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Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists

July 30, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Karl Hansell

Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists: After a year’s hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards are returning for 2021, with the search on to find the country’s best up-and-coming greenkeepers. Each year the awards enable BIGGA, the UK’s only membership association for golf greenkeepers, to work alongside […]

A Track Set for Records

July 29, 2021/in News, Press Release/by External Source

A Track Set for Records: The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is at last upon us, the delay as a result of Covid-19. While the world’s best athletes had extra time to prepare, did you ever stop to wonder about the preparation that went into the track to guarantee all athletes a safe and fair opportunity to […]

Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists

July 30, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Karl Hansell

A Track Set for Records

July 29, 2021/in News, Press Release/by External Source

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists

July 30, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Karl Hansell

Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists: After a year’s hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards are returning for 2021, with the search on to find the country’s best up-and-coming greenkeepers.

Each year the awards enable BIGGA, the UK’s only membership association for golf greenkeepers, to work alongside turf maintenance equipment manufacturer Toro and distributor Reesink Turfcare to celebrate the next generation of talented and dedicated greenkeepers.

Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists

A record 49 nominees from across the United Kingdom participated in regional interviews. These candidates were nominated by their employers or colleague tutors and from those candidates a final 12 have been chosen to contest the grand final this September.

For the first time, the finals of the awards will take place at Celtic Manor Resort, providing an incredible backdrop to the event and giving the opportunity for the finalists to learn more and be inspired by the maintenance of the championship venue.

September’s event will be the 32^nd staging of the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards and just the fifth time the Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award, open to greenkeepers aged 21 or under, will take place. To be eligible to take part, candidates must be registered on a qualifying greenkeeping qualification and must be nominated by their course manager or college tutor.

The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists are:

Leon Brant, assistant greenkeeper at Wexham Park Golf Club
John Le Cappelain, apprentice greenkeeper at Royal Jersey Golf Club
Daryn Curtis, greenkeeper at Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club
Matthew McCreadie, greenkeeper at Daventry & District Golf Club
Matthew Milligan, first assistant at Rudding Park Golf Club
Michael Russell, greenkeeper and ecology manager at Preston Golf Club

The Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists are:

Rhian Barton, apprentice greenkeeper at The Wisley Golf Club
Greg Manson, apprentice greenkeeper at Mortonhall Golf Club
Callum Marjoribanks, apprentice greenkeeper at Mortonhall Golf Club
Ross McKie, apprentice greenkeeper at St Andrews Links
Will Pallister, apprentice greenkeeper at Cleckheaton & District Golf Club
Cameron Shanks, apprentice greenkeeper at Bothwell Castle Golf Club

The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year winner will receive an eight-week all expenses-paid scholarship to America when restrictions allow, including a six-week residential turf management study course at the University of Massachusetts, a trip to the Golf Industry Show in San Diego, California, and a visit to Toro manufacturing facilities.

The Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year winner will receive a work experience placement at the exclusive Vidauban Golf Club in southern France. They will also receive a trip to Continue to Learn at BTME and enjoy a five-night package that includes hotel, four days of education, travel and £125 expenses, plus a Toro training voucher.

Sami Strutt, head of learning & development at BIGGA, said: “I was delighted to learn that a record number of student greenkeepers had been nominated for this year’s award, especially after the challenges of the past year. For so many employers and tutors to recognise the commitment of the students, despite the difficulties we have all faced, is testament to what a wonderful industry we are working in. There can be no better introduction to the greenkeeping community than a nomination for these awards and, these 12 finalists should be incredibly proud of everything they have achieved thus far.

“Taking place in the grand setting of Celtic Manor Resort, this year’s finals will be unlike any other and I can’t wait to meet everyone this September for what stands to be a wonderful few days. My thanks go to Toro and Reesink Turfcare for their continued support and also thanks go to everyone who took part or nominated a candidate this year.”

David Cole, Reesink Turfcare managing director and award sponsor, said: “From the interviewing process to identify our finalists, we can take that the greenkeeping profession continues to be in bright and focused hands. Reesink Turfcare and Toro’s long support of this educational award is constantly rewarded by the enthusiasm, career passion and commitment to personal development that we come across every year. That is the significant element that sustains these long-standing, career-enhancing awards.”

The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year finals take place at Celtic Manor Resort on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 September 2021.

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A Track Set for Records

July 29, 2021/in News, Press Release/by External Source

A Track Set for Records: The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is at last upon us, the delay as a result of Covid-19. While the world’s best athletes had extra time to prepare, did you ever stop to wonder about the preparation that went into the track to guarantee all athletes a safe and fair opportunity to break records?

Sports Labs was the entrusted independent testing institute responsible for the in-situ performance testing of the track at the National Stadium in Tokyo and this article will give insight into what was required.

A Track Set for Records

The purpose of testing is simple – to certify the venue is safe for all athletes and the surface will provide the ideal platform for athletes to excel. The focus was on the surface which needed to be designed and installed to support the athlete over short and long distances.

World Athletics has a quality program to protect the integrity of records and to ensure they will be ratified only if the track conforms to a stringent series of safety and performance tests.

The Tokyo track is the National Stadium and it is registered as a Class 1 venue, one that has been both in-situ performance tested as a surface and also had a dimensional survey carried out to verify the slope, distances, and ancillary infrastructure are adequate.

There are two types of certifications for tracks.

Class 2: A dimensional conformance survey used to prove the accuracy of the line-markings for position and distance.

Class 1: A measurement conformance survey to prove the accuracy of the line-markings for position and distance and testing of the running surface, as laid, to prove compliance with the performance requirements.

For an international competition or meets such as the Olympics, Rule 140 recommends Class 1 certification. It means the product used must be registered and certified as well as the facility after installation.

But before ground is broken or a track is laid, the process requires a manufacturer to have the track product laboratory tested. These include tests at varying temperatures to ensure the product shows compliance in different climates.

The Italian manufacturer and installer, Mondo S.p.A., installed the MONDOTRACK WS-TY at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

The responsibility for Sports Labs was to certify the performance testing of the surface, which looked for the following:

Visual Imperfections
Ensuring a facility has no defects such as delamination, uncured areas, or irregularities. This is important for athlete safety but also important when televised in high definition for elite competitions.

Slip Resistance (≥47 Wet)
A measurement of underfoot friction, a very important part of an athlete’s performance and foot/surface interaction during Gait. The surface texture plays a key part in providing the underfoot friction in dry or wet conditions.

Total and Absolute Thickness Depth
With more than 200 total thickness measurements taken at the venue to check the areas of minimum, maximum, and deliberately thickened areas, this tends to be more consistent in prefabricated products. Absolute thickness is also measured in the laboratory from extracted site samples and is a measurement considering 50% of the texture.

Force Reduction (35-50%)
This is a measurement of how hard a surface is compared to calibrated concrete. It is also referred to as Shock Absorption. Using the Berlin Athlete, it can’t be too hard or too soft, Most importantly, it must be consistent.

Vertical Deformation (0.6 – 2.5mm)
This is a measurement that also uses the Berlin Athlete. It utilises linear vertical displacement transducers to ascertain how much the surface deforms under impact.

Evenness (6mm/3mm)
Evenness is measured with a calibrated 4m straight edge to ensure a track has no surface deviations greater than 6mm in both the longitudinal and lateral direction. This test is focused on user safety to remove the risk of undulations and tripping hazards. A 1m straight edge is also used with a tolerance of 3mm.

Tensile Strength & Elongation
This test is to ensure the polymer, binder and all components are set and cure adequately. It is important to protect the life expectancy of the track and the tolerances vary for product type porous (≥0.40MPa/40%) or non-porous. (≥0.50MPa/40%). Samples are extracted from the site and tested in a Sports Labs laboratory.

Drainage
No surface water should be above the texture of the track after 20 minutes of free draining.

Conditions for New Records

Every athlete has their surface preference, but a track that is consistent in depth, shock absorption, and underfoot friction is ideal. Elite athletes commonly lean toward a track that has high energy restitution and sits closer to the minimum tolerance for Shock Absorption and Vertical Deformation.

Future Innovation

User feedback and athlete perception is becoming more important to manufacturers. Technologies that work to categorise feedback are becoming more widely available, including athlete feedback apps, built-in track sensor technology, and wearable technologies that collect multiple streams of data. Developments may come from test methods like the inclusion of Energy Restitution or refined tolerances on existing tests. This might be needed as innovation, manufacturing, and installation techniques drive forward.

The world is watching the Olympics and the remarkable stories of success coming out of Tokyo. Sports Labs is humbled and honoured to play a role in this historic event.

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)

Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists

A Track Set for Records

Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists

A Track Set for Records

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists

Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists: After a year’s hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards are returning for 2021, with the search on to find the country’s best up-and-coming greenkeepers.

A Track Set for Records

There are two types of certifications for tracks.

The responsibility for Sports Labs was to certify the performance testing of the surface, which looked for the following:

Future Innovation

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