New business for renowned greenkeeper

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New business for renowned greenkeeper: Chris Haspell, formerly course manager at Castle Stuart Golf Links in Scotland, and project manager of the ill-fated Coul Links project near Royal Dornoch has launched a turf and golf business consultancy.

Chris Haspell & Associates aims to help golf clubs across the world deal with turf, construction, ecological and machinery issues, among other services. Haspell, who has 35 years in the industry and has already consulted at clubs including North Berwick and St Enodoc, originally made his name at Horsholm Golf in Denmark, where he led a reconstruction of the 27-hole complex.

New business for renowned greenkeeper

New business for renowned greenkeeper

Recently, as well as leading the attempt to build Coul Links for developers Todd Warnock and Mike Keiser, Haspell has project managed the construction of the New course at Les Bordes in France for architect Gil Hanse, with whom he first worked at Castle Stuart. “We were completely confident that in our absence, due to the pandemic, the grow-in would proceed magnificently, and it has! We cannot recommend him highly enough,” said Hanse.

As well as his own consulting business, Haspell is continuing to work with American super-developer Mike Keiser on a number of projects – he has consulted on the growing of fescue at a number of Keiser’s projects, including Bandon Dunes in Oregon and Cabot Cliffs in Canada. “Chris Haspell has that rare magic touch with all things golf,” said Keiser.

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Frank Alviti becomes the newest pin

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Frank Alviti becomes the newest pin: The strategic re-alignment of the GreenMech dealer network continues with the announcement that Frank Alviti will be taking over the areas of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Mid-Wales with immediate effect.

With a well-established client base that spans arb, groundcare and industrial, Frank Alviti will be offering sales and support across the complete GreenMech range from their Ludlow premises.

Frank Alviti becomes the newest pin

Frank Alviti becomes the newest pin

Family-run Frank Alviti are a main agent for a number of leading manufacturers in the grounds and agricultural sector, including McConnel and Antonio Carraro. As well as a large stock of machinery for sale, their extensive hire fleet offers customers short and long-term equipment solutions – all backed up with in-house workshop servicing and support. From December 2020, the full GreenMech portfolio of pedestrian, road-tow, PTO and tracked woodchippers will be available.

On their appointment, Director Dave Alviti said, “We’ve been running a couple of GreenMech machines on our Arb hire fleet for a few years and are pleased to now extend this into a full distribution agreement. Having personally worked as an arborist previously, I have a longstanding relationship with GreenMech and their machines, and so I am delighted to share this knowledge, experience and quality range of woodchippers with our client base over the coming weeks and months.”

Martin Lucas, GreenMech Sales Director added, “With a fantastic reputation for sales and aftercare, we look forward to working with Dave and the whole Frank Alviti team to raise the GreenMech profile and offer a more localised service across this key territory.”

Any existing warranties relating to GreenMech chippers sold by previous area dealers Brian Beddoes and Tallis Amos Group Ltd, will continue to be supported by Frank Alviti.

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Merry Christmas from Turf Matters

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Merry Christmas from Turf Matters: Rarely will a new year be treated with such gusto as 2021. I will certainly not be alone in wishing Good Riddance to 2020, although I am well aware of the fact that the advent of the new year doesn’t wipe the Covid slate clean.

It will be with us for most of the year but at least the vaccines mean that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and dreams of normality are not as fanciful as they were a few months ago.

Merry Christmas from Turf Matters

Merry Christmas from Turf Matters

I’m proud to be associated with an industry sector which has provided so many key workers, and that fact demonstrates just how important the work done in this industry is to the fabric of society as a whole.

Can you just imagine what would have been facing us when we came out of that first long lockdown if no-one had attended to the green spaces – cut the grass and managed the trees? Jungle comes to mind.

And, when we came out of lockdown, what gave us that little bit of hope? Golf courses being open and top class sport returning to our televisions. One of my memories of lockdown was how Saturday afternoons were just the same as every other after. No Jeff Stelling and his posse of television watching pundits!

When that changed, and we had golf, cricket, rugby and horse racing back on the television, it felt right, even given the lack of crowds and galleries.

That couldn’t have happened without dedicated groundsmen and greenkeepers moving back from ticking over mode to full blown, high octane turf management.

Thank you!

Now please enjoy a responsible, socially distanced festive holiday and join me in waving good-bye to 2020.

Scott MacCallum

Editor

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Always the right tine for a Verti-Drain

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Always the right tine for a Verti-Drain: Shortly after taking over as Head Greenkeeper at Charleton Golf Club, Brian Heggie quickly drafted in another new member of the team – a Redexim Verti-Drain® 7416 from local dealers Henderson Grass Machinery.

The versatile range of tine options available means that the Verti-Drain® has had a busy year since its delivery in March 2020, conducting monthly aeration across the course’s greens, tees and approaches.

Always the right tine for a Verti-Drain

Always the right tine for a Verti-Drain

A quick scan of the shed upon joining the club in September 2019 highlighted to Brian the absence of any aeration equipment – something he was keen to rectify. “I’ve used the Redexim Verti-Drain® in a number of my previous positions and you know that whichever model you choose, it’s going to be reliable and do exactly what it says on the tin” says Brian, who heads up a team of four. This time Brian opted for the 7416 model, offering a 1.6m working width and penetrating the ground to a maximum depth of 350mm (14”).

“What keeps me coming back to the Verti-Drain® is the flexibility of being able to use different tines throughout the year – ensuring that we are achieving optimal results, no matter the ground conditions. This year we’ve been aerating the greens, tees and approaches once a month with either 8mm pencil tines, 14mm solid tines or 14mm hollow tines. We will continue with the monthly programme over the winter, using pencil tines to keep the surface open while keeping disruption to a minimum.”

While, from experience, Brian knows what he likes when it comes to machinery, he has the additional reassurance of support from his local dealer Hendersons, especially Scott McNeil. “Having been a greenkeeper himself, he’s great to have at the end of the phone to answer any questions we may have.” Brian concludes, “The Verti-Drain® never disappoints and now that we have one in the shed here at Charleton we can up the amount and type of aeration we conduct which will only bring benefit to the health and condition of our playing surfaces.”

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Jacobsen production begins in UK

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Jacobsen production begins in UK: Production of the first-ever HR800 has been completed at the Ransomes Jacobsen Centre of Excellence in Ipswich, England.

The completion of the first-ever fully built Jacobsen HR800 mower is a seminal moment for the brand. Production has been moved to the factory in Ipswich, UK so investments in skills and developments in mower production could be focused on a single facility. That skill and expertise has been channeled into the new HR800 high-performance large area rotary mower.

Jacobsen Production Begins in UK

Jacobsen Production Begins in UK

Jacobsen Key Account Manager Andre Andrade, who hails from Augusta, GA has observed the progress of the mower throughout the build and is excited to see the HR800 kick-off Jacobsen production in Ipswich.

“It has been great to start production of the HR800, and to see the first fully assembled machine is exciting,” Andre begins. “Bringing all Jacobsen production to England is an important step for us, and everyone at the factory has been eager to get it underway. The situation with Coronavirus has caused challenges all over the world, but for us, it has solidified our relationship with our colleagues in America who have assisted our Production Team Leader, Matt Pipe, during construction.

“Matt has worked almost singlehandedly, producing this mower, and as a result, we now have someone who is an expert. When it comes to customer support, that will be a huge asset because in Matt we have someone who can offer in-depth advice because he has an insight into that machine that no one else has. Over time that knowledge will be shared with the engineers in the factory and the sales team, so we will all have a strong understanding of the product as we do with the others we produce here.”

The mower Matt has dedicated his time and efforts to is Jacobsen’s most powerful with the widest cut. Productivity is a crucial aspect of every turf maintenance operation, and with the HR800, Jacobsen has created a mower that works where you need it to and when you need it to.

Completing this project has taken over two months, from picking parts from pallets to the finished mower. It has been Matt’s biggest challenge in his eight years at Ransomes Jacobsen and one he has taken great pride in.

He explains: “I’ve been here for eight years, and I was around for the BETA build of the MP, so to be able to do this is quite something for me. I’m really proud of what we produce here at the factory, and I’m proud to be able to say that I was the first to build the HR800 in the UK.

“It has been a unique opportunity to learn everything about this mower because we started with technical drawings and parts on pallets through to the finished product. Doing that means I’ve been able to use what I already know and work with the production engineers on certain areas, and Antans Lukisis on the hydraulic system so I’ve constantly been learning throughout the process. I think that’s what has made it so enjoyable.”

The HR800 features a powerful 74hp Kubota® turbo diesel engine that takes the 192 in. (4.9 m) width of cut wherever you need it, and onboard systems ensure consistent professional mowing in the harshest of conditions.

MARBAIN® Boron Alloy Steel blades deliver the cut quality you’d expect from a Jacobsen unit. Whether you’re cutting golf course roughs, racecourses, or parks and minimal required maintenance gets you cutting quickly and keeps you there until the job is done.

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