Tag Archive for: For

Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking

/in , /by

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

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.

Entries open for Toro Student Greenkeeper Awards

/in , /by

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.

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.

Deep aeration relief for Broadway Bowling Club

/in , /by

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

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.

ISEKI hits the mark for Exeter Rugby Club

/in , /by

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

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.

Multi-Seeder delivers for Eyemouth GC

/in , /by

Multi-Seeder delivers for Eyemouth GC: Head Greenkeeper at Eyemouth Golf Club Keith Burgon has praised the Redexim Multi-Seeder for transforming overseeding operations at the Scottish club.

Where previously, overseeding the 18 greens would have taken the team of three more than a day to complete, with the Multi-Seeder the task takes just a matter of hours – not just resulting in major labour savings but improvements in germination too!

Multi-Seeder delivers for Eyemouth GC

Multi-Seeder delivers for Eyemouth GC

Eyemouth GC is a clifftop/links course perched on the top of Gunsgreen Hill in the Scottish Borders. Their exposed coastal location means that when it comes to seed, it’s salt-tolerant Fescues required for the greens – however without a seeder at their disposal, overseeding was limited by resources to an annual operation. “We would aerate, then broadcast the seed with a spreader, then have to manually brush the seed in and topdress which was all hugely time consuming” explains Keith, who has been at the club for seven years.

“I have used the Multi-Seeder before and have seen first-hand the fantastic results it achieves at other clubs. After speaking to Ian Lauder from Redexim, we had one in on demo from our local dealer Hendersons, so that we could check it would suit our course conditions. We had the opportunity to try it on a couple of our greens and tees, and the whole team were immediately impressed by the minimal disruption it left and the great germination that followed.”

Since taking delivery of the 1.2m wide Multi-Seeder 1200 in September 2021, it has already helped to deliver important fescues into some of the courses most exposed greens. “The twin sarel roller set-up is creating double the holes, so double the opportunity for getting seed into the ground. This undoubtedly helped us to see good germination, despite us not getting out with it until late November. The fact it is equipped with two brushes also means that an additional member of staff isn’t required to follow the Multi-Seeder round. What was previously a three-man job, is now complete in one pass.”

Keith adds, “With the growth in golf, it’s more important than ever to be able to get jobs such as overseeding done as quickly and effectively as possible. Now that we have the Multi-Seeder, not only can we overseed more frequently throughout the year to boost course condition, the clean finish means we can complete the operation prior to play commencing, and the golfers will barely notice anything has been done!”

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.