Tag Archive for: For

GEO Award For Royal Dornoch

/in , /by

GEO Award For Royal Dornoch: An internationally-renowned golf course has earned a coveted global sustainability accolade through its commitment to the community and natural environment.

Royal Dornoch Golf Club has been awarded the GEO Certified® ecolabel, an international symbol of ‘great golf environments’. This recognises clubs that have met high standards for performance in nature conservation, water and energy efficiency, ethical and environmental supply chain, pollution control and community engagement.

An independent assessment of the famous club concludes: “Royal Dornoch is not only set within a stunning coastal landscape, but its course ranking demonstrates the commitment and expertise given to management, which together place significant responsibility on the club to manage efficiently and sustainably in all areas of working.”

The award not only further elevates the standing of the historic club, but also enhances its ability to host major events. The R&A, the game’s governing body, is a supporter of GEO (Golf Environment Organization) and the Certified ecolabel is now a prerequisite for clubs staging large competitions. All ten host venues for The Open are now GEO Certified®.

Richard Allison, Project Manager, GEO Certified – Facilities, said: “Royal Dornoch is an outstanding example of a golf club with sustainability as a natural extension of its operation.

“From habitat creation and steps to future energy independence among its range of sustainability work, our congratulations go to everyone at the club and we look forward to seeing what the next few years brings.”

The assessment highlights the “exemplary” management of a Site of Special Scientific Interest which adjoins the golf course and states the club’s energy resource management is “particularly impressive”.

A new maintenance facility runs on renewable electricity with solar-PV cells providing 12 kilowatts of energy for daily use with surplus returned to the National Grid.

An air-source heat pump provides hot water and underfloor heating for the offices and communal areas, while in the clubhouse major energy initiatives include a phased changeover to LED lighting, installation of smart meters to track consumption accurately, and motion sensors and push-button timers throughout appropriate areas. Electric vehicles are also being introduced to the club’s maintenance fleet.

The club regularly monitors wildlife on the course, with species including otter, snipe, woodcock and pine marten all resident.

Royal Dornoch’s support for the community includes making donations to a number of organisations through a variety of funds. The GEO assessment highlights money raised to provide defibrillators in the town and a community fund that has distributed about £20,000 to worthy causes in three years.

Royal Dornoch’s general manager Neil Hampton said: “This is a very important award for us. We take enormous pride in our environment and are committed to doing everything we can to act responsibly and sustainably.

“The club also takes seriously its role in the community and be as good a neighbour as we can be.

“The GEO Certified award is a prestigious international honour and we are delighted to receive this recognition.”

For more information, visit: system2.eu

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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

Follow us on Twitter 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.

New Finance For 2018

/in , /by

New Finance For 2018: Reesink Turfcare begins the new year in style, announcing two new finance deals for TYM Tractors.

TYM customers can choose between two interest-free options. Option one is buy now pay in June 2018, with full payment due at that point. The second option spreads the cost over two years with 22 equal monthly payments.

New Finance For 2018

TYM sales manager Steven Haynes says: “These finance options are designed to help customers buy the tractors they need without compromising cash flow, allowing them to replenish or add to their fleet of turfcare equipment in a way that suits their financial situation.

“The TYM range in the UK underwent some healthy expansion in 2017 and its continued popularity saw Reesink Turfcare invest heavily in the brand, bringing more choice to customers: more product launches, more attachments and more investment in the sales team. 2018 follows suit as soon as we enter the year, with more options for customers to purchase TYM.”

These finance deals apply to the entire range of TYM tractors, from the smallest to the largest horsepower and includes the latest model to join the range – the T393. This newcomer is already appealing to a broad range of customers for its ideal positioning, bridging the gap in the TYM line-up from the compact utility range into the mid-duty range.

Both deals are available from 2 January until 2 March 2018 and apply to a maximum of 60 percent of the RRP. Finance is subject to acceptance and only available in the UK.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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

Follow us on Twitter 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.

Felixstowe Ferry Opts For Toro

/in , /by

Felixstowe Ferry Opts For Toro: Suffolk-based Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club has once again opted for Toro as it scales up its fairway aeration programme. The Toro ProCore SR72 has been purchased through UK distributor Reesink Turfcare alongside a TYM T603 tractor to pull it.

The SR72 aerator joins the smaller Toro ProCore SR48, as course manager Glenn Rayfield explains: “We were already operating a SR48 aerator on smaller areas of approaches and fairways. After hosting the Ladies National County Finals, we decided to embark on a fairway aeration programme to keep the standard of the course up, and the SR72 is ideal for that.”

Felixstowe Ferry Opts For Toro

With a working width of 72 inches, the SR72 is a good choice for large scale aeration. This tough machine is able to puncture up to 40cm of the most compacted soil, while being light enough to work on greens and fairways. Depth control is made while the machine is in operation by using the hydraulic top link from the tractor. This one-of-a-kind feature means the operator can apply the ideal tine position for every soil type and condition without leaving the tractor’s seat.

Purchased to tow the SR72 is the 60hp T603 tractor, which enables the club to scale up its tractor tasks, bringing the power to do all the jobs the club previously couldn’t. Glenn explains: “We chose the T603 because it can handle large volume equipment and the club didn’t have another tractor like it.

“Aeration is just one of many tasks it will be performing around the club. With it we can also tow flail mowers, hedge trimmers and larger trailers for construction. Plus it is installed with a front bucket which is used for loading and moving tasks.”

Both machines are a hit with Felixstowe’s greenkeeping team: “The guys were fully onboard with the choices as they played a large part in the selection process. After trying a range of machines, their feedback cemented the order,” Glenn says.

Another factor in the decision was Glenn’s previous experience with Toro and Reesink, having most recently purchased two Toro Triflex 3400 mowers in 2016: “Reesink distributes reliable equipment and is all about customer service. The two Toro mowers we purchased from them in 2016 are superb and they provide cut perfection!”

He continues: “Whenever I’ve had a query, Reesink has been on the case straightway. Over the years I’ve secured a friendship with our local representative Julian Copping, who provides good service, knowledge and can’t help enough.”

It all means exciting times are ahead for one of the oldest and finest links courses in the country, as the addition of the Toro ProCore SR72 and TYM T603 allows all sorts of new tasks for the greenstaff to keep the course in excellent condition.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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

Follow us on Twitter 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.

£18,000 Raised For Movember

/in /by

£18,000 Raised For Movember: One of Kubota’s dealers, Lister Wilder, and its 60 strong ‘Mow-team’ has raised a remarkable £18,318 for the The Movember Foundation, making the company the 5th largest fundraiser across the UK to support the charity.

Formed of company directors, workshop engineers, sales team members and parts advisers, Lister Wilder employees donned great, and some not so great, moustaches throughout the month of November to help raise the awareness of some of the biggest health issues faced by men.

£18,000 Raised For Movember

Phill Hughes, Groundcare Sales Director at Lister Wilder and the company’s Movember Team Captain, said: “Working in an industry where the majority of our employee’s and customers are male, the charity really hits close to home and a lot of our staff were really enthusiastic about raising much needed funds for such a great campaign. We felt that participating in Movember 2017 would help to raise awareness of the issue within the workplace and remove the stigma that can surround health issues within males.

“In addition to raising a fantastic amount of money for a great charity, the campaign has helped to enhance our team spirit here at Lister Wilder. With so many employees participating and others providing encouragement, this has been a great opportunity for the whole company to come together for a common cause and creates a bonding experience along the way.”

Lister Wilder also offered its support to The Rich Brothers of BBC Garden Rescue, who travelled across six counties in two days to mow huge, precise moustaches into fields to raise funds for the ‘MOWvember movement’. Lister Wilder donated Kubota’s popular G23 ride-on-mower, allowing for exceptional power and efficiency for the busy occasion.

Dave Roberts, Managing Director at Kubota UK, said: “It’s fantastic to see Lister Wilder’s efforts result in such a tremendous outcome for an impactful movement.

“Kubota was delighted to be able to support Lister Wilder and we are thrilled to see how everybody can come together to recognise and fight against a worthy cause.”

The Movember foundation is the leading global organisation committed to focusing solely on men’s health, whilst raising funds to support the fight against prostate and testicular cancer.

If you’d like to donate to Lister Wilder’s Movember ‘MOW-team’, visit its fundraising page: https://uk.movember.com/team/2282728.

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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

Follow us on Twitter 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

Record Breaking Year For Kingsbarns

/in /by

Record Breaking Year For Kingsbarns: – In a season that saw Kingsbarns Golf Links host two European Tour events and its first Major, the course based in Fife has confirmed it welcomed more guests to the Scottish east coast in 2017 than ever before. The results have rounded off a memorable year for the celebrated links which also won the Best Customer Service accolade at this year’s Scottish Golf Tourism awards.

The annual results show a healthy upward curve in rounds played at Kingsbarns in 2017, and follow on from an equally impressive increase recorded last year. The year-on-year figures indicate a continual positive trend at Kingsbarns which its chief executive believes is underpinned by a commitment to consistent and continual improvement.

Record Breaking Year For Kingsbarns

“The 2017 season has been outstanding for a number of reasons, not least hosting the Ricoh Women’s British Open,” noted Alan Hogg. “Welcoming the world’s best players to Scotland was a privilege that all the team at Kingsbarns enjoyed. It is, however, an approach we adopt day in, day out with our guests. The standard of service doesn’t alter. The fact we recorded more rounds this year than any other is testament to this consistent approach.”

The Ricoh Women’s British Open was held at Kingsbarns in August with the 2017 line-up boasting players from 27 different nations, including all 25 of the world’s top golfers in the Rolex Rankings. The course received praise throughout the week, most notably from Michelle Wie, who opened the tournament with a new woman’s course record of 64.

“The fact it is a course record is a huge honour for me, especially at a place like Kingsbarns, which is definitely one of the most scenic courses I’ve ever played,” she said following her historic round. “You get lost in the views out there and it almost feels like playing back home in Hawaii.”

While the players enjoyed views from the elevated tees at Kingsbarns, including new teeing areas at the 3rd and 16th holes, the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) recorded a remarkable set of performance figures during the tournament, culminating in some of the most unswerving championship statistics ever collated.

“The green speeds at Kingsbarns were some of the most consistent we have had during tournament testing,” said Richard Windows, STRI agronomy services manager. “It was a great example of the implementation of good agronomic practices executed by a team of expert greenkeepers.”

The STRI confirmed the women’s major was contested over an exceptional course. Windows continued: “Achieving the targets was particularly pleasing because of the challenging weather conditions experienced throughout the championship with heavy rain falling on most afternoons and evenings. The results were outstanding.”

The regular greenkeeping team at Kingsbarns, led by Innes Knight and augmented during the tournament by over 20 volunteer greenkeeping professionals from Scottish, English and international golf courses, worked tirelessly during the tournament to ensure the course was presented to a world-class standard. It is a policy the team adopts throughout the year regardless of whether the tee-sheet is packed with the best players in the world or not.

“Our policy is to present Kingsbarns to the highest possible standard throughout the year,” explained Knight. “It could be a mid-week match for local golfers, a four-ball of international tourists or the closing Sunday of a Major. It does not matter. All members of staff at Kingsbarns are committed to delivering a truly unique golf experience for all our guests.”

Art Dunkley, director of Kingsbarns Golf Links, agreed. “We continually seek to improve how we present Kingsbarns and welcome our visiting golfers from the UK and from around the world. Hosting the Ricoh Women’s British Open showcased our ability to meet the high standards expected of a Major venue.”

Kingsbarns is looking forward to an exciting 2018 with another busy tee sheet based on early golf bookings, the Open Championship taking place at nearby Carnoustie Golf Links and the 18th staging of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. In addition and as a follow on to this year’s Women’s British Open, an exciting new ladies-only golf day designed for the enjoyment of amateur golfers is scheduled for Saturday 14 April 2018.

For more information, visit: www.strigroup.com

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

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

Follow us on Twitter 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.