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Pride for award nominees

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Pride for award nominees: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and co-founders and sponsors Toro and Reesink UK have revealed the finalists of their prestigious annual awards, which seek to uncover the UK’s leading student greenkeepers.

Each year the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards enable BIGGA, the UK’s only membership association for golf greenkeepers, to partner with turf maintenance equipment manufacturer Toro and distributor Reesink UK and celebrate the next generation of talented and dedicated greenkeepers.

Pride for award nominees

Pride for award nominees

The first stage of the awards saw candidates undertake an interview in front of a panel of judges comprising representatives of BIGGA and Reesink UK, with 54 nominees being narrowed down to the final 12. The finalists will now vie for the titles of Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year and Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year at Carden Park in Cheshire on 4-6 September.

The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists are:

  1. Edoardo Fauro, deputy head greenkeeper at Walton Heath Golf Club and student at SRUC Elmwood
  2. Joe Garner, assistant greenkeeper at Wentworth Club and student at Myerscough College
  3. Tyler Holmes, assistant greenkeeper at Ganton Golf Club and student at Askham Bryan College
  4. Craig Jordan, apprentice at Ashley Wood Golf Club and student at Sparsholt College
  5. Shawn McBride, assistant greenkeeper at Hillside and student at Myerscough College
  6. Michael Russell, assistant greenkeeper at Ormskirk and student at Oldham College

The Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists are:

  1. Daniel Martin, first assistant at Farleigh Golf Club and student at Hadlow College
  2. Ben Murchie, apprentice at Thorndon Park Golf Club and student at Berkshire College of Agriculture (Windsor Forest)
  3. Sam Norman, apprentice at Abbey Hill Golf Club and student at Myerscough College
  4. Caleb Overhill, apprentice at High Post Golf Club and student at Myerscough College
  5. Jake Rose, apprentice at Moortown Golf Club and student at Askham Bryan College
  6. Sam Trott, apprentice at Weymouth Golf Club and student at Bridgwater & Taunton College

Following the announcement, several of the endorsers who nominated students for the awards have spoken about their pride in their students’ achievements.

Nick Lush is sports turf tutor at Myerscough College and nominated Caleb Overhill. He said: “Caleb’s dedication to his college work has been exceptional. The greenkeeping industry is in safe hands when we have young learners like him coming through.”

David Byron is course manager at Thorndon Park Golf Club and nominated Ben Murchie. He said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to bits for Ben. He’s come a long way and I couldn’t be happier for him. This is the cherry on top that proves all the hard work was worth it.”

BIGGA Learning and Development Executive Deb Burnett was on the judging panel for the regional interviews and said: “The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year initiative is in its 34th year and yet the awards continue to grow in stature with each passing instalment. As colleges, golf clubs, BIGGA, the Greenkeepers Training Committee and partners like Reesink Turfcare collaborate to provide better and better learning opportunities for greenkeepers, we find that the standard of student greenkeepers across the UK continues to rise. That gives confidence that the future of the industry is in safe hands and we’re excited to welcome this year’s finalists to Carden Park in September for what stands to be another closely-contested competition. Congratulations to all the finalists!”

David Timms, national accounts manager at Reesink UK and Young award judge, said: “Not only did we have a record number of entries this year but the candidates were really strong, making the finalist selection difficult. It was especially pleasing to see applicants from all over the UK. We have a very strong group coming to the finals, where a challenging but invaluable couple of days awaits them.”

Further reaction from nominators and the finalists themselves can be viewed on the BIGGA website and the BIGGA YouTube channel.

Head to the BIGGA website for details of the incredible prizes on offer for the awards winners, runners-up and those who nominated candidates.

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Battery power from Toro for The Open

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Battery power from Toro for The Open: The Open returns to Royal Liverpool Golf Club for the 13th time in July and helping prepare the course for the world’s golfing greats is Toro turfcare machinery.

While most of the machinery fleet at the famous links at Hoylake on the west coast of England is Toro, leading the charge on the greens, tees and surrounds are the Toro eFlex 1021 lithium-ion battery-powered pedestrian greensmowers and Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 all-electric ride-on greensmowers.

Battery power from Toro for The Open

Battery power from Toro for The Open

A dedicated team of greenkeepers under the watchful eye of links manager James Bledge are making the final preparations to the course and Toro has been there every step of the way. In fact, the last time the club hosted the world’s oldest and most popular golf event in 2013, it had just taken delivery of six eFlex 1021 greensmowers and while plenty has changed since then, what’s stayed the same is the machine still entrusted to look after the greens and tees.

James explains: “We have a new par 3 which will be the biggest change since The Open was last hosted here – it is a very short but challenging hole with stunning views of the estuary and Wales. What hasn’t changed is the club’s commitment to sustainable course management in that we’re always looking for the best carbon-neutral options. And when you find a pedestrian greensmower that provides this level of precision and quality, powered by a battery, you don’t look anywhere else.

“The weather will dictate the greens speed for the week and the work we have done in the last year will ensure we have more control over this. For us that’s six teams of two out doing single and double cuts with the Toro eFlex 1021 pedestrian mowers.”

Joining the pedestrian mowers on the frontline is Toro’s Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 all-electric ride-on greensmower. While this was the machine of choice for the greens at St Andrews at last year’s championship, at Royal Liverpool Golf Club it’s being used on the tees and surrounds.

James continues: “The eTriFlex 3370 is more than capable of achieving the standard required on the greens, as we saw so masterfully demonstrated at St Andrews last year. It is quite literally one of the best machines made and it’s a great greens choice, but with the acute run-offs on our course, hand cutting is the best bet.”

Despite the reliable machinery choices, that’s a lot of trust to put in the greens team to ensure a consistency of cut across the board for the eyes of the world surely. James agrees: “The greenkeepers are the heroes here. They’re the ones out there putting in the hours and miles; they are an extremely talented team.”

When James accepted the role of links manager in December 2021 the first thing on his to-do list was to prepare for The 151st Open and what could have been a baptism of fire for many was a dream role for James.

“I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this,” he says. “Creating the most diverse volunteer team handpicked from all the best places, bringing together someone from every championship venue, having mentors from across the world to turn to and having the best brands and businesses to work with has been rewarding and will be an incredible opportunity for everyone involved. It’s great to see everyone come together with the common goal to put on the best event possible.”

Machinery dealer Cheshire Turf Machinery who has worked with Royal Liverpool for over 20 years and Toro’s UK distributor Reesink Turfcare will be providing extensive championship support and a fleet of Toro machines for the duration of the historic event.

Steve Halley, managing director of Cheshire Turf Machinery, says: “It really has been striking how enthusiastic and excited James and his team are about staging The Open. We are delighted to support their efforts to make the event as successful as possible.”

Jon Cole, divisional business manager at Reesink Turfcare, comments: “It’s a privilege to be a part of The 151st Open and supporting the team at Royal Liverpool throughout the Championship again. We have worked with at least 30 of the 40 host venues of The Open that have taken place in our 40 years as Toro distributor and to be involved is always an honour.”

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Key appointment for GMA and SALTEX

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Key appointment for GMA and SALTEX: Jen Carter is the new head of communications at the Grounds Management Association, supporting the GMA’s five-year strategy which covers all the sectors of the groundscare industry, including the membership organisation’s flagship event SALTEX, with an expanded communications team.

Jen and her team’s work will focus on supporting the GMA to achieve its three long-term goals: to attract new talent and accelerate the growth of a diverse workforce; to support sustainable business growth and protect the sector’s interests, and to build the industry’s reputation and promote the sector’s contribution to society and the economy, and that cannot be done without the support of SALTEX.

Key appointment for GMA and SALTEX

Key appointment for GMA and SALTEX

The relationship between the GMA and SALTEX is inherently interlinked with the work done for both contributing significantly to the growth and success of the industry. The GMA and SALTEX work hand in hand – SALTEX is powered by the GMA and in turn SALTEX feeds into the GMA’s extensive work in supporting, and raising the profile of, the groundscare industry in all its guises.

Jen comments: “I’ve been aware of the work the GMA and SALTEX have done for the industry as my experience is rooted in the sports sector and I believe it’s essential for the long-term success of the industry that they function and flourish. I am really excited to play a part in their history and their future.”

Jen joins the GMA from Liverpool Football Club where she spent nearly eight years developing and executing strategic communications for the club’s major capital projects including the AXA Training Centre, the new Main Stand, LFC’s flagship retail store and for stadium developments such as concerts and major events.

Prior to that, she spent five years at a boutique sports marketing agency working with blue chip clients across golf, tennis, rugby, equestrianism, and swimming to deliver strategic PR, media relations and sponsorship activation at high profile sporting events such as Wimbledon, The Masters, The Open, US PGA Championship, The Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.

These credentials make Jen the ideal candidate to lead the GMA’s communications team and take on responsibility for all external and internal communications, including PR and media relations, marketing, events marketing, and brand management, as well as overseeing the successful implementation of the 77th SALTEX exhibition, which is the largest free sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade show in Europe.

She is supported by a strong marketing team which has recently expanded with the arrival of communications and marketing executive, Georgia Hadwin, joining Nathan Woodford-Rôtt as senior marketing executive and Ollie Swan as senior PR and communications executive.

Jen concludes: “As a team we’re very much focusing on raising the profile and increasing brand awareness and equity of the GMA and SALTEX. At the very heart of all of this we are supporting the GMA’s five-year strategy which supports all the sectors of the groundscare industry and to be involved in something so vast and important for so many is really exciting.”

As well as an expanded communications team to support delivery of GMA strategic objectives, the GMA’s Commercial & Events team has been bolstered by the addition of experienced Sales Manager, Jill Rodham who recently joined Sarah Cunningham’s team, having previously worked at BIGGA for over 9 years. Jill brings strong trade show experience of the grounds care sector and will support Sarah in building on SALTEX 2022’s success which has already seen a 20 per cent increase in show floor space to accommodate increasing demand for space from exhibitors.

SALTEX takes place at Birmingham NEC on 1-2 November 2023. Exhibitors wishing to secure their place at Europe’s largest free sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade exhibition, should contact GMA Sales Manager, Jill Rodham at jrodham@thegma.org.uk or 07754 552405.

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It’s TinyLineMarkers® at the double for PGSD!

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It’s TinyLineMarkers® at the double for PGSD!: Recent rapid expansions have seen major investments for Hounslow-based contractors PGSD – the most recent of which is a second TinyLineMarker® from Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS).

So impressed with the accuracy and labour savings brought about by their original TinyLineMarker® Pro, a Pro X has joined the fleet to deliver efficient marking to schools and sports turf customers across the home counties.

It’s TinyLineMarkers® at the double for PGSD!

It’s TinyLineMarkers® at the double for PGSD!

“Due to the growth in business, we were finding that marking surfaces manually was becoming problematic in terms of both time and labour” explains Managing Director Mark Hooley. “Sports facilities and schools tend to work to extremely tight changeover timeframes and so, to meet requirements, we looked to technology to help.” Mark and the team researched the market extensively and found the TLM Pro to be extremely effective during trials. “We wanted something that was straight forward to operate and that would give us the precision we need when installing these lines. The TLM Pro met all of our requirements, and upon delivery in the spring of 2022, proved to be absolutely outstanding!”

The TLM Pro was shared between teams based in London and Hertfordshire before being joined by a new TinyLineMarker® Pro X in April 2023, giving the two PGSD schools’ teams their own marker for an even more efficient service. “Our operatives were blown away by the intuitiveness of the Pro but the Pro X is next level!” exclaims Mark. “The tablet has been upgraded and there are even more settings and stored markings – all easier to find and use. There is also a wealth of new features, simple things like the ability to manually flush out the system after marking which is a great addition.”

Robust and versatile, the TLM Pro X is the new fast and effective solution to marking – offering a 10L paint capacity and high traction, pro wheels making it suited to even the most demanding field painting jobs.

“Our two TLM’s have been out most days as we prepare sports grounds for the summer season. With the software, we can programme and mark out a 400m running track in 90 minutes compared to two operators spending a full day using string and tape measures… and getting even better accuracy! Once summer marking is complete, we’ll then have another busy season come August when we start putting down markings for football and rugby.”

“We’re delivering a superior product to our clients with these markers and, when combined with the simplicity of use and labour savings, makes the investment essentially cost-neutral.” Mark adds, “There is also plenty of support from Simon Hughes at OAS who has helped us at every stage of the process, including delivering all the initial training, and though we’ve not needed to call on him we know help is available at the end of the phone if we need it.”

Free demonstrations are being offered across the UK.  To book or enquire visit https://tinymobilerobots.com/tinymobilerobots-uk/

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MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester

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MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester: Worcester College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, is benefiting from using a range of MM grass seed.

Founded in 1714, Worcester College is steeped in history and continues to educate and house around 600 students. The College’s 26 acres of stunning grounds feature plenty of lawns alongside a lake, an orchard, and sports fields. Students at Worcester are the only ones in the University to benefit from on-site sports pitches and excel at football, cricket, and hockey.

MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester

MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester

Simon Bagnall, Head of Gardens and Grounds, has been working at the College for 19 years, and has been using the MM brand of grass seed throughout his whole tenure.

“I have been using it for as long as I can remember because of the quality of the seed – it is reliable, it performs and it has never let us down,” he said.

MM is one of the most respected brands in the UK amenity industry, with over 40 years of experience and knowledge. The extensive product portfolio is second to none with performance proven mixtures that are used at many leading venues in the UK and Europe.

There are two mixtures within the MM portfolio that Simon and his team rely on, as he explains.

“We use MM50 and MM21 across all our sports fields and utility lawns. We normally oversow with the mixtures during our renovation period and then will apply them through the year if we need to do any repairs.

“Another benefit of using these MM seed mixtures is the speed with which they germinate. We have quite a short window between renovations and when the students come back so to be able to get some grass growing quickly is a huge bonus for us.”

MM50 is one of the UK’s biggest selling grass mixtures. The hard-wearing ryegrass mix is very fine leaved, has high shoot density, is tolerant to close mowing down to 4-5mm and produces a great colour all year round. It also has quick recovery from damage and play.

MM21 produces a dense, fine and attractive sward and is a great mix for lawns and landscaping with low ryegrass.

Josh Hall, Deputy Head of Gardens and Grounds, further explained how the team uses the MM mixtures.

“We use MM21 on the main lawn because it is shaded by mature trees and there is a lack of light. The rye and fescue in the mixture work well together to give us good coverage in what could otherwise be a problematic area. The MM21 is normally applied in March or April so that it is growing nicely over the spring and summer.

“The MM50 is basically used everywhere else, especially on our sports pitches, and it is our go-to product. Our pitches take a real hammering with the number of games we have and to have some grass at the end of a season is important to us. We get that with MM50 – it is very hard-wearing. In fact, you don’t expect something to be so fine to do such a hardwearing job, but it does. It also produces a fantastic colour.”

With Worcester being an Oxford University college, it has a certain reputation to uphold. The demand is high and that in turn can put pressure on Simon and his team. With this in mind, Simon sees the value in working with key suppliers like MM.

“We get a brilliant service and Matt Gresty (MM Sales and Marketing Manager) is always available to speak to if I need advice. He sees us regularly, helps us out a lot and I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“I will always recommend the MM range of grass seed and I would encourage people to come and have a look at our lawns and pitches so they can see the results for themselves.”

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s website www.mm-seeds.co.uk.

You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed.

To find out more about Worcester College visit their website: www.worc.ox.ac.uk

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