Unicorn Athletic achieve full maintenance programme

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Unicorn Athletic achieve full maintenance programme: In March 2020, after 20-years of vying for control of their main Smiths Field site from Trafford Council, Unicorn Athletic JFC has begun life in charge with equipment from Campey Turf Care Systems.

The club is home to 34 teams and operates at different schools and pitches in the local area, with their main site used by the under-8’s Saturday club, youth teams from 14 years old and upwards and their open age group teams.

Unicorn Athletic achieve full maintenance programme

Unicorn Athletic achieve full maintenance programme

The New Holland Boomer 35, Trimax 190 Striker and SISIS Quadraplay will be vital for the community club as they aim to improve the condition of their site. The story of their pitches over two decades is a sadly familiar one, with budgets cuts in the council leading to less and less maintenance and inconsistent mowing.

For Darren Storey, treasurer, part-time groundsman and operator of the walking football team, finally taking control of the maintenance will allow the club to give children playing in their teams the pitches they deserve.

“It was unbelievable to use the new stuff. To be honest, I felt like I was ten. It was like being a kid in a candy shop,” Darren began. “The whole field was cut in an hour, and it looks the part because it’s been done with proper grounds maintenance machinery, and it looks exactly as our kids deserve.

“In the past when the council hasn’t cut the grass, we’ve begged, stole and borrowed petrol mowers and cut it by hand with a team of volunteers but those days have long gone hopefully.

“We started the process by speaking to one of the subcontractors that works for Trafford Council, Paul Grange, who has worked on our pitches and helped us with stuff in the past. Over the years the pitches have been in shocking condition because Trafford had no money, So, we used to pay extra money out of our own funds to get them upgraded.

“Campey has been ace. From costing, to specifications and the equipment that we needed, and more importantly could afford, they’ve been great. They kept us updated at each stage, and we asked for upgrades like a tracker on the tractor, and although they don’t normally do it, they sorted it. We put a grant application into the Football Foundation which they helped us with, and without that, we wouldn’t have the equipment, so John Campey and his team have been very good.”

With the first cut of many completed on the day of delivery and installation in late July 2020, Darren and the club are already looking at ways they can improve the wider area. Because it is a community field, they want to make it better for everyone, not just the players, and a part of this plan is creating a Friends of Smiths Field group. By doing this they hope to raise funds that will allow them to improve the landscaping, put in nature and fitness trails and complete other projects to make it a more usable area for the wider community.

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Dartfordians RFC upgrade with Campey

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Dartfordians RFC upgrade with Campey: Dartfordians RFC has upgraded their maintenance operation with a Trimax Striker and New Holland Boomer 40 from Campey Turf Care Systems.

Time waits for no machine, and at London based Dartfordians RFC, that meant their old Massey Ferguson tractor and gang mowers needed to be replaced so they could continue to maintain the ground to a high standard. Replacing the machinery was a joint venture between the rugby and cricket club. Both operate the site under the DCSC which manages the building, bar and groundsman, Graham Smith, who was a member of the rugby club before becoming the groundsman four years ago.

Dartfordians RFC upgrade with Campey

Dartfordians RFC upgrade with Campey

As the sole groundsman – along with some volunteers – Graham is responsible for maintaining the three rugby pitches and football pitch in the winter as well as the cricket square and outfield in the summer. Additionally, there is a park adjacent to the ground that is maintained by Graham in an ongoing arrangement between the rugby club and Bexley Council.

With the five-hectare site in constant use throughout the year, having reliable machinery is a must, and after speaking with Campey Product Specialist, Ben Taylor, Graham was confident Campey could provide what they needed.

“I’m really impressed with Ben. He’s very amenable, he talks straight, and he knew what we wanted and put together a deal that was very acceptable with us and we are looking forward to a good long relationship with equipment in the future,” Graham began.

“I think the customer service side of it is very important and it’s a big consideration when we’re buying machines. You could go somewhere else and buy a tractor, and with money constraints we could have ended up buying a second hand one without any warranty. As we bought new we have that and we know if we want to add to it in the future with a bucket or similar things like that we’ll get all the help we need.

“You want it to start, to run and a good amount of power and everything to work. With the period we’d gone through with our old machinery breaking down we’re now in a new zone. It becomes very critical at times [having reliable machinery] and really you should always have a backup and that’s what we needed. Equipment fails and suddenly you’re stuck and if it was in the cricket season and we couldn’t cut the grass then they wouldn’t be able to play and likewise with the rugby. We need to maintain the pitches and keep them cut to the right length to encourage growth.

“It’s going to make my life a lot easier with the new kit. On our particular tractor we’ve got the oversized grass tyres so there is no damage on the pitches. That’ll be especially important in the winter because we’ll still have the ability to drive across a pitch without doing any damage, whereas our old tractor had agricultural tyres and there were times of the year where you wouldn’t drive it onto a pitch.

“Having had the tractor for a few weeks now I’ve found it very good, and it’s proved to be a very good piece of machinery. Because it’s 40hp I’ve found that I can run the mower in the economy mode which cuts down the revs and saves fuel, and the tractor being powerful enough to do that is a really good thing. I think the Trimax and the way it works along with the bearings that are guaranteed for life shows the confidence that Trimax have in their own machine.”

The rugby club brings a lot of value to their local area with men’s, women’s, junior and academy rugby catering for people from U11’s and upwards. Their Dartfordians 1st XV were promoted to London1 South at the end of the 2018-19 season, an impressive feat for a community club, and have consolidated their position in the league.

Providing high quality surfaces for all of the players is the top priority for Graham, and after the initial investment he hopes the club can take advantage of their new tractor and invest in more equipment in the future.

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Turf Tank continue UK expansion

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Turf Tank continue UK expansion: Danish GPS line marking company, Turf Tank, has continued its expansion in the United Kingdom with the appointment of two regional sales managers.

Matt Murray and Alex Robinson will cover the north and south of the UK respectively and play a major role in fulfilling Turf Tank’s commitment to providing a more in-depth service to customers in the UK.

Turf Tank continue UK expansion

Turf Tank continue UK expansion

Before joining Turf Tank, Alex worked for the company’s former UK distributor, ProSport UK Ltd, where he introduced the robot to Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC and Hampton School. His experience with the Turf Tank One is unmatched, and he is now aiming to show more clubs, schools and councils the difference it can make for them.

“The biggest impact I see at the venues using the Turf Tank is the amount of time they are saving,” Alex began. “Marking out football, rugby or hockey pitches from scratch takes a lot of time as do running tracks, so in some cases, we can save people day’s worth of labour, and that is time they can spend doing other jobs on site.

Matt Murray has an extensive experience of over 20 years with equipment and technology companies in the sports and leisure markets. He is now excited to join Turf Tank and help the groundsmen improve their turf management. “A part of saving that time is making sure the lines are marked out perfectly. Even though we are achieving that now, Turf Tank is always looking at ways of improving the robot and software, and that’s what makes them an exciting company to work for. They really want to focus on the UK and make the robot attainable for everyone, and we’re looking forward to announcing how we will do that soon.”

There are currently more than 200 Turf Tank Ones in use in the USA, and it is feedback from those users and customers in Europe that has informed improvements. The recent 1.5 software update has focused on the functionality and reliability of the robot as well as the update process itself, which can now be done straight from the tablet. When a newly updated tablet connects to a robot with an older software version, it can be updated with the push a button.

For more information on the Turf Tank One or to book a demonstration of the robot in the north of the UK; contact matt@turftank.co.uk or for the south of the UK; alex@turftank.co.uk.

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KAR UK provides the infantry to Links GC

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KAR UK provides the infantry to Links GC: Stuart Murtha, former military man and now Head Greenkeeper at the West Runton Links Golf Course in Norfolk, believes that the course has never been in such a good condition following the installation of a new Hunter irrigation system from KAR UK.

The Links Golf Course opened in 1903 and was designed by 5 times Open Champion J.H. Taylor. Located on the beautiful North Norfolk coast, the sea is visible from every hole and it is renowned for being one of the best 9-hole courses in the area. Next to the golf club is the Links Country Park Hotel which is a striking example of late Victorian architecture.

KAR UK provides the infantry to Links GC

KAR UK provides the infantry to Links GC

Stuart has been the Head Greenkeeper for three years after serving in the military for most of his life. Never one to shy away from a challenge, the former soldier immediately set himself a goal.

“I think it is fair to say that the golf course had become a little bit run down and it needed a lot of love and attention,” he said. “My goal was to significantly improve the course but first I had to prove myself and show that I was going to do the work before the owners invested.

“I remember a knowledgeable ex-greenkeeper telling me to start with the greens and then to work out from there. Therefore, my plan was to get them to a high standard and then carry on developing everything else.”

Stuart made an instant impact and it wasn’t long before the owners did indeed put their faith in him.

“In my second year here, it was one the driest periods we have ever had on record and I hand watered all the greens every single day for four months. At that point I said to the owners that this just wasn’t sustainable. I then got the green light to look into a new irrigation system.

“I did my research and came across KAR UK,” he continued. “I phoned them up; they were very helpful, and they sent Mike McDonnell (KAR UK Sales Manager) two days later to come and walk round the course with me. Mike gave me a lot of information and explained how I could make it all work.”

Stuart decided on the Hunter G-85B rotary sprinklers to provide irrigation to the greens. These rotary sprinklers boast one of the highest torque outputs on the market and its patented gear drive will push through anything that gets in its way. With such a powerful core, an array of efficient nozzles, and true full circle and part circle capabilities, the G-85B is relied on by turf managers throughout the globe.

Impressively, Stuart took it upon himself to install the new irrigation system. Stuart, his assistant Graham, and the hotel’s maintenance team worked around the clock to finish the project in just five days.

KAR UK provides the infantry to Links GC

KAR UK provides the infantry to Links GC

With the new Hunter irrigation system installed, Stuart believes that the course has reaped the benefits ever since.

“Without doubt, it has made a huge improvement to the greens,” he said. “We have been able to lower the height of cut because the sward is so much healthier and thicker. The other noticeable sign of improvement is the vertical growth. When I first started scarifying, I used to fill up a trailer full of lateral growth from each green but now I can scarify a green and end of with a lot less debris.

“It is so much more convenient because we can water them whenever it is needed. I can also control it from my mobile phone via the mobile-friendly Centralus irrigation management platform – if I’m at home, for example, and the weather forecast changes to show we are going to get 10mm of rain then I can simply just switch it off – or vice versa.”

Stuart is continuing to follow the sound advice he received, and after a notable improvement in the greens, he is starting to concentrate on other areas of the course.

“I’m now working on other areas of the course that I would never have had the time to do in the past. The irrigation system has made a massive difference.

“We’ve got members who have been part of the club for 30 years and they are saying that never in their time has the course been in such a good condition. That is what I am here for; I am here for a challenge and I will continue to give it my all.”

For more information, please visit www.karuk.com.

You can also follow KAR UK on Twitter @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views

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Painswick targeted by vandals

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Painswick targeted by vandals: Painswick Golf Club has been inundated with offers of help after its third hole was targeted by vandals.

The hole was badly damaged by a vehicle being driven over the course and repairs are underway to enable this weekend’s annual club competition to go ahead.

Club professional Mark Cottrell said: “We got in on Monday morning and discovered the third green, third fairway and third tee had been driven over and damaged. It’s horrendous.

“Basically they have done doughnuts on the green around the flag and then out on the fairway. They stopped at the top of the hill around the tee so they’ve just targeted the one hole.”

A road runs behind the third green, but Mr Cottrell said access is far from easy.

“The access to the golf course has been blocked off with metal poles and we’ve got boulders from the quarry which runs alongside the third hole,” he said.

“There’s high banks which they have come over and a car wouldn’t be able to get in there so it is some form of off-road vehicle.”

Since word of the discovery spread, the club has received a succession of offers to help.

“I’ve never known a response like it,” said Mr Cottrell. “Local golf clubs have offered equipment, manpower and whatever help they could give.

“Greenkeepers from six or seven courses have been in touch with our head greenkeeper who has been out working with the club captain and members who volunteered to help out.

“It’s been lovely to see that support.”

The club is working to make the hole playable for the club championship but Mr Cottrell believes it will be a long job to repair fully.

“It will need attention for months,” he said. “It’s a case of letting nature take its course.

“Thankfully we have what we call the old 18th we can use to make the course up to 18 holes while the third is out of action.”

The par three sixth hole at Painswick was described by golf writer and commentator Henry Longhurst as one of the best 18 holes in the world.

And golfers old and new have been flocking to find out why since lockdown restrictions enabled them to return to action at the start of July.

“It’s been absolutely manic,” said Mr Cottrell. “We’ve been four or five times busier than this time last year – it’s such a shame that it has been abused like this.

“People seem to have realised the importance of getting out and about and being healthy.

“It’s sort of kickstarted golf. There are a lot of beginners and revenues from visitors and new members have been exceptionally good.”

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