Tag Archive for: BIGGA

Indigrow signs on as BIGGA Partners

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Indigrow signs on as BIGGA Partners: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has welcomed specialist fertiliser manufacturer Indigrow as the association’s latest Partner.

BIGGA Partners offer the highest level of support available to members of BIGGA, with the funding the association receives going a long way to underpin the Continuing Professional Development programme and all educational activity.

Indigrow signs on as BIGGA Partners

Indigrow signs on as BIGGA Partners

Indigrow is a specialist manufacturer of fertilisers and nutrients for the sportsturf market with over 75 years’ experience of operating around the world. Covering five continents and over 40 countries, Indigrow employs over 35 staff with qualifications covering all the aspects of agronomy required to promote healthy growth.

Bradley Foster, Indigrow, said: “Indigrow has long been a firm supporter of the activities of BIGGA and its members as the principles of highly-educated and qualified professionals are ones we appreciate and encourage across our own team. The desire to expand upon our own knowledge and innovate with new products and new methods of working is key if we are to overcome the challenges of the coming decade and I’m delighted that BIGGA and Indigrow will be working closer together to support the needs of the UK’s greenkeeping community.”

BIGGA Business Development Manager Lauren Frazer said: “Indigrow is a company that BIGGA has enjoyed a close relationship with over many years as the team was previously an education supporter. Their continuous product development helps create innovative, efficient and cost-effective products to suite the demands of the modern greenkeeper and so I am delighted the Indigrow team has made the decision to step up to Partner status. We are hugely proud of our relationships with all our Partners and we’re grateful for the incredible support they provide our membership, so I’m thrilled to welcome Indigrow to the line-up.”

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BIGGA and GCMA welcome return to golf

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BIGGA and GCMA welcome return to golf: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and the Golf Club Managers Association (GCMA) have welcomed today’s announcement regarding the reopening of golf courses in Wales following an easing of restrictions and it is heartening that the Welsh Parliament has recognised the incredible role golf can play in maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle in a COVID-safe manner.

As welcoming as the relaxing of restrictions are, the incredibly short notice of just one day presents a significant challenge for the golf facilities of Wales to achieve readiness. There are many logistical challenges to opening a facility at short notice and a number of facilities will be part-way through significant on or off course projects that may take time to complete.

BIGGA and GCMA welcome return to golf

BIGGA and GCMA welcome return to golf

Golfers will no doubt be eager to head back out on the course as soon as they can get an available tee time and we look forward to golf clubs becoming thriving hubs of activity once again as people enjoy the many benefits that golf can bring.

However, on behalf of our members, both BIGGA and the GCMA ask for consideration from golfers and an understanding that courses may not be able to open immediately and, when they do, they may not be prepared to the usual standards golfers have come to expect. It can be reasonably anticipated that limitations on winter maintenance and renovations caused by an exceedingly wet winter, restrictions on activities due to COVID safety measures and the potential placing of staff onto furlough to protect the golf club business will have restricted what the team have been able to achieve. Additionally 2020 saw participation at unprecendented levels which reduced maintenance opportunities and created more wear and tear on turf and other areas than usual.

The preparation and maintenance of a golf course is a year-round process; as life returns to the golf club following the reopening, so too will life return to the course itself. Spring will hopefully bring drier and warmer weather aiding turfgrass plants to come out of dormancy, meaning they recover from damage quicker. While drier conditions will mean less damage from divots or compaction of the turf. As golfers return to the fairways, we ask for patience and consideration of the activities of the entire golf club team, from managers through front-of-house staff and the greenkeepers who have, like each of us at some time in the past year, worried about their livelihoods, their personal health and wellbeing, and who take great pride in their work but due to circumstances beyond their control have perhaps been unable to achieve the high standards they set for themselves.

If you have any questions about the maintenance of the course, please contact your club manager, course manager or head greenkeeper, who will be able to offer more information about the site-specific activities that have taken place at your golf club.

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BIGGA announces Festival of Turf dates

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BIGGA announces Festival of Turf dates: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association has confirmed that its first Festival of Turf will take place this summer, with a new date intended to provide an improved experience for attendees and exhibitors.

The Festival of Turf is a two-day event that will take place in the predominantly outdoor setting of the Warwickshire Event Centre and will bring together golf greenkeepers, groundsmen and many others for the first time since BTME 2020, over 18 months previously.

BIGGA announces Festival of Turf dates

BIGGA announces Festival of Turf dates

BIGGA had initially announced a June date for the Festival of Turf and was confident event could be hosted with COVID-safety measures in place. But with the Prime Minister recently announcing the Roadmap out of lockdown, BIGGA has explored the opportunity of rescheduling the Festival of Turf for later in the summer, when social distancing restrictions are anticipated to have been removed.

As such, BIGGA is delighted to reveal that the Festival of Turf will now take place on 21 & 22 July 2021.

The Festival of Turf will welcome BIGGA members and others in the turf industry to the 30-acre Warwickshire Event Centre, with a wide range of vendors and trade stalls and entertaining twists that bring to life the ‘festival’ element of the event.

COVID-safety measures will remain in place, such as enhanced cleaning regimes and hand sanitising, plus any other requirements as defined by government guidelines. However, limits on visitor numbers and social distancing measures will no longer be required.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “The Roadmap out of lockdown announced by the Prime Minister provided incredibly welcome news for the country and the association’s members, not least because it provided a date for the reopening of golf courses in England and a potential return to normality for us all. It also presented an opportunity for BIGGA to host the Festival of Turf as the spectacular of sports and amenity turf maintenance that we had hoped for when we first announced this event last year.

“We entered into negotiations with the Warwickshire Event Centre and were delighted to come to an arrangement with regards new dates for the Festival of 21 & 22 July. On this date England is anticipated to be at Step 4 of the COVID-19 roadmap, which will see legal limits on social contact removed. Although the published roadmap only serves as a guideline and the timings are subject to change, everyone at BIGGA is excited about the opportunity to provide an improved exhibition experience for our attendees.

“We always intended the Festival of Turf to be an opportunity for BIGGA members and their colleagues in the turf industry to reunite after so long apart and I’m delighted that these new dates will allow even more people to attend what promises to be a fantastic few days of exhibitions and entertainment.”

For more information about the Festival of Turf, head to the BIGGA website.

Keep up to date with the latest announcements and updates on Twitter by using the hashtag #FestivalofTurf

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BIGGA and Jacobsen to host FTMI

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BIGGA and Jacobsen to host FTMI: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association has revealed the 20 ambitious greenkeepers who will participate in the Future Turf Managers Initiative 2021. 

Each year Jacobsen, which celebrates its 100thanniversary in 2021, opens the doors of its headquarters in Ipswich to 20 BIGGA members who have earned a place on the groundbreaking course by demonstrating their commitment to the profession and eagerness to learn.

BIGGA and Jacobsen to host FTMI

BIGGA and Jacobsen to host FTMI

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, BIGGA and Jacobsen have created a new format for FTMI that will give the delegates a hybrid learning experience. The majority of the education and mentoring sessions will commence in April. An in-person event is then scheduled to take place in the autumn, which will enable delegates to meet in person and enjoy a tour of the Jacobsen factory. There will also be a learning session and formal graduation ceremony.

Each year FTMI pushes 20 BIGGA members out of their comfort zones, but in return they receive access to professional development experts and experienced mentors who provide them with a wide range of knowledge and skills that will prove invaluable as their careers progress.

FTMI was hosted first by BIGGA and Jacobsen 2013 and since then has expanded around the world, with similar programmes being introduced in Spain, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand.

Sami Strutt, Head of Learning and Development at BIGGA, said: “FTMI 2020 was one of the last in-person events hosted by BIGGA before the pandemic really hit and all our worlds changed. Since then BIGGA members have come to realise just how important continuing professional development can be for your own mental health and how it helps provide a platform where so many of us can come together as a community, albeit in socially-distanced manners.

“We’re told that the coronavirus pandemic will impact the economy for years to come and as part of that, competition for jobs is going to be fiercer than ever. I’m proud that these 20 successful candidates will be equipped with the best tools available to them to make the step up and achieve their career ambitions.”

BIGGA and Jacobsen to host FTMI

BIGGA and Jacobsen to host FTMI

Will Carr, Jacobsen UK Sales Director said: “We are a proud member of the turf industry and work daily with greenkeepers, grounds people and volunteers who all share a passion for their turf asset. That overarching passion has always been there, but in recent times it has been highlighted.

“The level of dedication from professionals through to volunteers is always outstanding and we have tried to match that in our own way with educational programmes such as the Future Turf Managers Initiative and by sponsoring various industry events and awards that recognize great work and dedication.”

The members of the FTMI Class of 2021 are:

  • Leon Brant, greenkeeper, Wexham Park Golf Centre
  • Christopher Clark, first assistant, Prince’s Golf Club
  • William Curran, assistant, Crowborough Beacon Golf Club
  • Daryn Curtis, assistant, Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club
  • Vincent Demarzo, deputy head greenkeeper, The Belfry
  • Anthony Dineen, deputy head greenkeeper, Thorndon Park Golf Club
  • Paul Fowkes, deputy head greenkeeper, Rothley Park Golf Club
  • John Hockley, deputy head greenkeeper, Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club
  • Conchobhar Kerr, first assistant, Royal Portrush Golf Club
  • Stephen Lawlor, first assistant, St Andrews Links Trust
  • Stephen Lindsay, deputy golf courses manager, The Gleneagles Hotel
  • Jason Norwood, greenkeeper, Reay Golf Club
  • Simon Parmenter, deputy head greenkeeper, Sunningdale Golf Club
  • Liam Pigden, first assistant, Burnham and Berrow Golf Club
  • Mark Reid, first assistant, Lanark Golf Club
  • Joseph Spadaccini, greenkeeper, Stoneham Golf Club
  • Andrew Weeks, deputy head greenkeeper, The Wisley Golf Club
  • Craig Woodman, greenkeeper, Bramshaw Golf Club
  • Jamie Wright, first assistant, Huntercombe Golf Club

Kimberley Yeldham, deputy head greenkeeper, Barnham Broom Hotel Golf Club

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GKB Machines teams up with BIGGA

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GKB Machines teams up with BIGGA: The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association has welcomed GKB Machines as its latest Educational Supporter.

GKB Machines was founded in 2015 and offers sustainable, reliable and robust maintenance machinery for natural, synthetic and hybrid turf. A part of the GKB Group, the family-owned company has a commitment to sustainability, which it backs up with the production of energy neutral machinery since the company began in 1946.

GKB Machines teams up with BIGGA

GKB Machines teams up with BIGGA

During a difficult 2020 for everyone, continuing professional development became more important than ever and BIGGA hosted significant opportunities for education for the greenkeeping industry through various online formats, including the Continue to Learn Extra webinars, National Regional Conference and, most recently, the Continue to Learn education programme that took place as an entirely-online event across two weeks during January.

These opportunities for BIGGA members to develop their professional skills and knowledge despite the ongoing coronavirus health crisis are made possible thanks to BIGGA’s Education Supporters and Partners.

BIGGA Head of Business Development Lauren Frazer said: “The efforts of the GKB Machines team mirror many of the priorities that BIGGA and its members are striving towards, with an emphasis upon sustainability and more efficient working practices and an awareness that the only way to achieve these aims is through education and a proactive broadening of knowledge. Our two organisations share significant synergy in these and many other ambitions and I am delighted that we are able to welcome GKB Machines on board as our latest Education Supporters.”

GKB Machines UK Sales Director and Operations Manager Tom Shinkins said: “It’s great to be able to support greenkeepers in this way and to give something back to the industry I came into as a 16-year-old apprentice.”

Head to the BIGGA website to find out more about GKB Machines and its commitment to sustainability and reliability.

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