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Maximising Winter Playability at Chester-Le-Street GC

September 15, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Maximising Winter Playability at Chester-Le-Street GC: When winter bites, it bites hard in the North East. At Chester-Le-Street Golf Club, Course Manager Jack Hetherington knows the battle all too well: persistent rain, cold soils, and long hours of leaf wetness that stretch from autumn into early spring. Between October and March, maintaining playable surfaces becomes […]

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC

September 4, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC: Blackpool FC has seen major improvements to both its stadium and training ground facilities following the installation of a new Hunter irrigation system, supplied by KAR UK and installed by Arden Lea Irrigation. Head Groundsman Paul Flynn, who has been with the club for nearly five years, […]

Maximising Winter Playability at Chester-Le-Street GC

September 15, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC

September 4, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

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Maximising Winter Playability at Chester-Le-Street GC

September 15, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Maximising Winter Playability at Chester-Le-Street GC: When winter bites, it bites hard in the North East. At Chester-Le-Street Golf Club, Course Manager Jack Hetherington knows the battle all too well: persistent rain, cold soils, and long hours of leaf wetness that stretch from autumn into early spring.

Between October and March, maintaining playable surfaces becomes a test of strategy, not just stamina.

Maximising Winter Playability at Chester-Le-Street GC

“Improving the movement of water through the surface is essential in maximising the window in which we can operate to produce the best surfaces,” Jack explains.

With a course built on mixed construction types, including clay push-ups with drains, keeping water moving is vital.

“It’s crucial that we get water down into the drains as quickly as possible to maintain turf health and ensure playability. We’d also had issues with access points and bottlenecks becoming unsafe for play after rain. Applying FlowSmart in these areas has kept the course open.”

Jack applies H2Pro FlowSmart monthly in a tank-mix with Effect Iron as part of his ITM programme.

“This combination aids playability and helps us stay on top of disease management,” he says.

The results soon spoke for themselves: firmer-feeling clay push-ups, faster infiltration, and more manageable disease pressure through the autumn and winter.

“The moment it really stood out was after a rain event — the next day you could walk onto the green, no dew, felt firmer underfoot, and performing better than the day before. It transformed how the greens performed throughout the autumn/winter period.”

Tank-mixing with iron has brought additional gains too, with improved turf colour, vigour, and resilience through high-pressure disease periods.

And with ICL’s support behind the product, Jack says the decision was straightforward.

“ICL is synonymous with data-driven products, and the support wrapped around them makes for an easy decision.”

For Jack, FlowSmart has become a reliable part of his programme.

“What we apply in our spray windows is increasingly important, which is why I always recommend products supported by data and research. FlowSmart is one of the many ICL have to offer.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

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Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC

September 4, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC: Blackpool FC has seen major improvements to both its stadium and training ground facilities following the installation of a new Hunter irrigation system, supplied by KAR UK and installed by Arden Lea Irrigation.

Head Groundsman Paul Flynn, who has been with the club for nearly five years, explained how the Hunter products have transformed operations, saving time, improving turf quality, and supporting player performance.

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC

Before the installation, Paul and his team relied on standpipes and travelling sprinklers – a process that was time-consuming and inefficient.

“We were wasting 20 to 25 hours a week just watering pitches by hand,” Paul said. “I told the club they’d get that time back within a year if we invested in irrigation – and that’s exactly what has happened.”

The first phase began at the training ground, with irrigation now fully operational across the main pitches and the sports science area. At the stadium, work is ongoing, with Hunter I80-ON sprinklers already replacing older, underperforming units.

Blackpool’s system includes the Hunter ACC2 Controller with Centralus, the Hunter GT-885, and the Hunter I80-ON sprinklers.

The ACC2 Controller with Centralus allows Paul and his deputy to manage irrigation directly from their phones or via a roaming remote, giving them ultimate flexibility.

“We can press a button and water exactly where we want, whenever we want,” Paul explained. “It makes growing, training preparation, and recovery so simple. We’ve now got around 62 heads across the site, so we can literally water every blade of grass.”

The Hunter I80-ON heads, installed at Bloomfield Road Stadium, have already improved coverage and performance compared to the old system. The GT-885 sprinklers at the training ground provide strength, durability, and easy access for maintenance – crucial for a high-use facility.

The improvements in irrigation have gone beyond aesthetics, directly impacting player welfare and training quality.

“Before, some areas were rock hard, which contributed to calf and hamstring injuries,” said Paul. “Now we can keep surfaces consistent, which makes a huge difference for performance and safety.”

Managers have also benefitted, with the ability to prepare pitches to replicate match conditions.

“The current manager says the best thing is that the training pitches now resemble the stadium pitch,” Paul added. “It means we can mirror match situations and even put the sprinklers on during sessions to improve ball speed – something we could never do before.”

Paul credited both KAR UK and Arden Lea Irrigation for their expertise and support throughout the project.

“My relationship with Wes and Lee at KAR UK goes back years, and I know I can always rely on them,” he said. “Arden Lea are also brilliant – I just pick up the phone and they’re here the next day. Between the two of them, the whole process has been faultless.”

The old irrigation kit has even been donated to Blackpool Cricket Club, strengthening community ties and ensuring wider benefit from the project.

With the training ground fully upgraded and stadium improvements ongoing, Paul believes Hunter irrigation will continue to play a vital role in Blackpool FC’s future.

“The health of the pitches has never been better,” he said. “It’s more efficient, saves us time, and helps the players perform. Honestly, I can’t fault the system at all.”

For more information, please visit www.karuk.com

You can also follow KAR UK on X and Instagram @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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)

Maximising Winter Playability at Chester-Le-Street GC

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC

Maximising Winter Playability at Chester-Le-Street GC

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Maximising Winter Playability at Chester-Le-Street GC

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC: Blackpool FC has seen major improvements to both its stadium and training ground facilities following the installation of a new Hunter irrigation system, supplied by KAR UK and installed by Arden Lea Irrigation.

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