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Abergele GC Green Keeper Awarded

February 13, 2018/in News, Press Release/by External Source

Abergele GC Green Keeper Awarded: An Abergele green keeper has beaten competition from all over the UK to win the Outstanding Environmental Project of the Year 2018. Darren Anderson, master green keeper at Abergele Golf Club clinched the win at The Golf Environment Awards ceremony in Harrogate, Yorkshire for his Tir Gwyllt project near the […]

Soil Biology Brings Rewards

February 12, 2018/in News, Press Release/by Greg Rhodes

Soil Biology Brings Rewards: A greens team has seen its maintenance budget double and recruitment increase having introduced a range of soil biology methods across the course. Harpenden Common Golf Club swept aside its existing greens renovation programme in favour of a less intrusive, environmental one based on applying compost teas, fertilisers, trace elements and zeolites. […]

Abergele GC Green Keeper Awarded

February 13, 2018/in News, Press Release/by External Source

Soil Biology Brings Rewards

February 12, 2018/in News, Press Release/by Greg Rhodes

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Abergele GC Green Keeper Awarded

February 13, 2018/in News, Press Release/by External Source

Abergele GC Green Keeper Awarded: An Abergele green keeper has beaten competition from all over the UK to win the Outstanding Environmental Project of the Year 2018.

Darren Anderson, master green keeper at Abergele Golf Club clinched the win at The Golf Environment Awards ceremony in Harrogate, Yorkshire for his Tir Gwyllt project near the 3rd hole at the course near Gwrych castle.

Mr Anderson, 41 , said: “Firstly it was about us building an ecology area, the awards obviously encouraged us and we were still entering even though we thought we didn’t have a chance.

“I felt immensely proud when it was announced we won, I just couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know what to say, apart from thank you to everyone.”

The project created a wildlife haven on the overgrown site of the former 9th hole, and was a combined effort spearheaded by Mr Anderson with his team including Gareth Jones, Rob Myatt and Greg Howsam, with his wife Sali supplying the name Tir Gwyllt, or ‘wild land’.

The team created owl and bat boxes, a fruit table for butterflies, habitats for door mice and hotels for bees, ladybirds and other beneficial insects with recycled materials.

They also removed overgrown rye grass which allowed native species of orchid to return and planted wildflower gardens to encourage pollination.

After receiving the nomination along with clubs in Scotland and England, Mr Anderson was joined by club directors Terry Hughes, Martin Thomas, and Dewi Roberts for the awards ceremony organised by international sports pitch consultants the STRI Group and organisers of The Open the R & A .

Mr Anderson, a former pupil at Emrys ap Iwan, said: “The whole idea was we wanted to improve our environmental standing and encourage ecology with the resources we had really as we didn’t have money to spend.

“When we found out we made it to the final, we were over the moon and the club directors automatically said they were going along to support the awards, however when I saw the fantastic work the other finalist had done, I warned the directors, please don’t get your hopes up.”

As part of the award, Mr Anderson – a third generation green keeper, originally from Edinburgh – has will visit to Portugal in April for a showcase in environmental approaches to managing golf courses.

A spokesman for Abergele Golf Club said: “It goes without saying that we are extremely lucky to have Darren, the work he has put in to enter for this award and continues to do to maintain these standards makes Abergele Golf Club a Golf Course to be proud of.”

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Soil Biology Brings Rewards

February 12, 2018/in News, Press Release/by Greg Rhodes

Soil Biology Brings Rewards: A greens team has seen its maintenance budget double and recruitment increase having introduced a range of soil biology methods across the course.

Harpenden Common Golf Club swept aside its existing greens renovation programme in favour of a less intrusive, environmental one based on applying compost teas, fertilisers, trace elements and zeolites.

“The old system of digging up our waterlogged greens twice a year to try to improve drainage had failed,” reports head greenkeeper Sean Brocklehurst, “so we invited an agronomist specialising in soil biology to take a look at the problem.”

Soil Biology Ltd’s Hillery Murphy recommended an extensive programme of boosting the microbial count across the 18-hole private members parkland course in a bid to reduce thatch and strengthen the rootzone.

Now in its fourth year of the soil biology strategy, Harpenden Common is reaping the benefits inside and outside the clubhouse, states Sean. “Poor drainage on the greens made them unplayable sometimes, forcing us to close the course and risking loss of members. Playing surfaces have improved so much that we can stay open year-round, which is great news for everyone here.”

General manager Terry Crump said: “Our key priority is to deliver the best possible course conditions and clubhouse facilities for our members. They will go elsewhere if we cannot provide golf whenever they want it.

“It’s no exaggeration to state that the club might have struggled if we had persisted with our existing maintenance strategy, which relied heavily on chemical and physical treatments.”

Year-round course playability has helped the club double the greens team’s maintenance budget, allowing it to introduce improvements across the site.

“We are raising standards off course as well as on to boost presentation around the playing areas,” says Sean, “and we have been able to recruit an apprentice greenkeeper to increase the team to seven. “

Harpenden Common applies Soil Biology products right across the course to raise quality throughout. “The zeolites add structural integrity to the turf and retain then release nutrients over time,” Sean explains, “also encouraging a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria in the rootzone. Members agree the state of the course is the best it has ever been.”

Hillery Murphy says: “Harpenden Common is a great testimony to soil biology. Zeolites deliver more consistent results, creating a honeycomb in which beneficial microbes can thrive and metabolise nutrients for the grass plant to take up. This is the future for course maintenance practices.”

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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)

Abergele GC Green Keeper Awarded

Soil Biology Brings Rewards

Abergele GC Green Keeper Awarded

Soil Biology Brings Rewards

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Abergele GC Green Keeper Awarded

Soil Biology Brings Rewards

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