Jack Nicklaus courses benefit from Ventrac

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Jack Nicklaus courses benefit from Ventrac: London Golf Club has taken delivery of the new Ventrac 4520 all-terrain compact tractor and selection of attachments to assist in the maintenance of their two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses near Brands Hatch in Kent.

Lee Sayers is the Golf Courses and Estate Manager and heads a team of 27 full-time staff and 15 part-time including two head greenkeepers, a workshop mechanic, irrigation technician and a gardener with 21 members of the team working on the golf course.

Jack Nicklaus courses benefit from Ventrac

Jack Nicklaus courses benefit from Ventrac

“That might seem a very large team to most people, but we have 500 acres of estate including two championship golf courses to manage and large areas of woodland; it’s an intensive job”, he says.

Lee began his career in 1991 at Cottesloe Golf Club in the suburbs of Perth in Western Australia, before returning to the UK in 1994 to take the position of assistant greenkeeper at London Golf Club. Four years later he joined Hempstead Forest Golf Club near Cranbrook and in 2000 returned to London Golf Club as No. 2 to Peter Todd. In 2003 he joined Mid Kent Golf Club near Gravesend, where he spent 14 years until returning to take up his current role in 2017.

“Our members and guests expect a high level of presentation and we try to maintain a manicured ‘look’ across the entire estate, so the Ventrac was an obvious choice, he added. “I’d seen lots of ‘noise’ about Ventrac in the press and on social media together with good feedback from my peer group across the county, especially Mark Todd at the Wildernesse. We had a really good demo and that just reinforced my opinion, so we purchased the tractor unit and four attachments; the Contour deck, Tough Cut deck, Turbine Blower and Power Brush.

“The Tough Cut deck is great for maintaining the woodland margins. The out-front position of the Tough Cut deck combined with the low profile and agility of the tractor unit, means we can get in and under the trees. Without doubt, it has lifted the presentation of the course. The Contour deck does a superb job on the Nicklaus-designed bunker surrounds, where we previously used ‘Flymo’ mowers on the steep sides. This has saved numerous hours and has increased efficiency.

“We have significant woodland and spend too many hours using backpack blowers removing leaves and other debris, not just in the autumn, but all-year round. This is so time-intensive, but the Turbine blower is brilliant; we can also use it to remove debris after scarifying and even blow cores from the greens after aeration.

“Changing between the different attachments is quick and easy. There’s no three-point linkage to worry about or adjustments to make, you simply drive out of the current implement and drive into the next one. The mounting system is ingenious; it’s so quick that it encourages you to use it to its full potential.”

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Duo crowned TIMBERSPORTS® champions

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Duo crowned TIMBERSPORTS® champions: Zoe and Glen Penlington from Wales took the top spot amongst the UK’s best logger sport athletes over the weekend, with Zoe winning the first ever STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® British Women’s Championship and Glen being crowned the 2022 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® British Pro Champion.

Both events took place in front of a sell-out crowd at the Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern, where extreme sports fans watched the top male and female TIMBERSPORTS® athletes from all over Great Britain compete in a head-to-head race against time across challenging disciplines. In the British Pro Championship, the male athletes compete against each other across six disciplines, and the female athletes in the British Women’s Championship compete in three.

Duo crowned TIMBERSPORTS® champions

Duo crowned TIMBERSPORTS® champions

Using axes, two-metre crosscut saws and chainsaws, STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® pushes each competitor’s skill and endurance levels to the absolute limit, where they are awarded maximum points for the fastest time in each discipline.

In the landmark women’s event, the high-octane action brought the best out of all the athletes in a close competition, with Zoe beating her closest rival Justine Narusa by only four points. The event was decided in the final heat, the Underhand Chop, where Zoe recorded the fastest time to take the title. A delighted Sarah Cox took third place to complete the podium. In similar fashion, the men’s event was also decided in the final heat, with Glen holding his nerve against Graham Turner (2nd place) and John Lewis (3rd place) to secure victory.

In addition, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS British Rookie Championship also took place over the weekend, with Jack Morris, also from Wales, claiming first place.

Simon Hewitt, Head of Marketing at STIHL GB, said: “We were very excited to introduce the first British Women’s Championship and it was great to see the crowds come out in force to cheer on all the athletes. After several TIMBERSPORTS® events behind closed doors, all the athletes have been training extremely hard to put on a great spectacle for the TIMBERSPORTS® fans and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

“Glen is a worthy winner after a dominant display and we’re especially thrilled for Zoe who will go down in history as the first STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® British Women’s Champion.”

Zoe said of her victory: “I’m very proud to be the overall winner in the inaugural STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® British Women’s Championship, and then to watch my brother also win the men’s competition was the icing on the cake.

“All the women put on a fantastic display and we hope this will encourage more women to get involved in the original extreme sport.”

To find out more about the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Series please visit https://blog.stihl.co.uk/timbersports/

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Reduce your environmental impact with Aspen Fuel

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Reduce your environmental impact with Aspen Fuel: It is perhaps no surprise that recent research into the environmental and health impacts of petrol-powered hand tools has highlighted some worrying statistics around emissions and the knock-on negative effects on public health.

However, making additional capital investment or disposing of serviceable equipment can be avoided with the simple switch to Aspen Alkylate Petrol – significantly reducing the impact on the environment and eliminating exposure to hazardous hydrocarbons.

Reduce your environmental impact with Aspen Fuel

Reduce your environmental impact with Aspen Fuel

Amongst the research recently published in the national media, it stated that a leaf-blower can emit up to 11 times more carbon monoxide than a Ford Fiesta and that two-thirds of those surveyed reported health issues, such as breathing problems, during operation. However, solving the problem may be limited by a number of factors, not least by the resources required for the sometimes lengthy and complex procurement process.

Operators looking for a cleaner alternative could consider fuelling their petrol-powered tools with Aspen – an alkylate petrol which is ethanol-free and virtually free from Sulphur, Benzene and many other harmful substances. In contrast to the pollutants emitted by pump-petrol, with Aspen, you can mow for 100 hours before reaching the same level of toxic benzene emissions emitted in one hour of mowing with regular petrol.

Switching to Aspen is easy, and while it cannot reverse damage caused by regular petrol, it will have a cleaning effect on the internal parts – particularly removing soot build-up in the exhaust port. No modifications are required to covert a machine to run on Aspen, only to avoid diluting the benefits, operators are advised to wait until the fuel tank is as empty as possible before switching. For older equipment, switching after a service where any susceptible parts should be replaced, is ideal.

Director of Weedfree Landscapes Tim Bower switched to Aspen 2 for all of their 2-stroke equipment. “Straight away we noticed the reduction in noxious fumes. For the operator this brings fantastic health benefits, especially during prolonged periods of exposure, but it also makes for a cleaner working environment which is desirable when we’re working in public spaces such as schools for example.”

Aspen is available pre-mixed for 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines and, along with improving reliability and prolonging the performance of engine components, the cleaner burn improves the working conditions for the operator and significantly reduces the harmful impact your machinery makes on the environment. Because of this, and in particular the benefits it can bring to those working in confined spaces, Aspen is a popular choice for tree surgeons, local authorities and green space managers looking for an alternative, greener power source.

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If you mowed in May – that’s ok

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If you mowed in May – that’s ok: If you didn’t follow the no-mow May advice don’t be alarmed.  One of Britain’s foremost lawn experts confirms that regular mowing is good for both the lawn and the environment. 

Richard Salmon (photographed below), the founder of ProLawnCareUK, is adamant that simply adjusting the mower and using it more frequently is good for both nature and the grass.

If you mowed in May - that's ok

If you mowed in May – that’s ok

“We have 20 million plus domestic lawns in the UK.  The vast majority are in inner city and urban areas where they are a vital green lung.   Anything we can do to keep them healthy is good for nature and humans, and regular mowing is key to this,” says Richard.

“I have no idea how many people continued to mow in May but they were doing no harm at all to the environment and really benefitting their lawns,” he added.

“Some wildlife feeding on lawns eat insects or seed, others prefer worms and other invertebrates.   Regular mowing will still allow clover and other flowering weeds to prosper but leave the grass longer and don’t scalp it.  Weekly mowing encourages the grass to tiller or thicken out.  This produces a greater green leaf area per m2 which, in turn, absorbs more Co2 during photosynthesis, keeping lawns green and releasing more oxygen to atmosphere.  The more dense the lawn the better for all food sources.”

“Not cutting the grass and simply leaving it to nature is not good for lawns or wildlife.  Leaving it is of value only to seed eating birds, although it takes several months of growth for the seeds to mature and, in any case, seed can be supplemented at the bird table.  As the uncut grass grows it discolours, significantly reducing photosynthesis which, in turn, results in less oxygen being produced.”

Richard promotes more regular cutting but not too short.  He also supports, where possible, instead of not mowing your lawn, why not dedicate an area for wildlife that benefits the insects and wildlife for 12 months of the year rather than a vain effort for 1 month ? Try leaving a small area of the garden to sow a wild flower mix which is bee friendly and can be left all year to provide a more valuable haven for a greater variety of fauna.

Richard Salmon has spent his entire career involved in lawncare and is one of the country’s leading authorities on the subject.  He is also a leading expert on the environmental value of grassland and is on record as confirming that: “Lawns lock-in carbon from the atmosphere, much like trees, and play a vital role in cleaning and cooling our environment.”

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Toro launches new robotic mower

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Toro launches new robotic mower: Toro is bringing new innovation to the residential garden care category with the launch of a robotic mower that offers cutting-edge, easy to deploy technology and never-before-seen features.

With more than a century of delivering innovative solutions for the outdoor environment, Toro’s new robotic, battery-powered mower represents the latest in smart, connected technology for homeowners and their gardens.

Toro launches new robotic mower

Toro launches new robotic mower

“Our commitment to alternative power, smart connected, and autonomous technologies will enable people to create an amazing space for their families and do more of what they love for generations to come,” said Peter Moeller, Vice President & General Manager, International Division at The Toro Company.

The new robotic mower, available to consumers in selected European markets in the first half of next year, is a culmination of years of research and development. Featuring industry-leading capabilities, such as the industry’s first vision-based localisation system and wire-free navigation, the setup is easy and tailored to each garden without a pricey and failure-prone underground boundary wire installation. This proprietary vision system uses multiple cameras to map and localise in the garden enabling the mower to navigate tight spaces and move around structures such as trees and landscaping. It is also capable of crossing surfaces, such as driveways and sidewalks, to maintain all areas of the property.

Another exciting feature is the dedicated smartphone app which allows users to customise their mowing schedule — whether it’s around work, sleep, or travel. The app can also recommend an ideal mowing schedule based on weather forecasts and patterns. In addition, the mower has third-party safety certification, theft-proof features, slope-friendly cutting abilities, and quiet functionality.

To give homeowners a lawn care system that works as effectively as possible, the robotic mower offers unmatched efficiency through its patented Smart ZonesTM pattern mowing system that can be controlled through custom settings in the app. Through this system, the mower will automatically keep the lawn at a consistent, owner-selected height by cutting the smallest amount of grass each day for optimal lawn health.

Addressing the growing demand for easy-to-use autonomous mowers that offer flexibility and can handle complex gardens, the category is expected to grow significantly in the next 10 years in Europe as the technology develops to deliver accuracy and efficiency.

The new mower will join Toro’s many other powerful and energy efficient garden care tools, including its 60V Flex-Force Power System™, a full lineup of cordless products with one interchangeable battery, as well as its new Revolution Series of battery-powered commercial lawn care equipment. Toro’s autonomous technology is expanding to other outdoor environments, such as golf courses, where field testing of the GeoLink Solutions Autonomous Fairway Mower is underway.

The new autonomous mower, available in red or charcoal gray, will be available for purchase in selected European markets from the first half of next year. Learn more at smartyard.toro.com.

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