Tag Archive for: golf

Huxley Golf delivers security of play

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Huxley Golf delivers security of play: All members and visitors to Royal Troon Golf Club look forward to playing what is one of the most famous holes in golf, the Postage Stamp. The par 3 eighth hole on the 19th Century Club’s Old Course might be the shortest hole on the Open rota but it is one of the most challenging and revered.

That is why Huxley Golf was honoured to be asked to create an alternative winter tee for this iconic golf destination this autumn. The installation will help to ensure continuity of the Postage Stamp experience without compromise, using Huxley Golf Premier Tee Turf 2, the closest all-weather surface to natural grass. Royal Troon had previously trialled the idea of creating a separate winter tee from natural turf, but it was unable to withstand the extraordinary levels of wear and tear, as Course Manager, Billy McLachlan, explains:

Huxley Golf delivers security of play

Huxley Golf delivers security of play

“The Postage Stamp is an important feature of our Club. Being a short hole, the impacts of wear and tear on the tee are concentrated over a small area. This not only affects play during the winter, but it also impacts the start of the golf season because natural grass takes time to recover fully.

“Our recourse was to turn to Huxley Golf to help us find the optimal solution for our precise needs: one that would look good aesthetically and critically, live up to players’ expectations. As a result, we now have a permanent feature that we can switch to with minimal interruption when the landscape demands it. Over time, this will help preserve play to this exceptional hole.”

Huxley Golf used its superior Premier Tee Turf 2 to create the 12ft x 12ft (3.6m x 3.6m) tee, and supplemented this with a fringe surround, which will enable natural grass to seamlessly marry in around it.

Hugh Fraser, Scotland and North East England Area Manager at Huxley Golf, commented: “We understand that it can be a difficult decision for historic environments to work with the new generation of all-weather turf, but most now realise that Huxley Golf Premier Tee Turf 2 offers a superb option for winter play and to relieve wear and tear at any time of year. It has benefits to both the environment, the greenkeeping team and players, as it protects natural features, requires virtually no maintenance, and yet, offers golfers an incredibly realistic surface to hit from. Its unique surface gives players an excellent experience, even in the most demanding of situations and climates.”

The Huxley name has been synonymous with premium all-weather golf surfaces and products. Endorsed by the UK’s leading golf organisations as well as many legendary golfers and celebrities and their coaching teams, the Hampshire-based company’s artificial golf surfaces are in use all around the world at top-flight courses, resorts, and training academies. Across Scotland, Huxley Golf has also recently worked with St Andrews Links, Gleneagles Academy, the Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, Gullane Golf Club and The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers Muirfield.

For more information visit www.huxleygolf.com or call 01730 829608.

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Origin’s ‘Golf Research Week’

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Origin’s ‘Golf Research Week’: More than 150 turf professionals recently attended the very first Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS) ‘Golf Research Week’.

Visitors were welcomed to learn more about the establishment of the Origin Amenity Technology Centre in Dunmow, Essex, and see first-hand the work underway in the OAS greenhouse and trials site that will bring benefit to greenkeeping practices, and to the turf management industry as a whole.

Origin's ‘Golf Research Week’

Origin’s ‘Golf Research Week’

Greenkeepers and managers from across the sporting spectrum joined a number of the OAS technical team for the event which took place in mid-September. Following a warm welcome and company overview, speakers outlined how the £0.5 million investment in the technology centre is facilitating trials, research and data collection to safeguard the future of the industry – considering the impacts that the climate, environmental factors and legislative pressures are having on products and practices.

Following the talks, seven stations then provided attendees with an overview of some of the different areas of the Origin Amenity business, including a RainBird irrigation workshop and a laboratory session exploring the world of soil microbiology beneath our feet. Outside, guests were treated to a tour of the greenhouse, amenity area and trials site – the first results of which, from winter 2021, were also shared.

One of the many in attendance was Vince DeMarzo, 1st Assistant at Wildernesse Golf Club. Reflecting on the event, he said “The Origin brands are a household name in our industry, so an opportunity to get an insight into what happens behind the scenes wasn’t to be missed! It was great to see the meticulous detail that goes into producing the best products for us and discover how much research goes into them before they get to market. It was a well-organised day which reiterated with those that attended why we have so much trust in the OAS brands.”

Key to co-ordinating the event OAS Research & Development Director Geoff Fenn added, “We are really proud of the scope and quality of the scientific trial work we can conduct at Throws Technology Centre and it is exciting to be able to open the site to our friends and customers to demonstrate how we’re moving forward. We were keen for our guests to have a relaxed, educational and enjoyable day where everybody could take home some valuable information that would be beneficial for their own site. Based on the fantastic feedback we’ve had, we’re absolutely delighted with its success and we’re already looking forward to putting on some bigger and better events in the future.”

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Ardfin Golf Club welcomes Toro

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Ardfin Golf Club welcomes Toro: Ardfin Golf Club’s golf manager and mechanic were in complete agreement that the club’s hybrid machinery purchases should be Toro.

Carved along the shoreline at the top of a cliff on the Isle of Jura in Scotland, Ardfin Golf Club is not only one of the most unique golf courses in the world but one that has had the least interference in the natural landscape it is part of. And to both keep its spot in the top 100 best golf clubs to play at and continue the sustainability work it is known for, the club is now trusting its greens to Toro.

Ardfin Golf Club welcomes Toro

Ardfin Golf Club welcomes Toro

Golf manager Simon Crawford says: “I’ve used Toro before in previous jobs, including overseas when I worked in Barbados, Austria and the Middle East. Nothing can compare to it, it’s my favourite brand to use and as soon as I came here, I knew we’d have to switch. Our mechanic is also a Toro fan and prefers to work with Toro machinery, something that also has a big impact on what we buy. It was a match made in heaven.”

Speaking of heaven, Ardfin’s location as part of the Inner Hebrides is pretty close but maintaining a golf course in such a remote location doesn’t come without its challenges. Ardfin has managed to strike a balance between the site’s environmental needs and the commercial side of business while remaining at the top of destinations for both UK residents and international visitors looking for “a golf experience that’s like an adventure”, says Simon.

“An island like Jura is a precious place that we try to protect as much as possible. When the course was first built, we didn’t move a lot of land; instead, we reused the topsoil, improved the drainage and kept everything on a smaller scale to ensure habitats were protected – the greens are narrow, and we have fewer bunkers than usual. We don’t use fungicides or herbicides and try to have as little impact on the environment as we can: everything is recycled, and all the grass cuttings are used for composting. Getting more sustainable machinery was the logical next step.”

The club chose a Greensmaster TriFlex hybrid 3420 riding greensmower and a Reelmaster 5010-H fairway mower as starters from Toro distributor, Reesink Scotland. Both are hybrid machines and a perfect fit for what Simon and his nine-strong team are looking to achieve at Ardfin.

“We are trying to slowly but surely move away from using hydraulics and diesel engines,” he explains. “These ones we bought don’t have hydraulics thus there’s less of a chance of damage on the greens, tees, approaches and fairways. It gives us peace of mind.

“The difference in quality is also quite noticeable compared to other brands and the staff enjoys working with them. Overall, Toro machines are more robust, easier to set up and look after and we find the cutting units stay sharper for longer, too. Not to mention their brilliant finish. The service we get from Reesink is fantastic. It’s an easy company to deal with, with good aftersales and good contacts. Plus, when we ordered from them it only took a couple of months for the machines to arrive.”

So, what’s next for the club? Simon explains: “We’re expanding the site by adding a new nine-hole course and when we do, we’ll be looking after 36 holes in total. So, we need to buy a lot more machinery to ensure we stay efficient and productive and, of course, provide the best experience to our visitors. It also needs to be reliable and have good longevity, which Toro delivers 100 percent.

“We’re planning on going down the all-electric route next and have our eyes on a couple of the Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 greensmowers. They will solidify our sustainability plan and help us carry on the work we do for generations. The technology is there, and it’ll only get better so we’re very excited to bring it into the club,” he concludes.

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

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Golf courses tackle extreme heat

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Golf courses tackle extreme heat: Smoking bans, course closures, early finishes, just how are some golf courses tackling the high temperatures?

Read the full article from Golf Monthly here

Golf courses tackle extreme heat

Golf courses tackle extreme heat

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One-in-three greenkeepers looking for work outside of golf

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One-in-three greenkeepers looking for work outside of golf: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has issued the results of a major industry survey, with some of the findings representing a stark warning to the golfing industry.

More than 1,300 members of BIGGA, representing golf clubs across the United Kingdom, responded to the survey, which asked them to provide details of working conditions at their facilities, in addition to commenting on their job satisfaction.

One-in-three greenkeepers looking for work outside of golf

One-in-three greenkeepers looking for work outside of golf

With talk of difficulties regarding the recruitment and retention of staff common, BIGGA undertook the survey to gain solid evidence of the challenges at UK golf clubs, and the results have raised a number of concerns.

Although 56% of respondents said they were happy working within the greenkeeping profession, 35% admitted they were currently looking for opportunities outside the industry.

With regard to issues of recruitment, 53% are running with teams at less than full strength, while 83.5% said they struggle to recruit new staff.

The boom in golf that followed the coronavirus lockdowns in the past two years has translated to a general increase in staffing numbers, with golf clubs having on average one extra full time greenkeeper compared to the previous poll in 2019.

However, investment in staff welfare facilities hasn’t materialised, with, for example, only one in five facilities offering single sex changing facilities and toilets for female team members. Despite increased reliance on technology, nearly half of clubs don’t provide internet connectivity within the greenkeeping facility.

Further details and a results breakdown is available on the BIGGA website at: https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/greenkeepers-bigga-workforce-survey.html

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “I’m pleased to be able to present robust data to the wider golfing industry that lays bare some fairly frightening statistics on the challenges that exist within our profession.

“We know anecdotally that there are major challenges regarding the recruitment and retention of staff and also that pay, conditions and welfare are major contributors, but to see in black and white that nearly 35% of greenkeepers are looking for work outside the industry is truly a concern.

“Equally, finding out that only one in five facilities are equipped for female staff members shows that the sport’s laudable ambitions to improve equality and diversity are not translating into our side of the game.

“But the key question is what does the game of golf does with this information? It is widely known that there is currently a general challenge in recruiting and retaining staff across society. In order to continue functioning, many sectors have responded with significant pay increases and improvement in working conditions. Golf requires an integrated approach by the entire sport to overcome the challenges laid out by this survey. This approach will need to clearly lay out the challenges, create targets and devise plans to achieve our ambitions.”

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