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STRI launch golf survey for R&A Golf Course 2030

August 26, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Helen Waite

STRI launch golf survey for R&A Golf Course 2030: STRI Group is delighted to announce the launch of a new golf course industry focused survey to support The R&A Golf Course 2030 (GC2030) industry initiative established in 2018. STRI was awarded a number of GC2030 projects to help meet the projected challenges that the golf […]

New technology works well for North Shore

August 25, 2020/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

New technology works well for North Shore: Set on the Lincolnshire coast with beautiful views over the North Sea, the James Braid designed North Shore golf course at Skegness offers a challenge to all levels of golfer with its interesting and attractive mixture of links and parkland holes crossing over each other in two loops […]

STRI launch golf survey for R&A Golf Course 2030

August 26, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Helen Waite

New technology works well for North Shore

August 25, 2020/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

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STRI launch golf survey for R&A Golf Course 2030

August 26, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Helen Waite

STRI launch golf survey for R&A Golf Course 2030: STRI Group is delighted to announce the launch of a new golf course industry focused survey to support The R&A Golf Course 2030 (GC2030) industry initiative established in 2018.

STRI was awarded a number of GC2030 projects to help meet the projected challenges that the golf industry will face over the next ten years, including, golf green quality standard, grass selection, aggregate availability, Integrated Turf Management (ITM), and water management.

STRI launch golf survey for R&A Golf Course 2030

The new golf industry survey will focus on Integrated Turf Management of Poa/Bent Parkland Greens and the results will allow STRI to review current practices and use of Synthetic Plant Protection Products (SPPP), as well as water management issues such as drought or flooding.

Steve Isaac, Director of sustainability, The R&A, said: “This Golf Course 2030 project is designed to help you and your course overcome the challenges we face in coming years, such as, more frequent flooding and drought events, more disease and pest incidence and the consequences of regulation, particularly with regards to the availability of pesticides.

“Your input, through this brief questionnaire, will be vital if this project is to deliver the support and guidance you need to future-proof the condition and playability of your course.”

Paul Woodham, General manager of agronomy, STRI, said: “This project is well underway and is designed to act as a learning resource and support tool for all in the industry. The questionnaire offers an opportunity to get involved as we build the research information which deals with all aspects of managing parkland greens.

“There will be continued challenges with further restrictions and limited resources over the next decade. The predicted challenges for the golf industry due to climate change and resource pressures are being realised, and we encourage all applicable courses to offer their support by completing this important R&A Golf Course 2030 survey to help to shape the future of the game.”

STRI will produce an interactive best practice handbook, for the management of Poa/Bent golf greens in a parkland setting based on the survey results and wider research around this subject.

For further details, and to complete the Golf Course 2030 survey, visit www.strigroup.com or follow the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/GC2030.

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New technology works well for North Shore

August 25, 2020/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

New technology works well for North Shore: Set on the Lincolnshire coast with beautiful views over the North Sea, the James Braid designed North Shore golf course at Skegness offers a challenge to all levels of golfer with its interesting and attractive mixture of links and parkland holes crossing over each other in two loops of nine.

Like many golf clubs across the country, North Shore has seen a growth in membership during the coronavirus lockdown, and owner/director William Mitchell anticipates their biggest increase for several years when the club’s country members return to play safely. Country membership is available to anyone living outside a 30-mile radius of Skegness, and local legend has it that at one time North Shore could boast the largest holiday membership in the world.

New technology works well for North Shore

The pandemic also interrupted, but ultimately did not affect, an order for the club’s first new fleet of John Deere course maintenance equipment from local dealer F G Adamson & Son of Langworth near Lincoln. This was originally finalised before the lockdown started, but with the closure of the club’s popular hotel as well as the course, payment had to be postponed.

“John Deere Financial were very understanding and flexible about the finance lease on the new kit,” says William. “This has been structured around a six-year seasonal profile matched to our normal income stream, based on membership renewals in April and summer visitors to both the course and hotel. The whole deal has been very straightforward and works very well for the club, especially in the current circumstances.

“Annual full membership makes up a small proportion of rounds played, with our main business relying on visitors staying with us on golf breaks. Skegness’ population is about 20,000, but summer visitors account for 10 times that number, so we really rely on that influx of people each year. Groups stay at the hotel for a couple of nights, play four rounds of golf and hold their own competitions.

“The course therefore has to be in tip-top condition – if that side of the business isn’t as good as we can make it, the rest wouldn’t stack up. We’re happy to say that we’ve had really good feedback from members on the course’s playability since the John Deere machines were introduced, right from the start. Kudos to our head greenkeeper Brett Cornelius, too – he did an amazing job during lockdown and the members have really appreciated it.”

The new fleet consists of a John Deere 7700A PrecisionCut fairway mower, 8800A TerrainCut rotary roughs mower, two 2500E hybrid electric triplex mowers equipped with greens and tees cylinder cutting units, a TH 6×4 Gator utility vehicle and a Tru-Turf greens iron.

“We lost our head mechanic last December, but Brett combines his greenkeeping expertise with mechanical skills,” adds William. “This cemented in our minds that we needed to move from a shed of old kit to new, up-to-date machines and technology that are reliable and efficient.”

Brett had used John Deere equipment before coming to North Shore as head greenkeeper seven years ago, so he discussed what was available with Adamson’s area sales manager Scott Trestrail and had all the recommended machines on demonstration before finalising the deal.

New technology works well for North Shore

“The machines we chose were pretty much like for like replacements, although we hadn’t had a dedicated ride-on rough mower before, so that made the biggest immediate improvement,” he says. “The 8800A rides the course contours well and you can raise and lower the cutting height in five minutes, it’s really easy. I had used a Gator at my previous course and it’s such a versatile vehicle, with the six-wheel design providing very low ground pressure.”

Brett carried out very basic course maintenance during lockdown – he was originally furloughed along with the rest of the staff, but only took about 10 days off before opting to return and keep the course looking as tidy as possible. “Basically I just did a lot of mowing!” he says.

“The initial drought conditions meant the links holes browned off straight away and didn’t need much attention, so I was lucky in that respect. Since reopening in May we’re still doing a lot of catching up, but having new machines has helped us enormously. They’ve made us more productive and we spend far less time in the workshop than before.”

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)

STRI launch golf survey for R&A Golf Course 2030

New technology works well for North Shore

STRI launch golf survey for R&A Golf Course 2030

New technology works well for North Shore

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

STRI launch golf survey for R&A Golf Course 2030

STRI launch golf survey for R&A Golf Course 2030: STRI Group is delighted to announce the launch of a new golf course industry focused survey to support The R&A Golf Course 2030 (GC2030) industry initiative established in 2018.

New technology works well for North Shore

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