Tag Archive for: ‘Consistent’

Suståne delivers consistent quality

/in , /by

Suståne delivers consistent quality: As the old saying goes ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’. That’s certainly the motto for Came Down Golf Club in Dorchester, who have been using a nutritional programme from Suståne on their greens for over 30 years and explain that it continues to give them controlled growth, outstanding colour and enhanced plant health year after year.

Established in 1896, Came Down is a chalk-downland course nestled in the Dorset countryside which has strong historical links with some of golf’s most important institutions including The R&A, The Ryder Cup and The Open. While James Lockwood has been at the venue for 18 years, and Head Greenkeeper for the last three, he admits that the club’s relationship with Suståne goes much further back. “We think Suståne has been used here for roughly 35 years, making us one of the first clubs in the UK to use their products!”

Suståne delivers consistent quality

Suståne delivers consistent quality

James’ current programme, constructed in conjunction with Suståne’s Russell Riley and local distributors Agrovista, includes Suståne 10-1-4 as a spring starter, 5-2-10+Fe applied at lower rates and regular intervals throughout the summer and 5-2-4 to keep the greens ticking over in winter. “This is the tried and tested combination which works perfectly for us” he says.

“Firstly it’s great that it’s all organic. The club are keen to utilise more sustainable solutions and this programme, in conjunction with some of our cultural practices, has helped us to pretty much eliminate the use of fungicides. Secondly we like the control it gives us – no massive flushes of growth, just a steady, healthy growth pattern that leaves the greens looking immaculate and playing well year-round.”

James adds, “We have a couple of greens in shaded spots that have previously struggled with Fusarium. With a bit of trial and error, we’ve found that upping the rate of Suståne 5-2-10 through the back end of the summer, and 5-2-4 in the winter has helped us to limit the impact on these specific areas. It’s becoming increasingly important that we all try and resolve these issues using science and clever microbiology rather than relying on chemicals.”

“Another thing we like is that the granules are nice and fine which means we can apply it exactly when we need to without risking any interruption to play.” He concludes, “It’s testament to the continual quality and results that we rarely have to stray away from the programme that has been so pivotal to things here at Came Down for so long.”

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Progressive key to consistent cutting

/in , /by

Progressive key to consistent cutting: When it comes to optimum heights of cut for fairways, there isn’t a ‘one-height-fits-all’ approach – but one thing all Turf Managers will be aiming for is consistency, which can be easier said than done when dealing with potentially uneven or undulating ground.

The Progressive range of multi-deck mowers have been carefully designed with this in mind, offering unrivalled contour-following ability for an accurate quality of cut.

Progressive key to consistent cutting

Progressive key to consistent cutting

While a multi-deck mower may not be required in every situation, it can offer a broader scope of use with its ability to accommodate both flat and undulating turf equally. This flexibility delivers a quality cut without the risk of scalping or shredding the plant, helping to retain plant health and reducing potential entry points for pathogens and turf diseases to take hold. Their versatility sees them suited to operation around the golf course, alongside other applications such as sports fields, turf farms and mowing tasks undertaken by local authorities.

The latest addition to the Progressive range is the TDR-X – featuring three independently floating decks which provide a combined cutting width of 3.2m. It all begins with an adaptive swivel hitch at the front, making the TDR-X more agile and ensuring it works with the tractor to follow undulating ground. The cutting height range of 9.5mm to 84.5mm is easy to adjust, with their industry-leading rotary blade overlap ensuring a precise and even cut. Full width rollers on both the front and rear of each deck completes the specification, leaving a professional finish for both golf and sports surfaces.

The TDR-X sits in the portfolio of ‘finishing mowers’ alongside the ProFlex 120 – the most widely used trailed contour mower. The ProFlex features a 3m cutting width across five decks, each of which can be quickly and easily adjusted to give the operator complete flexibility to make a stepped or transitioned first-cut in a single pass.

Along with other machines in the Progressive range, both the TDR-X and ProFlex 120 take advantage of Progressive’s Pro Lift-N-Turn™ technology, allowing the operator to temporarily raise the decks, with the PTO still engaged, making turning and transportation easier to increase overall productivity.

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised

/in , /by

‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised: Good consistent products and excellent customer service are the two reasons why Jeremy Browne, Head Greenkeeper at the Herefordshire Golf Club, chooses to use Mansfield Sand.

Established in 1896, the Herefordshire could well be the oldest club in the County, but it certainly is moving with the times. The new owners have invested in a number of improvements as they attempt to boost membership and secure the future of the club.

‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised

‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised

Jeremy, who has been at the club for 21 years, is playing an integral role in this respect too.

“There are four of us that manage the course, one of whom is an apprentice, and it is important to look ahead,” he said. “The plan is to bring in more apprentices because the three of us senior members of staff are all in our late fifties, so whether we like it or not, we probably won’t still be working here in say ten years. It is essential that we leave the course in safe hands – we want people to come through and learn all our knowledge and benefit from our experience.”

One tip Jeremy will be sure to pass down is how a high-quality sand can be vital to the overall health and performance of a golf course. Therefore, choosing the right sand is not a decision to be taken lightly – as he explains.

“We did use another company for our sand, but we were having problems getting deliveries and the products were not consistent,” he said. “We’re a hilly, clay-based course and it gets incredibly wet in the winter, so I wanted a good consistent, coarse sand to introduce into the greens.

“I did some research and had lots of samples sent to me. We looked at the analysis of all of them, tried them all and the one we decided on was Mansfield Sand’s MM35.”

Jeremy chose Mansfield’s MM35 Golf pure silica sand for top-dressing his greens because it brings a number of benefits such as improved recovery, firmness, smoothness and an improved rootzone. MM35 Golf also makes for a great bunker sand as it has fantastic playing characteristics as well as being aesthetically attractive.

Sourced directly from the company’s Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield, the Mansil Silica 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.

‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised

‘Consistent’ Mansfield Sand praised

“Once you pick a top-dressing, it is best to stick with it, providing it is good of course,” said Jeremy. “I don’t believe in using different ones all the time because you end up getting a build-up of different sands in your profile.

“The consistency on the MM35 seems to be very good, and my aim is for it to help improve drainage and keep the surface dry. We use the product on all of the greens and on our tees too. I’d like to top-dress the greens monthly and I’m hoping to be able to do that with MM35 sooner rather than later.

“The service from Mansfield Sand is also excellent – I like my deliveries to have come and gone before the golfers get in at 8am and they have never let me down.”

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.