Tag Archive for: “ELITE”

Bernhard and Company strengthens elite stadium pitches across Morocco

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Bernhard and Company strengthens elite stadium pitches across Morocco: Bernhard and Company has reinforced its position at the forefront of elite sports turf technology with the installation of SubAir Systems at three of Morocco’s most iconic football stadiums, supporting pitch performance during one of the most high-profile international tournaments on the football calendar.

SubAir Systems have now been installed at:

  • Grand Stade de Tangier – Tangier
  • Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium – Rabat
  • Stade Mohammed V – Casablanca
Bernhard and Company strengthens elite stadium pitches across Morocco

Bernhard and Company strengthens elite stadium pitches across Morocco

The installations form part of a wider strategy by stadium operators to ensure consistent, resilient, and controllable playing surfaces, capable of performing under intense scheduling, climatic pressure and global scrutiny.

With Morocco set to host a major international football tournament, pitch performance has become a critical focus. Heavy rainfall, tight turnaround times, and high expectations from players, broadcasters, and governing bodies place significant demands on natural turf systems.

For the turf teams, drainage and moisture control have been central priorities. “Drainage is absolutely critical for us,” explained Taha Hassoune, Pitch Manager at Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca. “In the past, we’ve experienced periods where rainfall overwhelmed traditional drainage systems, and that directly impacts firmness, playability, and preparation time.”

Hassoune added: “Installing SubAir Systems has made a huge difference. By having the ability to pull moisture down and out through the rootzone, we’re encouraging deeper, more fibrous roots.”

Steve Wilson, Bernhard and Company’s Global Business Development Manager for Turf Technologies, commented: “It has been fantastic to work alongside Taha and the other pitch maintenance teams to install the SubAir Systems and see them make improvements using the technology. If the pitches in Morocco become too soft, the SubAir allows them to dry the turf and regain firmness, which is a crucial element for football tournaments.”

He added: “The world’s best stadiums are investing in SubAir because it gives them control over moisture, firmness, recovery, and consistency, exactly when it matters most. In preparation for major international tournaments, there’s no margin for error, so having the safety net of SubAir is a huge advantage.”

Alongside SubAir, the stadiums are using Soil Scout sensors (distributed by Bernhard and Company in the UK, Ireland and more recently North America) to monitor moisture and temperature levels, helping the teams understand changes within the profile to allow for proactive response.

The projects were delivered in collaboration with Sports Turf Maroc, one of Morocco’s leading pitch builders, recognised for their willingness to innovate and experiment with new technologies.

To learn more about SubAir Systems, subsurface control, head online to: https://bernhard.co.uk/products/subair/

To find out more about Bernhard and Company and its full range of product offerings, head to: https://bernhard.co.uk/

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Discover Mansfield Sand’s Elite Sports Turf Solutions

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Discover Mansfield Sand’s Elite Sports Turf Solutions: Make your way to stand OSA260 at GroundsFest 2025 – taking place on 9 and 10 September at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire – to explore the latest in professional sand-based solutions from Mansfield Sand.

With a heritage spanning over 180 years, Mansfield Sand remains at the forefront of silica sand innovation. Their trusted range supports elite stadiums, top-level training grounds, championship golf courses, and high-performance equestrian venues across the UK.

Discover Mansfield Sand’s Elite Sports Turf Solutions

Discover Mansfield Sand’s Elite Sports Turf Solutions

At this year’s event, their team of specialists will be on hand to showcase how their products can strengthen, support, and transform natural sports surfaces. Key solutions on display will include:

Reinforced Rootzones

Designed for high-performance, natural turf surfaces that demand durability and year-round usability. These expertly engineered products improve pitch stability and drainage while maintaining consistency throughout the surface. Options include:

Fibre Reinforced Rootzone – polypropylene fibre-reinforced for enhanced strength.

Fibrelastic Rootzone – combines polypropylene and flexible Elastane fibres for resilience and recovery.

Fibresand – ideal where turf has suffered wear and tear from winter usage.

Sand Soil Rootzones

Blended using only premium screened topsoil and Mansil 40 Silica Sand, these mixes are perfect for construction or renovation – providing a reliable, high-performance start for any project.

Sand Compost Rootzones

A carefully developed mix of sand and organic material, helping turf retain nutrients and moisture while boosting drought tolerance and resilience.

Top Dressing

A fine turf essential, Mansfield Sand’s sterilised, stone-free top dressing is made from the company’s own silica sand and high-quality soils. Custom blends are also available – including options with soil amendments.

Mansil Silica Sand Sports Range

Extracted from the Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield, the Mansil range supports a wide variety of surfaces – from golf courses and bowling greens to winter sports pitches and amenity areas.

Don’t miss your chance to see how Mansfield Sand’s market-leading range can help you raise the standard of your sports surfaces. Visit stand OSA260 at GroundsFest 2025.

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/

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Elite Practice Zone at Gleneagles

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Elite Practice Zone at Gleneagles: Huxley Golf is proud to have created an all-weather feature for the PGA National Academy for Scotland at Gleneagles, the iconic Scottish hotel and global luxury destination, that will uphold its reputation as one of the world’s most sought-after practice and coaching facilities for years to come.

The Academy’s new practice tee and short game area deliver optimum training facilities because Huxley Golf’s unique surfaces enable year-round play for the benefit of PGA professionals and players alike.

Elite Practice Zone at Gleneagles

Elite Practice Zone at Gleneagles

PGA National Golf Academy Manager, Matthew Reid, said: “Here at Gleneagles, we combine leading instruction with unrivalled practice facilities to give golfers of all ages and abilities the opportunity to enjoy the sport and grow their game in the most comprehensive and desirable surroundings. Huxley Golf’s elite golf surfaces are a key component of us being able to deliver this service. Silent and comfortable underfoot, they look, feel and play just like natural turf, yet so much more hard-wearing.”

Huxley Golf installed a practice tee measuring approximately 170ft (52m) x 12ft (3.6m) and two short game area tees of approximately 24ft (7.3m) x 6ft (1.8m) each. Both were created using Huxley Golf’s celebrated Premier Tee Turf 2.

The company’s Scotland & North East England Area Manager, Hugh Fraser, explained: “Premier Tee Turf 2 was the perfect solution for Matthew’s team at Gleneagles. With exceptional pile density, it sets the perfect stage and provides a superb all-weather playing surface. Its unique construction enables balls to be played straight off the surface or from a tee and, because no filler is needed, there’s very little maintenance needed to keep it in tip-top condition all year round, just as visitors to this iconic venue expect.”

Gleneagles’ reputation as a sporting paradise has flourished for over a century. Boasting three championship courses, the resort offers an unbeatable golfing experience for a broad spectrum of enthusiasts, from novices through to the finest players in the world.

The Huxley name has been synonymous with premium all-weather golf surfaces and products. Endorsed by the UK’s leading golf organisations as well as many legendary golfers and celebrities and their coaching teams, the Hampshire-based company’s artificial golf surfaces are in use all around the world at top-flight courses, resorts, and training academies. Across Scotland, Huxley Golf has also recently created practice areas for the Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, Gullane Golf Club and The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers Muirfield.

For more information visit www.huxleygolf.com

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Bay Hill’s new Eclipse 360 ELiTE

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Bay Hill’s new Eclipse 360 ELiTE: Legacy building is a daily task at Bay Hill Golf Club & Lodge, and the Jacobsen Eclipse 360 ELiTE is the latest part of that journey.

Every day for the last six months, the lithium-ion powered greens mower has been in use at the home of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and has impressed every operator that’s cut with it for different reasons.

Bay Hill's new Eclipse 360 ELiTE

Bay Hill’s new Eclipse 360 ELiTE

For some, it’s the silent operation, and for others, it’s the timing of the reels. The swing-out center reel put a smile on mechanics’ faces in the workshop, and the battery life and quality of cut have been universally praised.

The club, through Mr. Palmer, has a long and established relationship with Jacobsen, and this latest advancement with battery technology is likely to shape the greenkeeping legacy for years to come, as Director of Grounds, Chris Flynn, explains.

“Arnold Palmer bought this property in the late 60s, and now we’re building his legacy. Jacobsen and Bay Hill have had a relationship literally for decades, and Mr. Palmer was a spokesperson for Jacobsen and had very close relationships, and that relationship is just as strong as ever today.

“The bottom line, and what matters most is performance. For us, this mower could not have performed any better; and I look forward to getting a few of them here on property full-time. I think any Superintendent would be more than pleased if they could get their hands on one.

“We’ve had it on the property for six months now, and we have used it every day since it’s been here. What’s been fantastic for us with all our practice greens being so close to the lodge is being able to go up there with the electric mower without making a lot of noise. That has been huge.

“Another thing is the operators love it. The ease of operation and the timing of how the reels go up and down is great. The cut quality is certainly what Jacobsen has been known for a long, long time.

“In terms of its footprint on the green, we haven’t seen any issues at all. It’s been a win-win all around. The mechanics have been very pleased with it. The way that back reel swings out was one of the first things our mechanics certainly noticed and put big smiles on their faces. It definitely makes their life’s a lot easier.

“When we wrap up with the mower and charge it up when we’re done, it’s ready to go for the next morning at full capacity. We’ve yet to run into a situation where we ran out of power and couldn’t finish mowing. We’ve mowed all 18 greens, we’ve mowed more than that, double-cutting, and we have yet to have an issue with the mower running out of power before us finishing the job.”

The new Eclipse 360 ELiTE from Jacobsen has been designed to combine the next generation of ELiTE lithium-ion batteries with a signature cut that has been trusted for a century.

ELiTE batteries have powered E-Z-GO vehicles for over 15 million hours, and the Eclipse 360 ELiTE has adopted that technology to make a mower that can cut 50+ large greens on a single charge.

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Jacobsen introduces the Eclipse 360 ELiTE

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Jacobsen introduces the Eclipse 360 ELiTE: The new Eclipse 360 ELiTE from Jacobsen has been designed to combine the next generation of ELiTE lithium-ion batteries with a signature cut that has been trusted for a century.

ELiTE batteries have powered E-Z-GO vehicles for over 15 million hours, and that technology has been adopted by the E360 ELiTE to make a mower that can cut 50+ large greens on a single charge.

Jacobsen introduces the Eclipse 360 ELiTE

Jacobsen introduces the Eclipse 360 ELiTE

Noise during operation is reduced to virtual silence, meaning the machine can be used to cut anywhere early in the morning without disruption. The significant reduction in noise pollution is combined with zero air pollution with the all-electric model, while fuel consumption is reduced when cutting with the diesel hybrid.

Jacobsen has a decade’s worth of experience with the Eclipse range, and that has been reflected in the features of this new machine. The Patented Frequency of Clip Control ensures a consistent cut every time by linking the reel speed to the forward speed. By having the reels turning in time with the wheels you’re able to keep a consistent frequency of cut regardless of who is mowing, but still have the option to increase it without reducing the mowing speed. This control is taken further with individual unit control that can adapt the cutting configuration to vary wheel runs and truly eliminate triplex ring.

Attention has also been paid to the access and maintenance aspects of the machine. A swing-out centre unit has been added for quick and easy cleaning, maintenance or swapping the unit. No tools are required to swing the unit out with the removal of a lynchpin that is then used to hold the unit in the swung-out position all that is needed.

All of these changes were made following a 360-durability review that has also included the addition of new brushless lift actuators that have ten times the lifespan of the previous option.

Seven, nine, eleven or fifteen blade reels are available for the E360 ELiTE to allow for varied applications of the machine from golf greens and tees to football pitches and ornamental gardens.

For more information or a demonstration of the Eclipse 360 ELiTE, please contact your local Jacobsen dealer

www.jacobsen.com

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