedges and shrubs.

All models are equipped with a HMI Advance Plus module with Bluetooth and STIHL Connected to support digital fleet management. Each tool also displays its operating mode on a LED control panel. Designed to meet the requirements of professional users, their battery housing compartments are robust, and the placement of all components mean they offer excellent balance for prolonged user comfort, while the tools‘ IPX 4-rating makes them safe for use in wet conditions.

STIHL also offer a range of accessories to help users get the best out of their tools. With the new HLA range, the X-Treem HL/HT shoulder harness combines with the X-Flex Forestry belt to take the weight of the machine and allows the user to focus on guidance and accurate cutting. The battery can also be placed in an external AP battery holster on the belt to save weight.

The 2026 additions arrive as STIHL celebrates its 100th anniversary. Since 1926, STIHL has defined the global standard for battery and petrol-powered forestry, landscaping, and residential gardening equipment for professional and domestic users.

For more information on STIHL products, visit www.stihl.co.uk or contact your nearest STIHL Approved Dealer.

Find out more about STIHL’s historic milestone, here: https://100.stihl.com.

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STRI launches Racecourse Water Management guide

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STRI launches Racecourse Water Management guide: STRI Group has launched a new Racecourse Water Management: Best Practice Guide, providing practical, evidence-led guidance to support consistent, high-quality racing surfaces in an increasingly unpredictable climate.

The guidance was officially launched at the RCA Vets Medical Turf Management Conference on 28th January and has been developed by STRI in partnership with the Racecourse Association (RCA) and the Horse Welfare Board (HWB), with support from the RCA Ground and Going Group and funding from The Racing Foundation.

STRI launches Racecourse Water Management guide

STRI launches Racecourse Water Management guide

As historic climate trends become less reliable, racecourses face growing challenges from drought, intense rainfall and drainage pressures. The new guide supports a proactive, data-driven approach to water management, helping racecourses make informed decisions that protect surface performance and welfare.

Primarily aimed at Clerks of Course and grounds teams, the guide is also relevant for racecourse executives and decision-makers responsible for planning, investment and risk management. Designed to be accessible to both technical and non-technical audiences, it also serves as a valuable training resource for staff new to racecourse operations.

The guidance builds on STRI’s Performance Quality Standard (PQS) framework for turf horse racing, translating improved data measurement and understanding of the relationship between soil moisture and Going into clear, practical advice. It covers soil–water interaction, irrigation demand, calculating water requirements and the importance of measuring soil moisture.

Dr Christian Spring, Principal Scientist at STRI Group commented, “In sport, we can no longer rely on historic climate trends alone to guide how natural turf courses are managed. The impacts of prolonged drought, intense rainfall and poor drainage can be significant, affecting both surface performance and welfare. To meet these challenges, racecourses must be adaptive, flexible and prepared, with the right infrastructure in place and teams who can make informed, confident decisions about their tracks. The document also provides a valuable training resource for staff who are new to racing or racecourse management and at its core, the guide prioritises the welfare of horses and jockeys.”

The guide can be downloaded on STRI’s website here: https://strigroup.com/racecourse-water-management-best-practice-guide-launched-download-here/

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