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Maintaining High Standards At Sandburn Hall

September 4, 2017/in Machinery, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

Maintaining high standards at Sandburn Hall: Sandburn Hall Golf Club, a 6700yd par 72 parkland course with a heathland element situated in Flaxton in the beautiful Vale of York, opened just 12 years ago but already hosts major amateur and professional county events. Getting the fairways and greens to that high standard, and maintaining it, has […]

Cricket Clubs Step Up Security After Spate Of Equipment Thefts

September 1, 2017/in Industry News, Press Release/by External Source

Village cricket clubs step up security after spate of equipment thefts: Police concede cuts to number of officers in rural areas make it difficult for them to protect cricket and other sporting clubs. Cricket clubs are being forced to invest in expensive security systems and face soaring insurance bills after a spate of thefts that is […]

Maintaining High Standards At Sandburn Hall

September 4, 2017/in Machinery, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

Cricket Clubs Step Up Security After Spate Of Equipment Thefts

September 1, 2017/in Industry News, Press Release/by External Source

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Maintaining High Standards At Sandburn Hall

September 4, 2017/in Machinery, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

Maintaining high standards at Sandburn Hall: Sandburn Hall Golf Club, a 6700yd par 72 parkland course with a heathland element situated in Flaxton in the beautiful Vale of York, opened just 12 years ago but already hosts major amateur and professional county events.

Getting the fairways and greens to that high standard, and maintaining it, has been the responsibility of the club’s golf course manager Brian Hall and his son Andrew, who is deputy manager. They have been at the course since its inception, and their main choice of machinery from the start has been John Deere, supplied by dealer F G Adamson & Son.

The original fleet package delivered when the course was being prepared for play comprised a 2653A surrounds and rough mower, a 3235B fairway mower, a 3245B rough mower and a 2500B greens mower. There was also a 4115 compact tractor, a 1200A bunker rake and an Aercore 1500 tractor-mounted aerator.

“We look after the equipment and have our own mechanic, Chris Clark, and a grinding machine for cylinders and bottom blades, so we can keep the machines going for a long time,” says Brian Hall. “However, when fairway and rough mowers get to around 10 years old they need replacing to keep up with the latest technology. The machines had proved to be reliable and we have a good working relationship with F G Adamson & Son, who provide excellent after-sales support.”

To keep the course maintenance fleet up to date a rolling replacement policy was instigated with dealer area sales manager Andy O’Neill in 2012, in which all the machines are bought outright. “This enables us to minimise our annual outlay, as we know how much to budget for the next machine,” adds Brian.

Replacement machines have included an 8700 fairway mower, a 2653B utility mower, an 8800 rough mower and a 2500E hybrid electric greens mower to complement the 2500B, which is still going strong in its role as a back-up mower and for verticutting the greens.

The latest new John Deere machines to arrive at Sandburn Hall are a 2027R compact tractor complete with a 60in mid-mounted rotary mower deck, and a Pro Gator utility vehicle equipped with an HD200 low-profile amenity turf sprayer and TD100 fertiliser spreader. A 4710 compact tractor has also replaced the 4115.

The 2027R compact tractor is fitted with a three-point linkage so, in addition to cutting the secondary rough and around the trees on the course, it is also used to aerate the greens. The 4710 is fitted with Galaxy tyres and powers a rotary topper for the rough and a trailed fertiliser spreader. It also tows a set of gang mowers on the driving range. The new Pro Gator is commended for its low centre of gravity and even weight distribution when carrying the sprayer and top dressing with the spreader.

Both Brian and Andrew Hall like the John Deere equipment’s build quality and operator comfort, and highlight features that they say help make the greenkeepers’ job easier all the time and improve the quality of cut – all helping the Sandburn Hall team to create a golf course that is already recognised as one of the best in the area.

“The fairway tender conditioners’ recycling action means there is no mess when cutting wet grass,” says Brian. “The Quick Adjust single point height of cut and blade to cylinder adjustment system is fantastic, and the backlapping facility is also very handy.”

On the benefits of the 2500E hybrid electric greens mower, Andrew adds: “As well as being quieter and minimising the chance of any hydraulic oil spillage, the offset cutting units are a major feature, as there’s no tracking when cutting the perimeter of the greens. Operating costs are also lower, as the 2500E has the same clip rate as a conventional mower but at two-thirds the revs. In addition, the weight transfer system means that it maintains the same height of cut whether the grass box is full or empty.”

In summary, Sandburn Hall director James Hogg says: “We have enjoyed trading with F G Adamson & Son since we bought our first John Deere tractor in 2001, well before the golf course was even completed. They have always looked after us with fast, reliable parts delivery and excellent new machines, and we look forward to doing business with them and John Deere for many years to come.”

For more information, visit: www.JohnDeere.co.uk

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Cricket Clubs Step Up Security After Spate Of Equipment Thefts

September 1, 2017/in Industry News, Press Release/by External Source

Village cricket clubs step up security after spate of equipment thefts: Police concede cuts to number of officers in rural areas make it difficult for them to protect cricket and other sporting clubs.

Cricket clubs are being forced to invest in expensive security systems and face soaring insurance bills after a spate of thefts that is putting pressure on the grassroots game.

Organised gangs are being blamed for thefts of everything from groundskeeping equipment to alcohol – and even, in one bizarre case, a section of artificial pitch that the club believe was stolen to order.

Privately, police concede that cuts to the number of officers, particularly in rural areas, make it difficult for them to protect cricket and other sporting clubs.

he pattern echoes a broader trend in countryside crime, according to the insurer NFU Mutual, which reported a 20% rise in the cost of rural theft in the first half of 2017.

Among the clubs whose summers have been blighted is Upottery CC in east Devon. After years of planning and fundraising, the club moved to a new ground just outside the village. Three weeks later it suffered its first ever break-in when a shipping container was smashed open and £10,000 worth of mowers were stolen.

“We had worked so hard on the move,” said the groundsman Nigel Wyatt. “It felt like a real kick in the teeth.”

The club had not previously been able to get insurance when it stored its equipment in a shed at its old ground, but its location in the centre of the village made it safe. “We were naive in not getting insurance for the container at the new ground,” said Wyatt.

Upottery managed to keep playing by getting hold of second-hand equipment, and they hope the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will help them buy new machinery in the winter.

Forty miles away in west Devon, Ashburton cricket club is counting the cost of three break-ins in 10 days. Equipment, alcohol and food were taken. “It’s demoralising,” said the club chairman, Jerry Crouch. Cash that could have been spent on the fun bits of cricket – bats, balls, training equipment – is having to be invested in CCTV and an alarm system. The club has also launched a crowdfunding appeal. “We’re a small club and really can’t afford this sort of thing,” said Crouch.

In this case, Devon and Cornwall police are doing what they can to help by starting to exercise some of their dogs on the Ashburton grounds to deter thieves. But the force accepted it was difficult for it to help secure rural cricket clubs.

spokesman said: “Even before the cuts we would have limited night-time patrols in small rural areas, let alone at completely isolated locations. Quite often cricket clubs can be in isolated locations. This means that break-ins aren’t usually discovered until the groundsman discovers it the following day. We advise clubs to attempt to be as secure as possible, and for the public to call us if they see or notice anything suspicious to allow us to respond.

“Some of the more recent break-ins have been people stealing equipment and alcohol, plus criminal damage. We would strongly urge the investment in CCTV, to ensure that takings and cash floats are not left in tills, and that valuables are left securely stored. We also ask that if they haven’t already, that they join and work with local neighbourhood watch groups and their local officers to improve the sharing of information and to help us identify possible growing trends which we can respond to accordingly.”

It is not just clubs in the south-west that are suffering. Clubs in Staffordshire, the West Midlands, Yorkshire, Surrey and Lancashire have all reported thefts this season.

Clubs report that many of the raids appear to be well-planned and organised and believe that in many cases criminal gangs are to blame. One tactic thought to be in use is to steal old equipment, for scrap if it not worth selling on, and then return to take brand new replacement equipment.

A spectacular raid took place last week at Egerton cricket club in Greater Manchester. Masked thieves broke in, fastened one end of a cable to a safe in the beer cellar and the other to their car and tried to haul it out. They failed but caused damage and worry.

The ECB is advising clubs that feel they might be at risk to seek advice from police, though it said it had no evidence that clubs were being singled out more than other organisations

A spokesman said: “We will always offer support and advice to clubs who are victims of vandalism or any other similar incident. This is done on a case-by-case basis working closing with the relevant local county cricket board.”

Perhaps the oddest theft of the summer took place at Hunslet Nelson cricket club in Leeds. One night thieves made their way on to the club’s ground and neatly cut a 4m by 3m piece from the newly laid artificial wicket.

“We couldn’t believe it,” said the club secretary, Brian Calverley. The club does not believe this was an act of vandalism. “They did too neat a job for that. We think it was stolen to order for a back-garden play area or perhaps a golf putting green.”

The club’s insurance premium rose by £150 this year and will rise by another £350 next following the theft. “It makes it so much harder for us to run the club. We’re amazed at the lengths the thieves went to. You’d think it would be easier to get an ordinary job.”

To read the original article, click here

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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.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Maintaining High Standards At Sandburn Hall

Cricket Clubs Step Up Security After Spate Of Equipment Thefts

Maintaining High Standards At Sandburn Hall

Cricket Clubs Step Up Security After Spate Of Equipment Thefts

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Maintaining High Standards At Sandburn Hall

Cricket Clubs Step Up Security After Spate Of Equipment Thefts

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