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SAGE registration now open

March 31, 2022/in Events, News, Press Release/by Vicky Panniers

SAGE registration now open: The UK’s largest outdoor sports and grounds maintenance tradeshow, SAGE is taking place on 6th & 7th July at The Three Counties Showground in Malvern. Registration has now opened for visitors, so if you would like to book your free place at this much-anticipated event, register on the website now. There […]

Presenting a picture-perfect course

March 31, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Martin Ward

Presenting a picture-perfect course: At Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, presentation is everything. With breathtaking views out over Lough Leane and the undulating Killarney National Park beyond, players come from all over the world to experience the two, 18-hole Killeen and Mahony’s Point courses. It’s a club steeped in 129 years of history which includes […]

SAGE registration now open

March 31, 2022/in Events, News, Press Release/by Vicky Panniers

Presenting a picture-perfect course

March 31, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Martin Ward

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

SAGE registration now open

March 31, 2022/in Events, News, Press Release/by Vicky Panniers

SAGE registration now open: The UK’s largest outdoor sports and grounds maintenance tradeshow, SAGE is taking place on 6^th & 7^th July at The Three Counties Showground in Malvern. Registration has now opened for visitors, so if you would like to book your free place at this much-anticipated event, register on the website now.

There will be people from a wide range of industries exhibiting products, providing live demonstrations and even the opportunity to take a free training course.

SAGE registration now open

The venue has been selected to provide a safe outdoor environment and The Three Counties Showground has been awarded the VisitEngland ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry charter mark. This means that the showground meets the Government and public health guidance on COVID-19 health and safety processes.

Discover industry trends and top priorities

Due to restrictions over the last two years, everyone is looking forward to the opportunity to network with people from across their industry. As well as being able to build up industry connections, attending the event enables people to find out about new products or trends that can improve the way that they work.

The main priority of SAGE is that visitors get to see the industry products in action, in an environment that has ample space to accommodate the largest kit on sale. Amongst our exhibitors there are businesses who supply turfcare products and equipment, playground equipment and landscaping equipment.

Focus on sustainability

This year, sustainability has become an even more prominent priority across all industries and SAGE is proud to be hosting the first sustainability summit, which will take place on Wednesday 6^th July at SAGE 2022, in partnership with Bio-Circle. The summit will be led by experts across the industry, and will provide guidance and support on how sustainable solutions can be achieved by businesses across the sports and grounds maintenance industry. The panel along with their colleagues will be on hand to deliver tailored options for those looking to adopt processes that are more environmentally friendly.

With the Government’s carbon net zero targets to comply with, more businesses have started to explore the different ways that they can reduce carbon emissions. The summit will target this topic head on and help to drive a better understanding of the priorities and solutions for the sports and grounds maintenance industry regarding their responsibilities for reducing carbon emissions.

Other activities to look forward to

There will be taster courses on offer, as well as talks from the leading experts across the industry.

Everyone is welcome to attend SAGE 2022. Visitors from last year included educational institutions, local authorities and councils, contractors, construction managers and estates.

SAGE invites all visitors to join us at the networking event on the Wednesday evening, sponsored by Fleet Line Markers, where everyone will get the opportunity to meet fellow industry professionals at the stunning showground, with a few extras as well.

To register for SAGE 2022. Please visit; www.sportsandgrounds.events.

If you would like to exhibit at SAGE 2022, there is still time to reserve your stand, contact us today; team@sportsandgrounds.co.uk

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

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Presenting a picture-perfect course

March 31, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Martin Ward

Presenting a picture-perfect course: At Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, presentation is everything.

With breathtaking views out over Lough Leane and the undulating Killarney National Park beyond, players come from all over the world to experience the two, 18-hole Killeen and Mahony’s Point courses.

Presenting a picture-perfect course

It’s a club steeped in 129 years of history which includes hosting the Irish Open four times, with Nick Faldo winning in 1991 and 1992, Ross Fisher in 2010, and Simon Dyson in 2011.

With such rich heritage and high expectations, the greenkeeping team has to maintain the highest possible standards to satisfy the 500-plus golfers who could arrive to play at the complex during its busiest days of the year.

Enda Murphy is in charge of the 18-strong team responsible for presenting the course. He’s in his 30^th year working at the club after joining as an apprentice from school.

“I completed a four-year apprenticeship in Killarney and then worked a year at Wayzata Country Club near Minneapolis in the States,” he explained.

“It was wealthy club with 28 greenkeepers for one 18-hole course, but what struck me was how neat and tidy the whole place was. The machinery sheds were immaculate – everything was organised and every machine had its place with a back-up machine in reserve too.

“I thought the whole attention to detail was amazing and something I wanted to bring back to Killarney.”

Enda became head greenkeeper in 2013 and takes immense pride in setting up a course which will live up to members’ and visitors’ expectations.

“It’s all about the location here – when you’re out on the course on a beautiful spring morning there is no better place,” he said. “When every hole is neat, tidy and looking sharp, that’s what it all about and what we strive to achieve.”

Being such a popular destination for visiting players while keeping the large playing membership happy is not without its challenges.

Enda says he has 1.7 metres of annual rainfall, a herd of 40 Irish Red Deer, and a constant procession of players to contend with, plus the environmental responsibility of maintaining a course so close to the iconic Irish lakes.

“We have a high level of play which creates compaction, wear and tear, he said. “Having lots of rain on a busy course is also a challenge but we have to keep golfers happy – we have strong competition from the other fantastic courses in Ireland.”

Last year Killarney’s members’ council – with the support of the membership – put pen to paper on a new fleet deal to replace its aging mowers and other course machinery.

“It came to a point last summer when greens mowers were breaking down on the morning of a competition, and the back-up machines were cutting tees because the tees mowers had broken,” Enda said.

“We were working on fairway mowers that were 10 or 15 years old and the repairs were starting to cost more than what the machines were worth, so a change was definitely needed.”

Enda and his team are familiar with a number of brands and researched prices and specifications as part of the purchasing process, but decided to stay loyal to John Deere as their mowers and utility vehicles had served the course well for a long time.

For cutting they purchased two new 7700A fairway mowers with rear roller power brushes, two 2750E hybrid greens mowers with tender conditioners and 14-blade reels, and two 2750PC mowers for tees and surrounds. The club also took a new 1570 front rotary mower with 72-inch deck and a 9009A for tackling the rough.

For full course maintenance the new fleet also included a 2030A with ARC HD200 sprayer, three TS Gators and a 4066R compact tractor.

“A big factor in the decision was that we have a dealer on the doorstep in Seamus Weldon so parts, sales and servicing is right here which is really convenient,” Enda said.

“They are good machines but if something goes wrong I can get a new part in 10 mins and get the machine back up and running in no time. That’s really important for us here on a busy course where we need to get the job done and be out of the way so golfers can enjoy their game.”

So far Enda is delighted with the new fleet – purchased using John Deere Finance – and so is his team.

“When you’re going out and everything is working it’s just a pleasure to do the job. The team gets frustrated when something takes too long and things break down – we’re just trying to get everything done to a high standard and then move on as quickly as possible.

“You can really notice the difference in the quality of cut and the reliability of the new machines. We now want to get into a rhythm of replacing them every five years, ideally.

“Bookings for the summer are looking really strong so it’s going to be another busy year as we, hopefully, come out of covid and look forward to welcoming players to Killarney.”

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)

SAGE registration now open

Presenting a picture-perfect course

SAGE registration now open

Presenting a picture-perfect course

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

SAGE registration now open

Presenting a picture-perfect course

Presenting a picture-perfect course: At Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, presentation is everything.

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