Chart Hills relaunch on track for spring

/in , /by

Chart Hills relaunch on track for spring: Chart Hills Golf Club has confirmed that major redevelopment works at the Kent destination are running on schedule, and the club is on course for a spring 2021 reopening.

Led by Director of Golf, Anthony Tarchetti, and Course Manager, Neil Lowther, the team has been working to implement a total renovation across the property. The golf course was fully closed from mid-July to allow green staff, industry-leading contractors and shapers to work on the championship layout.

Chart Hills relaunch on track for spring

Chart Hills relaunch on track for spring

The first steps in the process included extensive irrigation work and sand-capping of the fairways, with over 30,000 tonnes of sand deposited across the course. The seeding team then covered the sanded areas with creeping ryegrass, designed to deliver a better overall grass coverage, with the final seed due to go into the ground this autumn.

Off-course, there is an all-new golf entrance leading directly into the newly constructed professional shop that is equipped with an espresso machine, HD televisions and a wide selection of clothing, hardware and accessories.

Moreover, all corridors in the clubhouse have been redecorated with the addition of sleek, new, colour-coordinated signage. Work has also begun on the development of the driving range and short game areas, with new green targets cut into the range.

“We are making really good progress,” commented Tarchetti. “Our project is right on schedule and we will continue the hard work over the next few months to prepare the venue ahead of its relaunch in spring.

“Our owners, Ramac Holdings Ltd have made a significant investment since taking over, and it is exciting to see the project moving in the right direction.”

In the coming weeks, work will continue across the site, with additional projects planned to target other areas in the clubhouse, the halfway hut and car park.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Home of Golf maintains standards with Foley

/in , , /by

Home of Golf maintains standards with Foley: St Andrews Links is home to two of the latest Foley Company grinders that have become popular machines with the greenkeeping and maintenance teams.

Ease of use and quick grind times have contributed to the popularity among the staff who have to cater for everything from family golf to the Open Championship. An average Open tournament requires up to 110 units to be sharpened and the Foley will be there to ensure uniform cutting perfection in 2022 when the 150th edition of the Championship is played.

Home of Golf maintains standards with Foley

Home of Golf maintains standards with Foley

Away from the Old Course, the greenkeeping and maintenance teams are kept busy with six other courses catering for families and all regular golfers, totalling in the region of 230,000 rounds of golf a year. No one is more familiar with what it takes to accommodate such a large volume of golf more than workshop manager, Lani Togi.

For himself and his team, the Foley Company 653 Accu-Master Reel Grinder and 673 Automatic Bedknife Grinder make grinding quicker, easier and most importantly for Lani, more enjoyable.

“When it comes to saving time, the Foleys are a lot quicker than anything we’ve used before,” he began. “Previous grinders have been quite labour intensive, whereas we don’t have that issue now. The team really like using them, and if they’re happy using them, it makes it so much easier because they do a good job and we get the best results.

“One of the biggest things that’s helped us get those results is the Borazon stone that we have for the 673 bottom blade grinder. The new Toro E-Reels use a tungsten mixture that makes them extremely hard, and that stone really cuts it in well. That prevents a lot of problems that previously would have meant we would have to sharpen them repeatedly to get the same result. Now we get it done the first time around.”

Well thought out automation and features are a part of what makes the 673 Bedknife Grinder so user friendly. An Innovative Bedknife Mounting System uses powerful electromagnets to hold the bed bar in place, and Positive Gauge Stops to make set-up fast and straightforward. You can grind any bed bar arrangement without additional tooling and use the Fast Angle Set-Up to provide repeatability without recalibration. Set the Angle Stops once, and the 673 will grind the same angle repeatedly to ensure consistency and time-saving. Changing from grinding the front face to the top face is as simple as pushing a button and watching as the powered Tool Bar rotates into the position.

Automation is only one part of what makes Foley Company’s operation work for its customers. Training and a full back-up service are crucial elements to ensuring users can always grind when they need to, and with UK distributor, ProSport UK Ltd, Lani trusts they’ll never have any issues.

“When it comes to buying machines, it’s not always about the cost of the item; it’s the personal side of things as well,” he said. “You buy from people, and we’ve worked with Ian at ProSport UK for many years, and we know we can rely on his back-up service.”

For more information or a demo of Foley Company’s range of grinders, visit www.prosportukltd.co.uk/foley-company or email prosportukltd@gmail.com.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Turf health expert joins Agrovista Amenity

/in , /by

Turf health expert joins Agrovista Amenity: As part of a commitment to providing the best in professional turf care solutions and expertise, Agrovista Amenity is delighted to announce the appointment of Alistair Eccles.

Perth-based Alistair joins the team as an amenity specialist for North Scotland, where he’ll be contributing more than 30 years of industry experience.

Turf health expert joins Agrovista Amenity

Turf health expert joins Agrovista Amenity

Previously, he worked for grass seed company DLF as a technical sales manager, and prior to this, spent 12 years working for Germinal. Earlier in his career he also progressed through a range of commercial and technical roles within the crop protection industry.

Alistair, who is BASIS and FACTS qualified, said: “Turf has essentially been my life for the past 14 years. Throughout this time I’ve explored many issues associated with turf health – from nutrition management and improving disease tolerance, to environmental implications of product selection and managing the loss of key chemistry.

“My experience combines both technical and commercial knowledge across a range of business types. I believe this will benefit customers as not only do I understand the challenges they face, but I can break down technical product information and make it relevant to them.

“I’m delighted to be joining Agrovista Amenity – a progressive business with a strong scientific background. This, coupled with their drive to provide customers with the best in agronomic advice, has made it a perfect fit.”

As part of its key values, Agrovista Amenity strives to provide a modern, technical approach to professional turf care and amenity solutions. This is something that Ramsay MacGregor believes will be further supported through the appointment of Alistair.

Ramsay, Scottish Regional Manager for Agrovista Amenity, said: “We are delighted to welcome Alistair to the team in Scotland. Alistair brings a wide knowledge of the industry with him, in particular, his specialty of grass seed which will be invaluable to us.”

Head of Amenity, John Marland, added: “Alistair is high quality addition to the business and demonstrates our continued investment in the amenity industry.”

When he isn’t pursuing his work passion for turf health, Alistair enjoys golf, mountaineering and gardening.

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

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Former SISIS Sales Director Arthur Harrison passes away

/in , , /by

Former SISIS Sales Director Arthur Harrison passes away: Former SISIS sales director Arthur Harrison has sadly passed away earlier this month, aged 88.

His career at SISIS spanned over 30 years, beginning in 1960 initially as assistant sales office manager when the company was based at Cheadle, Stockport, before being appointed sales director in 1979 until his retirement in 1996.

Former SISIS Sales Director Arthur Harrison passes away

Former SISIS Sales Director Arthur Harrison passes away

Arthur was renowned as being one of the turfcare industry’s true gentlemen and largely responsible for building a strong SISIS dealer network throughout Western Europe in the 1970’s and expanding export into Asia, Canada, South Africa and Australia.

Arthur had since enjoyed the 24 years since his retirement caravanning, cruising and spending time with family and friends before passing away peacefully on 2nd November 2020.

Everyone at SISIS wish to extend our condolences to his family at this sad time.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Makita launches new brushless disc cutter

/in , /by

Makita launches new brushless disc cutter: Suitable for dry and wet cutting, the Twin 18V DCE090 Brushless Disc Cutter is Makita’s latest addition to its world renowned LXT range. Powerful, compact and packed with safety features, this new construction tool is ideal for heavy-duty applications.

The new cordless DCE090 Brushless Disc Cutter features a powerful 36V brushless motor with a no-load speed of 6,600rpm and maximum cutting capacity of 88mm, and is powered by two 18V LXT Lithium-ion batteries.

Makita launches new brushless disc cutter

Makita launches new brushless disc cutter

The tool has been designed with safety in mind and includes Makita’s Active Feedback Sensing Technology (AFT) which shuts down the current to the motor if the rotation speed suddenly slows down, as well as an electric brake, a soft start feature that gradually increases speed to eliminate start-up shock, and a lock-off button to prevent accidental start-up.

In addition, the tool will alert the user to any risk of motor burnout caused by overloading, with its in-built overload indicator lamp. If the user continues, the electronic current limiter will cut off the power to protect both the batteries and the tool from damage.

With a fully loaded weight of just 6.3kg, the disc cutter is easy to manoeuvre and includes a rubberised ergonomic, soft grip for further user comfort. For wet cutting applications, the tool can be connected to a water supply kit for effective dust suppression, whilst the plastic battery cover (included) protects the batteries from water contact.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita UK says, “The Twin 18V DCE090 joins the line-up of over 250 cordless products within our LXT range, offering users wider flexibility on site and the ability to switch between jobs easily. The tool has been engineered with user safety and productivity in mind as well as incorporating features that optimise battery and tool performance, so that users benefit from an extended life cycle.”

For more information on Makita’s range of power tools, please visit www.makitauk.com.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.