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Murrayshall visit proves inspirational

June 1, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Murrayshall visit proves inspirational: Students in Golf Course Management from Scotland’s Rural College based at the Elmwood Campus in Cupar, Fife, were recent visitors to the Murrayshall Country Estate in Perthshire to learn more about the transformation of its two golf courses into US-style challenges. As part of a vocational training program set up by […]

Prevention is better than cure

June 1, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Olivia Dixon

Prevention is better than cure: There will be enough to do this summer with El Niño on its way, so don’t let water quality be another problem to deal with, especially when prevention is so much easier than cure, says Otterbine, a leading water management specialist. Thanks to the warming effects of the climate phenomenon […]

Murrayshall visit proves inspirational

June 1, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Prevention is better than cure

June 1, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Olivia Dixon

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Murrayshall visit proves inspirational

June 1, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Murrayshall visit proves inspirational: Students in Golf Course Management from Scotland’s Rural College based at the Elmwood Campus in Cupar, Fife, were recent visitors to the Murrayshall Country Estate in Perthshire to learn more about the transformation of its two golf courses into US-style challenges.

As part of a vocational training program set up by SRUC to emphasise the importance of the wider ecology of golf course property rather than focus on traditional fine turf areas, a group of ten students and their lecturers spent time with Murrayshall’s Head Greenkeeper Darrin Urquhart and five members of his team to gain some useful insight into the workplace. “It was the first time that the group had been to Murrayshall and we were all impressed by the high standards of turf care being achieved with relatively limited members of staff,” said Ian Butcher MBA, the Program Leader & Senior Lecturer in Golf Course Management at the SRUC’s Elmwood Campus.

Murrayshall visit proves inspirational

“Darrin explained how he and his team are producing surfaces that combined playing quality with presentation, as well as meeting the diverse expectations of club members wanting different levels of difficulty or features from the course. And in additional to the playing areas, they undertake specific developments such as walkways and viewing spots for non-golfers to enjoy. This wider
perspective of the estate as whole was very useful to share with our students and every member of Darrin’s team was on the same page regarding the Murrayshall brand.

“I’ve been fortunate to play Murrayshall before and from a Scottish landscape experience, it’s hard to beat. But with the attention to detail and refinements now being seen, these qualities will only be enhanced into a truly memorable round of golf and a first-class parkland experience in a true Scottish setting,” he added.

According to Darrin Urquhart, who has been at Murrayshall over the past 14 years, the visit also served to give college graduates an insight into the work needed to transform a conventional parkland course into a US-style layout with white sand bunkers, smaller greens and surrounding rough. “They won’t have seen courses like these in this part of Scotland before and it’s one of the distinguishing features that sets Murrayshall apart, so we were really pleased to show them all around,” said Darrin.

The 365-acre Murrayshall estate offers golfers a challenging 18-hole Championship course and the nearby 10-hole Lynedoch course, ideal for those wanZng to play a quick round, or juniors and those new to the game. It also features one of the most picturesque driving ranges in the country.

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Prevention is better than cure

June 1, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Olivia Dixon

Prevention is better than cure: There will be enough to do this summer with El Niño on its way, so don’t let water quality be another problem to deal with, especially when prevention is so much easier than cure, says Otterbine, a leading water management specialist.

Thanks to the warming effects of the climate phenomenon El Niño, when temperatures in the Pacific Ocean rise or fall beyond the norm and influence weather patterns across the globe, the UK can expect the summer of 2023 to exceed that of 2022 and turn out to be the fifth or sixth hottest on record.

Prevention is better than cure

And with the sun comes dangers for lakes and ponds. Left unattended, water can quickly deteriorate creating problems such as algae, aquatic weeds and odours, and while the repercussions are laborious and costly to fix, preventing them isn’t.

It all comes down to aeration, as Simon Powell, Otterbine business development manager at Reesink Hydro-Scapes explains: “Higher levels of sunlight and heat, generated by summer sun, can lead to excess nutrients in water bodies. When combined with low oxygen levels and limited circulation, the natural ecosystem tips out of balance, causing algae, weeds, odours and sludge to build up, which can even kill off aquatic life.

“Once a water body reaches this point the costs of trying to restore it increase dramatically. As well as often being more expensive to implement, reactive solutions tend to be less friendly to the environment too.”

The easy, sustainable solution is to add air with a surface and subsurface aerating system and Otterbine has some of the best in the business, confirms Simon: “Otterbine’s range of products has some of the highest oxygen transfer and pumping rates in the industry, adding as much as 3.3lbs or 1.5kg of oxygen per horsepower hour into the water and pumping over 920GPM or 199m3/hr per horsepower.”

With that kind of power and efficiency behind them, plus an average lifespan of 15 years, acting now in preparation for an El Niño summer means no more water worries whatever the weather for the foreseeable future.

Simon concludes: “In a world of ever-changing weather patterns, Otterbine provides an element of control. Being able to combine Otterbine’s range of quality products which are built to last and keep water clean, clear and healthy, with Reesink Hydro-Scapes’s warranties ranging from three to five years, means a water management solution that’s guaranteed to last, removing a significant potential problem from the to-do list for years to come.”

To learn more about the Otterbine range of aerators and fountains, contact Reesink Hydro-Scapes on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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.

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Murrayshall visit proves inspirational

Prevention is better than cure

Murrayshall visit proves inspirational

Prevention is better than cure

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Murrayshall visit proves inspirational

Prevention is better than cure

Prevention is better than cure: There will be enough to do this summer with El Niño on its way, so don’t let water quality be another problem to deal with, especially when prevention is so much easier than cure, says Otterbine, a leading water management specialist.

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