Cricket groundsman to stand down

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Cricket groundsman to stand down: He has become one of the recognisable figures in north-east cricket over the last 20 years.

But now, Kenny McCurdie, the head groundsman at Aberdeenshire CC, has confirmed he is stepping down from the role at the end of March.

Regarded as one of the country’s best pitch preparers, McCurdie has won a string of national awards  – he was groundsman of the year seven times in 11 seasons from 2000 to 2011 – and worked with Cricket Scotland in getting Mannofield ready for high-profile international matches against the likes of England and New Zealand.

Just last summer, he was responsible for the venue which staged the inaugural World Cricket League matches between the Scots, Oman and Papua New Guinea, all of which were played despite the poor weather which ravaged the domestic season.

He also toiled tirelessly with his Shire colleagues to repair the damage after the ground fell victim to vandals in 2011.

McCurdie told the Press and Journal: “There have been many highlights during my tenure, but the job is all about flexibility and the fact you need to learn to be able to work with Nature, not against it.

“It is especially gratifying, having had a poor week of weather, still being able to unveil a quality pitch on a Saturday and although, as a groundsman, you’ll not be able to please all the people all the time, I’ll be glad to shed my thick skin when I hang up my boots.”

Not even having his arm in a sling in 2014 – after he tore a muscle – could prevent him from carrying out his duties before and after the Scotland v England contest.

McCurdie has confirmed he will be leaving Mannofield at the start of the new season for decidedly warmer climes in Gran Canaria.

But he is justly proud of producing constantly good pitches at the game’s most northerly ODI venue which for many years boasted the world’s highest one-day score – when New Zealand scored 402 for 2 against Ireland in 2008.

Former Scotland bowler, Paul Hoffmann, said he had learned a huge amount from talking to McCurdie down the years, before himself becoming a groundsman.

He added: “He gave me so many tips and I always thought he had the best job in the world, doing something he loves and living at the ground.

“He knows so much about the science, but, most of all, he is brilliant groundsman and a wonderful, kind gentleman.”

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Irish links extends bunker longevity

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Irish links extends bunker longevity: The Island GC outside Dublin, generally regarded as one of Ireland’s finest courses, has rebuilt a large proportion of its revetted bunkers using a new solution from synthetic bunker solutions provider EcoBunker.

The course, which is currently undergoing a renovation at the hands of architects Mackenzie and Ebert, has adopted a new approached created by EcoBunker inventor and CEO Richard Allen, that sees the bottom six turf layers of the revetted wall built from synthetic turf, while the rest is natural.

Irish links extends bunker longevity

“Revetted bunkers decay from the bottom up, which is only to be expected because it is the bottom of the wall that is most exposed to water,” says Allen. “When the bottom of the wall fails, wind and rain get in behind the revet and remove sand, eventually causing the wall to collapse. With synthetic turf at the base, this will not happen, and the longevity of the wall will be significantly enhanced.”

“Setting the base of a revetted bunker is the part of the build that takes the most time,” says course manager Dave Edmondson. “With the EcoBunker base in place, all we will have to do when it comes to rebuilding the wall is to remove the natural revet with a spade and replace the turf. Six layers of artificial turf is a totally solid base on which to build the rest of the wall. It’s not going to move. Our revetted bunkers normally last between three and five years – south facing ones degrade faster than others – so the improvement using this EcoBunker method could be quite substantial.”

Edmondson says it is hard to see a downside of this new method. “We have to buy in my revetting turf, so putting in a synthetic base will actually make rebuilding cheaper in the future,” he explains. “And there is absolutely zero aesthetic impact. When the sand is ready for play, the synthetic turf is all below the sand line. Everything you can see is natural; it looks just like a normal revetted bunker.”

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Rain Bird protects investment

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Rain Bird protects investment: It’s a fact that not every new tree or shrub will survive and thrive.The reasons are varied, but unless roots successfully establish themselves in the surrounding ground, failure is always possible.

This is true for both new and transplanted trees, especially in times of hot weather when the earth is dry. Protecting the investment should be a high priority for any landscaping project as the cost of replacement will be high, whether it involves multiple ornamental trees or simply hedges for boundary screening. Maintaining a proper irrigation regime using a professional root watering system will more than pay for itself.

Rain Bird protects investment

Rain Bird has developed a simple, yet highly effective solution with its Root Watering System (RWS). Thousands of openings in its perforated tube construction ensure that vital water, oxygen and nutrients bypass compacted ground and are delivered directly to root systems. Subsurface, deep root horizontal watering and aeration using RWS full circle bubbler technology ensures tree health, promotes faster growth and encourages deeper and broader roots for a stable foundation.

One or multiple RWS units can be connected by pipe to a valve which in turn is connected to an irrigation controller. This will manage watering programs that can be set for specific frequencies and lengths of time to ensure water is not only delivered correctly, but also carefully managed for conservation. Once the watering cycle is complete an optional check valve can be used to protect the system against backflow. With Rain Bird’s LNK Wifi module, irrigation schedules can be changed remotely using a smartphone or tablet in accordance with weather conditions or as the seasons progress.

Ready to install as a plug and play solution, RWS comes in three pre-assembled sizes and any combination may be required for different landscapes. These can be specified in accordance with the size and variety of trees and can be added to existing irrigation systems or installed as part of a new one. Smaller RWS units are compatible with Rain Bird’s Dripline system. Installation is fast and easy with the largest RWS unit’s patented basket weave canister construction allowing ground installation to a depth of around one metre.

From a garden designer’s standpoint, the RWS is unobtrusive at surface level, does not compromise a landscape’s appearance and there is no trip hazard. As roots are encouraged to grow downwards, risk of damage to expensively laid patios and driveways is also minimised.

Contact Peter Longman, Rain Bird Europe, Northern Europe Landscape Area Manager, Tel: +44 7575 626600 email: plongman@rainbird.eu  www.rainbird.eu

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Michael Davie wins BIGGA award

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Michael Davie wins BIGGA award: Greenkeeper Michael Davie – who set up a mental health support group to help his fellow professionals in the turf industry – has picked up the top award at the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association’s annual convention.

Davie, the course manager at Hazel Grove Golf Club, in Stockport, has tirelessly supported many BIGGA members and other greenkeepers, having overcome periods of depression in his own life.

In recognition of the incredible effort he has put in to supporting his fellow greenkeepers, Michael was awarded with the Outstanding Contribution of the Year Award, sponsored by Jacobsen.

After receiving the award, Michael Davie said: “I’m exceptionally humbled to receive this. It’s totally unexpected and really amazing.

“I’m retiring from greenkeeping in a few months and I hope the extra time that gives me will allow me to develop the mental health side of things.

“I’m looking into how I can try and help as many people as possible, so this is just the start!”

Michael established the ‘Greenkeepers mental health support group’ on Facebook so his peers could come together to support each other.

Michael also hosts a regular meet-up in Manchester, where greenkeepers discuss issues and provide a helping hand.

The UK’s best and brightest greenkeepers were recognised at a dazzling awards ceremony hosted by the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association at the opening night of BTME 2020.

BTME is the UK’s leading exhibition for those in the golf greenkeeping and sportsturf industries, with more than 5,000 BIGGA members, industry leaders and influencers expected through the doors of the Harrogate Convention Centre for the duration of the three-event.

The traditional curtain-raiser of the exhibition is the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, sponsored by Campey Turf Care Systems and hosted by television presenter Naga Munchetty.

A number of awards were handed out to BIGGA members who have done extraordinary things throughout their careers.

The Outstanding Contribution award is one of three BIGGA Awards given out to members during the event.

The other two are the Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year – sponsored by Rigby Taylor – and the Greenkeeping Project of the Year sponsored by Baroness and Kubota.

Grant Peters and the team at Parkstone Golf Club in Poole were winners of the Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year Award after successfully hosting the Ladies’ European Amateur Championship, in July, which was won by Berkhamsted’s Alice Hewson.

Also nominated in the same category were Craig Haldane’s Gleneagles team for the hosting the 2019 Solheim Cup, and Graham Brumpton and the team at Ipswich Golf Club, which staged the English Ladies’ Open Amateur Championship at Purdis Heath last summer.

The Greenkeeping Project of the Year Award was won by Darren Anderson MG and the team at Cheshire’s Bromborough Golf Club.

The team replaced a 46-year-old irrigation system, alongside rebuilding greenside bunkers. Completing the work in-house, it is estimated that the greenkeepers saved the club around £150,000.

Also nominated in the same category were Master Greenkeeper Andrew Kerr’s team at Surrey’s Surbiton Golf Club and Robert George’s team at Essex’s Thorndon Park Golf Club.

For the first time, a new set of prizes were introduced at the BIGGA Welcome Celebration.

The BIGGA Excellence in Communication Awards sponsored by Campey Turf Care Systems seek to recognise those BIGGA members who have embraced communication as a vital tool available to the modern greenkeeper.

Awards for the best use of social media and work in the community will be handed on the second day BTME on the Campey Turf Care stand, but at the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, the winner of the Innovation and Thought Leadership Award was unveiled.

The award is given to the BIGGA member who had written the most thought-provoking article for BIGGA’s monthly magazine, Greenkeeper International, with Ryun Holden, of Switzerland’s Golf Club Wylihof, claiming the inaugural prize for his feature discussing the importance of conveying a positive message from the greenkeeping team to golfers at their club.

Ryun received a £750 cash prize and all-expenses paid trip to Florida, where he will visit the Campey Air2g2 factory, Daytona International Speedway, TPC Sawgrass and TIAA Bank Field, the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

BIGGA chief executive Jim Croxton said: “I take immense pride in the BIGGA Welcome Celebration as it is the opportunity for our association to recognise the unbelievable hard work and dedication that BIGGA members all over the world demonstrate every day of their working lives.

“As we saw once again through the story of Michael Davie, it can become all too easy to get caught up in all the negativity that surrounds the golf industry.

“Yet there are many passionate and hardworking greenkeepers who have dedicated their careers to ensuring this great industry has a strong and vibrant future.

“BIGGA is nothing if not a community where members can come together to support each other through the bad times and the good.

“Thank-you to all our sponsors and to everyone who came along to support this brilliant event.”

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GEA 2020 winners revealed

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GEA 2020 winners revealed: The winners of the 2020 Golf Environment Awards (GEA) have been announced at The Crown, Harrogate, in a ceremony hosted by STRI Group.

Environmental Golf Course of the Year 2020 – Warrington Golf Club

If you are looking for a golf course that has consistently shown innovative and direct solutions to reducing damaging environmental practices, then Warrington is the cream of the crop. From developing a team of experts Warrington has shown that a course can be sustainable in relation to inputs, environmental impacts and water usage, whilst also being ecologically diverse.

GEA 2020 winners revealed

Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year 2020 – Neil Sherman – Ipswich Golf Club, Purdis Heath

Neil Sherman has been a fundamental part of Ipswich Golf Club, Purdis Heath and that can be seen through its ecologically diverse and fantastically beautiful rough areas. Neil has performed positive and interesting work in renewing the heathland characteristics of the course and it is rare to meet a greenkeeper with quite as much ecological knowledge as him.

Outstanding Environmental Project of the Year 2020 – Dundonald Links

Amanda Dorans and the team at Dundonald Links have done something truly rare, they have created a partnership between not just multiple golf courses but multiple industries to create protected sites across Scotland. Not only that, that they have achieved amazing results in boosting numbers of the small blue butterfly.

Operation Pollinator 2020 – Banchory Golf Club

Banchory Golf Club has gone from strength to strength during 2019 vastly increasing the areas dedicated to wildflowers. Naturally seeded areas and also areas sown with species that are appropriate to the local region are both present. STRI ecologists saw a diverse range of invertebrate species that can only be explained by a course that has been managed appropriately.

Home Unions National Award 2020 – Market Harborough Golf Club

Market Harborough GC are the inaugural winners of the Home Unions National Award. The club management and greenkeeping staff have driven environmental and ecological conservation as a combined force. This has manifested itself through the sustainability group which have created policies, action plans and projects that have importantly started to create direct improvements on the course.

STRI head of ecology, Bob Taylor, said: “The Golf Environment Awards were set up 25 years ago to showcase golf’s positive environmental footprint amongst a backdrop of social negativity. It has been great to see the way in which such small beginnings have now swelled to what is a major movement, delivering and working towards ecological and environmental best practice throughout the length and breadth of the UK.

“I’m delighted to see there was so much enthusiasm and passion for ecology and the environment in golf at the 2020 GEAs. Every year the awards get bigger and better in providing aspirations and goals to both individuals and golf clubs delivering sustainable working.

“A huge congratulations to the winners and finalists of this year’s awards. You are all doing sterling work and, in doing so, are becoming a valuable part of your local communities.”

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