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IOG Young Board Member To Promote Careers

April 2, 2019/in News, People, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

IOG Young Board Member To Promote Careers: Young entrepreneur Sam Cain has recently joined the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Young Board of Directors, which is sponsored by Toro and Reesink Turfcare, to show young people the wide range of career opportunities available in the industry. 23-year-old Sam who has his own business specialising in line […]

Time Of Change At Woking GC

April 1, 2019/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

Time Of Change At Woking GC: It’s been a time of change for Woking Golf Club in Surrey culminating in the recent signing of a machinery agreement plan with Toro and Reesink Turfcare. It all started a couple of years ago and has seen the appointment of Andy Ewence as course manager, major works to […]

IOG Young Board Member To Promote Careers

April 2, 2019/in News, People, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

Time Of Change At Woking GC

April 1, 2019/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

IOG Young Board Member To Promote Careers

April 2, 2019/in News, People, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

23-year-old Sam who has his own business specialising in line marking and playground design, says: “I’m really excited to begin my time on the board. Showing the range of career opportunities available within the sector will encourage young people to get more involved, at the moment I think the perceived lack of options is a barrier. Ultimately, I want to redefine what being in groundscare means, and make people realise how many different options there are and how much choice there is; there are so many more options than just working at a football club for example.”

After having studied Graphic Design and Communication at Central Saint Martins, 23-year-old Sam recognised a gap in the market and began his own business creating innovative line marking designs for underused open spaces in schools and public areas. His business, Cain Markings, now designs, produces and maintains high-quality line markings for a host of surfaces and venues. Sam credits the experience and skills he gained at university in helping him succeed, and his Dad, who worked his way up in groundscare from an apprentice to an operations director, as his biggest inspiration.

Sam says: “I’ve grown up around groundscare, so it’s always been in my blood. It hasn’t been an easy ride starting my own business. It’s been a challenge and a huge learning curve, but I don’t regret it one bit. I really enjoy my work; it’s so rewarding to be able to see a process through from beginning to end. Helping the client by coming up with innovative ways to solve problems and seeing how happy they are with the finished result provides so much job satisfaction.

“Joining the IOG Young Board of Directors in November 2018 has opened up a lot of opportunities already. Everyone on the board brings something different which collectively we hope will improve the industry and help shape it for the future. I hope for my contribution to be helping change perceptions of exactly what being a groundsman entails.

“When you look at the board, it’s mostly made up of groundsmen at football clubs, so I’m one of the odd ones out. My involvement in the business side should go some way to show there are lots of opportunities and career paths you can take in grounds! There are also jobs and opportunities in technology and at other sports venues such as tennis and basketball courts.”

Sam also feels compelled to promote the difference the younger grounds generation can bring to the industry: “The industry is predominantly made up of an older generation and while many are really supportive of the young ones coming through, there’s always more we can do to promote their ideas and contribution within the sector, to make sure their voice is heard and taken seriously.”

David Cole, Reesink Turfcare’s managing director says: “The reason we got involved in sponsoring the board was to give people like Sam as much of a voice to help promote the benefits of a career in grounds as they feel will make a difference. It’s one of the most important things we can do as a company in a position to provide sponsorship. The young generation has so much passion for their sector and this will only help inspire others and help break down any barriers that exist.”

Geoff Webb, IOG CEO, says: “It’s great to see new faces on the IOG Young Board of Directors. The whole point of this group is to enable young aspiring people to showcase this industry and be an advocate for the profession. It’s pleasing to see so many who have gone on to key roles in the industry such as Leicester City FC’s John Ledwidge – the original chairman of the group. It’s a good network and affords great opportunity to network, learn and advance a young career.”

Sam concludes by saying: “If you’re enthusiastic and prepared to work hard, you can get really far in this industry. I would recommend volunteering or work experience to get a taste of what it’s really like. I would also advise considering educational routes where possible. University was a great experience for me and taught me how to manage my time and run projects which prepared me for the working world.”

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Time Of Change At Woking GC

April 1, 2019/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

Time Of Change At Woking GC: It’s been a time of change for Woking Golf Club in Surrey culminating in the recent signing of a machinery agreement plan with Toro and Reesink Turfcare.

It all started a couple of years ago and has seen the appointment of Andy Ewence as course manager, major works to restore the course to its fast running heathland roots and the undertaking of some modern initiatives in preparation for the milestone 125^th anniversary in 2018. The result is a club that has risen 22 places in the Golf World Top 100 Golf Courses in Britain and Ireland ranking in 2018, now ranked 17^th in England, and the delivery of a new Toro fleet is the icing on the cake says Andy.

For 125 years golfers have been playing at Woking Golf Club, Surrey’s oldest heathland golf course, and it was this milestone moment that sparked a period of change, confirms Andy: “My appointment in 2017 coincided with progressive plans for the club. There have been major works to the course and the pressure is always on to maintain and improve.”

Andy has long been a Toro customer so is very aware of the quality of the machinery and the advice and service provided by Reesink Turfcare. At The Buckinghamshire, where he spent five years before joining Woking Golf Club, there was a five-year leasing plan for machinery in place and Andy had just finished overseeing the installation of a new irrigation system across the 226 acre course.

He says: “I knew from experience that Toro was well ahead of the competition, but it’s like chalk and cheese when you compare Toro to what we had here before. The quality of machinery and the service is just unbeatable. However, we made sure to explore all the options when the last lease ended. We trialed machines from several different brands, but it proved quickly that Toro was the right way to go.”

Now with a comprehensive Toro fleet which includes a Greensmaster TriFlex 3400, Groundsmaster 4000-D, ProCore 1298 and a Workman HDX-D to name a few, Andy is thrilled with how the new machines are meeting the needs of the club as it enters its 126^th year.

“We have undulating greens, so having pedestrian mowers that provide precision and a high quality of cut is really important,” says Andy. “In particular, the Toro Greensmaster eFlex 2120 is great. The Lithium-ion battery technology reduces noise so we can get out and start work earlier, plus it saves fuel.”

And, as mentioned, it’s not only the machines that have impressed Andy, but the advice and service from Reesink, too. “The whole process with Reesink has been great,” he says. “They didn’t try to sell us anything the club didn’t need – they listened to what we wanted and came back with the best possible solution. They’ve also come in and given a day long training course to the team on how to use the machines. Nothing has been too much trouble.”

Woking Golf Club is a prime example of golf course architecture. Designed by Tom Dunn and further improved by former members John Low and Stuart Paton, it has long been regarded as an essential place to study for aspiring and existing golf architects and with keen eyes on the club, Andy is confident that with Toro on board the course will go above and beyond expectations.

“I’m sure the playing surface is only going to improve massively with Toro now at the club,” he says. “It’s definitely going to bring the already high standard of the course up a notch, which we’re all really excited to see.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

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Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

IOG Young Board Member To Promote Careers

Time Of Change At Woking GC

IOG Young Board Member To Promote Careers

Time Of Change At Woking GC

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IOG Young Board Member To Promote Careers

Time Of Change At Woking GC

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