Blog Elements - Turf Matters

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return

May 5, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return: Golfers were warned to expect “inevitable disappointment” when they were able to return to play whenever government lockdown restrictions are eased. Only essential maintenance has been permitted, often by stripped down greenkeeping crews, since the decision was taken to shut the doors on clubs on March 23. Images spread across […]

The time to make pitches perfect

May 5, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

The time to make pitches perfect: Croke Park pitch manager Stuart Wilson has revealed one positive from the break in GAA activity, a revitalised and reinvigorated pitch at GAA headquarters. And Wilson, who has previously worked at the Aviva Stadium and Arsenal’’s Emirates Stadium, has insisted that club and country grounds nationwide can similarly benefit. […]

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return

May 5, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

The time to make pitches perfect

May 5, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return

May 5, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return: Golfers were warned to expect “inevitable disappointment” when they were able to return to play whenever government lockdown restrictions are eased.

Only essential maintenance has been permitted, often by stripped down greenkeeping crews, since the decision was taken to shut the doors on clubs on March 23.

Images spread across social media over the past few weeks have shown courses looking striped and fantastic during the spring sunshine.

But the reality, when getting up close, will be areas – such as rough – that have not been as closely monitored as teams have stuck to guidance issued by governing bodies and worked with limited numbers.

Speaking during a Talking Shop webinar held by the British & International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association (BIGGA), a panel of course managers urged caution.

“It’s expectation. They (golfers) are going to come back and they’re going to think that everything is fantastic,” said Scott Reeves, Leyland course manager and BIGGA chairman, when asked what the biggest challenge was going to be on the resumption of golf.

“(The perception will be that) The course has been empty, so the greenkeepers must have all been beavering away making everything absolutely perfect in their absence.

“We’re going to have to manage that. We’ll have to manage the expectation prior to opening, or partial opening, communicate effectively and, once they are on site, explain and build relationships back up again with golfers.

“There’s going to be inevitable disappointment.”

Andy Ewence, course manager at Woking, explained he had stopped using twitter when the lockdown began to temper expectations.

“We can keep the surfaces looking OK, fairways, greens, tees, but it is the strimming, the rough, the weed spraying,” he said.

Ewence continued: “The problem is there’s what you’re doing and the golf course down the road could be doing something totally different and the members speak.

“It’s going to be hard one. One golf course might look absolutely outstanding that have had most of their staff there, and the other one doesn’t. Going from public, private, exclusive, they are all going to be different.”

Craig Haldane, golf courses manager at Gleneagles, said communication – and doing it at the right time – would be absolutely crucial in getting everyone on side.

He added the possibility of full crews not being able to return for some time even after reopening, because of various restrictions that would still be in place, meant greenkeepers would also have to moderate their own expectations.

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.

The time to make pitches perfect

May 5, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

The time to make pitches perfect: Croke Park pitch manager Stuart Wilson has revealed one positive from the break in GAA activity, a revitalised and reinvigorated pitch at GAA headquarters.

And Wilson, who has previously worked at the Aviva Stadium and Arsenal’’s Emirates Stadium, has insisted that club and country grounds nationwide can similarly benefit.

“I think you’d be disappointed to see any bad pitches this year because there’’s going to be lots of time without activity on them and if people are doing the right work, then it should be a very good year for GAA pitches,” said Wilson, who confirmed that Croke Park is currently thriving.

That is partly down to the absence of games since the All-Ireland club camogie finals on March 1 and partly to an overseeding process undertaken immediately after those games which was complemented by the use of germination sheets.

“The pitch has just got better and better week by week and to be honest with you I’ve never seen the Croke Park pitch look as good in April,” said Wilson.

That may sound like a waste given the likelihood of a total wipe-out of the summer schedule, due to the COVID-19 crisis, but there’’s still the possibility of the ground hosting games later in the year.

As such, plans to install a new Croke Park pitch in autumn have been put on hold.

“Obviously now work like that is going to be totally put on hold,” said Wilson. “We just don’t know what’’s going to happen. There still could be matches played later on in the year. It hadn’t been actually finalised but there was a potential pitch replacement at the back end of the year, at the end of the Championships. We obviously can’t go ahead with anything like that now because there’’s the potential for matches to be played throughout October, November and even December. I haven’t heard anything on it because I think there’’s obviously more important things going on but things like that will probably be postponed, yes.”

What it all means is a likely clear run of inactivity throughout most of 2020 for Croke Park and the rest of the GAA’’s club and county grounds.

While unexpected, Wilson said the break is badly needed after a ’’shockingly wet winter’’ that left many pitches around the country ’’badly beaten up’’ following heavy usage.

“I often compare the situation to a player, let’’s say a player is asked to play four or five matches a week with another training session or two thrown in, that player is going to be fatigued and won’t be able to continuously perform, they’ll simply need a rest,” he said. “Pitches are the exact same.

“You’’re dealing with something that’’s living, a grass plant is living, if you’ ’re constantly using it and beating it, eventually it’’s going to die.”

That’’s why most club grounds and plenty of county grounds too have sandy goalmouths or artificial surfaces in front of the goaline. Now after just weeks of inactivity, goalmouths are green again around the country.

Wilson’s advice to those who tend pitches is to mow them two to three times a week, to a height of ’’anything between 30mm and 50mm’’. For the record, Croke Park is cut to a 30mm height all year round. That much alone, he says, will be a big help.

“By doing that you’re promoting the density of the pitch because the grass will thicken up. Instead of growing up, it will start to grow sideways too, filling in all of those gaps. The problem is when people leave their pitches long and then go in and cut it and absolutely hack the grass down, that’’s really, really stressing a pitch. If you’’re cutting it consistently, just nipping it, just taking the top off, you will see an improvement in the quality of the pitch without a doubt.”

When restrictions ease, Wilson suggests broader renovation plans for club and county grounds that might include: over-seeding with 100 per cent ryegrass, an application of top-dressing, fertilising with a control release fertiliser, aeration works like tining, slitting or linear aeration ’’to open up the soil and let it breathe and let the roots go down’’, and weed control.

“From listening to John Horan, I think it’’s going to be a good while before GAA pitches see any activity,” said Wilson. “So I do believe that people will be able to work on pitches, once the current restriction on only essential maintenance is loosened obviously. I think the key is that people are ready to go, that they’ve got a plan in place to renovate their pitches.”

Back at Croke Park, Wilson and his three full-time staff are splitting their shifts and ghosting through the stadium.

“I don’t know how to describe it, it’’s bizarre to be honest with you,” said Wilson. “We’re fortunate that the pitch is in fantastic shape and whenever action starts back, we’ll be ready and raring to go.”

Click here to read the original article

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)

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return

The time to make pitches perfect

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return

The time to make pitches perfect

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return: Golfers were warned to expect “inevitable disappointment” when they were able to return to play whenever government lockdown restrictions are eased.

The time to make pitches perfect

The time to make pitches perfect: Croke Park pitch manager Stuart Wilson has revealed one positive from the break in GAA activity, a revitalised and reinvigorated pitch at GAA headquarters.

RESOURCES

CONTACT

CONNECT