Tag Archive for: golf

GreenTek’s Dyna-Seeder Units Transform Greens at Scarcroft Golf Club

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GreenTek’s Dyna-Seeder Units Transform Greens at Scarcroft Golf Club: Over the past eight years, Matt Houseman, Head Greenkeeper at Scarcroft Golf Club near Leeds, has successfully transformed the grass composition of his greens using Dyna-Seeder overseeder units from GreenTek.

Matt has been implementing a consistent overseeding program, using the Dyna-Seeders 2-3 times a year, and the results have been nothing short of remarkable.

GreenTek’s Dyna-Seeder Units Transform Greens at Scarcroft Golf Club

GreenTek’s Dyna-Seeder Units Transform Greens at Scarcroft Golf Club

“Before we owned them, we were overseeding and getting about 30% uptake, but with the use of the Dyna-Seeders we’re getting between 70 to 75% uptake, possibly even more” said Matt.  “Two to three weeks after seeding we can see distinct lines of new seed coming through, which is obviously very pleasing”

Matt says that since he started using the Dyna-Seeder units, the bent grass content in his greens has increased significantly.   This transformation is a testament to the effectiveness of the Dyna-Seeders’ technology. “As a piece of machinery, they have had probably the biggest impact of any machine we have bought in the past decade” states Matt.

 

Marcus Oliver, GreenTek’s product Development Manager says “When we visited Scarcroft recently, they were overseeding during the midst of a ladies’ competition day.  The minimal disturbance to the putting surfaces was outstanding, enabling the overseeding to proceed without disrupting play”.

Scarcroft Golf Club is just one of the many courses throughout the country who by lightly overseeding multiple times a year have managed to steadily improve the grass composition and playing quality of their greens.

For more information on the Dyna-Seeders Click Here

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Overhauling golf course roughs

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Overhauling golf course roughs: When it comes to rough management, Dave Lowe, Head Greenkeeper at Bawtry Golf Club, Austerfield, Doncaster has his work cut out. Bawtry Golf Club is a superb, 18 hole parkland course covering around 150 acres and measuring nearly 7,000 yards off the championship tees.

The club is undergoing a huge development plan, building a large, 64 bedroom hotel on site as well as a driving range, spa, fitness suite and new 6 hole pitch and putt course. Soil types vary massively across the course from light sand to heavy clay, with many greens falling into the latter. Dave goes on to explain ‘The heavier soils mean the ground is particularly good at holding onto nutrients and so fertiliser usage here is very lean as, with the clay, the greens don’t need much encouragement to stay green’. When coming to the rough, this can be a challenge as the rich clay soils can quickly accelerate growth. ‘By cutting and dropping, the mower can increase this effect as well as resulting in a grass mat, creating a thick sward where golf balls disappear instantly’ Dave goes on to add.

Overhauling golf course roughs

Overhauling golf course roughs

Over the last 6 years the rough has seen major changes with the adoption of a new rough thinning management strategy utilising both an AMAZONE Profihopper and a Groundkeeper. Dave comments “In the rough we used to have 6’ – 8’ weeds, getting thicker and thicker year on year”, once a ball landed in the rough it was almost guaranteed to be lost. This was simply due to it being unmanaged and being too thick’.

Implemented 6 years ago, Dave and his team of 4 changed their approach to rough management, aiming to keep the rough thin and wispy, working to eliminate those thicker grasses. During the winter, the Groundkeeper will be working 6 weeks straight cutting all the rough back down to a very short length, almost scalping it off down to nothing, to try to promote thinner grasses and knocking back the thicker sward. ‘The members comment that they wish the course was like this all-year round, of course, but once it starts to grow back, it makes a really nice rough where the ball can be more easily found and yet there is still a penalty incurred’. During the summer months, however, the team let the rough grow, maintaining this structure of mainly thin grasses, meaning that even towards the end of the summer it’s still easy for members to find their balls. This has come with huge praise from members, saying it makes a massive difference – and Dave agrees “It’s a really important part of the course for us, so we want it to be very presentable as we’ve not got quite as many features as some courses have”.

Alex, the deputy head greenkeeper, is the primary Groundkeeper operator at the course, working long hours during those winter months to bring the rough back into check. He does several passes and loves the Groundkeeper saying, “If it was up to me, I’d have another one tomorrow!”. Even with its huge collection hopper capacity of 3,000 litres, Alex states that he can still easily manage to pick up over 25 loads a day.

Another key task for the Groundkeeper GHS 1800 Jumbo is leaf collection, replacing the need for yet another machine on the fleet. The Groundkeeper being described as “fantastic” for leaf collection, really saving the team time due its large, 1.8 metre working width. The Profihopper PH1250 being used predominantly for undulating terrain as well as scarifying and core collecting.

The Profihopper has been used extensively for scarifying and a lot of the collected material will be recycled during the development of the new 6 hole pitch and putt course coming in the future.

They found with the wet weather experienced this year, they’re still able to get on the course, ‘Because of this full mix of soils on the course, some areas such as the greens are fairly wet, but with the Profihopper we can get on and collect in most weathers. Over last few years we’ve had a lot of success mowing in the frost, getting exceptional collection quality and yet keeping the ground in good shape. For scarifying and mowing we’ve found the blades to be extremely hard-wearing, even though the machines have been hammered. You have to say that the Groundkeeper is pretty much bulletproof,’ concludes Alex.

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Newquay Golf Club welcomes John Deere GPS Sprayer

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Newquay Golf Club welcomes John Deere GPS Sprayer: A Cornish golf club has become the first in south-west England to invest in a satellite-guided John Deere sprayer to help keep its course the in the best possible condition.

Newquay Golf Club took delivery of the John Deere HD200 ProGator precision sprayer earlier this month after identifying the machine as a tool to reduce costs and enhance its environmental profile.

Newquay Golf Club welcomes John Deere GPS Sprayer

Newquay Golf Club welcomes John Deere GPS Sprayer

The state-of-the-art unit is the first of its kind to be installed in the region and was supplied by local dealer Masons Kings.

Head Greenkeeper Dan Kendle said the purchase was all about sustainability.

“We like to keep up with advancements in technology because they can make us more efficient and do things more accurately,” he said. “Sustainability is the big thing on golf courses as far as I’m concerned and the GPS functionality in the sprayer allows us to be more targeted in our applications and therefore reducing the impact on the environment.

“Over time, it will enable us to use fewer chemicals, less water and save on fuel and time which are also big plus points.”

John Deere’s GPS sprayer is at the forefront of modern golf course maintenance, promising to enhance application accuracy when applying fungicides, herbicides or nutrients to tee boxes, fairways and greens.

The HD200 ProGator is packed with advanced features including autosteer, data recording, and independent nozzle control which automatically shuts off when the sprayer boom reaches a set boundary.

These innovations ensure efficient and eco-friendly operations, enabling precise treatment applications and minimising waste by avoiding spraying non-target areas such as bunkers and hedges.

Masons Kings’ dedicated Integrating Technologies Team carried out the installation with Dan and the club’s greenkeeping staff, ensuring that the sprayer is fully operational and ready to deliver top-tier performance.

Dan added: “We are extremely grateful for the support from entire Masons Kings team which has been instrumental in bringing this revolutionary equipment to Newquay Golf Club.”

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JCB Golf and Country Club adopts a Sustainable approach

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JCB Golf and Country Club adopts a Sustainable approach: The prestigious JCB Golf and Country Club in Rocester, Staffordshire is preparing to host the LIV Golf UK event next week, from 26-28 July 2024, replacing Centurion Golf Club in Hertfordshire as LIV’s UK LIV stop.

JCB has hosted events in the last two years on the Legends Tour, the DP World Tour’s veteran circuit. They now join an ever-growing list of UK golf courses in connection with LIV Golf and its financial investment in the professional game.

JCB Golf and Country Club adopts a Sustainable approach

JCB Golf and Country Club adopts a Sustainable approach

The new Golf and Country Club opened less than five years ago in September 2019 and its testimony to Golf Course Manager Callum Wark and his 33-strong team that this is already a tournament standard course, having hosted events on the Legends Tour and the DP World Tours veteran circuit.

Previously from Loch Lomond Golf Club, Callum joined the original JCB Course Manager Euan Grant as a Senior Greenkeeper in June 2016, along with another 15 people who were all instrumental in the construction and grow-in of the course.

Kerr Hunter from Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS), which encompasses Symbio, Headland Amenity, Rigby Taylor, and Turfkeeper, has dealt with Callum since his inception at the club.  Callum explains, “JBC wanted an organic and sustainable course. Euan had been working with Kerr from his former club and wanted the same results. With the active ingredients in fungicides being slowly removed from the market we wanted to proactively manage our greens moving forward and wanted to adopt a biological programme that required less input from us.”

In 2018 Euan became the General Manager and Callum was promoted to Golf Course Manager. He oversaw the official launch of the JCB Golf and Country Club, which was designed to reflect the bold, ambitious vision of Lord Bamford, Chairman of the iconic construction and agricultural equipment manufacturer JCB who wanted nothing less than the creation of a tour-ready contemporary masterpiece in course design.

Internationally renowned Robin Hiseman of European Gold Design was commissioned to create the stunning, contemporary layout in beautiful rural Staffordshire. The 7308-yard par 72 course has been designed to challenge elite golfers at full distance while allowing corporate golfers an enjoyable experience.

Callum continues, “I’m not against chemical inputs and where I need to, I do use them, but I find that by following a biological programme we only have a limited need for them. There is a high level of expectation that the course is in immaculate condition. We cannot afford for our members to see any disease or scarring so as a preventative we currently spray fungicide preventatively on the greens three times a year, but we are planning on reducing this to two times if possible. I see it as a safety net.”

The course is built on land close to the JCB headquarters in a mixture of established woodland and farmers’ fields. The site wasn’t the easiest to work on as there was a lot of clay and drainage was a challenge. Hiseman and his team moved over 400,000m3 of earth to produce the course.

OAS helped with the specification of a full assembly grow-in programme to enable the course to be built with a biological base. Some of the products used included Mycorrhizal Inoculant for greens and tees and Mycorrhizal SeedCoat for fairways and outfields

along with Caviar, calcium and magnesium.

Callum adds, “Today the soil is biologically active and the course is maintained with a vigorous organic and biological programme. We have four Compost Tea brewers and use Compost Teas every two weeks to feed the soil life and enhance the soil food web. We have a full greens programme to aid in the prevention of disease and improve plant health.  We have fantastic results and the OAS biological products maintain the quality. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!”

Origin Amenity Solutions is the major supplier to the JCB Golf and Country Club for their putting greens. As well as a myriad of biological products such as ThatchEater, seaweed, CMS Shoot, DegrAid, Biotabs and Liquid Aeration, Callum has been using OAS Iron products for the fairways, ‘it is a high-quality product and one that works with our programme.”

‘Symbio ThatchEater is a core product for us. Our members demand high-performance surfaces. They must be firm and fast at all times. We still need to aerate regularly but ThatchEater is my go-to product.”

“The service and advice I receive from Kerr at OAS is invaluable.  We have a planned programme, but we tweak it accordingly.  A few years ago, I had a problem with plant parasitic Nematodes. Kerr recommended Root Repair.  The problem was eradicated, and I’ve never had an issue since.  The biological approach works for us, our greens are tournament-ready, and the club is looking forward to an exciting year ahead.”

For further information or to discuss a bespoke programme for your club contact the OAS team on 0800 138 7222 or email sales@originamenity.com

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Jacobsen™ electric fleet to prepare Le Golf National

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Jacobsen™ electric fleet to prepare Le Golf National: Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd., a Textron Inc. company and the renowned manufacturer of Jacobsen™ high-quality turf maintenance equipment, is proud to announce its support of Le Golf National in Paris, the flagship facility of the French Golf Federation, as they work together to prepare this summer’s world’s stage for the biggest names in golf. This will be the first all-electric fleet of mowers to maintain an entire course in the world.

Jacobsen equipment has more than 100 years of experience producing the highest quality cut for golf, sports turf, and commercial use. To drive a more sustainable future for turf management initiatives, Jacobsen offers the same precision cut with powerful, long lithium battery life using its ELiTE series of equipment, activated by Samsung SDI technology. These fully electric units enable one to keep up with the needs of the course, and maintain a cleaner, fresher environment without hydraulics, to minimize the risk of spills or tailpipe emissions. This results in a quieter course for golfers, without the addition of harmful chemicals to the land, air and water surrounding them.

Jacobsen™ electric fleet to prepare Le Golf National

Jacobsen™ electric fleet to prepare Le Golf National

“We could not be more excited to bring this groundbreaking technology to the world,” said Simon Rainger, Vice President, Turf for Textron Specialized Vehicles. “This relationship aligns perfectly with our mission to provide superintendents and golfers with exceptional experiences, and we look forward to showcasing our commitment to creating low maintenance and greener solutions for participants and fans on the world stage.”

Jacobsen, with the addition of Pace Technology, is the answer that the world has been waiting for when it comes to golf course maintenance. The Pace Technology systems in place allow Le Golf National to know when, where and exactly what needs to be tended to on the courses at a given moment through a centralized process. Pace Technology can be accessed from any device and features real-time tracking and task management to maximize the effectiveness of your operation. Users can track and measure the power output per hole of the machines to maximize their performance and develop a bespoke picture of how they work on the course. While this is the first facility to go all electric, Ransomes Jacobsen is committed to fully electrifying golf and sports turf facilities across the globe in the years to come.

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