Paul Smyth named General Manager at Wembley

/in , /by

Paul Smyth named General Manager at Wembley: Wembley Stadium connected by EE has promoted Paul Smyth to the role of Stadium General Manager.

Smyth moves up from his previous position as Head of Event Operations. He will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of events at the stadium, in addition to managing day-to-day operations.

Paul Smyth named General Manager at Wembley

Paul Smyth named General Manager at Wembley

Having been part of the Wembley team since the new stadium opened in 2007, Smyth has contributed to numerous enhancements in event delivery, maintaining Wembley’s status as one of the world’s premier multi-purpose venues.

Recent accomplishments include the collaborative effort with his teams to introduce two sensory rooms and British Sign Language (BSL) at every event. These initiatives have played a huge part in reinforcing Wembley’s commitment to leading on inclusivity.

Smyth’s promotion coincides with the departure of Stadium Director Liam Boylan, who, after nine successful years, is embarking on a new venture in the music industry next year.

Chris Bryant, the current Director of Tournaments & Events at the FA, will serve as the Interim Stadium Director while the search for Boylan’s successor is underway.

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 and Instagram 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.

Prestwick GC futureproof their fairways

/in , /by

Prestwick GC futureproof their fairways: While only launched in the summer of 2023, the new hard fescue J Sustain-Fairway mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed is already making a strong first impression at the birthplace of The Open Championship.

Delivering quick germination and coping with the challenges of the undulating links course, Prestwick Golf Club have commended the blend of top-rated cultivars and the role they’ll play in futureproofing their fairways.

Prestwick GC futureproof their fairways

Prestwick GC futureproof their fairways

By name Dave Edmondson is Prestwick’s Head Greenkeeper, supported in his role by a team of 10, but by nature he considers himself merely ‘a guardian’ of the venue – rich in prestigious golfing history. “I very much follow the Old Tom Morris approach to maintenance, working with nature and continuing the methodologies of my predecessors to run the course in a minimalist way” says Dave. “We don’t use any pesticides, fungicides, hardly any fertilisers and very limited water.”

“My pursuit of traditional greenkeeping techniques led me to have a conversation with our golf course consultant about our fairways, and specifically any mixtures which could help to boost the hard fescue and sheep fescue populations which are proven to thrive in low-input and links conditions. That’s where I discovered Johnsons J Sustain-Fairway.”

J Sustain-Fairway, available from DLF, has been designed to suit golf clubs looking to significantly boost the population of resilient varieties, providing a foundation of quality and strength with an increased tolerance to a broad range of turf stresses. “A chat with my DLF Technical Manager Stuart Yarwood made it clear that this mix would tick a lot of boxes, so we opted for this for our main annual fairway overseed.”

Sown at a rate of 7g/m2 in early September, germination was visible in just over two weeks, with the seedlings then under the stewardship of Dave to thrive and establish. “So far it’s been so good! The natural undulations here at Prestwick have often seen certain species struggle, particularly with coverage on the tops of the hillocks, so we’ve sown some additional J Sustain-Fairway here to help and, to date, it’s all working brilliantly.”

“The hard and sheeps fescue like a nice, settled environment and that’s exactly what we can give them.” Dave adds, “If we can keep building those populations with top-rated cultivars, then we will be much better placed to withstand environmental challenges and safeguard the course for the future.”

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 and Instagram 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.

The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Services to tackle golf’s water security issues

/in , /by

The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Services to tackle golf’s water security issues: The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service team has announced a collaboration with The Environment Partnership (TEP), extending their service offering to golf facilities in the UK and Ireland.

The partnership will see The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service and TEP collaborate to offer clubs consultancy on specific environmental concerns pertaining to water security, water sourcing and site water management.

The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Services to tackle golf’s water security issues

The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Services to tackle golf’s water security issues

The partnership underlines The R&A’s commitment to providing the most comprehensive sustainable agronomy solutions using best practice management to safeguard water security and surface performance.

“Joining forces with TEP will give R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service customers the opportunity to gain detailed insight from industry experts into the key issue of water security.  Clients can have the confidence that The R&A will be on-hand to provide additional support and to ensure integration with best practice agronomy plans,” comments Alistair Beggs, Head of Agronomy at The R&A.

Paul Woodham, from The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service, adds: “Golf courses will need support when assessing the future implication of the changing climate and the anticipated constraints which will reduce access to water sources commonly used today.  Golf needs to work proactively with water companies and agencies which safeguard the environment.”

TEP will develop an initial water security feasibility study in collaboration with the golf facility.  This includes a review of existing water sources, how water is used across the site and current drainage infrastructure.  This feasibility study then explores water sourcing and storage opportunities across the site, bringing these together into an initial masterplan that can be used as the basis for future integrated facility planning.  The process includes input and support from The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service team; ensuring clients have the opportunity to digest and understand the recommendations compatible with their facility.

The partnership combines leading water management proficiency with in-depth agronomic awareness, resulting in a long-term vision for sustainable golf.

“The opportunity to work with the sustainable agronomic expertise at The R&A, allows TEP to tailor water security advice so it is targeted to the specific needs of the golf industry.  We are very excited about working alongside The R&A as partners on the vital issue of long-term water security of the sector”, comments Nicola Hancock, Director at TEP.

To enquire about these services e-mail sustainableagronomy@randa.org

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 and Instagram 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.

Grants from The Toro Company

/in , /by

Grants from The Toro Company: Dedicated to revitalizing outdoor spaces in the communities where our employees live and work, The Toro Company Foundation is pleased to announce Canal and River Trust and Thorn Grove Primary School are each receiving a grant as part of the Greenspace Enhancement Grant Program.

Each year through The Toro Company Foundation’s philanthropic initiative, Land. Water. Thrive., the company supports nonprofits and public agencies worldwide by providing financial grants to revitalize parks and green spaces, enrich outdoor environments of local neighborhoods and schools, educate on the efficient use of water, and support sustainable agriculture through community gardens and other projects.

Grants from The Toro Company

Grants from The Toro Company

Thorn Grove Primary School plans to utilize the grant to build an outdoor learning center for students to enhance their understanding of the environment and engage in real-world learning opportunities. The project involves installing a canopy to cover an outdoor area of the school grounds where elements of the environment can be incorporated directly into curriculum teaching and students can foster an appreciation for the outdoors.

“The creation of an outdoor learning space will provide opportunities for the children at Thorn Grove to embrace a love of the outdoors,” said Peter Luck, Headteacher at Thorn Grove Primary School. “The space will help improve child development, support mental health and wellbeing and promote more inclusive and engaging learning. It will give children experiences that they haven’t had previously and will bring learning to life.”

Responsible for enhancing the greenspaces in and around local waterways, Canal and River Trust creates spaces for people to engage with the outdoors while ensuring wildlife habitats remain protected. The grant will go towards Grow Green Spaces Stortford, a community involvement movement dedicated to clearing weeds and planting native species to neglected outdoor areas around the River Stort and increasing biodiversity throughout the community.

“The Toro Company’s funding will allow Grow Green Spaces Stortford to grow our project in the community, benefiting both human residents and local wildlife,” said Wendy Gordon with Grow Green Spaces Stortford. “This generosity will allow us, through Canal and River Trust, to purchase a range of native bulbs and wildflowers and construct a variety of species habitats to further enhance the biodiversity of the area. We can’t thank The Toro Company enough and we can’t wait to start gardening.”

“We are so excited to support Thorn Grove Primary School and Canal and River Trust to revitalize these outdoor spaces for our community members to enjoy,” said Linda Eldon, Toro Human Resources Manager in Spellbrook. “The project reflects our purpose to enrich the beauty, productivity and sustainability of the land while creating safe, functional spaces where our communities can thrive.”

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 and Instagram 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.

Aspen Fuel makes for ‘plain sailing’ servicing

/in , /by

Aspen Fuel makes for ‘plain sailing’ servicing: For marine engine specialist Peter White of Swordfish Marine, carburettor issues caused by extended periods of storage and inactivity are a thing of the past since the discovery of Aspen Alkylate fuel.

Having extensively tried and tested Aspen 4 in his workshop, at home and in his own 4-stroke outboard engine, the family-run firm became stockists three years ago to make the ethanol-free fuel more accessible for their customers.

Aspen Fuel makes for ‘plain sailing’ servicing

Aspen Fuel makes for ‘plain sailing’ servicing

Established by Peter in 2007, Swordfish Marine cover all areas of servicing and support for small leisure and commercial boats – based at the Holy Loch Marina in Dunoon, Scotland. With the vast majority of Peter’s customers being ‘seasonal boaters’, issues with expired fuel and component failures due to water ingress were a common occurrence until the team were introduced to Aspen Fuel.

“A friend recommended we look at Aspen Fuel maybe eight or nine years ago” he explains. “You often hear that once you try it, you’re hooked… and from just using it in our own petrol engines, we really were. The main difference is that the engine starts first time, every time, no matter how long it’s been in storage and knowing how much that would benefit the vast majority of our customers we knew we needed to offer it.” After their original stockist ceased trading during COVID, Peter became a stockist himself in late 2020.

As an alkylate petrol, Aspen 4 contains no ethanol and a vastly reduced harmful hydrocarbon content when compared to traditional petrol. Its greener, cleaner credentials make it an ideal option for those working in ecological and sensitive environments such as waterways, with Swordfish Marine selling Aspen 4 with all boats up to 6hp.

“There’s nothing more frustrating for people than pulling the boat out in April and finding the engine won’t start after a winter spent in the shed. The shelf-life of Aspen reduces the anxiety and risk of engine-related failures which ultimately gets people where they want to be, on the water.” Peter continues, “While the initial expenditure may be increased, this is negated by the vast savings in servicing and repair bills, and most find that one can will last them the whole season if not longer.”

“Ultimately when you think about it, we’re losing business! But morally Aspen has proven to be a fantastic decision and seeing everybody enjoy their boating, reliably and without horrible repair bills is what we’re all about.”

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 and Instagram 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.