New sales operation for EcoBunker

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New sales operation for EcoBunker: Leading creator of synthetic bunker edging technology, EcoBunker Ltd, is reinforcing its commitment to the North American market by creating a directly owned subsidiary to support customers across the continent.

Inventor and CEO Richard Allen was the first to install synthetic bunker walls on US soil and his company, EcoBunker Ltd, has been delivering highly successful projects across the continent consistently since 2014.

New sales operation for EcoBunker

New sales operation for EcoBunker

After a short period trading under a different brand name through a distributor, Allen recognised that a better operating model was needed. EcoBunker Ltd has consequently removed its support for the alternative brand and withdrawn the privileges associated with its patented and solely owned patent pending construction methods.

The new approach will to be sell directly to market. This is being done through a new American company, EcoBunker USA LLC, which will be headed by Jay Morgan, (who until now has been running EcoBunker’s Canadian operation), and a commitment to hold stock of the EcoBunker product at several strategically selected locations across North America, ensuring that clients can be serviced as quickly as possible. Another benefit is that trading will be in dollars, making the purchase of EcoBunker as simple as possible for clubs right across the North American continent.

Allen says: “Obviously North America is the biggest golf market in the world, and figuring out how best to support that market has been an important question for us to answer throughout our history. We have developed very successful relationships with distributors across the world, but we have learned over the years that America really needs a different approach and more commitment. Setting up our own operation is a massive investment for us – the largest in the company’s history – but we have done some fantastic projects that provide a strong foundation and the potential for us to grow our business in America is huge. I know that when people think about a synthetic bunker edge, they think first about revetted pots on links courses, but when I first conceived the concept, I was thinking primarily about setting a firm, low edge for bunkers on parkland courses. With our own network of technical experts on hand, we are well placed to solve bunker edging problems for courses across North America.”

The LLC of EcoBunker USA will be established within the next week.

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Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking

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Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking: Over the years, Highlands Polaris dealer, McLaren Tractors, has made various modifications to Polaris’ range of off-road vehicles to make them more suitable for specialised customer requirements; including a recent Sportsman 6×6 570 EPS build for their customer Alba Deer Stalking.

Alba Deer Stalking has been a long time user of Polaris vehicles due to their off-road capabilities and dependability year-round.

Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking

Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking

George McLaren, owner of McLaren Tractors said: “In 2015, Robert HcHardy of Alba Deer Stalking came to us looking for a budget side by side ORV, and bought his first Polaris Ranger – a Ranger ETX with a basic semi-cab. He then upgraded in 2017 to the Ranger XP 900 with full cab heater, Polaris multi-mount winch system and shooting lamp on the roof.”

In 2020, Alba Deer Stalking realised it also required a sit-on off-road ATV. The Polaris Sportsman was the obvious solution for Alba Deer Stalking thanks to its reliability, as they knew the machine was going to have to take on treacherous terrain with heavy loads.

“We supplied Alba Deer Stalking with a Polaris Big Boss 570 6×6 as they needed a sit-on machine with additional capacity and for carrying the stalker & a guest. As it was to be working in felled forestry areas, we fitted this machine up with a full aluminium belly, an A-arm skid pan and fabricated a front hitch receiver for mounting a multi-mount winch system.”

The vehicle boasts the powerful ProStar 567cc engine as well as technology like all-wheel drive for more forward traction when it is needed most.

By the end of last year, Alba Deer Stalking has purchased two specialised Sportsman 6×6 570 EPS machines from McLaren Tractors; further-developing the winch system to enable the multi-mount winch to load the rear box.

“This has proved a game changer in allowing one person loading of carcasses. We are now fitting Alba’s 2020 machine with the same capability.”

McLaren Tractors are now developing a similar system for the Polaris Ranger to help future customers with similar needs.

For information on the Sportsman and Ranger, please visit www.polarisbritain.com

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Barenbrug seminar at BTME

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Barenbrug seminar at BTME: A highlight at BTME this year is a presentation by Barenbrug’s Dr David Greenshields, explaining how the latest ryegrasses open-up new opportunities for golf course managers to improve both sustainability and performance on the course.

Ryegrass breeding is developing at a rapid pace, and programmes aimed specifically at the needs of golf courses are delivering new grass varieties with a range of valuable characteristics. The seminar looks at the latest varieties, how they were bred and how their traits can be best exploited for sustainable turf management and improved turfgrass performance.

Barenbrug seminar at BTME

Barenbrug seminar at BTME

“It’s pretty hands-on,” says Dr Greenshields “I’m also going to be covering practical issues such as how you can renovate various turf surfaces with ryegrass, and how you can incorporate more sustainable grasses into your courses, using actual case studies.”

Entitled ‘Modern ryegrasses for golf course management’, the seminar will take place in the Blue Zone of the Harrogate Convention Centre from 12 ‑ 12.45pm 23rd March. It is part of the event’s Continue To Learn education conference and earns one CPD point.

As the leading provider of grass seed to the golf industry, Barenbrug will also be exhibiting on Stand 315 in the Green Zone, where their team will be able to discuss specific solutions for individual golf courses. BTME (The BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition) returns to Harrogate after a two-year gap.

Specialising entirely on developing innovative UK grass seed solutions, Barenbrug UK is now recognised as the leading grass seed breeder and grower in the UK. As part of the wider Barenbrug Group, grass experts since 1904, their worldwide research and plant genetics network includes dedicated UK trials of amenity varieties and mixtures, providing a solid testing ground while drawing on knowledge and expertise from across the globe.

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Wood Bay Turf Technologies announce new importer

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Wood Bay Turf Technologies announce new importer: Wood Bay Turf Technologies, based in Edmonton in Canada has appointed Henton and Chattell as its UK distributor.

The company is a leading manufacturer of golf, lawn bowling greens and other sports turf maintenance equipment. The company has been creating world class turf maintenance equipment since 1987, with leading products in the range being the greensIRON 3900 and greensIRON 6200 turf rollers; the fds9200 multipurpose turf dethatcher and the famous tungsten carbide tipped vertical cutting blade, dynaBLADE.

Wood Bay Turf Technologies announce new importer

Wood Bay Turf Technologies announce new importer

“We are delighted to be working with the team at Henton and Chattell to further support and develop our turf specialist dealer network in the UK. They are highly regarded in the industry for their innovative marketing and efficient distribution services. The company will work closely with dealers, building on the existing network and will support them with pre-sale enquiries, training and on-going aftersales assistance”, explains Lyall Adams, President and CEO of Wood Bay Turf Technologies.

Henton and Chattell is a family owned business based in Nottingham, working with one of the largest dealer networks in the market, supplying leading brands of turf and garden machinery.

“Over the last 32 years Wood Bay Turf Technologies have developed the highest quality products for turf care applications ranging from golf course management, lawn bowling greens and field sports. Whether your turf is Natural or Synthetic we have the best equipment, precisely engineered to handle its care and maintenance,” states Peter Chaloner, Managing Director of Henton and Chattell.

Along with turf specialist machinery, the company manufactures dynaBlade verti-cut blades for all leading brands of turf machinery. Strong by design with tungsten carbide tips, the blades are engineered to save time and money with the most efficient linear aeration.

For more details from Henton and Chattell, please contact Sam Russo, sales specialist turf machinery, email sr@hentonanchattell.co.uk or call 07716 992587

Further information about Wood Bay and its products can be found at https://www.woodbayturftech.com/

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Entries open for Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards

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Entries open for Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards: Entries open for the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award 2022 on 14 February.

A highlight in the greenkeeping calendar, the event provides the opportunity for the UK’s course managers and lecturers to recognise their brightest employees or students by nominating them for these prestigious industry awards.

Entries open for Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards

Entries open for Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards

The awards provide fantastic professional experiences including a regional interview with some of the industry’s key figures from award sponsor and Toro distributor Reesink Turfcare and event organiser, the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), while the networking opportunities just attending the finals provide are invaluable.

To win provides educational, international, all-expenses-paid prizes for the winners, runners-up and nominators including, for the first time, a work experience placement at Adare Manor, host of The 2027 Ryder Cup.

David Cole, managing director at Reesink, says: “Running for over three decades, the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award has the enviable reputation of creating a fantastic community for finalists, runners-up and winners. Regardless of winning, the event provides knowledge, experience and networking opportunites that are unlike anything else.

“To nominate a member of staff or student who has demonstrated their skill and talent in the actual or virtual classroom or out on the course gives them access to unmatched opportunities, which bring benefits to the club, college and candidate.”

This year the finals will be held in September at England’s greatest sporting estate, Goodwood in Surrey. For 33 years the awards have enabled BIGGA, the UK’s only membership association for golf greenkeepers, to work alongside turf maintenance equipment manufacturer Toro and distributor Reesink to celebrate the next generation of talented and dedicated greenkeepers.

David continues: “Ours, Toro’s and BIGGA’s long-standing support of this educational award is constantly rewarded by the enthusiasm, career passion and commitment to personal development that we come across every year from all involved, and that is the significant element that sustains this long-standing, career-enhancing award.”

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “The Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards have provided the springboard to success for so many of our members over their 33-year history and the legacy of this competition has been its contribution to elevating standards of golf course presentation all over the United Kingdom.

“Not just the winners, but anyone who participates in the awards process gains a great understanding of the wider sports turf industry beyond the confines of their golf facility or education provider and so often that inspires them to return home and strive even harder for success. As always, we are tremendously grateful to Toro and Reesink Turfcare for facilitating this tremendous and career-defining opportunity for the talented and ambitious members of BIGGA.”

Entries open 14 February and close 31 May 2022 for both the main and young awards. Both employers and lecturers can make nominations.

Visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk/sgoty to find out how to make a nomination for the 2022 awards.

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