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Suståne supports switch to finer fescues

September 14, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Suståne supports switch to finer fescues: Boasting panoramic views over the sea and the South Downs National Park, Brighton & Hove is the oldest golf club in Sussex – its nine hill-top holes situated near the picturesque Devil’s Dyke. Its location leaves the course exposed to the elements and has posed challenges for Course Manager […]

Dunblane New replaces the old

September 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

Dunblane New replaces the old: Dunblane New Golf Club’s course is located in the centre of the cathedral city of Dunblane in one of the most picturesque areas of Perthshire. The course’s elevated position provides beautiful panoramic views over the Forth Valley, the Campsie Fells and beyond, including Stirling Castle, the Southern Highlands and the […]

Suståne supports switch to finer fescues

September 14, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Dunblane New replaces the old

September 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

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Suståne supports switch to finer fescues

September 14, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Suståne supports switch to finer fescues: Boasting panoramic views over the sea and the South Downs National Park, Brighton & Hove is the oldest golf club in Sussex – its nine hill-top holes situated near the picturesque Devil’s Dyke.

Its location leaves the course exposed to the elements and has posed challenges for Course Manager Jason Sarna and his assistant Kevin Paynter as they work to reinstate some of the site’s downland and links qualities. The success of the project, Jason says, is largely down to improvements with the soil, and that’s thanks to products from Suståne.

Suståne supports switch to finer fescues

After working in various roles at the Maddens Resort in North Minnesota, Jason moved to the UK in 2000 and has been Course Manager at Brighton & Hove since 2007. “When I joined, the greens were predominately meadow grass and this was something I started working on straight away, to introduce more tolerant and sustainable species. I first spoke to Russell Riley eight years ago and began incorporating some Suståne products into my feeding programme and the benefits we saw to the finer grasses were instant.”

“I’m a big believer in feeding the soil, not the plant and working to create the environment which favours the species you want to encourage.” Jason’s greens programme revolves around regular granular feeds – 6-2-4 Turf Revival^® as a kick-starter in the spring and following any renovation work, Suståne 5-2-4 applied every six to eight weeks in the main season and Bolster 4-4-4+3Fe as he reaches the more dormant winter months. This is then supplemented with Bolster™ Liquid Biostimulant, applied at 5L per 0.5 hectares every two to three weeks through the main growing season.

“As we’ve transitioned almost solely over to Suståne, we’ve noted deeper rooting, improved plant health and reduced disease pressure – having only applied three fungicides in the last five years.” Jason adds, “We conducted some renovation work in August this year, overseeding with a pure fescue blend for the first time. We applied Bolster™ 4-4-4 and within a week we had germination. Being able to create the conditions to favour fescues will complement the links characteristics and will help with the workload we have to manage as a small team.”

In addition to delivering results on the ground, Jason has also been impressed with the honest and transparent approach he’s had from the Suståne technical team. “With our conditions, we have to be careful about inputs and if I ask a technical question about a product, they have the answer (and more!) to hand. It’s the whole package.”

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Dunblane New replaces the old

September 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

Dunblane New replaces the old: Dunblane New Golf Club’s course is located in the centre of the cathedral city of Dunblane in one of the most picturesque areas of Perthshire. The course’s elevated position provides beautiful panoramic views over the Forth Valley, the Campsie Fells and beyond, including Stirling Castle, the Southern Highlands and the peaks of Ben Lomond and Ben Ledi.

The ‘New’ name came about because until 1922 golf was played on a small nine-hole course adjoining the River Allan on what is now a public park. History states that play started on the new course in April 1923, after a horse, cart and harness with a roller box and two mowers were bought and Mr J C Ross was appointed as greenkeeper at £3 10s a week.

Dunblane New replaces the old

Almost 100 years on, course manager Wes Saunders has taken delivery of 11 new machines from local dealer Double A, the club’s first John Deere fleet deal, as part of an ongoing landscaping and maintenance programme designed to continue the enduring quality and appeal of the course to members and visitors.

The latest fleet comprises two 2750E triplex and three 220E walk-behind hybrid electric greens mowers, two 7700A PrecisionCut fairway mowers, 9009A and 7400A utility TerrainCut rotary mowers, plus a Tru-Turf RB70 greens roller and a Campey Turf Care Air2g2 air injection machine.

These were bought using a tailored John Deere Financial agreement with six-year PowerGard Protection plans for full maintenance and servicing, allowing the club to have a fixed machinery budget with no extra costs. This is the first part of a replacement programme that Wes and Double A’s golf key accounts manager John Bateson are working through together, with tractors and utility vehicles being looked at this year to complete the fleet.

Originally hailing from Sydney, Australia where he did his greenkeeping apprenticeship at Elanora Country Club north of the city, Wes Saunders has 27 years’ experience working on golf courses across the world. After leaving his home country, he spent several years in the US and Canada before joining Dunblane New Golf Club six years ago as course manager.

“I first put a proposal to the club two years ago to update the equipment fleet, but the timing wasn’t quite right for the finance so the idea was postponed for a year,” says Wes. “The board then agreed what we could spend on a monthly basis and we held a competitive tender with the main manufacturers, bringing in various machines for demonstrations and assessment by the greenkeeping team.

“We made the decision based on whether the kit was fit for purpose, our likes and dislikes, serviceability and previous history with the suppliers. We chose John Deere, not just on price – although that was a prime consideration – but also on the key aspects of quality and reliability of the equipment and, most importantly, the strong relationship with the Double A dealership and their parts and service backup. The terms from John Deere Financial were also very flexible, which enabled us to get what we needed to meet the club’s budget.

“All the machines were in place by the end of April this year, and everything’s working out a treat now. We use the 2750E hybrid electric triplex mowers to cut the greens for most of the year, and the 220E walk-behinds for special tournaments when we need a little more refinement in the finish, then these are used on the greens throughout the winter.

“The new A Model mower technology is also proving particularly useful – even though we’re still experimenting a little with its capabilities, the use of the programmable TechControl system to achieve the desired results consistently across the course is proving to be a game-changer.

“Overall I am very pleased with the performance of the new machines. We have quickly seen improvements to the course as well as labour savings with the extra control provided by the new mowers’ advanced technology features.”

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)

Suståne supports switch to finer fescues

Dunblane New replaces the old

Suståne supports switch to finer fescues

Dunblane New replaces the old

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Suståne supports switch to finer fescues

Suståne supports switch to finer fescues: Boasting panoramic views over the sea and the South Downs National Park, Brighton & Hove is the oldest golf club in Sussex – its nine hill-top holes situated near the picturesque Devil’s Dyke.

Dunblane New replaces the old

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