Drainage cure for Buckingham West End

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Drainage cure for Buckingham West End: Buckingham West End Bowls Club was founded in 1910 and enjoys a strong and loyal membership. Situated in Buckingham itself, the club aims to promote the game of Flat Green Bowls and provide facilities for the social needs and well-being of its members.

As a mixed club, they play men’s, ladies and mixed matches with other clubs in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. Greenkeeper Ian Jones joined the club in 2013 at which time, he says, the green drained well but in 2018 they started getting problems with drainage. On Christmas Eve 2020, the nearby river flooded the green to a depth of about 2ft. Although most of the water drained away within 24 hours, because of the drainage problem, part of the green remained underwater so long the roots of the grass began to rot.

Drainage cure for Buckingham West End

Drainage cure for Buckingham West End

“We use contractors Avonmore Associates to do spraying, aeration in autumn and top dressing and we worked with Avonmore’s Brian Buttler to take some core samples. While the topsoil was good, we found there was no drainage layer,” says Ian. Brian’s view was the constant walking on the green over the many years had caused severe compaction. They coupled this with another reason. The green sits on yellow clay, being near Bedford, which is famous for brick making using the clay over the past hundred years. Ian had seen an article on a South Wales bowling club that had a similar drainage problem and they had called in Terrain Aeration, whom Brian also knew of. Whereas normal aeration is an accepted part of a good greenkeeping regime, it only reaches a depth of inches.

Terrain Aeration’s system treats the ground down to a depth of one metre. At this depth, the ground is usually so compacted it requires fracturing to open up fissures and allow drainage. Their Terralift machine hammers a hollow probe through the soil using a JCB road breaker gun, and compressed air is released up to 20Bar (280psi). At the end of the air blast, they inject dried seaweed, which sticks to the fissure walls. This expands and contracts with the moisture in the soil to keep the area breathing. Ian and club member volunteers who help maintain the green backfilled the 1.5-inch probe holes with Lytag aggregate and covered with topsoil. The green was playable almost immediately.

Drainage cure for Buckingham West End

Drainage cure for Buckingham West End

“Had we put in field drains it would have been very disruptive and using Terrain Aeration’s system meant we could do the work in the season,” says Ian. “Then we had no rain for some weeks so we had no idea if it had worked until the heaven’s opened in June. After severe downpours, we found the green drained far better than in years and the club is overjoyed with the result.”

Terrain Aeration 01449 673783 www.terrainaeration.co.uk

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BAGMA sold to the AEA

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BAGMA sold to the AEA: The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira), has transferred the ownership of BAGMA, the British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association, to the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) with effect from the July 1, 2021.

After a long relationship between Bira and BAGMA, this has been a difficult decision. However, it is in the best interests of both BAGMA and Bira. The AEA is more aligned to the industry sector BAGMA operates in and this will enable BAGMA to offer more support relevant to its members’ business needs.

BAGMA sold to the AEA

BAGMA sold to the AEA

Bira will maintain a working relationship with BAGMA and the AEA for at least the next 12 months, with members of BAGMA still having access to the services available from Bira, including legal advice and Bira Direct.

BAGMA Director Keith Christian and his team, Kari Hearn and Richard Jenkins, will be transferring with BAGMA, ensuring the all-important continuity in the running and operations of BAGMA.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: “I, and my colleagues in Bira, are very proud to have worked closely with the BAGMA team and BAGMA members over the past 25 years. There is a strong identity among BAGMA members that is to be admired.”

Ruth Bailey, CEO of the AEA, said: “The AEA is absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to be working with BAGMA and feel extremely positive about future developments and advantages that could be brought by the two organisations joining forces.

“For many years, there has been a clear working relationship between the two Associations but in more recent times the links and directional cooperation have become closer and closer and more aligned. As a collaborative voice to government and business, there is huge potential in adding impact and in bringing a difference to the sector.

“While the AEA sees a great amount of synergy between the two organisations, it fully respects the need, however, for the continuity of membership services from BAGMA to its members and to recognise the inherent strength that the BAGMA membership brings. It is for this reason that it is very important that the highly valued and distinct identity of BAGMA is maintained and supported independently.

“We look forward to providing a clear voice to industry yet maintaining the rich heritage of each of the Associations and the value of services to their respective members.

Peter Arrand, BAGMA President, said: “The BAGMA Council of Representatives unanimously supported the purchase of BAGMA by the AEA. “The acquisition will secure a future home within industry and allow the heritage and strong brand built up over 100 years as a dealer trade association to continue. There are many synergies between the two organisations which will enable a stronger representation for the industry we operate in whilst not losing sight of the individual needs of BAGMA members.

“The advantages of being a BAGMA member have been retained and we can look forward to a bright and collaborative future.”

Keith Christian, Director of BAGMA, added: “Having been a part of the former British Hardware Federation (BHF) now the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) for the past 25 years It may be a surprise to some for BAGMA to be moving to new home.

“BAGMA’s 103-year history has always been intertwined with the AEA and whilst we represent different factions within the industry, we share a common goal in supporting the industry through both dealerships, suppliers and manufacturers.

“Whilst BAGMA will remain as an independent dealer’s association within its new home, it is expected that there will be new working relationships that will benefit BAGMA members in the future to come.”

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Charterhouse announce corporate name change

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Charterhouse announce corporate name change: Effective from the 1st July 2021, Charterhouse Turf Machinery will officially re-brand to become Redexim. While the product portfolio, premises and personnel will be unaffected, the change of name brings the UK into line with the Redexim corporate strategy adopted throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

The relationship between Charterhouse and Redexim has been ongoing for more than 35 years, when Charterhouse were appointed to distribute the now iconic Redexim Verti-Drain®. The success of this partnership then saw Charterhouse become a wholly owned subsidiary of Redexim bv in 1997. With the Verti-Drain® firmly setting the standard for professional aeration, the product portfolio has expanded significantly over the years to incorporate overseeders, topdressers, scarifiers and renovation equipment for natural surfaces, as well as a range of machinery options for artificial playing surfaces, that meet the exacting standards of today’s turf managers.

Charterhouse announce corporate name change

Charterhouse announce corporate name change

Commenting on the re-brand in the UK, Redexim Chief Operating Officer Herman de Bree said “The team at Charterhouse have done a fantastic job over the years at cementing the place of the Redexim natural and artificial ranges with leading turf managers throughout the UK. The time is now right to unify the approach with that adopted throughout the world by delivering sales, service and support under the Redexim banner. This will help to strengthen our brand awareness and global corporate identity and streamline our communication with customers around the world.”

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Wet Sand no issue with the Dakota 412

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Wet Sand no issue with the Dakota 412: As the most northern links golf course on the United Kingdom mainland, having a top dresser that can spread wet sand like the Dakota 412 from Campey Turf Care Systems is a must at Scotland’s Reay Golf Club. 

The James Braid designed course is positioned on the edge of Sandside Bay with views of the Pentland Firth and the North Atlantic from every hole. The course and its stunning views have been under the control of Head Greenkeeper Jason Norwood, since March 2021, with the new man aiming to put his stamp on the course, starting with the greens.

Wet Sand no issue with the Dakota 412

Wet Sand no issue with the Dakota 412

As the sole full-time member of staff for the main 18-hole course and junior three-hole, Jason’s priority is the greens, with volunteers giving up two days a week to assist with the fairways and roughs. The limited time available to Jason needs to be spent working, and with the Dakota 412, he’s able to top-dress as and when he needs to regardless of the sand moisture.

“I’ve tried to put my own stamp on things here with different types of machinery and different ways of working, and the club has really been on board with that, and one of those things has been buying the new Dakota top dresser,” Jason explains.

“The equipment we originally had couldn’t cope well with wet sand; it was more of a large-scale fertiliser spreader. As you can imagine at the top of Scotland, there’s a lot of rain about so any sand that we do have is normally quite wet, so that was one of the main features of the Dakota for us because it can deal with that quite easily and we still get a good even spread with it.

“We really want to push forward and make use of the North Coast 500 tourist route, which is literally on our doorstep; it passes directly in front of us, so we get a lot of passing visitors now, and I think all year-round performing greens are the main thing golfers are after on a golf course so it’s making sure that we can provide that for them.

“We’ve had the machine since the middle of April, but because of the weather chances to get it out have been limited. I’ve trialled different settings on our junior course greens to get what we want for the main course, and it’s been good so far.

“With it having four wheels the weight is distributed incredibly well, so it doesn’t leave a mark on the greens, and the first time I used it you’d have no idea that anything had been done or any heavy equipment had been over the greens it because the footprint was minimal.”

The Dakota 412 features accurate and easy to operate calibration with no manual adjustment and has four Ultra-Trac turf tyres on independent floating beam axels for maximum weight distribution, allowing Jason to work without causing viable disruption to the surface.

As part of Campey’s installation, and to help Jason get the most out of the machine, Campey Product Specialist, Richard Heywood, walked him through the various settings and features, which Jason views as an invaluable experience.

Jason explains: “Because we are so far north, there is a lot more to consider when ordering machinery. Something that was great for me was being supplied through my machinery dealer Double A with support from Campey by sending Richard to demonstrate how to use the top dresser to the best of its abilities. This proved invaluable to me not having used one before.

“He went through it all, explained what all the different settings were, how to adjust it all, and that was vital. Having someone who knows how to operate it fully really maximises its performance and helps us get the best out of the machine.”

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Ford Ranger fleet drives Campey customer service

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Ford Ranger fleet drives Campey customer service: As the post-COVID market approaches, Campey Turf Care systems has ensured their Product Specialists stay on the road with a new fleet of Ford Rangers.

Campey has successfully navigated what has been a difficult time for the industry and has strived to keep providing outstanding customer service and support in accordance with changing regulations over the last 18 months.

Ford Ranger fleet drives Campey customer service

Ford Ranger fleet drives Campey customer service

Now, the company is looking forward to restrictions ending, and with the anticipation of higher demand, has ensured Product Specialists will always reach customers with the fleet of eight new vehicles.

Providing on-site support has always been a cornerstone of the Campey experience, from machinery recommendations to installations, and the importance of those visits to the end-users is often highlighted.

Maintaining that contact during the pandemic whenever possible was crucial for grassroots and professional clubs alike as they continued to work. Working tactfully during this time ensured Campey maintained their existing markets while concentrating on a sharp increase of interest in the second-hand market, a sector that Campey, while already established in focused on to meet the constantly changing requirements of customers.

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