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GroundsFest and GroundsFest Academy to Exhibit at BTME

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GroundsFest and GroundsFest Academy to Exhibit at BTME: GroundsFest and the GroundsFest Academy will be exhibiting at BTME 2026 for the very first time, marking an important milestone for the fast-growing event and its year-round education programme.

Visitors can find the GroundsFest team on stand 233, where they will be showcasing what makes GroundsFest a must-attend date in the industry calendar, as well as raising awareness of the GroundsFest Academy and its commitment to education and skills development.

GroundsFest and GroundsFest Academy to Exhibit at BTME

GroundsFest and GroundsFest Academy to Exhibit at BTME

The appearance at BTME follows an announcement earlier this year confirming a new collaboration between The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), organisers of BTME, and GroundsFest. The partnership is designed to strengthen both events while bringing together professionals from across the grounds care, landscaping and golf sectors. As part of this growing relationship, BIGGA exhibited at GroundsFest for the first time in September, making GroundsFest’s debut at BTME a natural next step.

BTME provides an ideal platform to introduce GroundsFest to an even wider greenkeeping audience. Taking place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on 16 and 17 September, GroundsFest has quickly established itself as a unique industry event, welcoming grounds staff, greenkeepers, landscapers, designers and architects, gardeners, local authorities, estate managers and contractors.

What sets GroundsFest apart is its distinctive format. The event combines indoor business and education opportunities with large-scale outdoor demonstrations, giving visitors the chance to see equipment, technology and techniques in action. After an action-packed day, attendees can unwind and continue networking at the show’s much-loved live music festival – a relaxed, informal environment that brings the industry together in a different way.

For many BTME visitors, the show will also be an opportunity to discover more about the GroundsFest Academy and what it offers. Created as a pathway for GroundsFest to give back to the industry, the Academy exists to invest in education and support the sector all year round. Its focus is on accessible, high-quality training that helps people learn, grow and stay inspired, whatever stage they are at in their career.

The GroundsFest Academy provides a platform for professionals, volunteers, students and newcomers to gain real-world knowledge and develop practical skills. A key aim is to raise awareness of career opportunities, attract new talent into the sector, and support the ongoing development of those already working within it.

The Academy delivers two distinct types of events. Inspire Events explore the key topics shaping the industry, while Focus Events take a deeper dive into market-specific challenges and opportunities. All sessions are CPD accredited and cover a wide range of relevant subjects, ensuring genuine value for attendees.

Exhibiting at BTME 2026 gives GroundsFest and the GroundsFest Academy the chance to connect directly with greenkeepers, encourage them to put GroundsFest 2026 in their diaries, and highlight the Academy as a hub where skills are shared, ideas are explored, and the future of the industry is strengthened through continued learning and collaboration.

For more information about the GroundsFest Academy, visit www.groundsfestacademy.com

For more information about GroundsFest, visit www.groundsfest.com

You can also follow GroundsFest on X, Facebook and Instagram @GroundsFest for much more news, reviews and insightful views

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Bernhard Academy champions leadership and development

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Bernhard Academy champions leadership and development: The Bernhard Academy strengthened its commitment to driving education and thought leadership across the golf and sports turf industries as it delivered two highly engaging workshops at the 2025 Women in Golf Awards, held on 27 November at Foxhills Golf Club, Surrey.

With 20+ delegates in attendance, the sessions formed part of the Academy’s wider mission to elevate industry professionals not only through technical growth, but also through essential management and people-development training.

Bernhard Academy champions leadership and development

Bernhard Academy champions leadership and development

Delivered by Phil Helmn MG, Programme Leader at the Bernhard Academy, the workshops explored how understanding different personality types can strengthen communication and teamwork, alongside practical insights into the behavioural drivers that influence performance under pressure. Delegates praised the relevance and accessibility of the content, noting the immediate value it could bring to their everyday roles.

Attendees represented a broad mix of roles, from greenkeepers and club managers to events teams, trustees, and board members – reflecting the growing demand for inclusive leadership development across the sector. Their feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with Dolores Brown, Head of Tournaments at Golfbreaks, commenting: “It’s so engaging, has a relaxed feel but also combines a lot of learning – without feeling draining or boring!”

Sami Strutt, Education Director at the Bernhard Academy, commented: “We’re incredibly proud that the Bernhard Academy is continuing to work with such respected organisations across the golf industry. Our mission has always been to help raise standards through learning, whether that’s technical development or supporting people to grow as leaders. Opportunities like this reinforce the value of investing in people and help to create a stronger, more confident, and more connected workforce for the future.”

The Women in Golf Awards celebrates achievement, provides education, and drives cultural change within the sport. Bernhard Academy’s contribution this year further reinforces its role as a leading provider of progressive learning experiences, helping professionals build stronger teams, improve communication, and unlock their leadership potential while continuing to support technical growth across golf and sports turf management.

For more information on the full range of programmes, courses, and development opportunities offered by the Bernhard Academy, please visit www.bernhardacademy.co.uk.

For bespoke training or tailored workshop requests, organisations can get in touch via www.bernhardacademy.co.uk/contact-us-bernhard-academy to discuss customised packages designed to meet specific needs.

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New fleet delivery and irrigation update

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New fleet delivery and irrigation update: Coventry Hearsall Golf Club has been a Toro machinery customer for 13 years and a Toro Total Solutions customer for seven. As the club takes on another machinery renewal agreement with Reesink Turfcare, it provides an update on what it’s like to be exclusively Toro.

The machinery deal is on a five-year rolling contract and although the set up was inherited by Course Manager Chris Low when he joined midway through tenure three years ago, it wasn’t one he had plans on changing.

New fleet delivery and irrigation update

New fleet delivery and irrigation update

“I’ve worked with Toro before and being with the same brand for machinery and irrigation makes everything really easy,” says Chris. “The main components of quality, reliability, and performance are applicable to both and having one point of contact, good back up and support and the power of competitive finance in addition means it’s a hard deal to beat.”

The latest fleet deal comprises greens, tees and fairway mowers and utility vehicles, and the biggest change to the fleet set up is bringing in walk-behind mowers – the Toro Greensmaster Flex 1021 – for greens, tees, collars and run-offs. This is, says Chris, a “conscious decision to move away from ride-on mowers for these areas. We think the level of control and precision they will bring to these smaller areas will elevate their aesthetic.”

Work starts on a bunker programme as soon as the architect’s approval is in and some of the machinery choices reflect these changes to the course. “We’ll be creating shorter mowing areas and the machinery investment and selection had this in mind,” Chris continues. “It was felt the Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 and Reelmaster 3575 in particular would work well in these new areas.”

As the first club in the country to upgrade to Toro Lynx central control system and a combination of Infinity, T5 and T7 sprinklers using Reesink Hydro-Scapes’ fixed term finance for irrigation, Coventry Hearsall has been enjoying hassle-free, precise watering application ever since.

“In terms of maintenance all we’ve had to do is replace one decoder in seven years, that’s it,” Chris explains. “It’s been so easy to scale – we’ve doubled the coverage on the approaches and have more run-off areas. We wanted the capacity to expand as needed and the set-up has allowed us to do that. It was undoubtedly the right choice.”

Chris finished by saying it would be wrong to underestimate the power of a Toro Total Solution: “Regular investment in the machinery and an irrigation system that allows for consistent year-round coverage does not go unnoticed by the members. They are happy and membership is full.”

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Baroness delivers reliability and performance

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Baroness delivers reliability and performance: For over 20 years, Bristol’s Tall Pines Golf Club have relied on the consistency and quality of Baroness to keep their playing surfaces in pristine condition.

Head Greenkeeper Marc Rossiter currently runs a fleet of eight Baroness mowers to cut every blade of grass at the 18-hole course, praising the outstanding simplicity in operation and industry-leading reliability of cut the brand has delivered for over two decades.

Baroness delivers reliability and performance

Baroness delivers reliability and performance

Himself celebrating 30 years at the club next year, Marc knows firsthand the difference high-quality, reliable equipment makes. “Put simply, they cut better than anything we’ve used previously and the build quality with Baroness is brilliant. On our fairways, for example, we’re using the LM551B and have never had to change the bottom blade, whereas on other machines, you’d be changing it every season” he explains.

Running alongside the LM551B fairway mower is the GM2810A five-deck rough rotary mower, two LM315GC greens mowers, an LM331 for tees and surrounds, LM180 for banks and around trees and a pair of Baroness LM56GC hand mowers. “They all suit our situation really well” Marc adds. “Each machine gives us versatility, whether that’s working on different terrain and coping well with the course’s slopes and valleys or being able to easily adjust the height of cut to mow multiple areas, on different ground conditions, with one machine.”

“Our LM315GC greens mowers can also be equipped with rollers and scarifier cassettes, which we can quickly exchange with the cutting units and means we can conduct multiple maintenance operations saving both time and money.” Further budget-friendly benefits are brought about by the LM315’s cable-driven operation. “This not only reduces the risk of a hydraulic or oil leak but, in the 20 years we’ve had these machines, we’ve only had the occasional cable snap, reducing all-important downtime and costly repair bills.”

Marc continues, “The machines are not complicated or flashy, but they do exactly what we need them to do and that’s cut grass really well! The fact that there’s less to go wrong is a huge plus with us being a small team of five and not having our own dedicated mechanic.”

When support is needed, Marc and the team know they can call on local dealers Lister Wilder or their Baroness regional manager Paul Watson. “On the rare occasion we have a question or issue, the after-sales support is second-to-none. If it’s something that can’t be answered over the phone, someone will be with us that day or the next to get us back up and running nice and quickly.”

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A career built on turf, data and discovery

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A career built on turf, data and discovery: When the new Research Director for STRI Group turned up for his first day at work, there was no need for a series of introductions with his colleagues.

Nor was there any need to spend time familiarising him with the industry or his goals for the coming years.

A career built on turf, data and discovery

A career built on turf, data and discovery

Glenn Kirby wasn’t starting from scratch. He has spent a lifetime working in the sports turf industry, first as a greenkeeper at some of the most prestigious golf clubs in the country, then as a Course Manager, before moving into a commercial role with one of the most innovative, research based companies in the sector.

Joining STRI has allowed Glenn to add the final piece to a professional journey that few can match, one that spans the end-user, commercial and now research sides of the industry.

So, what prompted this latest career move?

“STRI has its centenary coming up in 2029 and it’s got an immense legacy, possibly one of the greatest legacies there is in sports research,” said Glenn.

“The Group continues its longstanding commitment to sports turf and data-driven research, which is where I seem to have found my niche. This felt like a really good opportunity.

It was a difficult decision to leave my last role, but I asked myself, ‘if, in five years’ time, someone else had come in and done a great job, how would I feel?’ The answer made it easy. I’d be incredibly pleased and slightly jealous!”

While Glenn will undoubtedly help drive forward STRI’s world-renowned research programmes, it is also the opportunity to lead the organisation into a new era of connected, insightdriven science that excites him most.

“When I was at school in the 1990s, I was faced with two possible career paths,” Glenn explained.

“One was outdoors – practical, hands-on and physical. The other was in front of a computer and developing software. If I’m honest, I enjoyed being outside more, and I probably convinced myself that the more academic or technical route wasn’t for me.”

That decision set him on the path to a lifelong career in turf management. His greenkeeping journey began at Corhampton Golf Club, followed by roles across Europe and the USA, before returning to the UK as Head Greenkeeper at The London Club and later Course Manager at Hockley Golf Club in Winchester.

“But that digital mindset never really went away,” he added.

“When I moved into the commercial world, it started to come back to the fore. Joining Syngenta gave me a platform to see how technology could genuinely influence decisions and drive improvement.”

His seven-and-a-half years at Syngenta culminated in his role as Technical Services Manager for Turf across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

“When AI first became available to the public through ChatGPT, I saw it as a huge opportunity and highlighted it to my line management. They were good enough to let me lead internal projects exploring how AI could drive efficiencies across the business. That experience helped me understand how digital tools, when applied with purpose, can make a real difference.”

“At STRI we’ve generated vast amounts of data over nearly a century, much of it in our green booklets or sitting, quite literally, on library shelves.

We now have the opportunity to use that knowledge in new ways,” Glenn said.

“For me, my goal within the research and development team at STRI is to turn that data and information into insights, and help people turn those insights into practical, actionable outcomes.”

“Data is only powerful if it leads to better decisions. Whether that’s understanding how weather patterns affect green speeds or customer satisfaction and then using that information to develop management strategies that help golf clubs and sports venues perform better.”

Glenn is quick to emphasise that his focus is not just on data, but on strengthening STRI’s Research division as the industry leader in sports turf research and product testing.

“Our reputation has been built on a long legacy of turf trials,” he said.

“We’ll continue to drive forward, delivering high-quality, independent trial work and producing data that is genuinely useful to the industry. That evidence base will help us navigate the challenges of climate change, shifting regulations and changing product availability.”

“Most importantly, I’m joining a great team of people and an organisation with a continued enthusiasm for the turfgrass market.

I’m looking forward to ensuring STRI remains at the forefront of leadership in sports turf, blending our history and our innovation to help shape the future.”