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Better conditions for The Club at Gettysvue

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Better conditions for The Club at Gettysvue: Like many courses built in the great golf boom of the mid to late 90s, the Club at Gettysvue in Knoxville, Tennessee, had a number of challenges – none more glaring than the condition of its bunkers. 

“Some things that should have been done during the original build were not done, in an effort to finish the project on time,” says course superintendent Jeff Dudych. “We always had a lot of water running into our bunkers, because they were not built to today’s standards. Bunker maintenance has been an ongoing issue for my entire 24-year tenure at Gettysvue. We invested some money on the bunkers ten years ago, but it wasn’t enough to fix the issues. We had bunkers that didn’t drain properly, a lot of contamination – we are on red clay here, and a few weeks after putting new sand in the bunkers it would be contaminated with clay.”

Better conditions for The Club at Gettysvue

Better conditions for The Club at Gettysvue

Two and a half years ago, the course was sold to three club industry veterans. “The new owners have been fantastic,” says Dudych. “They have said from the beginning they wanted to invest in the course and do things properly.”

Last year, Dudych formulated a plan to fix the course’s bunker issues. Given the nature of the soil under them, and the Tennessee climate – the course averages around fifty inches of rain a year – it was obvious that a proper liner was a high priority, and it didn’t take long to determine that Capillary Bunkers was the right choice. “During my travels I’ve seen all the liners and from talking to my colleagues, it was clear that the Capillary Bunkers stood up the best,” Dudych says.

The initial plan called for doing nine holes at a time. However, because of significant membership growth caused by partnering with the members, the club was able to complete all eighteen holes in one hit. North Carolina-based contractor Signet Golf was hired to do the work. They started in October and the last of the Capillary Bunkers was installed in late November.

Dudych says he has already seen the benefits of doing the work. “We had our first big test last Saturday – an inch and a half of rain in an hour,” he says. “Normally that would require fifty to sixty man hours of repair. I sent one employee out, mostly to blow leaves and hand rake and he was done in three and a half hours and the membership is thrilled with the quality!

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ICL celebrates principal win at BALI Awards

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ICL celebrates principal win at BALI Awards: ICL has been announced as the BALI National Landscape Awards 2021 principal winner in the Supplier Exceptional Service category.

The prestigious British Association of Landscape Industries’ (BALI) Awards is the largest in Europe and is designed to reward and showcase the finest examples of landscaping excellence in the UK and overseas.

ICL celebrates principal win at BALI Awards

ICL celebrates principal win at BALI Awards

Hosted by BBC Radio Five Live’s Colin Murray, the 2021 Awards were held at JW Marriott, Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London. The event welcomed close to 1,000 VIPs, members and guests and for the first year a virtual audience viewing the ceremony via a livestream.

ICL has long been serving the landscaping sector and boasts a wide range of market-leading products that help contractors, gardeners and landscapers to meet the demands of modern-day landscape management.

Therefore, ICL was delighted to be recognised as the principal winner in the Supplier Exceptional Service category.

Commenting on the reasons behind ICL’s award, a judge said: “The range of products offered by ICL is hugely impressive and it is backed up by excellent customer information, training and support. Having expanded into the landscape industry the company has supported and trained its knowledgeable workforce to deliver outstanding customer service in this relatively new market, which has resulted in an effective and successful business that values its staff and customers in equal measure.”

Mark Pyrah – ICL’s Business Development Manager for the UK & Ireland commented:

“This is a category in which companies must match criteria such as exceptional technical support, outstanding customer support and guidance, exceeding customer expectation, as well as having an excellent product range. We are absolutely delighted to have won this award and it really underlines all the hard work our team has put in this year.”

Benefitting from a collection at the event, this year’s chosen charities were the BALI Chalk Fund and Greenfingers Charity who will share £3,260 between them, generously donated by guests.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland

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Bayer raise awareness of mental health at BTME

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Bayer raise awareness of mental health at BTME: Bayer is celebrating a successful 12-month collaboration with mental health charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) at BTME this year, with a representative from the charity on the Bayer stand for the event’s duration.

Timothy Peeling, Bayer product manager, says that with suicide being the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, Bayer is committed to raising the awareness of mental health in the typically male dominated turf and amenity sectors.

Bayer raise awareness of mental health at BTME

Bayer raise awareness of mental health at BTME

“Taking the time to listen and understand what people are going through is incredibly important. By listening you could be helping far more than you’ll ever know.

“Attendees at BTME will be able to talk to CALM in confidence, as well as find positive practical solutions to deal with mental wellbeing, which resonate with practically minded people,” he explains.

“I encourage anyone who needs someone to talk to pop by the stand, or alternatively use their online service.” Find out more about CALM here: https://www.thecalmzone.net/.

As well as raising the profile of mental health, the Turf Solutions team will be on hand to talk about all things Harmonix® Tri-Nema.

Colin Mumford, Bayer technical manager, says chafer grub and leatherjacket populations have been on the rise over recent years, with limited solutions to control them.

He explains how Harmonix® Tri-Nema is different to any other nematode solution on the market.

“Harmonix® Tri-Nema offers three different modes of activity in one solution, by utilising a unique blend of three entomopathogenic nematodes, providing a more effective distribution through the soil profile, leading to more consistent results,” he says.

For more information visit the Turf Solutions team in the green zone on stand 338 at BTME, alternatively visit www.environmentalscience.bayer.co.uk, call 00800 1214 9451, or email turfsolutions@bayer.com.

Understanding glyphosate

Register now for our ‘Understanding glyphosate’ seminar at BTME. On the 25 January at 2pm our technical manager Colin Mumford will provide all of the latest updates on glyphosate, regulations surrounding the active, as well as advice on best practice when using it.

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Sand solutions at BTME

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Sand solutions at BTME: Mansfield Sand is delighted to be exhibiting again at BTME and visitors can find the company in the Green Zone on Stand 326. 

Pioneers in the development and production of premium quality silica sand-based products for over 170 years, Mansfield Sand is a name that greenkeepers, course managers and sports turf managers put their trust in.

Sand solutions at BTME

Sand solutions at BTME

Whether for construction or on-going maintenance, the company has long been providing a wide range of products which are vital to the overall health and performance of a sports pitch.

Here is a snapshot of some of the innovative products:

Mansil Silica Sand Sports Range

Sourced from the company’s Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield where the Mansil range of Silica Sands is produced. These products are predominantly used in the construction and maintenance of a wide range of sports surfaces – from winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas.

Top Dressing

Produced for the fine turf market, Mansfield Sand’s Soil Top Dressing is a manufactured homogenous product made from their own premium silica sands combined with top quality soils. All passed through a sterilising unit, over a 3mm screen to produce an easy to spread, stone and pebble free dressing. Mansfield Sand can also produce bespoke dressing blends and combine soil amendments into any product.

Sand Soil Rootzones

Mansfield Sand understands exactly what is needed to achieve the surface that turf managers require week-in-week-out and that is why their rootzones contain only the best quality materials to meet that demand. For renovation or construction, the company’s superior rootzone blend Mansil 40 Silica Sand with a quality screened topsoil, guarantees the perfect start.

Sand Compost Rootzones

A range of premium quality sand organic material blends which are perfect for creating a rootzone where an organic rich material is required within the profile, aiding in the retention of nutrients whilst providing increased drought resistance.

Reinforced Rootzone

A range of reinforced rootzones developed to obtain greater use from natural turf surfaces whilst maintaining the high standards demanded by today’s sports industry and meeting the expectations of ground staff at all levels. Mansfield Sand’s reinforcement technology provides stability and durability to all sand dominated rootzones allowing the pitch to remain free draining and consistent over the whole surface.

Products include Fibre Reinforced Rootzone – reinforced with polypropylene fibres; Fibrelastic Rootzone – reinforced with polypropylene fibres and flexible elastane fibres and Fibresand – particularly advantageous when grass cover has been reduced due to heavy usage and wear during the winter period.

Head to the Mansfield Sand stand at BTME where the experienced team will be able to explain how the products could make a significant improvement to your turf.

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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New ICL launch at BTME

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New ICL launch at BTME: ICL is looking forward to welcoming visitors to its interactive stand at BTME 2022 (Purple Zone 426) where the team will be talking all things turf and providing an exclusive look at an exciting new product for the golf market.

Gronamic Golf 6-2-4, a new organic based fertiliser is a unique blend of credible and sustainable ingredients to provide a natural turf response and is the latest product to be added to the Gronamic range.

New ICL launch at BTME

New ICL launch at BTME

The organic content of Gronamic 6-2-4 is 100% plant based and is formulated as a fine granule. It contains:

SeaMax, the sustainably sourced seaweed concentrate that has been shown in trials to improve turf colour, turf quality, root development and stress tolerance.

Struvite, a recycled blend of magnesium, ammonium and phosphate that is collected from wastewater, is another sustainable component that provides real turfgrass benefits. 

Polyhalite, which is exclusively mined by ICL ensures that essential macronutrients are available to maintain healthy turf and reduces the possibility of nutrient deficiency.

Visitors to the ICL stand will have the opportunity to gain expert advice on granulation, water soluble fertiliser and surfactant technologies.

Often a vibrant hub of discussion and networking, the stand will also feature the famous ICL barista, who will be on hand to serve coffees and other hot drinks throughout the event.

Aside from the exhibition, ICL is once again proud to support BIGGA’s Continue to Learn education programme. The ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship, sees five BIGGA members receive three nights’ hotel accommodation and 15 hours of training and personal development opportunities.

ICL’s very own Dr Andy Owen and Henry Bechelet will also be hosting two informative sessions in the Continue to Learn programme. In the first, a half-day class entitled ‘What’s in a soil analysis?’ Andy and Henry will examine the process of soil sampling and the interpretation of soil analysis results. Actual results will be explained and discussed, and the critical information highlighted to provide a guide to getting the most from the process. The class will also provide advice on how to utilise soil results as part of your annual golf course management.

In the second seminar, entitled ‘Research Matters’, Andy and Henry will be updating delegates on four university‑based fundamental turf research projects being managed by ICL. There will be a focus on presenting the key results and practical outcomes on the subjects of managing plant parasitic nematodes with seaweed extracts, utilising recycled nutrients, contrasting the plant and soil health benefits of organo‑mineral fertilisers and the very latest science on wetting agents and plant water uptake.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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