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Matt Axton officially joins Bernhard Academy

June 9, 2026/in News, People, Press Release/by Admin

Matt Axton officially joins Bernhard Academy Bernhard Academy is delighted to officially welcome Matt Axton to the team as Programme Leader for Technical Training and Advisory, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Academy’s technical education offering. Following the announcement of his appointment earlier this year, Matt has now officially started his […]

GKB V-Strong puts scarification back in the hands of Leyland GC

June 9, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

GKB V-Strong puts scarification back in the hands of Leyland GC Renovation season at Leyland Golf Club has delivered impressive results following the investment in a V-Strong from GKB Machines. Installed in February 2026 by Balmers GM, the club’s first in-house scarifier quickly proved its worth surpassing the expectations of Head Greenkeeper John Edge – […]

Matt Axton officially joins Bernhard Academy

June 9, 2026/in News, People, Press Release/by Admin

GKB V-Strong puts scarification back in the hands of Leyland GC

June 9, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

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Matt Axton officially joins Bernhard Academy

June 9, 2026/in News, People, Press Release/by Admin

Matt Axton officially joins Bernhard Academy

Bernhard Academy is delighted to officially welcome Matt Axton to the team as Programme Leader for Technical Training and Advisory, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Academy’s technical education offering.

Matt Axton officially joins Bernhard Academy

Following the announcement of his appointment earlier this year, Matt has now officially started his role with Bernhard Academy, bringing with him extensive international experience in managing and maintaining golf course machinery fleets as well as leading technical teams.

With a career spanning leading venues including The Belfry, Copt Heath Golf Club and The Warwickshire Golf & Country Club, alongside international roles in Bahrain and Qatar, Matt’s expertise further strengthens Bernhard Academy’s commitment to delivering practical, industry-relevant training for turf professionals.

Matt also brings significant experience in equipment management, dealer support and industry collaboration, having played a key role in developing the Turf Equipment Technicians Organisation (TETO), helping create a strong community focused on knowledge sharing and professional development.

Speaking about officially joining the organisation, Matt Axton said:

“I’m incredibly excited to officially begin this journey with Bernhard Academy. The opportunity to support the industry through practical technical education is something I’m deeply passionate about, and I’m looking forward to helping professionals develop their skills and confidence at every stage of their careers and to raise awareness of equipment management as a rewarding career path.”

As Programme Leader for Technical Training and Advisory, Matt will lead the delivery and continued development of Bernhard Academy’s growing technical training programmes, supporting turf professionals, equipment technicians and organisations across the industry.

Sami Strutt, Education Director at Bernhard Academy, commented:

“We are thrilled to officially welcome Matt to the team. His technical expertise, industry knowledge and passion for supporting others make him an outstanding fit for Bernhard Academy. We are excited about the impact he will have as we continue to grow our technical education offering and support the future of the industry.”

Matt’s arrival comes during a period of continued growth for Bernhard Academy, with increasing demand for technical, leadership and management education across the turf industry. The Academy remains committed to creating accessible, practical and forward-thinking learning opportunities for professionals around the world.

To learn more about Bernhard Academy and its educational programmes, visit Bernhard Academy.

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GKB V-Strong puts scarification back in the hands of Leyland GC

June 9, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

GKB V-Strong puts scarification back in the hands of Leyland GC

Renovation season at Leyland Golf Club has delivered impressive results following the investment in a V-Strong from GKB Machines. Installed in February 2026 by Balmers GM, the club’s first in-house scarifier quickly proved its worth surpassing the expectations of Head Greenkeeper John Edge – enabling him and the team to cover significantly more ground, with even better results, than ever previously achieved.

GKB V-Strong puts scarification back in the hands of Leyland GC

John has been at the 18-hole parkland course for the last two years, joining the club in its celebratory centenary year. Looking to deliver the consistent playing conditions expected by the 600 members, John immediately reviewed the maintenance and renovation programme, swiftly bringing in a contractor to give the greens a kick-start in the spring of 2024. “I’ve used various makes and models of scarifier previously, but this contractor came in with the GKB V-Strong and it blew me away” comments John.

“Firstly the speed at which it covered the greens was seriously impressive. But it wasn’t just speed, it was the fact that it simultaneously picked up so well. It got the job done efficiently and effectively and left the greens clean and ready for play almost immediately.”

Featuring GKB’s unique CombiRotor and heavy-duty steel blades, the V-Strong makes light work of scarifying golf greens and other sports surfaces – removing lateral growth and organic matter to depths of up to 40mm. After two further visits from the contractor, John was sold on having a V-Strong in his own machinery armoury. “The results spoke for themselves, and the General Manager and Chairman were both on board with us making the investment. We also received fantastic support from Dan Whalley and Andrew Meeks at Balmers who got the team primed and ready for the upcoming renovation window.”

And it’s fair to say, the anticipation was matched by impressive in-field performance! “We renovated all 18 greens at the start of April and, due to the speed of operation with the V-Strong, we actually managed to do all the approaches as well – getting the whole lot scarified in one day. We found we didn’t need to follow the machine with blowers because the pick-up was so good and, within a week, all the renovated areas were back in play. We knew the machine was good, but it truly did exceed our expectations.”

John continues, “Having our own machine will give us the flexibility to conduct scarification more frequently, and in the optimum windows for recovery – no longer limited by cost or contractor availability. We can spend a bit of time educating the team on the reasons why we scarify and transfer those benefits to other areas, such as the approaches, which we’ve previously not had the resources to scarify.”

“There’s no doubt in our minds that, with this machine, we’ll quickly reap the benefits in terms of both plant health and player satisfaction.”

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

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Matt Axton officially joins Bernhard Academy

GKB V-Strong puts scarification back in the hands of Leyland GC

Matt Axton officially joins Bernhard Academy

GKB V-Strong puts scarification back in the hands of Leyland GC

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Matt Axton officially joins Bernhard Academy

Matt Axton officially joins Bernhard Academy

GKB V-Strong puts scarification back in the hands of Leyland GC

GKB V-Strong puts scarification back in the hands of Leyland GC

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