Tag Archive for: Club

Parkstone Golf Club transforms winter playability

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Parkstone Golf Club transforms winter playability: Renowned as one of the finest courses on the South Coast, Parkstone in Dorset is proudly ranked in the Top 100 golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland.

Upholding their championship-level playing conditions year round isn’t always easy, particularly during increasingly heavy and prolonged periods of rainfall, but it is a challenge relished by Course Manager Grant Peters and his team of 9. He explains how the club’s winter playability has taken a major leap forwards thanks to the installation of Hydrowick drainage by Djuke.

Parkstone Golf Club transforms winter playability

Parkstone Golf Club transforms winter playability

Passionate about course quality, Grant has been at the club for the last nine years and, over that time, identified that persistent waterlogging on some problematic greens – and increasingly on the fairways – was impacting rounds. Seeking an innovative, non-invasive solution, Grant spoke to contractors Djuke about the Hydrowick drainage system and the rest, as they say, is history!

“We had a very tentative trial of the system on the back half of one of our worst performing greens and the impact was immediate and dramatic” he explains. “The transformation in water movement was so good we immediately pushed the button to have Hydrowick installed on all of our problem greens. Since then, we’ve had nine greens done – turning what were some of the wettest areas of the course into the driest.”

He emphasises, “We can see an inch of rainfall and, within a couple of hours, these greens are playable where, previously, they’d have been closed for half a day or longer.”

Encouraged by the results on the greens, Grant is delighted to have now rolled Hydrowick onto Parkstone’s fairways. “We had no concerns whatsoever that the system would perform equally as well here and, lo and behold, shortly after the installation at the start of November we saw 60mm of rainfall and the fairway remained playable.”

Hydrowick is one of the most efficient and effective drainage systems on the market, utilising a patented rope system to ‘wick’ away excess moisture. Laid at 2m centres, the installation process is also far less invasive than most other systems – maximising results and returning surfaces to play within 24 hours. Generating very little spoil was one of the key advantages for Grant, with Parkstone designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest meaning the club is highly constrained on where and how it can move and store soil.

The club now plans to extend the Hydrowick programme to a further three or four fairways, with installations proposed for late 2026 into early 2027. “Cameron and the whole team at Djuke are an absolute pleasure to work with. Everything from initial quotation through to installation was quick, polite, tidy and professional and the end result ticks every box for us” he concludes.

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Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa upgrades Club Car fleet

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Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa upgrades Club Car fleet: Club Car®, global industry-leading manufacturer of small-wheel, zero-emissions electric vehicles, has delivered a new fleet of golf carts to the prestigious Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa in South Africa.

Located on the beautiful Western Cape, the 5-star resort received 56 lithium-ion Tempo vehicles to enhance the golf experience on its magnificent Peter Matkovich-designed 18-hole championship course, consistently ranked in the top ten courses in the country.

Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa upgrades Club Car fleet

Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa upgrades Club Car fleet

The vehicles, delivered by AFGRI, the official Club Car distributor in South Africa, have premium features such as Comfort seats and Visage GPS connected technology.

Bevan du Plessis, Golf Manager at Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa, said: “We have many international guests, the majority of whom use a cart, and it’s essential we offer a product in keeping with the high standards of the resort. The new fleet has really elevated the golf experience. The carts not only look great but offer a smooth and enjoyable ride.

“Club Car’s Visage system has been particularly beneficial, allowing us to track cart locations, monitor pace of play and protect the course year-round, ensuring optimal playability for every visitor.

“The service and support from Club Car and AFGRI has also been exceptional,” du Plessis added. “This is our third fleet of Club Car vehicles, and they continue to exceed our expectations for quality and performance.”

Nicolas Le Glas, Club Car Regional Manager Middle East and Africa, said: “Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa offers its guests a world-class experience, and we’re proud to play a part in that with these new vehicles.”

Club Car’s highly-acclaimed Tempo golf car is used by many of the best golf venues around the world.

It delivers outstanding hill-climbing power and acceleration, and has many customisable options including colour, seats, storage, wheels and programmable drive modes to maximise performance.

For more information on Club Car visit: www.clubcar.com

For more information on Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa visit: https://www.southernsun.com/arabella-hotel-golf-and-spa  

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Tobermory Golf Club invests in new Jacobsen equipment

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Tobermory Golf Club invests in new Jacobsen equipment:  An island golf club with just 70 members has made a major investment to safeguard the condition of its much-loved nine-hole course. Tobermory Golf Club, a longstanding community hub on Mull, has purchased a new Jacobsen PGM 22 pedestrian greens mower and a caddy trailer to help its small volunteer-led team manage the steep hilltop layout.

The machines were sourced through Jacobsen’s Scottish dealer, Fairways GM at Inchinnan.

Tobermory Golf Club invests in new Jacobsen equipment

Tobermory Golf Club invests in new Jacobsen equipment

The investment comes as Greens Convener John Wilshire approaches a remarkable milestone — next May marks 50 years of working association with the club. Now semi-retired and working around 15 hours a week, he coordinates a small multi-skilled team who each contribute part-time hours to course upkeep.

“Our course sits on a hilltop and drains incredibly quickly, even after really heavy rain,” John Wilshire said. “Now we’re in mid-November, we’re cutting maybe twice a week at most, but in summer the workload is much higher.”

Multiple jobs are a way of life in Tobermory, and the greens team reflects that.

“Most of our greens mowing is done by one of our team who is also the local baker,” he added. “He’s in the bakery from 4.30am to 8.30am, then comes up to cut the greens. In summer that can be four or five times a week; at this time of year it’s about twice as the growth tails off.”

The PGM 22 will be used exclusively on the greens and supported by the club’s existing tees mower. The older greens mower remains as a backup, while a 20-year-old Jacobsen is still used after sanding to protect newer kit from abrasive conditions.

Fairways GM’s Area Sales Manager, Stuart Cameron demonstrated and delivered the new PGM 22 and caddy trailer, ensuring the team were confident with the setup ahead of next season.

The Jacobsen combination is expected to make day-to-day work on the slopes much easier when the 2026 cutting season begins.

“The new trailer makes it much simpler for anyone cutting the greens to load and unload the mower,” said John Wilshire. “Our previous trailer was higher and far less convenient — this one is like a little caddy.”

When the club later needed help, Service Manager Stewart Mulholland stepped in without delay.

“Service Manager Stewart Mulholland came over to the island to assist us,” John Wilshire said. “He cleared up a bit of confusion with the bottom blade and took us through the correct procedures.”

Still serving as Greens Convener, Club President and clubhouse caretaker, John has now stepped back from full-time duties. “I used to look after the whole course myself, but after reaching retirement age I now just do bits and pieces.”

Tobermory Golf Club continues to welcome members, visitors and golfers from around the world, drawn by its dramatic views over the Sound of Mull and its friendly welcome.

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Committee for Golf Club Salaries – Statement for 2026

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Committee for Golf Club Salaries – Statement for 2026: Following yesterday’s announcement on our social media channels, the CGCS is pleased to share the full details of its latest recommendations on remuneration for key roles in golf.

Whilst our sport continues to thrive it is clear that challenges remain in finding and retaining the right people to maintain this momentum. There are also pressures on employers to meet increased overheads in the same way that employees are facing a continued squeeze on household finances. The CGCS takes both of these factors into account when arriving at a recommendation.

Committee for Golf Club Salaries – Statement for 2026

Committee for Golf Club Salaries – Statement for 2026

Inflationary measures since the last recommendations were published have been almost the inverse of the previous twelve months. Whilst not quite reaching the highs of September 2023, inflation has risen steadily with some signs that we may have reached a plateau. At the same time Regular Pay inflation is currently at its lowest for 24 months.

The Committee believes that the issue of highly qualified and experienced staff being caught up in terms of salary by those enjoying the rise in the NLW still remains a significant problem.

With these factors in mind the Committee is recommending an overall wage increase of 4.8% from January 1st, 2026. Employers will continue to take an approach to remuneration decisions that reflects their own business environment and we hope that this recommendation is given commensurate consideration at this point.

Further to this our deliberations have considered the value of factors in addition to pay awards. A growing number of employers are looking at how they can reward and motivate employees through a package of measures that include private health insurance, a defined proportion of budget ringfenced for professional development and also demonstrating a commitment to a robust governance structure. These factors all contribute to giving employees the sense that the business in which they work is genuinely committed to staff well-being.

With this in mind the CGCS is also recommending employers consider adding a further 2% to the overall package of key staff from January 1st, 2026. We believe that this reflects the growing practice amongst employers of considering staff remuneration in this way and will have a positive impact on staff retention.

Should any employer wish to seek advice on these or any other issues relating to staff development please feel free to contact the GCMA or BIGGA who are well-placed to provide advice and support.

Head to the CGCS website for more information and to explore the salary calculators, guidelines and principles of good pay.

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DLF helps Bristol Golf Club create the right first impression

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DLF helps Bristol Golf Club create the right first impression: Despite a year of challenging weather, Bristol Golf Club has seen a remarkable improvement in its playing surfaces and overall visitor experience thanks to innovative seed solutions from DLF.

The team, led by Course Manager Dave Taylor, introduced Johnsons J 4Turf 50 across all 27 tees in early 2025 which has gone on to demonstrate outstanding resilience and strong performance, coping with the pressures of a busy championship course.

DLF helps Bristol Golf Club create the right first impression

DLF helps Bristol Golf Club create the right first impression

With far reaching views across the Severn Estuary into Wales, Bristol Golf Club boasts an 18-hole Championship Course, a 9-hole Par 3 and 18-bay driving range alongside a whole host of other practice facilities and corporate grounds. Seeking to deliver lasting improvements on and off the course for the last eight years is Dave Taylor who turned to DLF Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett to tackle some particularly problematic areas prone to wear, disease and drought.

“We’re an incredibly busy site, with high levels of foot traffic on the tees which also don’t all have the benefit of full irrigation” Dave explains. “Because of this I spoke with Ian about a harder-wearing mix, that would germinate quickly and tolerate the challenges of footfall and less than ideal weather conditions.” The solution came in the form of J 4Turf 50 from the Johnsons Sports Seed range. The 50/50 blend of diploid perennial and tetraploid perennial ryegrass ensures rapid establishment even under low soil temperatures and creates a deep-rooting, disease-resistant sward.

DLF helps Bristol Golf Club create the right first impression

DLF helps Bristol Golf Club create the right first impression

“Even in the extreme weather, the results we’ve seen have been outstanding” Dave says. “It germinated quickly and, what small amount of dormant seed we had, kicked straight into action as soon as the rain returned in early September. The recovery, density and wear tolerance on all of our tees has been exceptional.” He adds, “Not only have we not had to do any additional autumn overseeding on the tees, we’ve also not seen any Dollar Spot this year which means we’ve saved time and money by not having to apply any fungicides.”

Beyond course playability, Dave has also worked with DLF to create a strong first impression for members and visitors with the introduction of a new wildflower area at the club entrance. Created with Carnival from DLF’s Colour Boost collection, the vibrant display of bright and bold annuals in the spring became quite the talking point. “Because we host weddings and corporate events alongside the golf, these visual touches make a big difference.”

The return of the rain has meant new waves of colour are now emerging, with plans in place to expand the trial to new planting areas across the course in 2026. “The flowers don’t just deliver visual impact, they help us to enhance biodiversity – creating environments to encourage and support all types of insects and wildlife.”

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