Tag Archive for: GC

Trilo M3 cleans up at Ombersley GC

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Trilo M3 cleans up at Ombersley GC: Over the 35 years that Andrew Halfpenny has been Course Manager at Ombersley Golf Club, things have changed dramatically – including the site itself, where the 18 hole parkland course has matured, creating an ever-increasing problem with leaf-fall.

With mulching no longer providing a viable solution, the team took delivery of a Trilo M3 vacuum collector in October 2023, which has proved more than capable of keeping the course clean and tidy over a busy autumn and winter season.

Trilo M3 cleans up at Ombersley GC

Trilo M3 cleans up at Ombersley GC

Andrew has clocked up an impressive 47 years with the company, and currently leads the maintenance of the Worcestershire course supported by a team of five. “Leaves weren’t really too much of a problem traditionally, but as the course has matured, mulching them with a mower became unfeasible time-wise and playability-wise for the golfers” he explains. “We’ve established a fantastic relationship over the years with Tallis Amos Group so approached them to see what they could recommend to collect the leaves. They brought us the Trilo M3, we gave it a thorough test and we bought it – simple as that!”

The M3 Multipurpose from Trilo is capable of a range of operations including scarification, cut and collection and debris clearance depending on the attachment equipped. The 1.5m working width and 3m3 hopper capacity makes it compact yet capable of year-round maintenance tasks in a variety of golf and sports turf applications.

“It was delivered in October and was out on a weekly basis. It coped brilliantly with both the volume of leaves we had and the very wet ground. The wanderhose is a brilliant feature, great for manoeuvring around hedgerows and clearing leaves and other litter around perimeter and fence lines. We used the vacuum in conjunction with our blower, quickly removing everything we wanted to and leaving a really clean finish.” Andrew continues, “The players noticed the difference and loved it!”

While the M3 was predominately purchased for leaf clearance Andrew foresees that, with the climatic changes he has observed during his tenure, it will find other uses. “We see more rain, and notably more wind, which blows litter and tree-debris around the course. The M3 is our new go-to machine for keeping the course tidy.”

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Wycombe Heights GC and BGL drive sustainability

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Wycombe Heights GC and BGL drive sustainability: Wycombe Heights Golf Centre, owned and operated by BGL (Burhill Group Limited), has unveiled a series of sustainability commitments as part of a continued journey towards achieving a net zero status.

The club has committed to seven fundamental aspects that will be implemented throughout and around the facility. These are: planning, policies and procurement, staff and golfer engagement, taking climate action, conserving resources, fostering nature, strengthening communities, and tracking and reporting.

Wycombe Heights GC and BGL drive sustainability

Wycombe Heights GC and BGL drive sustainability

Some of the key initiatives that are underway have already begun to have a positive impact. A switch to an electric greens mower has allowed the club to substitute diesel for zero carbon electricity as the energy source, irradicate the use of hydraulic fluid which is harmful to local habitats, and reduce noise which is positive for both neighbours and operations. Eventually, the club plans to run an entirely electric fleet.

Furthermore, the transition to an off-site renewable energy supply has helped reduce club emissions by over 51 tCO2e per year, a reduction equivalent to flying 15 times from London to Hong Kong, and 150,000 kms by car.

The most recent initiative has been the construction of a 12,000-metre cubed reservoir to enable the club to irrigate the course using a sustainable water source. Thanks to the investment, 100% of the water used on-site is derived from sustainable sources. This has also allowed the club to avoid supply and demand issues in drier periods.

Commenting on the club’s sustainability journey, Operations Director for BGL Golf, Guy Riggott, said: “Our success with sustainability initiatives so far is something we are very proud of, and we are excited to continue to follow our seven step commitment as we take that to the next level. Through these efforts, our goal is to benefit the environment as well as our employees, members, and visitors.”

Riggott, added: “The work and commitment from Wycombe Heights towards improving sustainable practices is incredible. Across the group, we’re passionate about finding new ways to reduce energy, water consumption, and overall carbon footprint. We are excited to see the continuation of this programme with new initiatives that align with our seven step commitment to sustainability.”

Wycombe Heights Golf Centre is located in High Wycombe, in the heart of Buckinghamshire. The property boasts two 18-hole courses, including a main and short course. In addition, Wycombe Heights has an impressive driving range, fitted with state-of-the-art TrackMan technology.

BGL’s seven step commitment to sustainability is group-wide, across the portfolio of 10 BGL Golf venues around the UK. BGL is a pioneer in the UK golf industry, currently operating 22 golf courses at 10 venues around the country. The company has been a flag-bearer for sustainability, becoming the first and only major multi course operator to have all its venues GEO certified, in 2016.

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Prestwick GC futureproof their fairways

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Prestwick GC futureproof their fairways: While only launched in the summer of 2023, the new hard fescue J Sustain-Fairway mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed is already making a strong first impression at the birthplace of The Open Championship.

Delivering quick germination and coping with the challenges of the undulating links course, Prestwick Golf Club have commended the blend of top-rated cultivars and the role they’ll play in futureproofing their fairways.

Prestwick GC futureproof their fairways

Prestwick GC futureproof their fairways

By name Dave Edmondson is Prestwick’s Head Greenkeeper, supported in his role by a team of 10, but by nature he considers himself merely ‘a guardian’ of the venue – rich in prestigious golfing history. “I very much follow the Old Tom Morris approach to maintenance, working with nature and continuing the methodologies of my predecessors to run the course in a minimalist way” says Dave. “We don’t use any pesticides, fungicides, hardly any fertilisers and very limited water.”

“My pursuit of traditional greenkeeping techniques led me to have a conversation with our golf course consultant about our fairways, and specifically any mixtures which could help to boost the hard fescue and sheep fescue populations which are proven to thrive in low-input and links conditions. That’s where I discovered Johnsons J Sustain-Fairway.”

J Sustain-Fairway, available from DLF, has been designed to suit golf clubs looking to significantly boost the population of resilient varieties, providing a foundation of quality and strength with an increased tolerance to a broad range of turf stresses. “A chat with my DLF Technical Manager Stuart Yarwood made it clear that this mix would tick a lot of boxes, so we opted for this for our main annual fairway overseed.”

Sown at a rate of 7g/m2 in early September, germination was visible in just over two weeks, with the seedlings then under the stewardship of Dave to thrive and establish. “So far it’s been so good! The natural undulations here at Prestwick have often seen certain species struggle, particularly with coverage on the tops of the hillocks, so we’ve sown some additional J Sustain-Fairway here to help and, to date, it’s all working brilliantly.”

“The hard and sheeps fescue like a nice, settled environment and that’s exactly what we can give them.” Dave adds, “If we can keep building those populations with top-rated cultivars, then we will be much better placed to withstand environmental challenges and safeguard the course for the future.”

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Turf professionals gather at Dun Laoghaire GC

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Turf professionals gather at Dun Laoghaire GC: Dun Laoghaire Golf Club recently played host to the insightful Turf Science Live seminar, an event co-organised by ICL and Syngenta. With the goal of sharing the latest knowledge and trends in turf management, the seminar proved to be a very useful gathering for industry professionals.

Attracting around 100 participants, the event brought together greenkeepers and groundsmen from sporting venues across Ireland. The day was packed with lively discussions and opportunities for collaborative learning.

Turf professionals gather at Dun Laoghaire GC

Turf professionals gather at Dun Laoghaire GC

The day commenced in the impressive Dun Laoghaire clubhouse, setting the tone for the informative sessions that were to follow. Attendees were divided into four groups, ensuring an intimate and comprehensive learning experience. The four groups rotated through different stations, two in the morning and another two after lunch.

Speaking of lunch, it wasn’t all business. Participants had a chance to engage in a ‘nearest the pin’ golf competition, adding a bit of fun and friendly rivalry to the day.

Four key sessions were on the agenda, each covering a specialized topic in turf management:

  • Station 1: Revolutionary insect control’, presented by Sean Loakes, Syngenta’s Technical Manager for the UK and Ireland.
  • Station 2: ‘Trial updates from eqo.s, the new environmentally friendly outfield nutrition, presented by ICL’s Henry Bechelet and Colman Warde.
  • Station 3: From soil analysis to turf nutrition programmes ‘, presented by Fergal Greenan from ICL.
  • Station 4: ‘Preparing for autumn: A comprehensive guide to fungicide planning’, led by Glenn Kirby of Syngenta.

David Callanan CGCS MG, Course Manager at Beech Park Golf Club remarked, “It was a great event and I’d like to thank ICL and Syngenta for their continued support to the industry here.”

“It was a top-class event and venue, with great presentations,” commented Richard Doyle, Head Groundsman at RDS.

Special thanks were given to the club’s course superintendent, Des McGann, and his team for helping host the seminar.

Events such as Turf Science Live play a pivotal role in enhancing the standards of the turf industry by ensuring professionals are equipped with up-to-date knowledge and practices.

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

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

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Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC

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Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC: A range of Helly Hansen workwear clothing supplied by Agrovista Amenity has been well received by the greenkeeping team at The West Lancashire Golf Club in Liverpool.

Helly Hansen workwear, available from Agrovista Amenity, has been specially designed by a team of experts to be of the highest quality workwear and outdoor clothing available.

Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC

Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC

Their ongoing product development means they are always on the cutting edge of outdoor clothing technology, meaning you can rest assured the outdoor wear you’re looking at is superb value and allows the team to work productively year round, in challenging weather conditions.

Stuart Hogg, Course Manager at The West Lancashire Golf Club, believes that nothing compares to the quality of the clothing.

“We’ve always had Helly Hansen workwear clothing,” he said. “They are good quality and reliable for the weather we encounter here. The team have enjoyed wearing the gilets and the soft-shell jackets over the years, and they have lasted the time which means that we are not always buying these items every year.

Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC

Helly Hansen the perfect fit for West Lancashire GC

“This year we have started using Helly Hansen trousers and shorts which have gone down really well with the team. To have all the staff feeling comfortable while they are working is great – the cost becomes insignificant.

“I have eight members of staff – all of whom want different features, and each do a variety of jobs from mechanics to bunker raking. For them to all be happy means that I will keep on going back to this range.”

From base layers to boots, a complete range of high quality Helly Hansen clothing is available from Agrovista Amenity. The clothing can also be personalised with logos, names and sponsors.

The new Agrovista workwear catalogue can be viewed by clicking here.

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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