Otterbine problem solving at Hurlingham

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Otterbine problem solving at Hurlingham: As a repeat Otterbine customer The Hurlingham Club in Fulham, London, has turned once again to the pond and lake aeration specialist for three new machines to tackle water quality problems in its two-acre lake.

There were three specific issues to solve: algae, water smells and noise disturbance as Tom Clarke, deputy grounds manager at the club for 11 years who manages a team of 28, explains: “The water quality was gradually deteriorating because the existing aerating units were getting old – some were upwards of 15 years old. We had algae beginning to form, there was sitting water near one of the bridges due to a lack of water circulation causing a smell and one of the units which was near the sunbathing area was beginning to create a noise disturbance.”

Otterbine problem solving at Hurlingham

Otterbine problem solving at Hurlingham

So, what was the solution to these problems? That would be Otterbine, as Simon Powell from Otterbine’s UK distributor Reesink Turfcare explains: “This project was a very thorough installation with a wide range of Otterbine solutions. We specified the 3hp C2 Sub-Triton aspirator to deal with the bad smell at one of the bridges caused by the slit layer gassing off methane; the 5HP Sunburst aerating fountain to provide well-needed aeration to keep the algae at bay and to complete the line-up the Air Flow 3 underwater diffuser to provide a silent solution for keeping the water clean and clear near the sunbathing area. This provided a complete renovation of the water body.”

Solving these issues and improving the water quality of the lake has had a wider impact on the club’s grounds, as Tom explains: “We want to create the best quality water we can for the grounds and the lake is the source of our irrigation water. We’ve got over 286 sprinklers and approximately two kilometres of dripline going round, so the improvements made to the water quality doesn’t just benefit those in the immediate vicinity of the lake but the whole 42 acres of the estate.”

And Tom confirms it’s not just the club’s members who are pleased with the new Otterbine aerators: “We have a lot of ornamental ducks using the lake. There are natural ones that come in and we also add ducks you wouldn’t see anywhere else. We’ve got a couple of black swans and different fowl and they really appreciate a better environment.”

But it’s not just the problems that Otterbine has solved, the products selected have bought additional benefits too: “We now have a much-appreciated fountain feature provided by the Sunburst which has pleased the estate’s members and committee,” says Tom.

The club has been an Otterbine customer for the past 15 years, so when the time came to renovate the lake, Otterbine was the obvious choice, Tom explains: “Our irrigation guy Andre Holt suggested Otterbine and from there it was a fairly complex job made very easy by Reesink. The machines got delivered straight away and there was great communication. Simon provided everything we needed in terms of the actual weighted tubing, the electric cable and everything else. I told him what we had power wise onsite, and he worked out everything we’d need for a contractor to just come in and install it.”

Looking to the club’s future, Tom says: “we’re taking up a masterplan plan now. The club is putting a vote out to members to see how it can reinvest to make its services better. The grounds department is well supported by the Hurlingham club. The grounds are the icon of the club, so we do whatever we can to improve standards and keep things looking as good as they can. I’d like to add a second fountain in the lake, maybe even a third. It would look great and just set off the whole lake.”

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Role of grounds staff is key

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Role of grounds staff is key: With ‘no pitch no play’ one of the biggest barriers to levelling the playing field between women and men’s football, the success of the women’s game depends largely on the involvement of the grounds industry.

Ahead of speaking at SALTEX, the leading turf management show being held on Birmingham NEC from 02-03 November, on increasing pitch capacity for the women’s game, Hannah Buckley, senior facilities and project manager for the women’s professional game at The FA, shares why the importance of the pitch and ensuring the groundswell of forward movement for the womens’ and girls’ sport is not lost because of poor playing conditions.

Role of grounds staff is key

Role of grounds staff is key

“When any new sport or technology comes along, some people will be reluctant to embrace it, others will do so wholeheartedly. We all saw this with those who hosted women’s matches and practise for the Euros and those who didn’t.

“It’s important to remember the men’s game is over 150 years old, women’s is 50 and the young girls’ pro game is only 11 years old. At the start of our journey, all the infrastructure was built around 150 years of the men’s game.

“What’s important going forward is to remove the unknown entities when it comes to additional female users of any pitch. Everything is the same with regards to the pitch and its set up, it’s only the players who are different. Accommodating women’s sport causes far less damage than the men’s: the players weigh less, are smaller and therefore it is important to acknowledge different impacts against different users. Understanding differences provides opportunities for example professional training environments don’t need as much space in a natural pitch training environment – and that reduces the initial budget outlay and ongoing maintenance costs.

“Several women’s professional clubs have secured investment from the Premier League in the last three and a half years to improve pitch quality delivering new stitched and carpet hybrid products.

“Women’s football is here to stay and we’ve got to focus on the pitches we’ve got. England has its infrastructure challenges. We’re an island with limited land availability, with predominantly urban stadiums and training grounds. We are not going to start by building new pitches, so we need to understand the playing surface and the game and work with what we’ve got and make them work for the future of the sport. And all sports groundspeople have a role to play in this. The process starts in education settings, local authorities and clubs, and in.

“My talk at SALTEX in fact considers this very subject and looks at the impact of Leigh Sports Village in Wigan. This example shows the impact a focus on grass roots can have at its finest. The venue had the biggest investment in public sports, recreational and educational facilities in Wigan borough for many years and has transformed Leigh into one of the finest hubs of activity in the North West. Its multi-surfaces serve the whole community providing a range of activities for local people as well as hosting international sporting events. It attracts the next generation of sporting stars in the community but is also home to professional rugby league team Leigh Centurions and Manchester United’s Women’s, U23s and U19s teams. It’s been a host stadium for the Rugby League World Cup 2022 and UEFA Women’s Euro 2022. The plethora of sports they host is down to the quality of surfaces and I’ll look at the how and why they’re able to do that in my Learning LIVE seminar at SALTEX.

“It’s something we can all work together on too. And by that I don’t just mean by looking at the way other sports are incorporating this requirement into their plans going forward or even other countries, but how grounds teams need more diversity – opportunities exist for women in helping prepare the surfaces for the women’s sport, we need diversity to be reflected in that sector, there’s a whole career pathway that could be incredibly rewarding for women.

“What really puts it into perspective is the moment when the Lionness’ won the Euros it was years in the making for those working in the womens’ game – it was the moment we’d all been waiting for, and it came on home turf. That feeling was indescribable and something we want more and more people in the industry to be a part of, experience and celebrate. We now have the world’s best sporting women’s league and everything to play for in terms of continuing the momentum. We need others to join in with those who supported us then, to support us in the next chapter as we work towards the next international event.”

Hannah joins Ted Mitchell of the Rugby Football Union, Iain James from the England and Wales Cricket Board and Ashleigh Seddon form the Rugby Football League at SALTEX on Thursday in theatre 1 at 1.45pm as they look at how groundspeople can increase pitch capacity for the women’s game. Register for a free ticket at saltex.org.uk / register here

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Soil Scout head to SALTEX

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Soil Scout head to SALTEX: Leading soil monitoring solution provider Soil Scout is pleased to announce that we will once again be exhibiting at Europe’s largest free sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade show, SALTEX on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 November at Birmingham’s NEC. 

Following a very successful first appearance at the 2021 show we have once again teamed up with our partner Turf Lighting Solutions (TLS) to share a much larger open stand space, you can find us in a central location on stand H081.

Soil Scout head to SALTEX

Soil Scout head to SALTEX

You will be guaranteed a warm welcome with team members from Soil Scout headquarters in Finland including CEO Jalmari Talola on-hand to answer any questions you have beside our UK-based Sales & Sports Turf Specialist, Nick Durkin. Having previously worked in the professional football turf industry at Chelsea FC, Wembley Stadium and Derby County, Nick has a wealth of practical experience and technical knowledge.

SALTEX attendees are also encouraged not to miss out on our exclusive special offer! For the duration of the show you can purchase one of our Soil Scout Starter Kits with a very generous 20% discount. With only 25 kits available it’s a deal that is not to be missed! The Starter Kit is the ideal soil monitoring package for first-time stadium, training ground or golf course installations. The kit comprises six sensors, one base station and all necessary antennas and cables. But that’s not all, this special offer package will also include one year’s subscription to the Soil Scout Hub and free online training from our expert technical team.

Visitors to the stand will also be able to have a first-look at our newly developed dual-depth sensor (DDS) and pick up a copy of our packed Sensor magazine. The ground-breaking DDS gives the well-known Hydra sensor an additional sensing head – interconnected with a cable. The main sensor will continue to perform the radio communication, it can be buried in shallow ground to give an improved range, whilst the second-sensor can deliver measurement data from very deep. All from the same hole and with an excellent battery life of over ten years.

Pete Ashworth is the Head Groundsman at Preston North End and has been at the club for 17 years. Preston has recently installed Soil Scout and Pete told us; “It’s almost like a comfort blanket, knowing you’re not overdoing it or letting it get too dry.

“I’m always looking at the dashboard and it gives us that extra bit of belief that everything we are doing on the pitch is right.”

John McLoughlin is the Course Manager at Wallasey Golf Club and another user of the Soil Scout solution. “What drew me to Soil Scout is the live data you get every 20 minutes. Having that at your fingertips is unique in the industry. I also think it’s quite nice to feel like you’re in control. So when you’re at home and going through a dry spell, for peace of mind, it’s great.”

John continued; “There can be times when the greens are drying out or getting too wet, and being able to check that takes a lot of pressure off you, it gives you peace of mind.”

Soil Scout provides the most advanced fully buried underground wireless soil sensor and monitoring solution for professionals in sports turf maintenance, golf courses and agriculture giving real-time data measuring soil moisture, temperature and salinity. To find out more visit – www.soilscout.com

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Green-tech cast iron grilles add finishing touch

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Green-tech cast iron grilles add finishing touch: Scape are well known for providing exemplary student accommodation, with locations throughout the UK, Ireland and Australia. The new canal side accommodation at Mile End in London is situated on the Queen Mary University campus. Comprising 412 studio rooms and flats over two main blocks, it also offers communal and study areas, as well as a gym and spacious bike storage, an often-overlooked necessity in London.

HG Construction have worked on nine previous Scape buildings, with a tenth at Leeds under construction. The emphasis on aesthetics and quality runs through the outside areas too, with a cool palette of soft greys, white and dark bronze cladding offset by stylish columnar silver birch trees, providing a clean, inviting look.

Green-tech cast iron grilles add finishing touch

Green-tech cast iron grilles add finishing touch

Green-tech involvement:
Green-tech was asked to supply 14 heavy-duty tree grilles that would not only look good but stand the test of time. Our Coverdale cast iron grilles offer protection from both pedestrian and vehicular traffic and are made in the UK from 100% recycled material. Should the need arise, they are also 100% recyclable.

To ensure a long life, our Coverdale grilles are manufactured using Engineering grade 250 cast iron, with an expected lifespan in excess of 100 years, even with minimal maintenance or repainting. This impressive durability is down to the fact that 250 Grade cast iron does not rust in the traditional sense. Even if left unpainted, over 100 years, Green-tech cast iron grilles will only lose a few microns to oxidisation.

The standard finish is one coat metal primer followed by a Weathershield rust resistant paint system available in most RAL or BS colours. The grilles are all made to order in a variety of styles and can be supplied with irrigation or uplighter holes.
Alasdair Innes – Green-tech Specification Advisor comments, “This really is a fantastic looking project, and it was great to visit the site and see our grilles looking so good in their surroundings, with the trees establishing so well. If required, we also offer a range of steel tree guards to compliment the grilles and give protection to the trees from vehicular damage or vandalism.”

For any further product information or to request a CPD in person or remotely on any of our urban or rural modules please email Alasdair Innes at alasdairi@green-tech.co.uk or call on
01423 332 100.

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Origin Amenity core to tailored programmes

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Origin Amenity core to tailored programmes: When players are asked to describe their ideal putting conditions, the top two words likely to be mentioned on most occasions will be ‘firm and fast’.

For greenkeeping teams, trying to achieve firm, fast surfaces alongside consistency over all 18 holes is tough – but for Chris Brook, Group Course Manager at The Club Company this challenge is multiplied across 15 individual courses! Assisting Chris is the technical team from Origin Amenity Solutions who, from conducting in-depth soil-sampling, have helped in the tailoring of the renovation and nutritional requirements of the groups 270 greens.

Origin Amenity core to tailored programmes

Origin Amenity core to tailored programmes

Chris has been in charge of the group for 25 years, working with the individual green’s teams at the championship golf courses which are dotted up and down the country. “As a group” Chris explains, “we’re always looking for new ways to further course condition but to move things forward, you need an accurate understanding of exactly where you’re starting from. I got in touch with Laurence McCrory, who joined the Headland brand within OAS last year but who I knew from his time as Course Manager at Castle Royle and asked if he could help with some in-depth soil analysis.”

Laurence and his OAS colleagues nationwide visited the 15 venues, sampling all greens to take away and analyse multiple variables including moisture content, minerals and organic matter (OM) levels, and assess the loss on ignition (LOI). LOI analysis will reveal the percentage of OM in a green and the depth – be it the top inch, or two inches – to which OM is present. “With this data, we can then plan down to each individual green what we need to do, or not do, in terms of mechanical maintenance and nutritional inputs to get the best results from every operation and bring each green up to a certain standard. It’s a worthwhile expenditure, which will then give every team all the information they need to tailor the severity of renovations and put a programme into place which they can map out and action around the unique requirements and demands of their course.”

“All sites have different feeding programmes, worked out between the independent greens teams and myself, with Headland Amenity’s 20-20-30 enhanced plant health tank-mix a key part of many clubs plans at this time of year. We’ll then be looking at feeds such as C-Complex® in various formulations for a response at lower temperatures and post-renovation recovery.”

Chris adds, “Having this data at our disposal means we can ensure we are using the right tools and techniques, that we know will work, and using them in the right places at the right time to deliver the surfaces the members want. We can then re-conduct the sampling and review the results on an annual basis to help us monitor progress and ultimately reach the goal of presenting our courses in the very best condition we can.”

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