Tag Archive for: Award

Swedish Greenkeeper Wins Award

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Swedish Greenkeeper Wins Award: Swedish greenkeeper Daniel Grant has won this year’s SRUC Elmwood’s annual John Deere HNC Student of the Year Award, which was sponsored by John Deere and Scottish turf dealer Double A. Daniel was selected as the winner due to his outstanding commitment and attitude to his programme of studies at HNC Golf Course Management level throughout the 2016/2017 academic year.

Daniel, aged 27, works at Tomelilla Golf Club in Skåne, near his home town of Ystad, which has an 18-hole main course, a nine-hole short course and Footgolf. Although born and working in Sweden, Daniel has a Scottish pedigree – his father John is the golf professional at PGA Sweden National at Bara near Malmo, having moved from Scotland to Sweden in 1987 to work at Ystad Golf Club.

Swedish Greenkeeper Wins Award

The HNC course at SRUC’s Elmwood campus in Cupar, Fife, was recommended by PGA Sweden National course manager Barry Crawford – another Scot, who gained the same qualification there, among others – when Daniel was working for him as a seasonal greenkeeper.

“The course was a fantastic experience,” said Daniel. “I really was not expecting to receive this award, so it was a very pleasant surprise, especially as I never planned to be a greenkeeper! It came into focus when I need a full-time job after Swedish National Service. I really enjoyed my seasonal work at PGA Sweden National and Ystad Golf Club, and after the army I decided this was what I wanted to do full-time. I’m very happy being a greenkeeper, and want to progress as far as I can.”

The course covers many different areas such as ecology, soil science, irrigation, drainage, design and construction, the history and development of golf and much more. For Daniel’s year it finished with a graded unit where the students had to present a management plan for Auchterderran Golf Course, near Kirkcaldy in Fife.

“Although Daniel brought several years’ experience and very evident practical abilities to the course, it was his engagement with learning and the desire to develop his knowledge and learn even more that shone through in all his work,” said his SRUC Elmwood course tutor Stuart Mackie.

“His attention to detail and the depth of his analysis allowed him to present assignments that provided the required evidence and fully engaged the reader in understanding his conclusions. His nomination was very well deserved for the work he put into every subject.”

For more information visit www.johndeere.co.uk

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Teenage Groundsman Wins Volunteer Award

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Teenage Groundsman Wins Volunteer Award: A volunteer groundsman at Redditch Cricket Club has been named ‘young volunteer of the year’ at a prestigious sports awards.

Jacob Ottley, 17, won the accolade at the annual Herefordshire and Worcestershire Sports Awards at Sixways Stadium in Worcester on Thursday, November 23.

Teenage Groundsman Wins Volunteer Award

He only began volunteering at the club as part of his Duke of Edinburgh award, but has since completed a groundsman course to become an “integral” part of the club’s staff.

Club secretary Gary Fisher said: “I was very shocked and surprised but delighted that he has won it.

“You are going up against a big area and it is not just cricket, it is across all sports, so it is a very big honour for not only Jacob but for the cricket club as well.

“He has been integral in doing groundwork throughout the season which helped up win the Worcestershire league.

“He has become a massive part of the club not only as a young sportsman but as a member of the groundstaff.

“There is a lot of work on doing groundwork but he has got that knack about him to observe and take things in.

“It is fantastic news. It is great for a youngster to do what he is doing.”

The awards are organised by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Sports Partnership and have been running for 16 years.

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Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award

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Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award: The best in brand new grounds care technology was celebrated in the very first SALTEX Innovation Award at the NEC, Birmingham on 1 and 2 November 2017.

Making its debut, the Innovation Award attracted a number of high-quality entries from various exhibitors from across the globe. There were 24 entries in total spanning a wide variety of products, services and equipment.

Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award

The entries were judged by an independent panel of industry experts who based their decisions on a number of factors including what the entry offers the industry and how it makes life easier for the person using it.

The standard was incredibly high, resulting in a tie for first place.

Backed by unanimous support by all judges, during the first day of the exhibition, Rigby Taylor’s Intelligent One autonomous robotic line marker and Fleet Line Markers’ MAQA line marking machine were announced as joint winners of the SALTEX Innovation Award 2017.

The Intelligent One (iO) is said to be the world’s first fully autonomous robotic line marker. It can mark out a standard sized football pitch in 35 minutes, using just 3.3 litres of ready to use Impact XP paint. The iO eliminates the task of stringing out for the first markings and operates hands-free. Once the pitch template has been entered into the supplied tablet, the iO is placed at the corner of the pitch and will mark out all the outside and inside straight lines, the ‘D’, centre circle, corner angles and penalty spot without any direct operator involvement.

The MAQA line marking machine uses GNSS technology to reduce the time it takes to mark by a massive 75 per cent. Initial marking that might have taken two men up to four hours can now be completed by one person in 20 minutes.

Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award

The standard of all Innovation Award entries were of such high calibre that the judges chose to award second and third place awards as well.

Second place went to Oregon’s Gator Speedload, which judges said was a quick and simple device which negated the need to dismantle the head each time to re-load/wrap new strimmer cord. Third place went to the Etesia Hydro 80 MKHP4 E-Connect, due to its ability to set up multiple users and record data – allowing organisations or clubs to monitor the amount of use and user’s ability.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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Racecourse Groundstaff Recognised By National Award

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Racecourse Groundstaff Recognised By Receiving National Award: Groundstaff at Warwick Racecourse are celebrating after winning the Jumps category in the Racecourse Association’s (RCA) Racecourse Groundstaff Awards 2017.

The judges, made up of an industry-wide panel including representatives from the RCA, Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and National Trainers Federation (NTF), recognised the outstanding achievements of the groundstaff throughout the 2016/17 season.

Racecourse Groundstaff Recognised By National Award

The Jockey Club racecourse became an all-jumps track in 2014 with a five-year plan to become one of the UK’s leading small jumps courses.

Judges said: “The effort and expertise required to integrate the flat course into the chase course at Warwick helps them stand out in this category and this outstanding achievement will benefit the course hugely in years to come.

“As well as investment in equipment through the replacement of six furlongs of running rail, they have shown a commitment to people which is above and beyond what is required.”

Meanwhile Jane Hadley, clerk of the course at Warwick, said she is proud of the achievements of Warwick’s groundstaff this year.

She said: “Led by head groundsman Guy Woodward, the team managed an ambitious drainage and levelling project last summer, and then coped with the resulting reduced track width through the 2016/17 season, without losing a fixture.

“They produced the racing surface in such good condition that we were even able to accommodate a transferred fixture in the spring.

“Through this year they have worked further on the integration of the old flat track, and can now provide a surface with three running lines over fences and up to eight running lines over hurdles, ensuring that we provide optimum conditions throughout the season.

“Their efforts have been appreciated and applauded by our trainers and jockeys, and this recognition from the RCA is very well-deserved.”

Warwick Racecourse was also a finalist for the Community and Corporate and Social Responsibility Award at the RCA Showcase Awards 2017 for its work on the St Mary’s Lands Masterplan.

It was in recognition of being at the forefront of developing a plan to manage, enhance and promote the common land that is home to Warwick Racecourse and other community assets.

A new entrance to Warwick Racecourse and the common land is currently being created, marking the first step of the masterplan.

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Greenkeeper Shortlisted For Golf Environmental Award

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Greenkeeper Shortlisted For Golf Environmental Award: One of the greenkeepers at Cumberwell Park Golf Club outside Bradford on Avon has been shortlisted for a top golf environment award.

Jon Keepen, Head of Conservation and First Assistant at Cumberwell Park, has been shortlisted for the STRI Golf Environment Award for ‘Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year’, organised by the Sports Turf Research Institute based in Bingley, West Yorkshire.

Greenkeeper Shortlisted For Golf Environmental Award

The STRI Golf Environment Awards recognise, reward and promote outstanding individuals and golf courses, no matter how big or small, for the time and effort they have put into protecting and preserving their unique surroundings.

A spokesperson said: “Golf courses around the world are seeing tangible results from introducing environmentally sustainable management projects across their golf courses.

“These projects are achieving an increase in habitat varieties, improving playing experiences for golfers and providing a positive contribution to wildlife!

“With the ever-increasing spotlight on environmental matters, it is fundamentally important for golf courses worldwide to assess what they can do to achieve environmental sustainability protect while continuing to maximise the enjoyment of golf.”

Matthew James, the Cumberwell Park Course Manager, said: “This is fantastic news for Jon and the club as it recognises all his efforts towards our conservation work at Cumberwell Park.”

The pair will attend the STRI Golf Environment Awards dinner at the Bigga Turf Management Exhibition in Harrogate from January 21-24 to find out which of the three finalists will win.

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