Finalists for BIGGA Awards revealed

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Finalists for BIGGA Awards revealed: From Loch Lomond in Scotland to England’s south coast, the finalists of the BIGGA Awards 2022 showcase ingenuity, innovation and determination in the face of global turmoil and the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) is proud to reveal the incredible greenkeeping teams who have been shortlisted for an award, to be presented at BTME 2022 later this month.

The BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) will be taking place this March for the first time in its history, with a two-month delay caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of turf managers, greenkeepers, golf club owners and key industry decision makers are expected to take part in the industry’s premier exhibition and educational programme.

Finalists for BIGGA Awards revealed

Finalists for BIGGA Awards revealed

One of the highlights of BTME each year is the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, sponsored for the first time in 2022 by AMS Robotics. Taking place on the opening night of BTME and hosted by television broadcaster and golf enthusiast Naga Munchetty, the BIGGA Welcome Celebration feature the presentation of the prestigious BIGGA Awards 2022.

With incredible prizes up for grabs, the BIGGA Awards recognise that high standards of quality and dedication are vital to the success of any golf course or championship. They reward the innovation of BIGGA members who are at the cutting edge of their profession and any BIGGA member within the UK, regards of their golf facility’s size, age or reputation, can enter. The BIGGA Awards provide golf clubs with an opportunity to showcase a greenkeeping team’s success and celebrate their achievements.

The finalists of the BIGGA Awards 2022 are:

Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year sponsored by Origin Amenity Solutions

  • Richard Ponsford and the team at Clevedon Golf Club for hosting the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Wright-Morgan Championship
  • Simon Olver and the team at Ganton Golf Club for hosting The R&A Senior Amateur Championship and England Golf’s Brabazon Trophy
  • Stuart Hogg MG and the team at The West Lancashire Golf Club for hosting The Rose Ladies Series and Regional and Final Qualifying for The Open

Greenkeeping Project of the Year sponsored by Baroness

  • Darren Anderson MG and the team at Bromborough Golf Club for the ‘Leverhulme Project’ that saw the reconstruction of the 17th hole and various other course improvements
  • David Cole MG and the team at Loch Lomond Golf Club for the complete reconstruction of the course, often described as the largest course redevelopment in UK golf history
  • Matt Plested and the team at Stoneham Golf Club for the construction of the Stoneham Academy and various other course improvements

The winner of the Outstanding Contribution of the Year sponsored by Bernhard and Company will be revealed on the night.

More information about each of the finalists can be found on the BTME website at https://www.btme.org.uk/attendees/what-s-on/the-bigga-awards.html

BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton said: “Much has happened since we last met in Harrogate at BTME 2020 and revealed the winners of the BIGGA Awards that year. Society has changed and together we have overcome some of the most difficult challenges any of us will face in our lifetime. Yet there have been bright moments along the way and I’m incredibly proud that BIGGA is today able to reveal the finalists of our annual awards, with six outstanding greenkeeping teams in with a shout of taking home the top prizes. It was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to these finalists and everyone who was nominated should be very proud of their efforts.

“When BTME returns this month, we’ll be kicking things off at Tuesday’s BIGGA Welcome Celebration and I can’t wait to unveil the winners of these awards. I look forward to seeing our friends and colleagues from across the industry in Harrogate for what promises to be a wonderful opening to our annual exhibition.”

BTME runs from Tuesday 22 March to Thursday 24 March 2022 with over 120 exhibitors taking part.

You can register online now for BTME or head to www.btme.org.uk for more information.

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Bay Hill’s new Eclipse 360 ELiTE

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Bay Hill’s new Eclipse 360 ELiTE: Legacy building is a daily task at Bay Hill Golf Club & Lodge, and the Jacobsen Eclipse 360 ELiTE is the latest part of that journey.

Every day for the last six months, the lithium-ion powered greens mower has been in use at the home of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and has impressed every operator that’s cut with it for different reasons.

Bay Hill's new Eclipse 360 ELiTE

Bay Hill’s new Eclipse 360 ELiTE

For some, it’s the silent operation, and for others, it’s the timing of the reels. The swing-out center reel put a smile on mechanics’ faces in the workshop, and the battery life and quality of cut have been universally praised.

The club, through Mr. Palmer, has a long and established relationship with Jacobsen, and this latest advancement with battery technology is likely to shape the greenkeeping legacy for years to come, as Director of Grounds, Chris Flynn, explains.

“Arnold Palmer bought this property in the late 60s, and now we’re building his legacy. Jacobsen and Bay Hill have had a relationship literally for decades, and Mr. Palmer was a spokesperson for Jacobsen and had very close relationships, and that relationship is just as strong as ever today.

“The bottom line, and what matters most is performance. For us, this mower could not have performed any better; and I look forward to getting a few of them here on property full-time. I think any Superintendent would be more than pleased if they could get their hands on one.

“We’ve had it on the property for six months now, and we have used it every day since it’s been here. What’s been fantastic for us with all our practice greens being so close to the lodge is being able to go up there with the electric mower without making a lot of noise. That has been huge.

“Another thing is the operators love it. The ease of operation and the timing of how the reels go up and down is great. The cut quality is certainly what Jacobsen has been known for a long, long time.

“In terms of its footprint on the green, we haven’t seen any issues at all. It’s been a win-win all around. The mechanics have been very pleased with it. The way that back reel swings out was one of the first things our mechanics certainly noticed and put big smiles on their faces. It definitely makes their life’s a lot easier.

“When we wrap up with the mower and charge it up when we’re done, it’s ready to go for the next morning at full capacity. We’ve yet to run into a situation where we ran out of power and couldn’t finish mowing. We’ve mowed all 18 greens, we’ve mowed more than that, double-cutting, and we have yet to have an issue with the mower running out of power before us finishing the job.”

The new Eclipse 360 ELiTE from Jacobsen has been designed to combine the next generation of ELiTE lithium-ion batteries with a signature cut that has been trusted for a century.

ELiTE batteries have powered E-Z-GO vehicles for over 15 million hours, and the Eclipse 360 ELiTE has adopted that technology to make a mower that can cut 50+ large greens on a single charge.

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STIHL’s first backpack cordless professional blower

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STIHL’s first backpack cordless professional blower: The new BGA 300 is STIHL’s first cordless backpack blower for professional users, offering high performance and a significantly less disruptive sound thanks to its innovative STIHL Noise Reduction System.

With a blowing force of 26 newton, STIHL’s new BGA 300 cordless backpack blower is the most powerful in the STIHL cordless range and features a high air speed to ensure even wet, heavy autumn leaves can be cleared quickly and efficiently. The new cordless blower is powered using STIHL’s professional AR 2000 L or AR 3000 L backpack batteries.

STIHL’s first backpack cordless professional blower

STIHL’s first backpack cordless professional blower

Thanks to the STIHL Noise Reduction System, the BGA 300 produces fewer high pitch frequencies often associated with cordless blowers, meaning operation is much more pleasant and less intrusive for bystanders. Thanks to this, the BGA 300 is well suited for use in noise-sensitive areas such as schools, parks or around public amenities.

The maximum blowing force can be selected from three power setting options via the selector switch, allowing for efficient energy management and longer runtimes. Boost mode may also be selected to provide maximum power for the toughest clearing jobs. Furthermore, the new cordless blower features an LED power display and cruise control function to enable simple energy management and comfort.

For the optimum blowing angle the BGA 300 boasts a curved nozzle as standard, and the blower tube length can easily be adjusted to meet different requirements and operating situations. A straight nozzle is also available as an accessory

The BGA 300 is exceptionally easy to handle thanks to its slim design and comfortable carrying system that optimally distributes the weight of the backpack device and reduces the strain on the user when used for long periods.

Other features include wide feet for secure footing whilst on the ground, a hook for the blower tube for easy transport and storage, as well as compatibility with the new Smart Connector 2 A.

The BGA 300 will be available from Autumn 2022.

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Agrovista Amenity celebrates National Tree Week

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Agrovista Amenity celebrates National Tree Week: After joining The Tree Council as a Jubilee Partner, Agrovista Amenity recently participated in a planting day to celebrate National Tree Week.

The Tree Council is an official delivery partner of The Queen’s Green Canopy, which is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

Agrovista Amenity celebrates National Tree Week

Agrovista Amenity celebrates National Tree Week

By becoming one of the Jubilee Partners, Agrovista Amenity will be playing an integral role in planting trees and hedgerows in honour of Her Majesty’s service to the nation, creating a lasting legacy which will benefit future generations for years to come.

The aim is to achieve the planting of an incredible 35,000 trees and 7 kilometres of hedgerows.

Agrovista Amenity recently celebrated its Jubilee Partner status during National Tree Week by attending a planting day which took place in Bicester in Oxfordshire. The Agrovista Amenity team joined 50 other volunteers who also came from corporate partner organisations.

Together the volunteers planted along a riverbank and a bridleway, creating connectivity for local wildlife as well as helping introduce all the other benefits that trees and hedgerows can bring, such as pollution mitigation and flood prevention. Species included hawthorn, blackthorn, white poplar, holly, oak and more in an incredible 183 metres of hedgerow.

Furthermore, the volunteers planted some rare black poplar trees, of which there are only 10,000 of these left in the UK – so it was encouraging to be boosting their numbers.

Ed Smith, Landscape Team Manager for Agrovista Amenity, was delighted to play a part in the planting day.

Agrovista Amenity celebrates National Tree Week

Agrovista Amenity celebrates National Tree Week

“The positive work that The Tree Council and so many volunteers have undertaken to restore woodland and hedgerows as part of a greener future has been amazing,” he said.

“Our planet is changing and joining The Tree Council on their planting day was a great opportunity to practice what we preach. Not only are we planting to make positive changes for the future, but we are making these changes in the most sustainable way possible.”

Cat Gransden, Development Manager for The Tree Council, said: “We’re so grateful to Agrovista for attending our planting day and for being part of our Jubilee Partner programme. Together, we’re creating an environmental and cultural legacy in honour of Her Majesty’s historic 70 years of service and growing a greener future for all of us. It is thanks to our incredible corporate partners, like Agrovista, that we’re able to plant, protect and promote so many trees and hedgerows. Working together for the love of trees allows us to achieve great things, and green-hearted corporate heroes help us to create a healthy, tree-filled future for our planet. Thank you.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Showcase Playground Equipment at SAGE

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Showcase Playground Equipment at SAGE: On 6th & 7th July 2022, the Sports and Grounds Expo (SAGE) will be held at The Three Counties Showground, Malvern. This provides an opportunity for people and businesses from the sports and grounds maintenance industry to share exciting new products and make connections from across the industry.

SAGE 2022 is the UK’s largest outdoor tradeshow for the sports and grounds maintenance industry and the spectacular setting of The Three Counties Showground is ideal for hosting a safe event where all stands are outdoors.

Showcase Playground Equipment at SAGE

Showcase Playground Equipment at SAGE

The stands will be set up across spacious outdoor pitches with crowd management processes in place and the venue was chosen partly due to being awarded the VisitEngland ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry charter mark, which verifies that the showground meets the Government and public health guidance on COVID-19, including the required health and safety processes.

People attending SAGE 2022 can expect to network with a wide range of industry professionals, build up rapport with potential customers and discover the latest trends that are impacting the industry.

With the central location selected and easy transport links, SAGE 2022 is expected to attract visitors and businesses from all across the UK for this widely anticipated event.

Who will be exhibiting at SAGE 2022?

Many different types of businesses will be exhibiting at the event and employees from local authorities, education establishments and contractors will benefit from the chance to see a wide range of playground equipment in action.

It is very rare that there is a venue large enough to enable playground equipment manufacturers to set up the equipment to allow a hands-on demonstration. This set up allows the people responsible for procuring playground equipment to get more insight into the quality and functionality of the equipment they order.

Opportunities for local businesses

Businesses selling playground equipment, as well as sports and grounds maintenance products such as machinery, turf care, workwear and chemicals for grounds are invited to exhibit by booking a stand at this much-anticipated event.

Employees from local authorities and schools will be in attendance to see demonstrations of playground equipment, so this is a great opportunity for equipment suppliers and installation contractors to make key connections.

Due to the large volumes of people working in the sports and grounds maintenance sector who will be in attendance, the event will be a great marketing opportunity for businesses to meet customers face-to-face and build up sales leads.

If you are interested in exhibiting at SAGE 2022 you can book a stand here, or if you are interested in visiting the event you can register on the website.

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