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Cheltenham Ladies’ College invests in SISIS

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Cheltenham Ladies’ College invests in SISIS: When the grounds team at Cheltenham Ladies’ College received investment for new equipment, Ross Spry, Head of Grounds and Gardens, decided that SISIS machinery was a good place to start. Established in 1853, Cheltenham Ladies’ College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 […]

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Walton Heath awarded international distinction: Walton Heath Golf Club, host venue of this week’s AIG Women’s Open, has achieved GEO Certified(r) status for sustainable golf, underlining its strong commitment and performance across key themes for sustainable golf course operations. GEO Certification is overseen by GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf – the international non-profit organisation dedicated […]

Cheltenham Ladies’ College invests in SISIS

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Cheltenham Ladies’ College invests in SISIS

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Cheltenham Ladies’ College invests in SISIS: When the grounds team at Cheltenham Ladies’ College received investment for new equipment, Ross Spry, Head of Grounds and Gardens, decided that SISIS machinery was a good place to start.

Established in 1853, Cheltenham Ladies’ College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. It is consistently ranked as one of the top all-girls’ schools in the UK.

Cheltenham Ladies’ College invests in SISIS

Ross has been the Head of Grounds and Gardens for approximately fifteen months after joining from the nearby Cheltenham College. Ross and his team maintain all CLC’s lawns and sports pitches which includes lacrosse, athletics, rounders, and cricket. His job has been made that little bit easier after College invested in some new machinery, as he explained.

“When I first started at CLC a lot of the kit was old and it was apparent that several machines needed replacing. I’m pleased to say that a big investment was made and so I started sourcing new equipment.

“I’ve always been impressed by SISIS machinery and have used some of it throughout my career – particularly when I was a greenkeeper. I’ve found it to always be very good kit and it is always solidly made.”

His first purchase was the SISIS Auto Rotorake Mk. 5 – a self-propelled heavy duty scarifier for removal and control of thatch on fine and other quality turf. Its contra-rotating reel has specially designed tipping blades for a clean, consistent cut and maximum thatch removal to ensure excellent lawn care when the time comes to scarify.

Ross explained how he uses the SISIS Auto Rotorake Mk. 5:

“The Mk.5 is predominantly used on our big lawns and for end of season renovations on the cricket square. It is a great machine, and we find it is one of the better machines for scarifying the cricket squares. It has got so much torque, and it can get through the hard clay, more so than any other scarifier I have used.

“The Mk.5’s best feature is how robust it is. A cricket square is probably one of the toughest things you can put it through, and it doesn’t bat an eyelid.”

Ross was also adamant that he wanted a SISIS Dart. This independently powered vertical action aerator improves drainage, reduces turf compaction, thatch build up and increases the health of lawns. Powered by a 6.5hp engine, the Dart has a working depth of up to 100mm which can be easily adjusted from the operator’s position using the balanced depth control lever. The unit can also be fitted with a wide range of tines to meet the operator’s requirements.

“I’ve used the SISIS Dart at every venue I have worked – mostly on cricket squares. We always use it when we are renovating to break the surface up a bit, and I do tend to use it occasionally during the winter periods. We use the pencil tines, to keep the air circulating.

“The Dart is so easy to operate. All my staff can use it – and that is important because we need machinery which every team member feels comfortable using.

“Once again SISIS has not let me down.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter or Instagram @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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.

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Walton Heath awarded international distinction

August 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Walton Heath awarded international distinction: Walton Heath Golf Club, host venue of this week’s AIG Women’s Open, has achieved GEO Certified(r) status for sustainable golf, underlining its strong commitment and performance across key themes for sustainable golf course operations.

GEO Certification is overseen by GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf – the international non-profit organisation dedicated to delivering programmes that help people on the ground to evaluate, improve and credibly communicate their sustainability work. The international distinction confirms the facility satisfies all the certification criteria; meeting a credible standard in the areas of nature, resources, climate and community, and is committed to continual improvement.

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

Michael Mann, Course Manager at Walton Heath, said: “Becoming GEO certified really fits in with what we are trying to achieve at Walton Heath. Is is good for evaluating resource efficiencies, particularly with rising costs, and with the focus on nature and this being such an important conservation site it is important to manage the courses in the right way. Our rainfall capture systems and borehole extraction for example all fit with the GEO Certification and anything which helps you explore ways to improve is rightly a good thing. Demonstrating the positive impacts golf brings is so important to the club and wider community.”

Carole Kerrey, Credibility Manager at GEO Certification Ltd, said: “Walton Heath is a shining example of positive action in sustainable golf. The accredited third-party verifier was very impressed by the practices in place and the commitment and enthusiasm to do more. The club’s awareness of the importance of its site and progressive drive and determination to continually improve highlights what can be achieved towards building a more sustainable future.”

Walton Heath’s Sustainable Golf Highlights include:

*A biodiversity audit of the Old Course at Walton Heath undertaken in 2022 highlighted 175 different species. This included 12 Species of Principal Importance, such as the small heath butterfly and brown long-eared bat (also a European Protected Species), and five birds of conservation concern: two red listed, and three amber listed.

*11 notable plant species were also recorded, including all three native heathers: common heather, bell heather and cross-leaved heather, all of which are Near Threatened in England.

*The greenkeepers at Walton Heath painstakingly manage areas of nationally important lowland heathland and acid grassland across the golf courses to ensure that these habitats support a diverse range of wildlife.

*Since 2000, Walton Heath have collaborated with various organisations, including Natural England, the Forestry Commission, The RSPB, Surrey Wildlife Trust and the Surrey Heathland Project to restore nine hectares of pure heath.

*Areas of the practice range are left as buffer zones for pollinators. Heather nursery areas are encouraged alongside expanses of unmanaged but monitored rough.

*Water supply and efficiency has been boosted with the construction of a reservoir to store water drawn from a borehole along with a rainfall capture system alongside the M25 bank which runs along the boundary of the site. As well as reducing potable water consumption, the reservoir was designed with a marginal shelf to create support habitat and biodiversity. A new irrigation system installed in 2022 further improves precision and efficiency.

*Solar panels power the maintenance complex with all electric and hybrid equipment are charged using renewable energy. Surplus energy is sold back into the grid and all the club’s energy needs are obtained from renewable sources.

*The chef purchases much of the produce used from local sources – within a 10-mile radius.

*The club manage a car park used for daily dog walking and other recreational activities, maintaining clean and safe access to the common for the community. The club and greenstaff also manage a recreation ground on site for football and other sports, Break Lane school fields for the school, the old pheasantry and the local pond within the village of Walton on the Hill.

This week’s AIG Women’s Open will also see a range of sustainability actions implemented through The R&A’s Greenlinks programme including nature walks around Walton Heath in partnership with the RSPB. Such actions help continue to raise awareness of positive impacts highlighted at tournaments through the joint LPGA and LET Celebrating the Green presented by Dow initiative.

For further information: www.waltonheath.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.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Cheltenham Ladies’ College invests in SISIS

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

Cheltenham Ladies’ College invests in SISIS

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Cheltenham Ladies’ College invests in SISIS

Cheltenham Ladies’ College invests in SISIS: When the grounds team at Cheltenham Ladies’ College received investment for new equipment, Ross Spry, Head of Grounds and Gardens, decided that SISIS machinery was a good place to start.

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

Walton Heath awarded international distinction: Walton Heath Golf Club, host venue of this week’s AIG Women’s Open, has achieved GEO Certified(r) status for sustainable golf, underlining its strong commitment and performance across key themes for sustainable golf course operations.

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