Tag Archive for: GC

Efficiency at Newbury & Crookham GC

/in , /by

Efficiency at Newbury & Crookham GC: Newbury & Crookham Golf Club have purchased a Ventrac 4500 all-terrain compact tractor and two mowing decks, which course manager Chris Ball says will make the greenkeeping department at the 148-year-old club even more efficient.

Purchased from local dealer, T H White, the package included a Contour mowing deck and a Tough Cut deck, which will enable the greenkeeping team to work smarter and safely when maintaining the woodland margins and steep banks on 6,000-yard course.

Efficiency at Newbury & Crookham GC

Efficiency at Newbury & Crookham GC

“My team have done an exceptional job during the pandemic crisis and it is only right that we should ensure they work in complete safety, not just in these exceptional circumstances, but at all times. These two decks in conjunction with the eight-wheel tractor unit guarantee that when working on tee banks or around the reservoir, they can do so in complete safety. As a small team of just six, it’s important that we work smarter; now we can cut areas mechanically using just one person, where we previously used numerous team members with brushcutters, saving many greenkeeping hours that can now be utilised elsewhere on the course.

“The Tough Cut deck will help us both ecologically and aesthetically, keeping the woodland floor open and encouraging more spring bulbs to flourish. We want to see carpets of bluebells in subsequent years. Also, with the Contour deck we’ll be able to maintain steeper areas on the course making the presentation even more appealing for members and visitors. We’ve only had the equipment since mid-May, but already it has proved its worth; it’s a simple, clever design, does the job and is easy to maintain.”

Chris Ball joined Woking Golf Club as an apprentice in 1994 and knew immediately that this was to be his chosen career. In 1998 he moved on to Guildford Golf Club and four years later joined Walton Heath, working under two renowned industry figures in Clive Osgood and Ian McMillan. In 2002 he joined Bearwood Lakes, where he was appointed head greenkeeper, reporting to the course manager. He has been course manager at Newbury and Crookham since 2014.

Newbury & Crookham is one of the oldest clubs in England, established in 1873. The 18-hole, par 69 golf course measures just under 6000 yards and is set amongst beautiful mature woodland. Situated on the south side of Newbury, between Greenham Common and the racecourse, the current course dates back to 1923, when the Newbury and District Club was founded. Crookham Golf Club was founded in 1873 on Greenham Common, but after it was requisitioned in 1940 by the MOD, the members were given temporary membership by their neighbours, which eventually became permanent and the club adopting its current name.

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.

Harborne GC chooses Toro

/in , /by

Harborne GC chooses Toro: Harborne Golf Club in Birmingham have again evaluated and invested with Reesink Turfcare, upgrading its Toro fleet with three new machines chosen specifically to focus on improved course presentation and productivity.

The beautiful 6180-yard par 70 parkland course, famous for its fast, sloping greens, will now benefit from a brand-new Groundsmaster 4500-D rotary mower, a Greensmaster 3250-D and a GreensPro 1260 riding greens roller.

Harborne GC chooses Toro

Harborne GC chooses Toro

These new machines will enable course manager Jim Gilchrist, who has been overseeing the club’s greenkeeping team of five for 17 years, to keep the classic and unspoilt 1893 Harry Colt design in pristine condition while saving time and money all year round.

After spending time with the new fleet, Jim chooses the Groundsmaster 4500-D rotary mower as the absolute standout: “It has improved course presentation immensely from our previous rough mower. The fact that it covers more ground, reduces the time it takes to cut the roughs by half a day allowing us to focus on other areas on the course.”

Excited about the noticeable improvements, Jim is already planning more projects for the course, which include greens drainage using PC (Passive-Capillary) drainage on all 18 greens over the next few years. The club is also set to renew its frontline cutting machinery with Toro next year ­– a sign this symbiotic relationship will continue to flourish.

“During my time here, Toro has been instrumental in allowing us to achieve our goals over the years with the continued improvement on machinery and customer support. We have been an all-Toro club since 2012, and it has been all we could have asked for in terms of professionalism and reliability,” Jim explains.

“Dan Tomberry and David Timms from Reesink have been very supportive since they have taken on their new roles with the company, especially during the pandemic. They have made the whole process seamless and easy, so of course we’ll keep coming back to them. The Toro service centre Redtech is another big pillar in our line of work – Graham Hall and his team have been there for us from the very beginning for everything we’ve needed.”

Despite the difficult past few months, Jim believes there will always be opportunities for the industry to prosper. He says: “We have dealt with lockdowns, staff shortages across the business, and golfers’ expectations on their return. However, I feel that everyone came together for our club – from the committee to management and staff, they have all handled the whole process extremely well.

“The club, our members and our visitors have all appreciated the hard work and challenges we have faced over the last 18 months. Their support is what keeps us going and we will continue to make improvements on and off the golf course in the coming years.

“These new additions to our fleet will help with all the plans we have in store for Harborne Golf Club. We know the machines will deliver – Toro doesn’t disappoint. So, we’re very much looking forward to seeing all they’re capable of.”

As for what Jim thinks of the future of golf? “It looks very positive,” he concludes. “There could well be trials ahead, but nothing we won’t be able to tackle. By continuing to invest in our club, will bring continued improvement. Hard work and dedication from the team coupled with a machinery partner like Toro will produce visible, positive results, and that’s what we’re focusing on.”

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.

Worcester GC sticks with Toro

/in , /by

Worcester GC sticks with Toro: Worcester Golf and Country Club, which is only a few minutes from Worcester city centre, has stuck with Toro in a bid to resolve some noise issues the club was experiencing cutting certain greens.

When course manager Karl Williams joined in at the beginning of April this year to oversee the nine-strong greenkeeping team, he knew from previous experience working with the brand that Toro was the right fit for the job and had the right range of machines to make a difference.

Worcester GC sticks with Toro

Worcester GC sticks with Toro

The new deal includes two Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360 hybrid riding greens mowers and four Greensmaster 1021 fixed-head greens mowers – keeping it an all-Toro club when it comes to frontline mowing equipment – as well as a GreensPro 1260 riding greens roller.

These machines were carefully selected to help solve some issues the club was experiencing by being in an urban location. The eTriFlex 3360 hybrid greensmowers were particularly important to appease noise complaints the club had received over the years when cutting certain greens at certain times. This model utilises all-electric components so it’s so much quieter and more efficient than its petrol predecessor. And with no hydraulic fluid, leaks are minimised, making it a greener option for any turfcare maintenance business.

Karl explains: “These hybrid models sound like a golf buggy when in stealth-mode travel. This keeps our residential neighbours happy and means the team can now start work earlier on the course and get the job done ahead of golfers, all the while being the environmentally-friendly option.

“It’s so efficient too; not only can the lads get out earlier, but they are done quicker. We’re a very busy club – we have around 700 golf members and 300 tennis members – so we need to stay productive and efficient, and these machines allow us to do just that.”

In addition, the GreensPro 1260 roller is the first roller the club has had the pleasure of using and leaves a smooth and precise finish for the ultimate playing surface. Karl explains: “I can cut the greens at a higher height of cut, which is heathier for the grass plant and also still achieves the greens’ speed the golfers require”.

With the new fleet getting the seal of approval from the greenkeeping team, the course neighbours and the golfers, Karl has a few more plans in store that involve future purchases of Toro machinery: alongside some general course improvements is a three-to-four-year plan for a full bunker renovation and a seven-to-10-year plan of tree layout redesign.

He says: “I think the clubs that invest, like Worcester Golf and Country Club with the course improvements and new kit, are the ones that are going to thrive,” he says. “Members just want to see value for their money and I think the phrase ‘you must spend money to make money’ is true – clubs that can afford to invest will be the ones that profit.”

Choosing Toro was, for Karl, the natural option: “I’ve always favoured Toro, for me it is an all-round package. The quality is there so it was something that we wanted to continue with. Longevity was also a factor; I’ve had mowers still mowing in their 20th year. Toro machines hold their value when it comes to trade ins. We don’t have much trouble with them, we mainly only require spare parts from general wear and tear. So, Toro is still very much the market leader for me.

“During my time in the industry, it’s been my preferred manufacturing brand and yes, the club will be staying that way going forward, with a fleet refresh over the next four to five years.”

Karl also credits the positive relationship with Reesink and area service centre Redtech Machinery Ltd. for the seamless purchasing process and ongoing support.

“At previous clubs where I was course manager, we had good relationships with Reesink (way back when it was Lely) and also with the Toro service centre Redtech,” Karl explains. “I’ve dealt with them for the past 20 years I‘ve been greenkeeping and I can’t speak highly enough of them. Their service is second to none and I think that’s 50 percent of what’s important when you buy a machine – you need to know that backup and support are there, reliable and ready to serve your needs.”

To talk to someone about Toro technology and how the Toro range would suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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.

Year-round aeration for Duddingston GC

/in , /by

Year-round aeration for Duddingston GC: Head Greenkeeper, John Guthrie at Edinburgh’s Duddingston Golf Club favours the little and often approach to aeration. Maintaining healthy surfaces is key for the parkland club which nestles below Edinburgh’s iconic Arthur’s Seat and has a history dating over 125 years.

The purchase of a Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi8 HD deep aerator in May, from Scottish dealer, Fairways GM at Kinross, was essential to his strategy, and five months’ hence, he continues to be really pleased.

Year-round aeration for Duddingston GC

Year-round aeration for Duddingston GC

“It’s making a big difference; I knew the GXi8 would be good, but I didn’t factor quite as quick or as neat. Easily all 18 greens can be done before 1.00 pm, so about a hectare’s worth in total. In the past, aeration tied up three people. we would have had someone following on with a roller and another person tidying up behind. The Wiedenmann is so clean, you don’t always have to roll at the back if you set it up properly. Two of the team can be free to do other tasks; resource wise, that is a significant benefit.

“Since May, we’ve taken a discrete approach, tining down on the greens to 100- 150 mm and tees to 200 mm, all with 12 mm tines, experimenting with heave at 5° occasionally. From November, we switch to 20 mm tines and might go 250 mm on the greens if conditions allow, possibly again with a little amount of heave. The fairways, too, will get the full depth and the bigger tine.

“A good machine deserves its praise.  H&S on the machine is first rate. It really is smooth, and the operator doesn’t leave the cab feeling they’ve had a full body work out.  Also, smoothness means the Terra Spike is surprisingly quiet, not too noisy for members playing nearby, but mostly we can be done before they get anywhere close.

“Hopefully, we’re out all 12 months a year, weather permitting, and target a few choice areas with extra runs when there’s time available.”

Membership at Duddingston GC has increased over lock down but tee times have remained constant for John and his team of five. “There’s nothing for it but to keep doing your best and the whole team has done really well, even now new members are still joining.

Bob Marshall, Area Sales Manager at Fairways GM said:

“The GXi8 was absolutely the right fit for John and his team.  It paired well with their existing Kubota L4240 tractor and for his site it’s got access-all-areas status.”

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.

Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’

/in , /by

Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’: Coombe Wood Golf Club in Kingston Upon Thames is reaping the benefits of a tailored turf management programme from ICL and a dedicated greenkeeping team – according to Course Manager Laurence Fennemore.

“I knew the course needed a lot of work when I joined, but I saw it as an opportunity,” said Laurence. “It was a chance to test myself and put my name on the map. It helps having a great team around me too.”

Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’

Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’

Laurence always wanted to be a Greenkeeper – ever since embarking on work experience at a local golf club at the age of 15. He has been an apprentice, a deputy and now he finds himself in the top seat at Coombe Wood Golf Club – which he admitted is not without its challenges.

“It is like managing two different courses,” he said. The top half of the course consists of 10 very gravelly holes and the lower half, holes 11-18, is on clay which hold a lot of water. As soon as I came here in 2019, we had a very wet winter, and the lower half of the course wasn’t open at all.

“I found that the grass had died off on the fairways and had been overrun with weeds and there was quite a lot of disease on the greens.”

Laurence explained it was at this point that he got in touch with ICL.

“My old Course Manager worked with an ICL turf management programme, and I saw the successful results from that first hand. With this in mind I got in contact with ICL to see how they could help me out.”

Matt Nutter, ICL Technical Area Sales Manager, worked with Laurence to put a specific programme together for a full season that was within his budget. “We needed to focus on the greens and fairways and take into consideration that it is a very wet site, without any irrigation,” said Matt. “The aim was to apply some controlled release granular fertilisers as base feeds; get some good growth and give the golfers a course that they could use.”

Starting with the greens, the programme first saw Laurence apply Greenmaster Pro-Lite Turf Tonic 8-0-0 – a micro-granular fertiliser before going onto a fortnightly tank-mix consisting of Greenmaster Liquid CalMag, Vitalnova Stressbuster, Primo Maxx II plant growth regulator and Syngenta’s Ryder turf pigment. As part of the programme, Laurence also relies on monthly applications of Vitalnova SeaMax liquid seaweed extract and H2Pro TriSmart wetting agent.

“The greens have seen a big improvement and there is a lot more grass coverage,” said Laurence. “Primo Maxx II is controlling the growth and we are not taking large amounts of clippings off every time we cut; we have a nice tighter sward, and Ryder has really helped visually – it gives the turf a fantastic green colour.”

Matt was in agreement and added that he feels that the tank-mix has been integral to the results on the greens: “This mix is so consistent,” he said. “You don’t get a massive flush of growth and you don’t see the colour dipping off – you get the full 14 days out of it until it is ready for the next application.”

When it came to the fairways, Laurence applies Sportsmaster CRF Mini fertiliser and monthly applications of H2Pro AquaSmart wetting agent.

“The plan was to get moisture in the ground and to make the most of the wet in the spring,” he said. “AquaSmart at 10L/ha every four weeks from March until June really helped to keep enough water in the ground when the dry spells came in August and September. As a result, we didn’t lose any grass coverage.”

Without any irrigation, Laurence was forced to apply AquaSmart when it rained and that meant that he had to be flexible.

Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’

Coombe Wood GC the ‘best in decades’

“We had the plans and everything in place but if it didn’t rain on the day I wanted to apply AquaSmart, then I needed to apply it as close to that day, within the four week window, as possible. This often meant coming in on my days off, but it was worth it because we have a nice even growth now and the moisture meter readings are proving that we have a high percentage of water being retained in the fairways.”

Buoyed by the successful results, Matt is now devising a new programme with some additions and tweaks. In the meantime, Laurence is not the only one to be impressed at Coombe Wood.

“The members are very happy with many commenting that it is the best it has been in decades,” said Laurence. “It is reassuring to have ICL and Matt on-board – I am always asking for suggestions and he is happy to talk it through and give me his opinion.

“It’s great to be able to bounce ideas off one another and the fact that I can have a tailored maintenance programme to suit my budget is invaluable.

“I would also like to add that my team have worked incredibly hard to turn the course around. Some of their practices have really maximised the results of the ICL programme.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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.