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New sales operation for EcoBunker

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New sales operation for EcoBunker: Leading creator of synthetic bunker edging technology, EcoBunker Ltd, is reinforcing its commitment to the North American market by creating a directly owned subsidiary to support customers across the continent.

Inventor and CEO Richard Allen was the first to install synthetic bunker walls on US soil and his company, EcoBunker Ltd, has been delivering highly successful projects across the continent consistently since 2014.

New sales operation for EcoBunker

New sales operation for EcoBunker

After a short period trading under a different brand name through a distributor, Allen recognised that a better operating model was needed. EcoBunker Ltd has consequently removed its support for the alternative brand and withdrawn the privileges associated with its patented and solely owned patent pending construction methods.

The new approach will to be sell directly to market. This is being done through a new American company, EcoBunker USA LLC, which will be headed by Jay Morgan, (who until now has been running EcoBunker’s Canadian operation), and a commitment to hold stock of the EcoBunker product at several strategically selected locations across North America, ensuring that clients can be serviced as quickly as possible. Another benefit is that trading will be in dollars, making the purchase of EcoBunker as simple as possible for clubs right across the North American continent.

Allen says: “Obviously North America is the biggest golf market in the world, and figuring out how best to support that market has been an important question for us to answer throughout our history. We have developed very successful relationships with distributors across the world, but we have learned over the years that America really needs a different approach and more commitment. Setting up our own operation is a massive investment for us – the largest in the company’s history – but we have done some fantastic projects that provide a strong foundation and the potential for us to grow our business in America is huge. I know that when people think about a synthetic bunker edge, they think first about revetted pots on links courses, but when I first conceived the concept, I was thinking primarily about setting a firm, low edge for bunkers on parkland courses. With our own network of technical experts on hand, we are well placed to solve bunker edging problems for courses across North America.”

The LLC of EcoBunker USA will be established within the next week.

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Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking

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Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking: Over the years, Highlands Polaris dealer, McLaren Tractors, has made various modifications to Polaris’ range of off-road vehicles to make them more suitable for specialised customer requirements; including a recent Sportsman 6×6 570 EPS build for their customer Alba Deer Stalking.

Alba Deer Stalking has been a long time user of Polaris vehicles due to their off-road capabilities and dependability year-round.

Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking

Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking

George McLaren, owner of McLaren Tractors said: “In 2015, Robert HcHardy of Alba Deer Stalking came to us looking for a budget side by side ORV, and bought his first Polaris Ranger – a Ranger ETX with a basic semi-cab. He then upgraded in 2017 to the Ranger XP 900 with full cab heater, Polaris multi-mount winch system and shooting lamp on the roof.”

In 2020, Alba Deer Stalking realised it also required a sit-on off-road ATV. The Polaris Sportsman was the obvious solution for Alba Deer Stalking thanks to its reliability, as they knew the machine was going to have to take on treacherous terrain with heavy loads.

“We supplied Alba Deer Stalking with a Polaris Big Boss 570 6×6 as they needed a sit-on machine with additional capacity and for carrying the stalker & a guest. As it was to be working in felled forestry areas, we fitted this machine up with a full aluminium belly, an A-arm skid pan and fabricated a front hitch receiver for mounting a multi-mount winch system.”

The vehicle boasts the powerful ProStar 567cc engine as well as technology like all-wheel drive for more forward traction when it is needed most.

By the end of last year, Alba Deer Stalking has purchased two specialised Sportsman 6×6 570 EPS machines from McLaren Tractors; further-developing the winch system to enable the multi-mount winch to load the rear box.

“This has proved a game changer in allowing one person loading of carcasses. We are now fitting Alba’s 2020 machine with the same capability.”

McLaren Tractors are now developing a similar system for the Polaris Ranger to help future customers with similar needs.

For information on the Sportsman and Ranger, please visit www.polarisbritain.com

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Entries open for Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards

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Entries open for Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards: Entries open for the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award 2022 on 14 February.

A highlight in the greenkeeping calendar, the event provides the opportunity for the UK’s course managers and lecturers to recognise their brightest employees or students by nominating them for these prestigious industry awards.

Entries open for Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards

Entries open for Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards

The awards provide fantastic professional experiences including a regional interview with some of the industry’s key figures from award sponsor and Toro distributor Reesink Turfcare and event organiser, the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), while the networking opportunities just attending the finals provide are invaluable.

To win provides educational, international, all-expenses-paid prizes for the winners, runners-up and nominators including, for the first time, a work experience placement at Adare Manor, host of The 2027 Ryder Cup.

David Cole, managing director at Reesink, says: “Running for over three decades, the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award has the enviable reputation of creating a fantastic community for finalists, runners-up and winners. Regardless of winning, the event provides knowledge, experience and networking opportunites that are unlike anything else.

“To nominate a member of staff or student who has demonstrated their skill and talent in the actual or virtual classroom or out on the course gives them access to unmatched opportunities, which bring benefits to the club, college and candidate.”

This year the finals will be held in September at England’s greatest sporting estate, Goodwood in Surrey. For 33 years the awards have enabled BIGGA, the UK’s only membership association for golf greenkeepers, to work alongside turf maintenance equipment manufacturer Toro and distributor Reesink to celebrate the next generation of talented and dedicated greenkeepers.

David continues: “Ours, Toro’s and BIGGA’s long-standing support of this educational award is constantly rewarded by the enthusiasm, career passion and commitment to personal development that we come across every year from all involved, and that is the significant element that sustains this long-standing, career-enhancing award.”

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “The Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards have provided the springboard to success for so many of our members over their 33-year history and the legacy of this competition has been its contribution to elevating standards of golf course presentation all over the United Kingdom.

“Not just the winners, but anyone who participates in the awards process gains a great understanding of the wider sports turf industry beyond the confines of their golf facility or education provider and so often that inspires them to return home and strive even harder for success. As always, we are tremendously grateful to Toro and Reesink Turfcare for facilitating this tremendous and career-defining opportunity for the talented and ambitious members of BIGGA.”

Entries open 14 February and close 31 May 2022 for both the main and young awards. Both employers and lecturers can make nominations.

Visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk/sgoty to find out how to make a nomination for the 2022 awards.

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Deep aeration relief for Broadway Bowling Club

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Deep aeration relief for Broadway Bowling Club: Where once stood a croquet lawn and tennis courts, the Broadway Bowling Club opened its doors in 1919. It sits in an idyllic location in beautifully maintained grounds with scenic views towards the Cotswold escarpment and the Broadway tower; a ‘Saxon Tower’ folly that was the brainchild of 18th Century landscape designer ‘Capability Brown’.

The gently sloping banks of herbaceous flower borders and hedging change through the seasons and come days when the weather halts play, the club’s pavilion offers a pool table and an indoor skittle alley for members to enjoy.

Deep aeration relief for Broadway Bowling Club

Deep aeration relief for Broadway Bowling Club

It was during 2021 the weather brought matters to a head for Dennis Hall, Broadway’s Greenkeeper of ten years. Increasingly, the green was suffering from standing water after heavy rain, with one area getting progressively worse. Even in dry periods, it was noted the ground was frequently mushy when the mower went through the area. Avonmore Associates, the highly respected South Warwickshire sports grounds construction and maintenance company, regularly maintain the green with a regime of spiking and aeration. They suspected a deeper problem. As happens with many older bowling greens, the sheer volume of play over the years, combined with the substrate of the original construction, leads to compaction at a depth not reached by normal aeration. In Broadway’s case, there are mixed areas of stone and clay with insufficient release of standing water built up over time.

Avonmore suggested using Terrain Aeration, with whom they have worked on a number of projects, to bring in their Terralift machine to provide one metre deep aeration. At this depth, the ground is usually so compacted it requires fracturing to open up fissures and allow drainage. Terrain Aeration’s Terralift system works on the principle of hammering a hollow probe through the soil using a JCB road breaker gun, and compressed air is released up to 20Bar (280psi). At the end of the air blast, they inject dried seaweed, which sticks to the fissure walls. This expands and contracts with the moisture in the soil to keep the area breathing. Working to a grid with approximately two metre spacings allows the Terralift to create interlinked cracks and fissures deep underground to carry away the water. The 1.5-inch probe holes on the green are backfilled with Lytag aggregate and covered with topsoil, making it playable almost immediately. The work at the Broadway Bowling Club was carried out in November 2021 and Dennis Hall reports that they have had several periods of heavy downpour and the deep aeration has done the trick with no standing water to halt play.

Terrain Aeration 01449 673783 www.terrainaeration.co.uk

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ISEKI hits the mark for Exeter Rugby Club

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ISEKI hits the mark for Exeter Rugby Club: Max Sandford has been working at Exeter Rugby Club for over 11 years with full responsibility as the Head Groundsman for the last four years. 

Working as part of a team of three with one first year apprentice they carefully maintain the premiership rugby pitch, alongside the two Desso rugby training pitches, the grounds and car parks. With over 100 players training three to four times a week it can be quite the challenge with the small team to keep everything in top condition.

ISEKI hits the mark for Exeter Rugby Club

ISEKI hits the mark for Exeter Rugby Club

Following the recent multi-million pound investment and a new East Stand built, the stadium now has capacity for over 15,000 fans and with the new hotel development it offers the opportunity to hold numerous events throughout the year.

When the pitches were built a couple of years ago the consultant helped specify the equipment required, this included a 35hp tractor, Wiedenmann Spiker, sprayer and zero turn mower.  Since moving up from a championship to a premiership side there comes an increase in expectations, so 18 months on the club needed to upsize their equipment to cope with the increase in demand.

Commenting on the equipment Max explained; “In order to cope with the larger aerators required we needed a larger tractor so we went out to the market to obtain three demonstrations and quotes.  This is where we came across the ISEKI TG6507IQ.  Scott Struthers, from our local dealer MST Group in Tiverton, brought this machine to us so we could test it out on our site.  Its high lift capacity of 1,580kg, tight turning circle, auto pick up hitch and of course the highly specified cab made our decision easy.”

“Another brilliant feature of the TG6507 IQ is the headland management system that can be set to automatically disengage the PTO on lifting and re-engage when lowering, making turning at the end of runs so simple.  This makes such a difference when aerating large areas and numerous runs. All these features and then, most importantly, the comfortable air con cab means the staff have no problems working with this machine for long periods of time!”

The TG6507 IQ was supplied by Scott Struthers at MST Group, based in Tiverton, Devon.   Max added; “We have been working with MST for a number of years, the back-up and servicing from them is faultless, they have a good, experienced workshop team ensuring our machines are kept in top condition and very competitive pricing.  With this excellent service it meant the purchase of our ISEKI TG6507 IQ was an obvious choice.”

“The TG6507 IQ is a top quality, well-built, sturdy tractor with many high specifications that make our lives so much easier when maintaining the pitches and other areas around the club.  I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend ISEKI.”

Watch the video here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irP8kI8HlM4

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