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New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club

February 28, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Louise Parratt

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club: Chorley Golf Club has got its 125-year anniversary off to a good start by updating its machinery fleet. The course sits in 127 acres between Bolton and Preston, drawing players out of both major conurbations to be challenged while taking in prime views that […]

GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce

February 28, 2022/in News, Press Release/by External Source

GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce: New research to coincide with #GroundsWeek finds high levels of job satisfaction and fulfilment among grounds staff and volunteers, urging those outside of the industry to try grounds management Those who work outdoors get greater fulfilment from their roles, and feel more rewarded than those who work behind […]

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club

February 28, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Louise Parratt

GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce

February 28, 2022/in News, Press Release/by External Source

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club

February 28, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Louise Parratt

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club: Chorley Golf Club has got its 125-year anniversary off to a good start by updating its machinery fleet.

The course sits in 127 acres between Bolton and Preston, drawing players out of both major conurbations to be challenged while taking in prime views that extend as far as the Lake District and North Wales.

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club

With both healthy membership numbers and a high number of visiting players, Head Greenkeeper Tony Grayson and his team of four – deputy John Cottam, Chris Riley, Stuart Angus, and Daniel Woan – are working to meet expectations every day.

“I try to produce the best course I can every day, as we have so many competitions”, he says. “It’s all about the presentation and of course – people want what they see on TV.”

Living up to the manicured greens and fairways seen on televised competitions is no mean feat in the north west of England, where consistent rainfall and clay soils present major challenges.

“The ground is very quick to get wet but also quick to dry as we are on a couple inches of topsoil and thatch on the fairways,” Tony said. “The Bunkers are really difficult to maintain in bad weather because the clay contaminates the sand and, although others might put in liners nowadays, on a limited resource it costs a fortune.”

Pests and diseases, particularly fusarium, anthracnose, worm casts and leatherjackets are an increasing challenge too, with many chemicals being taken off the market. Frequently warm and wet conditions make this pressure relentless.

Keeping the course in top condition takes attention to detail, and the team can afford little machinery downtime. A breakdown can threaten to overwhelm the team so when they were handed the keys to a brand-new shed just before the first covid lockdown in March 2020, the impetus was there to invest in new machinery.

Tony said: “It had been difficult to invest in machinery because of the previous sheds in terms of their security and the environment – you don’t want to be keeping machines in damp conditions.

“We had an ageing fleet and the reliability, particularly of our previous rough mower, was going down. When you’ve got the grass growing like mad and a rough mower down, it’s difficult to manage.”

The team’s new shed now stores a John Deere 7500 fairway mower, a 9009A TerrainCut rough mower, an 8000A E E-Cut Hybrid fairway mower, a XUV86SM Gator, three 220SL SL PrecisionCut walk-behind greens mower and two 2500 greens mowers.

Tony said: “Looking at other brands, I found that John Deere, as well as being at the top, was offering value for money as well. Once I demoed everything, it was obvious what I was looking for. The machines are now specific to our course and environment so we can go out with more confidence, getting a nicer cut.

“The 8000AE is so versatile and it can even act as a backup fairways mower by quickly raising the height of cut. It is our key machine and the one that will make people notice in terms of the appearance of the surrounds and approaches. Now, the green-side bunkers are part of the surround and we’re able to cut around this area with the new machine, making the presentation so much better.”

For the majority of the new machines, Tony opted to use John Deere Finance. And with a strong relationship with John Deere’s specialist servicing dealer Balmers GM spanning 20 years, the team at Chorley has direct access to support to maintain the machines. For its flagship machine, the 9009A, Tony reasoned that an operating lease, whereby the team would only pay for the use of the machine, would be the best option.

“The club looked at the hours our machines were doing – and with the rough mower doing the most hours, we took it out on an operational lease as we have a lot of semi-rough, and will look to change after five years.”

Following a successful 2021 with summer on the greenkeepers’ side and armed with a new machinery fleet, Tony’s sights are now set firmly on future proofing the course – and the reliability of the new machines will be crucial to ensure this work can happen.

“Our aim now is to make the course longer by building a few more tee zones set right back onto the course’s boundaries to cater for an increasing number of golfers hitting the ball further. All this has to be done without disrupting golfers’ experience or making a mess with the heavier equipment required.

“Our industry isn’t without its challenges but investing in the machines has really given our greenkeepers more pride in their work, and the machines are doing a fantastic job at presenting the course in the best light.”

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GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce

February 28, 2022/in News, Press Release/by External Source

GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce: New research to coincide with #GroundsWeek finds high levels of job satisfaction and fulfilment among grounds staff and volunteers, urging those outside of the industry to try grounds management

Those who work outdoors get greater fulfilment from their roles, and feel more rewarded than those who work behind a desk (77% vs 47%)
63% of grounds staff and volunteers “love” their job, and almost all (90%) are passionate about the sector
Key attributes of a career in grounds management include being outdoors and active, taking pride in the end result, working in sport, and the day-to-day variety
This #GroundsWeek, the GMA is encouraging more people to work outdoors in sectors like grounds management or horticulture

GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce

The Grounds Management Association (GMA), the leading not-for-profit membership body for grounds professionals and volunteers, is marking its annual #GroundsWeek (28^th February – 6^th March) with a campaign to help tackle the lack of skilled talent coming into the industry.

Targeting young people and those already in employment in other sectors, #GroundsWeek aims to reach those taking stock of their personal and professional trajectories and reassessing what they truly want from life. With the backdrop of the pandemic, fulfilment is key.

The GMA’s recent survey of over three hundred grounds staff and volunteers show high levels of job satisfaction and fulfilment, with 63% saying they “love” their job, and almost all (90%) report being passionate about the sector. Some of the key attributes of a career in grounds management, as reported by both paid staff and volunteers, include:

Being outdoors and active
Taking pride in the end result
Working in sport
The day-to-day variety
Working as part of a team
Learning new skills

Geoff Webb, CEO of the GMA, says: “After highlighting the recruitment crisis, now we want to show the world the true potential of working in grounds management. Work can dominate most of our time so it’s important to consider how a job makes us feel. We know there are challenges across the sector, but we also know that grounds management is a varied and rewarding role – it gives people who love sport and outdoor activities the opportunity to work in a variety of settings like iconic sports venues, educational grounds, parks and estates, as well as across local community sports facilities. By sharing the positives and tackling the misconceptions that exist, we hope to attract more talent into the sector.”

To coincide with this year’s #GroundsWeek, the GMA has also released separate research highlighting that people with jobs in the outdoors, including grounds staff, get greater fulfilment from their roles, with 77% saying they feel rewarded and a strong sense of achievement at the end of each day. This is compared to 47% of people working behind a desk. The research further highlights that those working indoors or behind a desk feel a greater negative impact on their physical (43% vs 35%) and mental health (50% vs 18%), compared with those who work outside.

The research also reveals that 83% of indoor workers would consider a career change, with the desire to learn new things (49%), greater variety of daily tasks (33%), and wanting to spend more time outdoors (73%), being the most commonly cited reasons. What’s more, over a third (34%) of indoor workers feel unfulfilled in their current roles. In contrast, 73% of outdoor workers view their current role, and its future opportunities, as a career for life.

Geoff Webb continues: “Grounds staff work with skill, dedication, and passion to produce quality surfaces for sports and recreational spaces all year round. Labelled the ‘hidden profession’, a key focus for us now is helping more young people and those outside of the sector understand what it involves, and how to get into grounds.”

With a booming sports sector in the UK and growing demand in the turf care sector for skilled talent, the GMA is encouraging more young people and those tempted by a career change to consider a career in grounds management. To encourage more young people into the sector, the GMA has been working closely with schools through its ‘Schools into Stadia’ initiative, which introduces GCSE-level school children to the art of grounds management through a series of one-day workshops, showcasing the profession as an ideal opportunity to work in an outdoor environment within sport.

The GMA is also working to elevate the grounds sector by tackling its misconceptions and upskilling future workforce through its training and qualifications. Its annual salary framework is imperative to shaping the future of grounds management and help employers understand minimum rates of pay based on the skills required at each level.

John Wright, Chair of the GMA Young Board, and Head Grounds Manager at Southampton FC, says: “I joined this sector a decade ago because I love sport and the outdoors, and this is a career that allows me to be involved with both. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

“There are vast opportunities for people in this sector and career fulfilment is something that so many of us within it feel on a day-to-day basis. This #GroundsWeek, I hope young people and those who might not feel satisfied in their current job think about learning more about grounds management, because this could definitely be the right career move for them.”

For more information about the GMA and this year’s GroundsWeek campaign, visit: [thegma.org.uk/groundsweek]

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)

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club

GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club

GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club: Chorley Golf Club has got its 125-year anniversary off to a good start by updating its machinery fleet.

GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce

GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce: New research to coincide with #GroundsWeek finds high levels of job satisfaction and fulfilment among grounds staff and volunteers, urging those outside of the industry to try grounds management

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