Blog Elements - Turf Matters

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Duncan Ross Maintain Habitats While Improving Playability

April 14, 2021/in News, Press Release/by CharmianRobson

Duncan Ross Works to Maintain Wetland Habitats While Improving Playability at Aberdovey Golf Club : Duncan Ross has worked closely with Aberdovey Golf Club to ensure the wetland habitats for flora and fauna were maintained during vital drainage works to improve playability of the course. Since 2005 Aberdovey started to experience an increase in the […]

Toptracer and The Belfry announce historic long-term partnership

Toptracer and The Belfry announce long-term partnership

April 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Toptracer and The Belfry announce historic long-term partnership : Toptracer has today announced details of a multi-year business partnership with historic British golf venue, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, as the brands join forces to enhance the club’s technology offering and global appeal. The iconic Warwickshire-based club has played host to the Ryder Cup on […]

Duncan Ross Maintain Habitats While Improving Playability

April 14, 2021/in News, Press Release/by CharmianRobson

Toptracer and The Belfry announce long-term partnership

April 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Duncan Ross Maintain Habitats While Improving Playability

April 14, 2021/in News, Press Release/by CharmianRobson

Duncan Ross Works to Maintain Wetland Habitats While Improving Playability at Aberdovey Golf Club : Duncan Ross has worked closely with Aberdovey Golf Club to ensure the wetland habitats for flora and fauna were maintained during vital drainage works to improve playability of the course.

Since 2005 Aberdovey started to experience an increase in the frequency and length of course closures due to a combination of reduced ditch maintenance, ageing and collapsing clay field drains in the fairways and changing weather patterns.

Duncan Ross Maintain Habitats While Improving Playability

The course, which is flanked by Cardigan Bay and a long sandy foreshore incorporating a semi mobile dune system, is highly valued as a rich source of ecology and biodiversity and is classed as a site of special scientific interest and also serves as a special area of conservation. As such, the club works with the STRI, Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Gwynedd County Council, Snowdonia National Park Authority and the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust.

The ditch system in the centre and northern end of the course supports a population of lesser water plantain which used to be scattered throughout the country but is now mainly found in coastal regions and the East Anglian fens. A vital part of the project was to improve the stormwater run-off from the site while retaining sufficient water in the ditches to maintain the population.

A significant part of the project was lowering the water table, which was high due to the original ditches and pumps not being installed at the lowest possible level. This practise has been commonplace at numerous links courses to prevent drying out in the summer but remains playable in winter. However, due to more regular rainfall during July and August courses no longer dry out in the same way, and the shallow ditches, warm days, and low ditch maintenance have helped the lesser water plantain flourish and the determent of the course.

Duncan Ross Maintain Habitats While Improving Playability

David Tomkinson, Greens Chairman at Aberdovey Golf Club, explains: “The contribution made by Duncan and his employees was central to the success of the improved drainage scheme. Work was carried out from first light until dusk, deadlines adhered to and all operations carried out professionally with the very minimum of disruption to the golfers on the course.

“The success of the drainage improvement project has resulted in many fewer days lost to course closures while maintaining the population of lesser water plantain.

“Duncan arrived on site in February 2018, and it was soon established that while the pumping station near the Clubhouse end of the course was effective, the natural flow outfall at the far end was not. Duncan very quickly found that a 250mm drop to the stream, off-site, combined with the fall across an existing seemingly horizontal culvert near the outfall would provide the basis to drop the water table by 750mm.

“The base of the main ditch was increased in depth across half its width, with levelling techniques maintaining a steady fall of 750mm over a 3km length. The area of ditch where the plantain is most prevalent may have caused a problem so Duncan’s suggestion, not taken up by NRW, was to dig a parallel ditch to improve the drainage without disturbing the rare plants.

Duncan Ross Maintain Habitats While Improving Playability

“The solution chosen was to reduce the disturbance to the fairway by leaving the old clay pies in place, avoiding damaging the fairway by removing them, and putting in new pipes in parallel but at the new, lower, water level. A sluice was installed near the main outfall to hold back at least 50mm of water in the ditch system while allowing the run-off of stormwater.

“A requirement from NRW was the excavation of wetland scrapes in low lying areas near the 11th green which were constructed and provide an additional area for the plantain to colonise. Also, Duncan was able to weld an extension onto the pumped outfall pipe on the beachside of the dunes, which reduced the amount of sand washed away at the dune base. On the golf course side of this pipe, an area of redundant dry ditch was filled in, and the turf replaced, making the area playable by golfers.”

The club continues to work with NRW and Duncan Ross on several projects relating to the management of the site including monitoring coastal erosion, protecting the wetland areas from seawater ingress, creation of further wetland scrapes and sand scrape areas, monitoring the population of sand lizards, management of rank grass areas to improve grazing for sheep and management of areas of degenerate gorse.

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.

Toptracer and The Belfry announce long-term partnership

April 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Toptracer and The Belfry announce historic long-term partnership : Toptracer has today announced details of a multi-year business partnership with historic British golf venue, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, as the brands join forces to enhance the club’s technology offering and global appeal.

The iconic Warwickshire-based club has played host to the Ryder Cup on four occasions, as well as numerous European Tour events, and is set to stage the British Masters again later this year. The Belfry is also the home of The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) in the United Kingdom.

Toptracer and The Belfry announce historic long-term partnership

A key feature of the partnership is the installation of a unique blend of Toptracer Range products on-site at The Belfry. Utilising the full covered range and monitor system in 34 bays, as well as elements of the new Toptracer Range Mobile solution outdoors, The Belfry will become the premier practice destination in the country.

Toptracer will assist in delivering numerous global activations, designed to offer unique ways for golfers around the world to experience the venue through a modernised platform that enhances ‘The Belfry experience’. More than just the integration of technology, The Belfry and Toptracer will also collaborate on a series of innovative new event experiences and activations over the tenure of the partnership.

In addition to the range installation, The Belfry’s famous Brabazon course has also been mapped for use in the Toptracer Range ‘virtual golf’ mode, meaning it will be available to play at more than 400 Toptracer Range locations worldwide in the near future.

Toptracer Range technology transforms a golf range into a veritable sports entertainment destination. The industry-leading ball tracing provides golfers with accurate, live shot data that can be used for practice purposes or to compete in challenges and games with friends.

Cameras mounted around the facility trace every shot to produce an array of data, including distance, speed, launch angle, shape, and more, that is then displayed on a 21-inch monitor in each hitting bay for the covered solution, or the users’ mobile phone for Toptracer Range Mobile-enabled sites.

Toptracer and The Belfry announce historic long-term partnership

“We are delighted to be working with Toptracer and are looking forward to relaunching our upgraded Academy in April,” said Chris Reeve, Golf Director at The Belfry. “We’ve reviewed all technology options and identified Toptracer as the optimal game-changer for us. It will allow guests with any level of golfing experience, from beginners and non-golfers to frequent players, to enjoy a wide range of games and activities with family and friends,” he added.

“Everyone at The Belfry is very excited to begin what we hope will be a prosperous partnership with Toptracer.” Commented Chris Eigelaar, Resort General Manager at The Belfry. “Toptracer will be a fantastic addition to the already top-class facilities here, and will aid us in continuing to deliver a world class golfing experience. We truly believe there is nowhere better than here to learn and play golf.” He added.

Ben Sharpe, President of Toptracer, added: “This is a monumental partnership for us. The Belfry is an historic venue, and this is a landmark installation and agreement that is broader and more progressive than almost anything we’ve seen worldwide to date. We can’t wait for golfers to enjoy our full technology offering at what is undoubtedly a world leading facility.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with The Belfry to deliver on some global projects they have planned and play a role in enhancing their offering to customers for the foreseeable future.”

For more information on the Toptracer, head to www.toptracer.com.

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)

Duncan Ross Maintain Habitats While Improving Playability

Toptracer and The Belfry announce long-term partnership

Duncan Ross Maintain Habitats While Improving Playability

Toptracer and The Belfry announce long-term partnership

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Duncan Ross Maintain Habitats While Improving Playability

Duncan Ross Works to Maintain Wetland Habitats While Improving Playability at Aberdovey Golf Club : Duncan Ross has worked closely with Aberdovey Golf Club to ensure the wetland habitats for flora and fauna were maintained during vital drainage works to improve playability of the course.

Toptracer and The Belfry announce long-term partnership

Toptracer and The Belfry announce historic long-term partnership : Toptracer has today announced details of a multi-year business partnership with historic British golf venue, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, as the brands join forces to enhance the club’s technology offering and global appeal.

RESOURCES

CONTACT

CONNECT