Golf resort targets positive year

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Golf resort targets positive year: After an unprecedented year, Modry Las Golf Resort is looking forward to a new golfing season following a string of exciting developments at Poland’s only signature-designed golf course. As well as enjoying its PGA National status and new clubhouse, the 27-hole facility has recently welcomed a new general manager and received recognition from one of Europe’s foremost golf publications teeing up what is anticipated to be an upbeat 2021.

Golf World’s latest rundown of top resorts in continental Europe included a notable new entry with Modry Las debuting in the renowned Top 100 Resorts chart alongside some of the world’s top golf destinations. The inaugural listing included a glowing review that described the Gary Player design as “fabulous” and “elegant”.

Golf resort targets positive year

Golf resort targets positive year

One of 11 new entries, Modry Las was noted as having “flair and imagination,” with the renowned publication praising the “unfussy course chalets which offer a view of the manicured fairways and greens as soon as you pull back the curtains in the morning”. Crucially, the analysis suggested Modry Las would appeal to golfers looking for “a high-calibre modern course in fabulous condition”, and went on to applaud the accommodation options. “We loved the chalets, nestled in the silence of the woodland that surrounds the course.”

Modry Las also fought off competition from around Europe to be named in the top three resorts for value – a remarkable achievement in its first listing. According to the chairman of Modry Las, the praise reflects the ongoing improvements made at the resort despite the disruption caused by Covid-19. “Even with the impact of a pandemic, we are delighted that the reputation of Modry Las continues to grow along with our determination to evolve and develop,” explained Arthur Gromadzki. “Our inclusion in Golf World’s Top 100 Resorts of Continental Europe and the appreciation for the great value we provide validates our endeavours which have already led to our PGA National status and recognition from the golf industry at the highest level.”

He continued: “Golf World’s Top 100 Resorts celebrates the very best golf destinations in Europe where the highest service standards and facilities are matched by exceptional on-course experiences. These attributes perfectly align themselves with the ethos adopted at Modry Las. It is therefore, especially gratifying to be recognised as one of Europe’s leading golf resorts by one of its foremost magazines. Saying that, Modry Las is constantly moving forward and will continue to devise ways to finesse what we do.”

As if to prove it, Gromadzki recently appointed Chris Duffy as general manager at Modry Las. With a wealth of golf club management experience honed in the UK and Qatar, Duffy was the ideal candidate for the role. “Chris is well known in the golfing world and brings a wealth of industry knowledge to Modry Las,” explained Gromadzki. “His role at Modry Las marks the next stage in the evolution of the resort.”

Duffy, who describes himself as a results-focused leader, was thrilled by the prospect of managing Poland’s top resort. “The opportunity to work with the team at Modry Las came at an ideal moment in my career,” he explained. “The resort’s international reputation made it an unmissable opportunity to apply the knowledge and experiences that I have been fortunate enough to amass at multiple venues. The team here is fantastic and the courses are stunning.”

Educated to a high level via the Club Managers Association of Europe’s training programme, Duffy also developed his skillset through his own events company working with clients such as Mercedes Benz, BMW and Qatar Airways. He also held managerial posts at Doha Golf Club and most recently Huddersfield Golf Club.

Despite his impressive resume, Duffy admits that Modry Las came as a pleasant surprise. “Modry Las is the leading golf resort in Poland and now has PGA National status,” he said. “Despite its international reputation, when I first visited Modry Las I was stunned by the quality of the courses and the new facilities which will only get better as we get further into the season. My role is to take an already excellent product and help it advance to the next level. It’s going to be an exciting year and I’m looking forward to what lies ahead.”

In 2019, Modry Las joined a distinguished collection of the world’s leading golf resorts as The PGA National Poland, becoming the country’s sole PGA branded property. This is noteworthy because the PGA restricts membership of its PGA National brand programme to one resort per country and prospective members are only approached if they offer the very best golf, leisure and accommodation. In addition, a new 2,000m2 clubhouse has been unveiled featuring 10 double bedrooms as well as the luxurious Gary Player suite bringing the total number of on-site double/twin rooms at Modry Las to 23. A new revitalising spa containing saunas, steam rooms Jacuzzis and treatment rooms will open in 2021.

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Only the best will do for Woodlawn

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Only the best will do for Woodlawn: Woodlawn – a garden and lawn maintenance company in Northern Ireland, insist on providing the best service to their customers, and it is for this reason that it has invested in a brand-new fleet of Etesia pedestrian mowers. 

Formed in 2014 by Aaron Brownlee and Allen Davey, Woodlawn provides a wide range of landscaping services to private and commercial customers around Carrickfergus, Whitehead, Ballycarry, Jordanstown and surrounding areas in Northern Ireland.

Only the best will do for Woodlawn

Only the best will do for Woodlawn

Over recent years the company has seen incredible growth year-on-year – which can be attributed to the professionalism and high standard of work carried out by the Woodlawn team.

Owners Aaron and Allen, ever the perfectionists, admit to keeping a close eye on the turf machinery market to monitor any technological advancements. However, they claim that it was a chance demonstration which made it incredibly difficult to ignore the Etesia brand.

“RD Mechanical, an Etesia dealer in Northern Ireland, contacted us and said they had lots of exciting new equipment in stock,” said Aaron. “We were asked if we wanted to have a demonstration and that was when we first came across the Etesia Hydro 80 ride-on mower.

It was the one machine which really stood out and it was then that we realised just how good Etesia technology was.”

“After starting with the Hydro 80, we then went on to explore other Etesia mowers,” added Allen. “We concluded that Etesia was the way forward. Ultimately, we want to provide the absolute best service for our customers and that means that we have to use the very best equipment – that is why we have decided to switch all of our equipment over to Etesia.”

After reporting great results from the Hydro 80, Aaron and Allen decided to invest in a new fleet of Etesia pedestrian mowers consisting of four PRO 46 PHTS3’s and the BIOCUT 53 ME53C – the ultimate mulching mower which ensures a quick, clean and environmentally-friendly cut.

The PHTS3 is a single speed self-propelled mower which follows the same concept of the ground-breaking PRO46 range of pedestrian mowers which were first launched in the early 1990’s. The PHTS3 features an Xenoy cutting deck for increased strength, shear washer crank protection, individual height of cut adjuster, a new 22mm handlebar design, the latest Honda GCV170 engine and is complete with an 80-litre grass box and a rear deflector as standard.

The mower provides outstanding collection performance, even if the grass is long and wet – something that Etesia has prided itself on over the past 30 years. One main feature of the PHTS3 is the ‘one cut’ principle. This means the grass is only cut once before being sent to the grass box. The benefits of this are reduced power consumption from fast deck material ejection and secondly, as it is not multi-chopped, the grass does not stick to the cutting deck in the same way as multi-cut grass does – preventing unwanted blockages.

During peak season, the team at Woodlawn could be carrying out anywhere between 30-50 cuts per day with the Etesia mowers – and Aaron and Allen believe that the mowers give them a certain peace of mind.

“We are using these machines every single day for hours on end and we know that they will never let us down – they really are an all-round mower,” said Aaron. “They are versatile, robust, and for me, the best feature is that you can cut and collect in all weather – even in damp conditions.”

“The weight to power ratio is incredible,” added Allen. “They are so easy to manoeuvre and we lift them in and out of vans, down steps, up steps, on and off trailers all the time – they are just so lightweight but also offer performance of the highest quality.

“We feel that we made the right decision in switching our fleet over to these mowers – Etesia is definitely the way forward.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Etesia UK on Twitter @EtesiaUK and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/EtesiaUK You can also view the latest Etesia videos by visiting www.youtube.com/EtesiaUK

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Goodbye seeds, hello retirement

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Goodbye seeds, hello retirement: DLF have announced that one of the most well-known names in the seed industry, John Hughes, will be leaving at the end of February to embrace his well-earned retirement.

After spending most of his working life at some of the country’s leading seed providers to the golf and sports turf markets, John has made many friends and contacts who will be sure to miss his invaluable support, knowledge and advice.

Goodbye seeds, hello retirement

Goodbye seeds, hello retirement

Having obtained a BSc Hons in Applied Biology from the University of Salford, John worked at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station (Aberystwyth) in the Chemistry department, and in Plant Pathology at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB). He also spent some time teaching Biology. This love of knowledge-sharing set John up for a long and illustrious career in the professional amenity market where he enjoyed positions at Germinal Seeds and Cebeco Seeds before this was acquired by DLF in 2002. For the last 18 years, he has been a fundamental part of the sales team for DLF Seeds in his role as Regional Technical Manager for the North. His wealth of knowledge and experience saw John become a key contact for turf managers, helping to formulate seeding programmes for some of the areas biggest sporting venues.

Commenting on his retirement John said, “the last year has been challenging for the obvious reasons which has also meant that, sadly, I have not had the opportunity to say my farewells in the traditional way. I wish to thank all of my customers for their ongoing support and help over the years – many of whom I can say I now consider to be friends. When the situation allows, I look forward to using my retirement to spend more quality time with my friends and family, especially my grandchildren, and I may even find the time to get a few jobs done around the house and pick up my electric guitar which has been gathering dust for a few years!”

We join the team at DLF Seeds in wishing John all the very best for a long and fulfilling retirement.

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Pitches down to -6֯c? TGC could help

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Pitches down to -6֯c? TGC could help: With vast swathes of the country once again experiencing bitter winter temperatures, if you’re going to ‘get the game on’, you need a proven frost protection solution.

total-play’s TGC winter sports cover offers this and more – combining frost protection down to temperatures as low as –6֯c whilst actively encouraging germination of the grass plant. The result – healthy winter sports pitches that are ready for action, pretty much whatever winter throws our way.

Pitches down to -6֯c? TGC could help

Pitches down to -6֯c? TGC could help

In use by clients that include Premier League football grounds, Premiership Rugby Union grounds, the IRFU (Irish Rugby Football Union), National Hunt race courses and the Lawn Tennis Association, TGC is the result of rigorous research and development by experienced groundscare operatives in  conjunction with scientists; acting as an effective insulation blanket and retaining ground temperature while also allowing the circulation of air and water to create a proven germination and propagation environment.

And, while the covers are usually made to order, clubs looking for a quick-fix solution in the current challenging weather conditions could snap up a full pitch cover, ready for immediate dispatch, for just £9,999 + VAT & delivery*. Carrying a 5-year warranty for the fabric, this robust frost protection is suitable for manual deployment but also has optional inflation tubes to enable fast and easy deployment by a single grounds operative. MD at total-play, David Bates says:

“This is a truly rare opportunity – normally the covers would require a lead time of several weeks from point of order to deliver, but we unexpectedly have a single full pitch cover ready to go at a very keen price. This means a club could reap the benefits or TGC within a matter of days and, with the outlook looking so wintry, it could mean the difference between matches going ahead and costly cancellations.”

To find out more head to https://total-play.co.uk/products/climate-cover-pitch-protection/tgc/frost/ – alternatively, email info@total-play.co.uk or call 01604 864 575

*RRP £15,060 +del&vat. Cover only; does not include inflation tubes as per image.

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Top-Brush provides worm cast solution

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Top-Brush provides worm cast solution: Constructed on a heavy clay soil profile, the two 18-hole courses at Welwyn Garden City’s Brocket Hall Estate fell victim last year to what arguably has become one of the biggest challenges for fine turf managers – worm casts.

Without available curative chemistry, Golf Course Manager John Moorhouse turned to his local dealer for advice who recommended the Redexim Top-Brush. Three months on from taking delivery, the Top-Brush has proven itself to be a true multi-tasker – not only tackling the issue of worm casts but leaves and surface moisture too.

Top-Brush provides worm cast solution

Top-Brush provides worm cast solution

Quintessentially British in their design, but very different in terms of their challenge to golfers and greenkeepers alike, the Palmerston and Melbourne courses are overseen by a dedicated team of 10. “The combination of our heavy soil and milder, wetter autumns has seen a huge spike in the number of worm casts we’re seeing” explains John. “I spoke with David Fisher of George Browns to see if there was a way of removing the casts prior to cutting. He straight away organised a demonstration of the Top-Brush.”

The Redexim Top-Brush is a six-metre-wide poly-brush, comprised of three sections, that can quickly and effectively rid large areas, such as fairways, of worm casts, organic matter and dew. Because the brushes can rotate in or against the direction of travel, it can be used to remove lateral growth and stand the plant upright – contributing to better airflow into the canopy and a cleaner quality of cut.

“It’s really easy to hook-up via the 3-point linkage and it’s quick and straight forward to adjust the rotation direction and working depth. It has not only done exactly as we hoped in clearing surface casts, but it also played a major part in leaf clearance on the heavily tree-lined Palmerston course – using the brushes anti-clockwise to lift and move the leaves and other debris such as pine needles out of play and giving us a great, clean finish.”

When used with clockwise rotation, John has been impressed with the Top-Brush’s ability to remove dew and improve course presentation. “It has given us a quick and effective method of reducing surface moisture, especially early mornings, not only contributing to improvements in plant health but giving us a beautiful striped finish on the fairways.” He concludes, “As we head into the spring, in addition to all of its existing uses, we plan to use the Top-Brush to help with incorporation of topdressing material. The versatility demonstrated by this piece of kit means it has done exactly what we hoped for, and so much more.”

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