Capillary Bunkers at Newnan CC

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Capillary Bunkers at Newnan CC: It’s only two weeks since Newnan CC, about thirty five miles southwest of metro Atlanta in Georgia, completed the installation of the Capillary Bunkers liner product on its golf course. But superintendent Andy Scott already is already seeing major benefits.

“We’ve had three big rainstorms – three inches overnight – since we finished the installation, and we have come in the following morning and found little or no washouts in our new bunkers,” says Scott. “Member reaction has been great. I’m getting compliments every single day about how they look and play. It’s probably too early to say this is the best decision of my life, but I’m pretty close to it.”

Capillary Bunkers at Newnan CC

Capillary Bunkers at Newnan CC

Newnan was founded in 1919, though the golf course dates from later, but Scott says it was showing its age. “This project was a long time in the making,” he explains. “I have been here ten years, and I have been asking to do a bunker renovation ever since I joined the club! We are a fairly typical small town country club, so for us it was a significant long term investment. As such I was determined that when we did the bunkers, we were going to do them properly – not a half job. I wanted to go all-in.”

This determination to do the job properly, combined with Scott’s pre-existing relationship with business development manager Cory Blair, led him to select the Capillary Bunkers product. “I did look at other liners, but I felt certain I was making the right choice,” Scott says.

Lining the bunkers wasn’t the only component of Scott’s project. Decades of wear and tear had left many of them misshapen, and with surface water draining into them. Newnan hired contractor David Johnson of Florida-based JGCC Golf N Sports Turf to deliver the job. “We gave him a lot of input, but broadly we let David guide us in the right direction,” says Scott. “If he proposed something that we thought over the top, we discussed it between us, and reached agreement.”

Johnson broke ground late in January and finished construction in early May. “We kept the course open, closing holes as needed,” says Scott. “Our membership is quite small and close-knit, so communicating which holes were closing when was not too difficult.”

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Maximum mowing, minimum effort

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Maximum mowing, minimum effort: With smart speakers, heating systems that can be controlled from afar and the ability to turn the oven on without having to get off the sofa, automation in the home is becoming the norm. So why not extend that to the garden?

For many years, robotic lawnmowers have been popular in Europe and Scandinavia in particular, but the market in the UK has been slow and options deemed too expensive. But now, like lawns, demand is growing. Cobra, which is already known for having the largest range of lawn mowers available in the UK, has an affordable solution.

Maximum mowing, minimum effort

Maximum mowing, minimum effort

The Mowbot is the latest evolution in garden machinery, maintaining a beautiful, healthy lawn with minimal effort.

The process is simple. Set up the electric parameters in which the Mowbot is to do its work by laying a thin wire around the edge of the lawn, under the turf, which will keep it on track and stop it straying onto paths and flowerbeds. Then leave it to mow! When it has done its job, it will return to its charging station so it is ready and raring to go out again next time. It will also know to return to the charging station when the battery is running low, or if the weather turns bad.

You can choose how often you would like it to mow, even programming it to do multiple cuts for a little-and-often approach at the height of the season. All without having to lift a finger!

For the ultimate mowing convenience you can control it via Bluetooth connectivity by programming the frequency as desired, or use the Mowbot app to send it on its way from afar. You can even relax in peace on holiday knowing that mowing the lawn is being ticked off the to do list whilst you are away!

There are two models of Mowbot available. The Mowbot800 is for gardens up to 800m2, and the Mowbot1200 is for larger lawns up to 1200m2. Both have a 180mm cutting width and are powered by 28v lithium-ion batteries; the charging house comes as standard with both models. The cutting height ranges from 20mm to 60mm, allowing for regular trims as well as the option to leave the grass a bit longer.

A truly unique feature of the Mowbot is its variety of designs. Each model comes in a choice of colour, with the options of Midnight Black, Metallic Red, Metallic Green and Racing Green. For those wanting a change from time to time, there are also additional covers available in Carbon Fibre, Camouflage and Floral patterns.

Prices start from £599 for the 800m2 model, and £759 for the 1200m2, with the covers costing £59.99 each.

Find out more information at mowbot.co.uk

Mowbot Full Installation Video

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EVO 165D a great investment

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EVO 165D a great investment: Almost a year on from taking delivery, Peter Greathead of PWG Tree Surgery is still being surprised by the seemingly ‘unstoppable’ performance of his GreenMech EVO 165D woodchipper.

From the very first demonstration, Peter was impressed by the design and build quality of the EVO 165D – which has proven to be a solid investment for the family-run business.

EVO 165D a great investment

EVO 165D a great investment

Peter along with his two brothers mainly undertake domestic tree works, along with assisting in larger-scale, commercial sub-contracting projects. “Over the years we hired various makes and models of chipper, before we decided to purchase our first machine – a second hand GreenMech Arborist 15-23. When the time came to replace our 15-23, we’d been so impressed with the support we had received from the GreenMech dealer network, particularly from Ashley Stevens at GA Groundcare Ltd, that we went straight to them to compare the options available.”

“We had a demonstration of the petrol EVO 165 initially, and as soon as it turned up, my brothers and I were dumbfounded by the build quality of it! Everything from the steel bonnet to the paintwork was much heavier-duty than we’d seen on competitor machines, which gave us the peace of mind we needed to invest.” The option for a foldable discharge chute meant that Peter ended up going for the EVO 165 diesel model – combining a 165mm chipping capacity with a 25hp Kubota diesel engine.

Having been used on projects both large and small over the last 12 months, one of the features that has really impressed Peter is the adjustable roller speed. “If we’re dealing with bigger timber, we slow the rollers down and the machine works with us to process the timber without stressing the engine. Conversely, if we’re dealing with bramble or ivy, we can up the roller speed and it’ll almost ‘suck’ the material in. This powerful pull through also means we’re not having to sned material prior to processing, dramatically reducing our chainsaw usage and improving our efficiency.”

Peter concludes, “The thought that GreenMech have put into the EVO series is clear to see, pulling together some of the features and benefits of their other machines all into one design. Our EVO 165D is constantly surprising us with the types and volumes of material it can process. As yet, we’ve yet to find anything that it can’t handle!”

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Campey appointed Martin Lishman distributor

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Campey appointed Martin Lishman distributor: Leading groundcare machinery specialist Campey Turf Care Systems has been appointed as the Martin Lishman Micro-Spray worldwide distributor.

The Macclesfield based company has built a strong reputation in the turf care industry for their innovative product range that covers the entire spectrum of maintenance tasks. The new Micro-Spray from Martin Lishman sits well within the Campey ethos of providing customers with high-quality machinery that enhances established practices.

Campey appointed Martin Lishman distributor

Campey appointed Martin Lishman distributor

Martin Lishman National Sales Manager, Joel Capper, is confident Campey will increase the profile of the Micro-Spray and take it into new markets and is excited to continue working with the company.

“We have been working closely with Campey for a number of years and have been impressed by their global reach to sports clubs and amenity facilities,” Joel begins. “We feel confident in their ability to take the Micro-Spray forward into different markets in new countries and look forward to working with them even closer in this latest chapter in the Micro-Spray success story.”

Campey Chairman, Richard Campey, added: “New approaches and innovation is something we look for in the machinery we work with, and we’ve been impressed with Martin Lishman’s approach to compact sprayers for some time. We are very pleased to be able to reinforce an already successful relationship with this exclusive agreement regarding the Micro-Spray and look forward to the next developments in their range.”

The key aim of the Micro-Spray is bringing versatility to the groundsman’s armoury. A narrow footprint allows it to fit through most gateways and passageways to tackle hard to reach spraying areas.

With a 120-litre tank, the option of a 2.5m six nozzle or 3.5m eight nozzle three-section folding boom and the perfect combination of power, control and responsive handling, the Micro-Spray is suited to all types of sports grounds, golf courses and landscaping work. The comprehensive yet easy to use control box gives the operator more control over the sprayer with changeable motor direction to either walk behind or in front of the sprayer, 12 motor speeds, bout marker selection, a battery level indicator and optional hand lance.

Spray application rates, operating speed, and the pump pressure can be accurately and quickly controlled by the operator, as well as the adjustable boom height and independent shut-off nozzle bodies. All of these features come together to make a versatile sprayer that provides the same exceptional results time and time again regardless of where you’re working.

For more information or a demonstration of the Micro Spray, contact your local dealer or visit www.campeyturfcare.com.

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Otterbine restores fountain to former glory

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Otterbine restores fountain to former glory: After the installation of a new Otterbine, the fountain at the centre of Newquay’s Boating Lake has been restored to its former glory, providing a stunning centrepiece for the whole community to enjoy.

Having served the lake for over a decade, the previous Otterbine Giant Fountain was sent by Newquay Council to Pump Supplies, a leading supplier of electric submersible pumps in the UK, for servicing and repairs.

Otterbine restores fountain to former glory

Otterbine restores fountain to former glory

Steve Impett from Pump Supplies explains: “The previous Otterbine Giant Fountain had been in use for such a long time, and had suffered some damage from vandalism, that while we could have made repairs it was more economical to replace the fountain with a new model, particularly due to the loyalty programme available with Otterbine.”

Showcasing Otterbine’s appreciation for both new and loyal customers, when replacing an existing Otterbine system that’s at least five years old, or replacing other manufacturer equipment with an Otterbine, customers can claim a discount of up to 10 percent of the original purchase price. Combined with Otterbine’s comprehensive four-year warranty for Giant Fountains, the decision to replace like-for-like with Otterbine was easily justified to Newquay Council.

“The whole process with Otterbine and its distributor Reesink Turfcare has been great,” says Steve. “We don’t usually supply or repair  fountains at Pump Supplies but in essence it’s still a submersible pump and we wanted to help the customer in whatever way we could. Otterbine and Reesink were very helpful and knowledgeable so really aided us with that, and we had no problems throughout the process, even with the fact that the fountain had to come from the states in the middle of a lockdown, it still made it across the pond with no issues!

“The new fountain has now been safely installed,” continues Steve. “We’ve placed lights inside rather than outside to help protect them from vandals and now the lake has a great fountain centrepiece during the day and a beautiful light show after dark. Another massive bonus is the fountain keeps the water in the lake clean, clear and healthy too.

“It’s been great working with Otterbine and Reesink, and I would hope to see this develop into more of a relationship in the future,” says Steve. “It’s brilliant to have another offering for our customers that we can confidently recommend.”

To find out more about the Otterbine range of aerators and fountains, contact Reesink on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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