Gaudet Luce Golf Club’s Wildflower Success

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Gaudet Luce Golf Club’s Wildflower Success: Nestled in the picturesque landscape of Droitwich, Worcestershire, Gaudet Luce Golf Club has embarked on an impressive wildflower project under the guidance of Course Manager Andy Laing.

The stunning results achieved can be attributed to the use of DLF’s Colour Boost range, demonstrating the positive impact it can have on both the golfing experience and the local environment.

Gaudet Luce Golf Club's Wildflower Success

Gaudet Luce Golf Club’s Wildflower Success

Founded in 1995, Gaudet Luce Golf Club has established itself as a premier destination for golf enthusiasts in Worcestershire. With an 18-hole Phoenix Course and a 9-hole par 3 Hadzor Course, the club caters to golfers of all skill levels.

Playing a pivotal role in the transformation of Gaudet Luce’s landscape is DLF’s Colour Boost range. This carefully crafted mixture of wildflowers and garden flowering species not only enhances visual appeal but also supports local wildlife and restores critical habitats.

Ideal for landscaping projects, the Colour Boost range is designed to bring colour, biodiversity, and interest to any space.

Among the varieties in the Colour Boost range, Andy opted for the Chameleon mixture for Gaudet Luce’s wildflower project. Comprising over 40 species and subspecies, this dynamic blend ensures a constantly changing display of colours and forms throughout the growing season. It has proven to be a consistent performer, offering a dazzling show from spring to November.

Reflecting on the success of the wildflower project, Andy shared insights into the club’s journey. “In 2011, we experimented with perennial wildflower mixes, but they proved hard to establish. Shifting our focus to annual wildflower mixes in 2012, we now have approximately 15 wildflower areas across the course,” he explained, emphasising the importance of meticulous preparation.

On the choice of the Chameleon mixture, Andy expressed, “The mixture we chose was Chameleon from Colour Boost, offering over 40 different varieties for successional flowering. The mixes change throughout the year, continuing to flower through to November, with the first frosts.”

Highlighting the environmental impact of the initiative, Andy noted, “The abundance of bees and insects has been phenomenal.” Leaving the wildflowers, once they had stopped flowering, over winter also proved effective, attracting birds to feed on the leftovers. Customer feedback has been exceptional, with visitors now expecting and appreciating the vibrant wildflower displays as an integral part of the golfing experience at Gaudet Luce.

Matt Gresty, MM, and Designer Sales and Brand Manager for DLF, played a supportive role in the project. Andy acknowledged, “Matt has helped us with sound advice,” highlighting the collaborative effort between Gaudet Luce Golf Club and DLF.

Gaudet Luce Golf Club’s commitment to the wildflower project, coupled with the success of DLF’s Colour Boost range, showcases how careful planning and quality products can transform a golf course into a biodiverse and visually stunning landscape. The vibrant wildflower displays not only enhance the golfing experience but also contribute to the overall well-being of local ecosystems.

For further information, please contact DLF UK on 01386 719758 or visit the DLF website www.dlf.co.uk

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GKB delivers the secondary drainage solutions

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GKB delivers the secondary drainage solutions: One of the country’s leading sports construction and maintenance companies has explained why they turn to GKB Machines when it comes to solutions for secondary drainage.

Following the wet winter, Plant and Operations Manager for White Horse Contractors, Mick Cross, predicts a busy season ahead for their pair of Drainmaster’s alongside their GKB Deep Tine Aerator (DTA).

GKB delivers the secondary drainage solutions

GKB delivers the secondary drainage solutions

White Horse Contractors were early adopters of GKB equipment, with some machines on their fleet clocking up more than 10 years of reliable service. In addition to two Drainmasters and the DTA, two Combinators and a Rotobrush from GKB form part of a sizeable fleet of equipment, used on projects across the south of the UK by a team of 40+ operatives. “When it comes to purchasing machinery, two things we look for are time-effective solutions and build quality – giving us the reliability to keep on track with a packed schedule” explains Mick, who has been with White Horse for over 30 years. “The Drainmaster’s tick both of these boxes.”

The 2 or 3 cutting wheels of the GKB Drainmaster are spaced at either 50cm or 1m, creating channels at a depth of up to 23cm which are simultaneously filled with sand to leave a stable surface, with improved, long-lasting drainage. “The beauty of this machine is that it conducts multiple operations in one pass, meaning we’re not having to cover the ground multiple times or use multiple machines.”

Mick continues, “We purchased our first Drainmaster in 2010, and a second one more recently and both are out on a regular basis between March and October. Last year, they completed work on upwards of 20 pitches – both natural turf and hybrid pitches which is another great thing about this machine.” Together with football pitches from local council up to Premier League level, the Drainmaster has also been put to task on polo grounds and racecourses. “It’s versatility, efficiency and robust build quality makes it ideal for the contractor market” he adds.

“The DTA is very much built in the same vein, giving us a tough and reliable aerator for regular work on elite sports surfaces.” Mick concludes, “There aren’t many manufacturers offering products so well suited to the requirements of the contractor market which is why we’ve already invested in a fleet of GKB Machines and are currently in the process of increasing this with all eyes on a busy year ahead.”

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Green-tech help to reduce the risk of flooding in Leeds City

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Green-tech help to reduce the risk of flooding in Leeds City: Leeds City Council is working with the Environment Agency on their Flood Alleviation Scheme Phase 2 (FAS2) to reduce the risk of flooding of a 14km stretch between Leeds Train Station and Apperley Bridge.

The project is designed to protect 1,048 homes and 474 businesses through a combination of traditional engineering methods and natural flood management. Due for completion in Spring 2024, it is expected that the flood risk will be reduced to a 0.5% probability of occurring in any given year (a 1-in-200-year level of flood protection).

Green-tech help to reduce the risk of flooding in Leeds City

Green-tech help to reduce the risk of flooding in Leeds City

BAM Nuttall is a construction and civil engineering company that delivers key pieces of infrastructure across the UK, from railways to wind farms. They use digital engineering and a net zero carbon approach, placing sustainability at their core.

Part of the scheme included work on the bank of the river Aire upstream of Kirkstall Bridge using an earth embankment or steel sheet piled flood walls in some areas. The embankment will tie into flood walls, that will extend up to the existing Kirkstall Bridge. This section of railway line connects Leeds with Shipley and Bradford and has flooded several times in the past, and currently remains at risk.

Alongside the embankment and flood walls, 2.4 hectares of landscape and ecological enhancements are being implemented in Kirkstall Meadows. This work includes the creation of wetland scrapes and various interventions to support local wildlife.

The project was subject to planning conditions that required reinstatement or protection of vegetated features along the riverbank where the construction of hard flood defences would otherwise have compromised the permanent river-side ecology.

Sub-agent Jim Mitchell, comments, “Green-tech was chosen as the products they offered were designed exactly for this purpose. They were able to supply products that complied with the project specification and offered expert advice on alternative solutions that improved buildability and function’.

For this part of the project, Green-tech supplied 45 pre-established Coir Edge Sods which comprise 5 different aquatic plant species mixes. This unique system incorporates pre-established vegetation within the face of stone-filled gabions which is an integral part of the erosion control solution for a water’s edge, even where the projects require hard engineering solutions. This innovative, green erosion control system helps when the stability of engineering with gabions is combined with the benefits of immediate vegetation to provide rapid environmental and ecological regeneration.

20 gt Coir Log Rolls were supplied. These are cost-effective and an excellent technique for establishing marginal vegetation around lake edges, streams, and river banks. Compressed coir fibre encased in woven polyethylene or coir netting, gt Coir Log Rolls can be supplied pre-established with UK native species or unplanted.

These were accompanied by 20 gt Rock Rolls – designed to help reduce and prevent long-term erosion and allow for the ground to stay stabilised. Commonly used around watercourse shorelines, high-flow riverbanks, and streams, gt Rock Rolls are UV-stabilised polypropylene mesh filled with gabion stones. They are ideal for creating a solid foundation for installing pre-vegetated coir products – the roots of the emergent plants grow into the voids of the rock rolls, giving long-term erosion control and bank support. Gt Rock Rolls installed below coir units can also be used to support a filter fabric or biodegradable matting.

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First ever roll-on roll-off quick-spin grinder

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First ever roll-on roll-off quick-spin grinder: It is not often that a completely new product is introduced into the market which will be a complete game-changer, but that is exactly what has happened at the 2024 BTME exhibition in Harrogate and the 2024 GCSAA Conference & Trade Show in Phoenix, AZ

The Foley 642 Quick Spin Reel Grinder brings a whole new meaning to quick spin. The 642 is designed to accommodate the widest of mower cylinders and is a simple roll-on roll-off solution to grinding, with the machine sitting at floor level. The roll-on roll-off solution removes all need for heavy lifting facilities, revolutionising the way the Equipment Managers view touch-up spin grinding. Foley’s professional grinders already offer the best spin and relief methods for sharpening blades and the new Foley 642 Quick Spin Grinder will be complimentary to these methods. It offers a fast, easy operated option for providing a quick touch-up spin, between the regular relief grinding schedules. It is also the perfect solution to sharpening the extra wide, heavy mowers used on sports fields/pitches, which are often cumbersome to load into the standard grinder.

First ever roll-on roll-off quick-spin grinder

First ever roll-on roll-off quick-spin grinder

Last week Paul Rauker, CEO and President of Foley Company had made the trip to Harrogate to support Foley Company’s launch of the world’s first ever professional floor level roll-on, roll-off grinder. ‘This is truly a remarkable occasion,’ said Paul. ‘The 642 Quick Spin Reel Grinder is the first of its kind and I’m delighted to be here to acknowledge the significance of our latest development. It is a machine that will appeal to all grounds professionals who are looking to improve the performance and efficiency of their grinding programs. As the leading manufacturer of grinding equipment Foley is once again leading the way in grinding technology. We have developed and patented simple to use controls to save time without compromising on performance.

The patented clamping system effortlessly secures any cutting unit in all configurations and the roller clamp is adjustable for any variety of rollers and groomers. This machine really will change the way we look at grinding in the future!’

The Foley 642 Quick-Spin features simple to use controls, counter balanced spin drive, patented front and rear clamping system for pedestrian mowers and power rear positioning levers for cylinders. It is spin only, with adjustable traverse speed and adjustable spin speed. It will accept up to 42” reel width and operates on 240v/15a power.

For more information on the new 642 Quick Spin Reel Grinder visit: www.foleyco.com/642-quick-spin

Foley Company is targeting production models to be available later this year.

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Ultimate Offers from ICL for 2024

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Ultimate Offers from ICL for 2024: Ultimate Offers are a range of popular tank-mixes from ICL that contain various combinations of nutrition combined with Syngenta’s plant growth regulator Primo Maxx II.

These packages are versatile for application on multiple areas of a golf course, including greens, tees, surrounds, fairways, and roughs. They’re also suitable for use in multiple pitch and stadium applications.

Ultimate Offers from ICL for 2024

Ultimate Offers from ICL for 2024

They offer turf managers top-quality products via highly cost-effective packages, facilitating substantial savings and the potential to earn up to 15 Turf Rewards points, depending on the chosen Ultimate Offer.

Ultimate Offer NK – earns 5 Turf Rewards points

  • 1 x 5L Primo Maxx II
  • 1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid NK
  • 13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles
  • ICL Application Booklet

Ultimate Offer High N – earns 5 Turf Rewards points

  • 1 x 5L Primo Maxx II
  • 1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid High N
  • 13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles
  • ICL Application Booklet

Ultimate Offer S & S – earns 5 Turf Rewards points

  • 1 x 5L Primo Maxx II
  • 1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid Spring & Summer
  • 13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles
  • ICL Application Booklet

Ultimate Offer CalMag – earns 5 Turf Rewards points

  • 1 x 5L Primo Maxx II
  • 1 x 200L Greenmaster Liquid CalMag
  • 13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles
  • ICL Application Booklet

Ultimate Offer WSF/18 – earns 10 Turf Rewards points

  • 1 x 20L Primo Maxx II
  • 18 x 15kg Sportsmaster WSF High N
  • 13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles
  • ICL Application Booklet

Ultimate Offer WSF/36 – earns 15 Turf Rewards points

  • 2 x 20L Primo Maxx II
  • 36 x 15kg Sportsmaster WSF High N
  • 1 x Syngenta Art of Application Kit
  • ICL Application Booklet

Ultimate Offer Iron – earns 5 Turf Rewards points

  • 1 x 10L Primo Maxx II
  • 1 x 200L Sportsmaster Liquid Fe
  • 13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles
  • ICL Application Booklet

Ultimate Offer SMX – earns 5 Turf Rewards points

  • 1 x 5L Primo Maxx II
  • 8 x 1kg Sportsmaster WSF SMX
  • 13 x Syngenta XC 04 nozzles
  • ICL Application Booklet

The offers are available exclusively through ICL distributors.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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