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BIGGA’s presidential nominee leaves amazing legacy

November 11, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

BIGGA’s presidential nominee leaves amazing legacy: A former Scottish First Division referee who officiated at European matches before becoming head greenkeeper at Buchanan Castle has accepted the nomination to become president of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) in 2025. Ronnie Myles, 67, has immediately stepped into the role of BIGGA Vice President, […]

Makita adds XGT hedge trimmers

November 11, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Makita adds XGT hedge trimmers: Makita has added two powerful cordless hedge trimmers to its range of 40VMax XGT grounds maintenance tools. The 500 mm bladed UH020G and 600 mm UH021G both deliver highly efficient and effective cutting and have been designed for ease of use. The UH020G and UH021G deliver an impressive 4,200 cutting […]

BIGGA’s presidential nominee leaves amazing legacy

November 11, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Makita adds XGT hedge trimmers

November 11, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

BIGGA’s presidential nominee leaves amazing legacy

November 11, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

BIGGA’s presidential nominee leaves amazing legacy: A former Scottish First Division referee who officiated at European matches before becoming head greenkeeper at Buchanan Castle has accepted the nomination to become president of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) in 2025.

Ronnie Myles, 67, has immediately stepped into the role of BIGGA Vice President, supporting John Keenaghan for the remainder of his term. Ronnie will then formally be appointed BIGGA President at the BIGGA Annual General Meeting, taking place in January.

BIGGA’s presidential nominee leaves amazing legacy

Ronnie said: “I was absolutely flabbergasted to be asked to become BIGGA President. Having been a member of greenkeeper associations for more than 50 years, I feel very proud and honoured to be asked to represent BIGGA in this way.

“This year I hope we’re able to enhance the profile of greenkeepers and continue the progression of our association, which has come a long way over the last 10 to 15 years. Fifty years ago greenkeeping was thought of as a dead end profession, but now, there are real opportunities that come with greenkeeping and you have the chance to build a great career.”

Ronnie began his career at East Kilbride Golf Club in 1971 and he would move on to Cathkin Braes, Erskine, Helensburgh and Scarcroft in West Yorkshire, before finally settling at Buchanan Castle, where he worked until his retirement in 2022.

Ronnie was a stalwart of the BIGGA West of Scotland Section for over 20 years, acting as chairperson and secretary. He was vice-chairperson of the BIGGA Scotland and Northern Ireland Region before being appointed the Region’s first President in 2023.

Despite his retirement, Ronnie continues to work seasonally at Stirling Golf Club and is an active member of the BIGGA Scotland Legacy Club, which seeks to offer support and guidance to the next generation of greenkeepers.

Away from greenkeeping and Ronnie had a remarkable career as a high level match official, once running the line for an Old Firm game before being selected for six European Cup matches, including a hair-raising trip to East Germany. Remarkably, Ronnie also spent two seasons as Broxi Bear, the matchday mascot of Rangers Football Club.

As BIGGA Vice President and President, Ronnie will act as an ambassador for the association, representing BIGGA at various events throughout the year. He will also join the BIGGA Board of Management and utilise his experience to guide the board in their decision making.

Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO, said: “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Ronnie throughout my 13 years with BIGGA and I know how warmly he’s thought of in BIGGA Scotland and Northern Ireland, where he’s a popular and well-known figure.

“When he was proposed as BIGGA President 2025 the nomination was received enthusiastically by the BIGGA Board of Management and I’m looking forward to working alongside him. The coming year stands to be a crucial time in the history of our association as we seek to reshape our membership offering and build a structure that provides even more support and advice to greenkeepers at every stage of their career.”

You can read more about Ronnie’s career on the BIGGA website

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Makita adds XGT hedge trimmers

November 11, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Makita adds XGT hedge trimmers: Makita has added two powerful cordless hedge trimmers to its range of 40VMax XGT grounds maintenance tools. The 500 mm bladed UH020G and 600 mm UH021G both deliver highly efficient and effective cutting and have been designed for ease of use.

The UH020G and UH021G deliver an impressive 4,200 cutting strokes per minute and have a maximum blade opening of 20mm and will cut branches up to 10 mm in diameter. The new hedge trimmers feature single-sided blades with obliquely angled, triple-ground teeth for effortless cutting. The design of the blade also ensures excellent branch capture to provide smooth and complete trimming without branches escaping. It also features a reverse function to quickly and easily clear the blade in the event of a branch jam.

Makita adds XGT hedge trimmers

As part of Makita’s powerful XGT 40VMax platform, the new hedge trimmers deliver both high performance and excellent run times. Using a 4.0Ah battery, the UH020G and UH021G will achieve run times of approximately 110 and 105 minutes respectively before needing to swap the battery. The fast recharge times achieved by Makita’s XGT batteries means the 4.0Ah battery will be ready to use again in just 45 minutes.

In addition, the UH020G and UH021G have been engineered for user comfort and ease of operation. Both have a lightweight design with the blade guide bar manufactured from aluminium to improve the balance and reduce user fatigue. The two machines also feature a redesigned switch lever on the handle that is easier to press in any orientation for simpler control. For safety, the UH020G and UH021G have an electric brake, anti-restart function and a double layered housing to minimise vibration.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita UK said: “Developed from similar products in our 18V LXT range, these lightweight but powerful XGT hedge trimmers help to streamline the task by providing users with the performance and cutting efficiency required. These are just the latest addition to our continually expanding range of 40VMax XGT forestry and grounds maintenance tools, which includes chainsaws, lawn mowers, blowers, brush cutters, linetrimmers and sweepers.”

To find out more about Makita’s XGT range visit www.makitauk.com.

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)

BIGGA’s presidential nominee leaves amazing legacy

Makita adds XGT hedge trimmers

BIGGA’s presidential nominee leaves amazing legacy

Makita adds XGT hedge trimmers

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

BIGGA’s presidential nominee leaves amazing legacy

Makita adds XGT hedge trimmers

Makita adds XGT hedge trimmers: Makita has added two powerful cordless hedge trimmers to its range of 40VMax XGT grounds maintenance tools. The 500 mm bladed UH020G and 600 mm UH021G both deliver highly efficient and effective cutting and have been designed for ease of use.

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