Tag Archive for: Club

Ventrac at Saunton Golf Club

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Ventrac at Saunton Golf Club: Saunton Golf Club, situated south of Woolacombe on the coast of north Devon, is the latest golfing venue to purchase a Ventrac 4500 all-terrain compact tractor and a selection of attachments. Delivered by local dealer, Devon Garden Machinery, the package includes the 25 hp tractor unit in its 8-wheel configuration, a Contour deck, a Tough Cut deck and Power Rake.

Formed in 1897 as a 9-hole course, the 103-year old club now has two 18-hole championship-standard links courses, with reputations that stand comparison with the finest in the UK. The East Course is ranked No.12 in the Golf World ‘Top 100 Courses in England’ and the West Course is No. 98.

Ventrac at Saunton Golf Club

Ventrac at Saunton Golf Club

Murray Long, the former Courses Manager at Sunningdale, has recently been appointed Course Manager at Saunton. Commenting on the Ventrac he said,

“We need to control bramble and scrub around the courses and we have pathways made of seashell shingle, which can become rutted and uneven over time. The practice ranges are enclosed by steep banks, which we maintain by the labour-intensive job of strimming. To tackle these issues, we needed a versatile machine and thought that a Ventrac might provide the solution.

“I first saw it during visits to BTME and then became aware of the positive feedback from respected industry professionals in our trade magazines and on social media. Following our initial enquiry to local dealer, Devon Garden Machinery, they quickly provided quotes and a demonstration, which confirmed the premise that this was the machine for us. Their service has been excellent throughout.

“Until you experience it working, it’s had to appreciate how versatile it is. We purchased the Tough Cut deck, which will help combat the bramble and scrub issue; the Contour deck will be used on the banking around the practice area and some areas of rough. The Power Rake is great attachment as it agitates the shingle, smoothing out the ruts, leaving pristine pathways.

“It will certainly increase productivity and reduce the use of machinery linked to hand/arm vibration hazard, such as strimmers. It is unique in its multi-use applications giving it extreme versatility. I have seen many machinery demonstrations but none have been as impressive as the Ventrac. Every course would benefit from having one.”

Saunton’s General Manager, Jon Sutherland added,

“As Murray has indicated, it was a very impressive demonstration. I hadn’t seen the machine before, but it quickly became apparent that not only would it increase the productivity of the greenkeeping team, but also safeguard them as well. Paul Vickery, our Chairman of Greens, attended the demonstration and we quickly made the purchasing decision. It will certainly contribute to raising the already high presentation standards of our facility, for members and visitors alike.”

Saunton has hosted the R&A Boys Amateur Championship on two occasions. In August 2019, 252 of the world’s most talented boys battled it out over our East and West Courses. After 91 holes of play, the winner Tom Gueant of France beat Wilmer Ederö from Sweden in a sudden-death play-off on the first hole of the East course. Saunton also hosted the Championship back in 1997, when a young Sergio Garcia won the title, before amassing the highest points total for Europe in Ryder Cup history, and also winning the Masters Tournament back in 2017.

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Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2

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Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2: The Air2G2 from Campey Turf Care Systems is being used at Emirate’s Golf Club, Dubai, to keep the award-winning Majlis Course in prime condition.

As Dubai’s number one golf course, it is imperative that machinery manager and second assistant, Dónal Mulvey, and the 72 strong golf course maintenance department consisting of greenkeepers, mechanics, irrigation, landscape and spray technicians maintain the high standards expected by members and customers.

Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2

Emirates Golf Club and the Air2G2

Dónal has worked for Emirates Golf Club since January 2017 having completed a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture, which included a 30-week placement at Royal Dublin Golf Club as a greenkeeper, where he stayed for a further five years training as a greenkeeper and mechanic. With almost four years of experience working on the Middle East’s first grass golf course, he is familiar with the issues faced in one of the driest and arid regions of the world, where reusing salt-rich treated sewage effluent (TSE) water is common practice.

After seeing the Air2G2 on various social media platforms and first-hand at GIS, the club thought the machine could be a huge asset to the Majlis’ 30-year-old push-up greens that host 45,000 rounds of golf a year as well as the Faldo Course, which takes 55,000.

“We purchased the Air2G2 for many different reasons,” Dónal explains. The main one being the Majlis greens are 30-year-old push-up greens with no drainage. Given the high volume of water we put out which is all TSE water, we have a constant issue with salt build-up and air exchange. We also have a high volume of golf throughout the year, and any aeration we can do with no disturbance to the greens is extremely beneficial.

“The machine does exactly what it claims to do providing deep aeration with no surface disturbance. We can run it at any time, and the golfers are none the wiser. We mainly tackle weak areas on the greens, and the machine is used three times a month on the entire green and four to six times on collars and affected areas.

“The more and more we use it, the less noticeable it is. When we first started the ground would move slightly due to compaction. Now that we run it regularly, there is no movement in the soil, and there is less compaction and more oxygen, and we can also see moisture and EC levels drop after using the machine.”

Nick Brown Product Specialist for Campey Turf Care is delighted to be working closely with The Emirates Golf Club to provide turf maintenance solutions. “Campey Turf Care always encourages best practice, and we like to work closely with our end users to ensure they have access to the right advice and equipment to suit their specific needs. Working closely with Dónal, we have examined all the options and helped provide the right solution. In this instance the Air2G2 has delivered the results and we are extremely pleased.”

The Air2G2 uses three probes to latterly inject pressurised air up to 12-inches beneath the surface of the soil to fracture the compacted layers that form because of footfall, mechanical traffic and daily wear and tear. Because the air is injected directly into the root zone, the surface of the turf is left undisturbed, allowing play to continue instantly.

For more information on the Air2G2 or any of Campey’s aeration machinery, please visit www.campeyturf.com

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New Verti-Drain for Selby Golf Club

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New Verti-Drain for Selby Golf Club: Course Manager at Selby Golf Club, Chris Goodall, says the arrival of their new Charterhouse Verti-Drain® 7416 in November 2019 couldn’t have come at a better time!

The heathland course is very sandy meaning it is playable all year round and, in turn, makes it one of the busiest clubs in Yorkshire. This level of traffic has seen the Verti-Drain® in high demand over the winter period, tackling compaction on some of the high footfall areas.

New Verti-Drain for Selby Golf Club

New Verti-Drain for Selby Golf Club

“We previously had two separate aerators – one of which was proving too heavy for our ageing tractors, and the other was smaller so only really suitable for work on the greens” explains Chris, who has been at the club for five years. “When the time came to replace them, we wanted a good all-rounder – capable of site wide aeration.” Having been impressed with the Verti-Drain® at a previous club, Chris was keen to go down the Charterhouse road this time and spoke with local dealer F G Adamson and Sons.

“The size of the 7416 model was a perfect fit for our requirements and fleet of tractors. It’s super easy to set up, quiet in operation and covers the ground at good speed. The timing of its delivery meant it was out straight away and every couple of weeks after that, relieving compaction on pathways, walkways and fairways which kept us free of any waterlogging over the very wet winter months.”

Chris purchased his Verti-Drain® with solid tines, and additional hollow tines for year-round flexibility. “In a regular year, we would equip the Verti-Drain® with pencil tines to aerate the greens through the summer then as we head towards the back end of the year we’d then look at hollow coring and using bigger tines on the fairways and other areas.”

The Verti-Drain® 7416 has a 1.6m working width and offers a 14″ maximum working depth. The range of solid and hollow tine options, together with its weight, makes it a popular choice for golf courses; but it’s robust nature also makes it ideal for penetration of hard and compacted soils on a range of sports surfaces.

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Vandals damage golf club

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Vandals damage golf club: Vandals have damaged the course at a north-east golf club.

Vehicles were driven on to the site at Oldmeldrum Golf Club on Thursday night, leaving tyre tracks on the grass.

It’s not the first time the course has been targeted. Last year parts of the site had to be closed following a similar incident.

Mitch Good, greens convener at the club, said a passerby told him about the damage.

He said: “It happened in June last year, but the damage was more extensive then.

“They haven’t spun the wheels on the green like they did last time, but they drove the car over it.

“These idiots are out doing this and we’re supposed to be on a Covid-19 lockdown.”

Mitch said he felt he had to report the crime to the police.

He said: “I felt reluctant obviously, because of the climate of Covid-19.”

He added a new fence would now be installed to help protect the area.

He said: “The greenkeeper will go over it but if we don’t get much heat this year, or we get frost, the grass won’t grow.

“We had put boulders in place, but obviously not enough to stop cars getting in.

“To be effective, we need to spend money and put a fence all around the road area.”

Sergeant Niall Mullen, from the Peterhead police office, said: “We can confirm that officers have received a report of vandalism to Oldmeldrum Golf Course.

“This is believed to have taken place overnight between Thursday and Friday.

“Inquiries are at an early stage and anyone with information is urged to contact the police on 101.”

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The Jockey Club and GroundWOW collaboration

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The Jockey Club and GroundWOW collaboration: With their vision for British horse racing to be the best in the World, The Jockey Club has taken a significant step in its pursuit of sports technology leadership by embracing artificial intelligence and robotics in its event branding activities.

As part of its delivery for The Festival™ presented by Magners, The Jockey Club commissioned GroundWOW, developers of the world’s first autonomous, full colour ground printer to create a large scale Magners Irish Cider logo in the middle of the world-renowned racecourse.

Carey Weeks, Regional Head of Partnerships South West first pitched the Magners idea to GroundWOW. “We’re always looking for new ways to innovate and drive value for sponsors and event partners. When we heard about GroundWOW being able to print on ground as easily as printing on paper, we wanted to be the first organisation in racing to deploy it”.

Tony Rhoades, Founder and CEO of GroundWOW commented “Live events are often underpinned by their sponsors plus the vision and passion of the organisers. This project instantly aligned with our mission to disrupt the sports sponsorship landscape and the opportunity to work with The Jockey Club and an iconic brand like Magners has been fantastic for the team as well as an honour for me”.

“Storms Ciara, Dennis, Ellen and Jorge on consecutive weekends forced us into a rethink of how we did this” said Weeks, “but we weren’t going to be beaten and GroundWOW stepped up with a contingency to print on artificial turf instead. Their technology tells you they aren’t about conventional thinking and they showed up prepared for any eventuality” continued Weeks.

“We are grateful to the Jockey Club and GroundWOW for offering us this innovative branding opportunity that enhances our presence and stand out at Cheltenham and further cements our role as Presenting Partner of The Festival and Title Sponsor of the Magners Gold Cup. said George Kyle, Head of Sponsorship and PR at C&C Group (owners of Magners Irish Cider)  Deploying technology and finding new ways to establish our association with The Festival among our drinkers fits with the ambition we share with The Jockey Club in our activation of The Festival™ presented by Magners”.

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