Evolution Naturelle keeps Ham Manor healthy

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Evolution Naturelle keeps Ham Manor healthy: According to the Course Manager at Ham Manor Golf Club, Agrovista Amenity’s Evolution Naturelle fertilisers have been a driving factor in producing healthy, dense turf that recovers quickly.

Paul Brown has been the Course Manager at Ham Manor Golf Club in West Sussex for just over five years. It was the job he always wanted and was therefore delighted to be head hunted for the role while working in his previous job at Canterbury Golf Club.

Evolution Naturelle keeps Ham Manor healthy

Evolution Naturelle keeps Ham Manor healthy

Paul may well have been in greenkeeping for an impressive duration of 38 years but admits that he never stops learning – and believes this has certainly been the case over the past year.

“This period during Covid-19 has taught me a lot about turf management,” he said. “There were products that I thought were essential but actually didn’t have any impact when I removed them from the maintenance programme. We were faced with a limited budget and we had to look for value in money in products. Evolution Naturelle is one of those products – it is tried and tested, and we have faith in it.”

The process in which Paul decides on which products to use on the course is rather unique. Whether it is scepticism or the perfectionist in him, Paul always insists on trialling the products somewhat closer to home before applying them to his beloved course.

“If there is a product I haven’t used before, I will more often than not trial it on my own lawn in the garden,” he admitted. “Joe Dormer from Agrovista Amenity gave me some samples of the Evolution Naturelle, and I took them home with me. Boy, did it grow! It was the most amazing lawn anyone could ever have and after that I trialled it on the tees at the course. It worked so well that we rolled it out everywhere – tees, aprons, collars, greens, and areas around the bunkers.”

Evolution Naturelle is a premium range of organo-mineral fertilisers designed with a unique mode of action. Poultry based Evolution Naturelle contains essential nutritional elements such as phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium oxide (MgO), sulphur (S) and iron (Fe) which are compounded to the advanced granulation making them available for plant uptake.

In particular Paul relies on Evolution Naturelle’s Sport Spring – which contains three nitrogen sources blended to optimise consistent grass plant response; and Micro Summer – for phased release and a steady growth response throughout the core of the growing season.

Evolution Naturelle keeps Ham Manor healthy

Evolution Naturelle keeps Ham Manor healthy

“They really are our go-to products,” said Paul. “We apply them throughout the season as a base feed and then will liquid feed or foliar feed on top. There are only two or three months where we can’t use them due to the soil temperatures being a bit low, but generally we are able to apply them most of the year. One of the benefits to using them is that we can use them on a wide variety of areas.”

Further benefits of the Evolution Naturelle range include:

  • Low carbon to nitrogen ratio
  • Provides healthy balanced growth due to phased release of nutrients
  • Complexed potassium for slow release
  • Promotes stimulation of bacterial soil life helping reduce thatch build
  • Hardens turf due to cell division and cell extension as a result of ammonium take up
  • No scorch risk due to low salt index when applied at the correct rates
  • Increased tillering for a denser sward
  • Ammonium produces large volumes of root hairs which ensure active up take of micronutrients

“They really are phenomenal,” continued Paul. “The Evolution Naturelle products have been a big driving factor in producing dense, healthy turf that is resistant to divot damage and recovers quickly from environmental factors such as Leatherjacket activity.

“We find that they provide a decent amount of growth without that huge push and they feed consistently for us. They are also a lot gentler than many similar products we have used in the past which is great because over the past few years my focus has been on encouraging soil health. When I started working here, the organic matter was 28% in the top 60mm and now we are around 3.5% and part of that, apart from all the cultural activities and thatch eating products, is the fact we have stayed clear of harsh products. Evolution Naturelle has been part of that process.

“I’d like to thank Joe Dormer for recommending the products,” added Paul. “Being a former greenkeeper, he is very knowledgeable and now he has an incredible range of products in his portfolio. There is a lot of mutual respect between us and I think there are times where we both learn from each other.”

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

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TurfCare bolsters presence in the Southwest

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TurfCare bolsters presence in the Southwest: TurfCare announce Andy Matthews joins the company in a technical sales support role.

Andy Matthews. 40 years within the industry mostly within the independent school’s sector, starting in June 1981 at Bradfield College as an apprentice where he studied Greenkeeping and sports turf at Berkshire college of Agriculture. He left Bradfield as Deputy Head Groundsman in 1993 to take up a position as Head Groundsman at Birkbeck College in Greenford. In 1997 when he accepted a position as Grounds Manager at Taunton School in Somerset where he met his wife Tori. In 2001 they moved to Harrow School to be the Grounds Manager.  During his time at Harrow, he oversaw the £5million upgrade of the sporting facilities. In 2011 he accepted a position at Clifton College in Bristol. where he has hosted international soccer, a rugby world cup training camp and county cricket.

TurfCare bolsters presence in the Southwest

TurfCare bolsters presence in the Southwest

“We are incredibly pleased that Andy is joining the TurfCare team said TurfCare UK Sales Manager Daniel Jones. “His background and experience will allow our entire team to further grow and support our customers in the Southwest. TurfCare General Manager Jim Holden said that we are delighted to welcome Andy to the team. He has 40 years of industry experience which offers the company and our customers access to his vast amount of experience and knowledge. We look forward to working with Andy in the next chapter of his profession.

“I am excited to join the TurfCare team and support our customers in the Southwest Region helping turfgrass managers select the correct products to match their agronomic needs, TurfCare offer some of the best products in the industry with their world-wide brands “Matthews said.

Andy will start with TurfCare from the 2nd of August and can be contacted through the following details 07584 046834 amatthews@turfcare.eu  +44 1425 472102   www.turfcare.eu

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Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s

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Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s: Royal St George’s has undergone months of preparations to welcome players, spectators and members of the media for The 149th Open and ably assisting the talented greenkeeping team create optimal course conditions are Toro machinery and irrigation.

Back on the course in Kent from 11–18 July 2021 for the 15th time, the rescheduled Championship was originally planned for July 2020 and cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as Reesink Turfcare managing director David Cole says, ‘good things come to those who wait’.

Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s

Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s

“They say that good things come to those who wait and that certainly characterises the journey Paul and his team have been on through the preparation for The 149th Open Championship that was postponed,” says David. “The highs and lows must have been challenging during their protracted journey to showcase the golf course at last. The results of their presentation is testament to their focus and resilience, and we and Toro are pleased to have supported Paul and his team along the way with both their irrigation systems and machinery.”

The 18-hole course is using Toro Reelmaster fairway mowers, Groundsmaster rough mowers, Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid riding greensmowers and Greensmaster Flex walk-behind greensmowers to create a first-class finish for the event which is expected to draw crowds of up to 32,000 a day. Reesink will also be loaning the club additional machines to keep up with maintenance demands.

The world-famous golf course began its long relationship with Toro with a fleet deal in 2013, and that relationship has continued with the installation of new irrigation in 2018 and the lease of additional equipment in 2019.

After installing the Toro Lynx Central Control System and over a thousand sprinklers across the greens, tees and fairways in 2018, course manager Paul Larsen and his team have been able to target irrigation to the areas that needed it most — conserving water through a series of very dry and hot summers. According to Larsen, the system has been instrumental in helping to maintain the highest standards leading up to The Open.

Peter Moeller, vice president at The Toro Company, says: “Royal St George’s is considered one of the world’s best golf courses, and we are thrilled that they have chosen Toro equipment to create optimal playing conditions on their course. We’re proud to be a part of it by supporting the greenkeepers at Royal St George’s throughout the Championship as well as in the future.”

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Trevor Chard secures lead role

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Trevor Chard secures lead role: Reesink Turfcare’s new East Anglian branch in Burwell between Cambridge and Newmarket, which will open this autumn has appointed its branch manager. The successful applicant for the role is Trevor Chard, an industry – and Reesink – stalwart.

Trevor Chard is a name well-known by those in the golf and fine turf industry having been national accounts manager for Reesink Turfcare for 25 years. The move to branch manager is, he says, one that will give him a new experience and challenge, along with the opportunity to share his knowledge from years in one of the company’s key customer-relationship roles.

Trevor Chard secures lead role

Trevor Chard secures lead role

Trevor comments: “The opening of the East Anglian branch is widely-anticipated for customers in the area, and I am really excited to be heading up the branch. I’ve worked for Reesink for years and loved it, but it was time for a new challenge in a role with fewer miles travelling the country. The new branch will focus on dealing directly with customers, adding value and building relationships, and that takes the part of my role that I’ve loved so much up until now and continues it in a new and fresh way.

“The branch has an extensive catchment of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire and includes some key Toro customers. Our role will be to provide those customers, and new ones, with dependable maintenance and genuine parts after-sales service. There will be a demo fleet to use for new business and a range of other services available such as NSTS testing and on-site servicing.”

Similarly to the other Reesink branches, the East Anglian one will be an independently-run business, about which Trevor says: “Removing the element of being centrally-controlled and being more local to our customers will allow us to react quickly. We will be focussed on fast, easily accessible, friendly help and support.”

The East Anglia branch will follow the same successful business model applied by Reesink Turfcare to the Sheffield Park branch in the South East and the Livingston branch in Scotland. David Cole, Reesink Turfcare’s managing director, says: “Each Reesink branch location is tasked with providing a focused, ‘full-service’ support to our customers. Delivering on our promises across the sales, service and parts support of all our brands, but under one roof with a locally-focused team.

“When investing in a new location, the leadership of that branch is of paramount importance to ensure that each individual shares and understands the Reesink passion for machinery and a down-to-earth approach to providing solutions. When filling that role for our new investment for the East Anglian region we quite rightly encouraged internal applicants to step forward, but they had to win the position based on skill set, experience and above all, attitude, against outside candidates. We are very pleased that Trevor won through in the process.

“We look forward to our Burwell location opening in the early autumn, and know that Trevor, Liam Pindred, the service manager and the rest of the team are excited and ambitious about making a difference to our customers across the region the branch will serve.”

The opening of the branch will be celebrated with an Open Day, to be announced in due course, providing the opportunity for customers to tour the new facility and talk to the team, which includes five service technicians, a service manager, parts supervisor and four Reesink sales representatives, about what best suits their needs.

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Air-Rops designed to save lives

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Air-Rops designed to save lives: BOSS ORV is delighted to announce they have been appointed as the sole UK and Ireland distributor for all Air-Rops products. Air-Rops offer a range of rollover solutions for the outdoor power equipment industry.

ROPs on ATVs has always been a contentious issue but BOSS believe that in certain applications, and after a thorough risk assessment, they do offer additional protection for the operator. Air-Rops have the advantage over traditional ROPs of not raising the centre of gravity of the machine as it sits lower than the operator when not deployed. The first Air-Rops product BOSS ORV has introduced is the AR Quad safety bar, for ATVs and agricultural machinery.

Air-Rops designed to save lives

Air-Rops designed to save lives

The AR Quad uses Air-Rops technology in a fully automatic Roll Over Protection System. They base the technology on state-of-the-art automotive components, including safety electronics and proven and reliable airbag gas inflators. The AR Quad electronic control unit continuously monitors the behaviour of the quad and warns the rider with acoustic and visual signals when the vehicle is about to reach a state where stability is compromised. The system automatically evaluates the rollover condition until a tilting state is reached and, only when the tilt takes place, activates the rollover bar. The electronic control unit operates the inflator, and the gas is fully released, extending the bar and the mechanism locks. The system only operates when the rider enters and cannot avoid the full tilt. The final position after deployment of the ROPS is limited to a maximum 90°, preventing full rollover which not only helps minimise personal injury it also reduces damage to the quad.

The universal AR Quad design fits most ATVs with independent suspension using bolts on the luggage carrier and towbar. Installation is easy as the system comes fully assembled and only requires the ATV dealer to perform simple electrical and mechanical actions. It requires no scheduled maintenance and is reusable after a rollover. It just needs inspection and approval by an ATV technician, and the gas generator can be replaced to return the bar to its original condition. Because it sits low behind the rider and is compact, you don’t notice the AR Quad when you are driving, only when it is needed. The system is SGS Certified and CE marked, adhering to the strictest environmental and regulatory standards. Anyone using a quad should seriously consider having an AR Quad fitted, it could one day save your life.

Air-Rops will only be available through specialist approved dealers and regional distributors and unlike other ROPs will not be available by mail order or directly online. This is to ensure that every unit is correctly installed and able to be monitored by the supplying dealer. For all enquiries, you can contact sales@bossorv.co.uk and visit www.bossorv.co.uk

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