Tag Archive for: golf

Golf Environment Awards Finalists Announced

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Golf Environment Awards Finalists Announced: STRI is delighted to announce the finalists for the 2019 Golf Environment Awards (GEAs), recognising golf clubs and individuals that strive to undertake environmental best practice.

Over 30 longlisted clubs were visited earlier in the year by STRI ecology consultants, Bob Taylor and Rowan Rumball, and painstakingly whittled down to 17 finalists, including one club from Switzerland.

Golf Environment Awards Finalists Announced

Four finalists have been named in three GEA categories – Conservation Greenkeeper of Year, Outstanding Environmental Project and Operation Pollinator. However, such was the competition in the Environmental Golf Course of Year category the shortlist has been increased to five finalists.

Representatives from the finalists will attend the glittering awards ceremony on 23 January at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate, during BTME week.

Golf Environment Awards judge, Rowan Rumball, said: “This is my first year managing the GEAs, and it has been a fantastic, but challenging, experience. It has been humbling and such a privilege to see first-hand all the good work golf clubs are striving to achieve.

“The range of projects has been massively diverse, and the scale is inspiring. Golf is truly leading the way when it comes to ecological and environmental commitment.”

The GEA provides the platform from which the golf industry can demonstrate environmental excellence in all its forms. This has been demonstrated by past finalists and can range from relatively simple but effective projects, to grand scale schemes.

All finalists receive free entry into the Foundation Award in Amenity Horticulture course, recognised by BASIS, as well as CPD points, and the lucky winners will be able to enjoy a European Golf & Environment Trip of a Lifetime to Portugal.

The Golf Environment Awards 2019 finalists are:

 Environmental Golf Course of the Year

Aldeburgh Golf Club
Ipswich Golf Club
Minchinhampton Golf Club
Warrington Golf Club
St Andrews Links

Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year

Les Rae – Montrose Golf Links
Phil Stain – Notts Golf Club
Mark Broughton – Aldeburgh Golf Club
Neil Sherman – Ipswich Golf Club

Outstanding Environmental Project of the Year

Wylihof Golf Club
Cotswold Hills Golf Club
Hallamshire Golf Club
Woking Golf Club

Operation Pollinator

Wylihof Golf Club
Banchory Golf Club
Wigan Golf Club
Corhampton Golf Club

The winners will be announced at the Golf Environment Awards Ceremony on Wednesday 23h January 2019, at The Crown Hotel in Harrogate. Tickets for the awards, which includes a three-course meal and drinks, go on general sale on 16 Nov. Please email enquiries@strigroup.com for further details.

STRI would like to thank all the golf clubs that entered but didn’t make the final shortlist.

A huge thank you also goes to Golf Environment Award partners and sponsors who continue to support and promote the awards year-on-year, without them the awards simply would not be possible.

The R&A, BIGGA, The Golf Club Manager, Tillers Turf, Ransomes Jacobsen, Wiedenmann, Aquatrols, Syngenta

For further details about The Golf Environment Awards please visit https://golfenvironmentawards.com/

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Reesink At John O’Gaunt Golf Club

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Reesink At John O’Gaunt Golf Club: Celebrating the signing of its third five-year exclusivity agreement with Reesink Turfcare and Toro is John O’Gaunt Golf Club.

After a ten year plan the club in Sandy in Bedfordshire has now established an ‘all red’ Toro fleet of machinery, installed Toro Lynx and dual trajectory series sprinklers on its Carthagena course and the truly innovative Infinity sprinklers on its John O’Gaunt course. And they turned to Reesink when needing aerating fountains for a new lake, for which Otterbine suited.

Reesink At John O’Gaunt Golf Club

Course manager Nigel Broadwith is the decision-maker with a plan in place and the full support of the club’s committee. He says of the signing, which will take the club’s relationship with Reesink and Toro to 15 years: “It was an easy decision to make. When you have a relationship with your machinery distributor which brings you a good product, good support and peace of mind, you don’t need to look anywhere else.”

Over the years Nigel has created a Toro fleet of machinery that brings the best results and the best value, he says: “When purchasing machinery in a five-year lease deal I try to juggle the budget to get the best value and the best productivity. People who know me, know it doesn’t matter to me how old a machine is, if it performs it’s got a place in the shed. We have brand new machines lining up next to 18-year old ones with over 4000 hours on the clock! It’s all about having a balance to ensure the best results for the best value your budget can bring.”

Mixing the old with the new is an approach Nigel says he’s able to with the reliable back-up of Reesink, Toro’s MyTurf fleet management programme which tracks maintenance, repairs and parts, and a full-time on-site mechanic: “This combination of support with a good product means that any issues are sorted out quickly and there’s little, if any, machinery downtime.

“Going with Reesink and Toro was the sensible and logical thing to do, it instils confidence in the team for the foreseeable future.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Woodland Work At Fife Golf Trust

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Woodland Work At Fife Golf Trust: Thanks to Fife Golf Trust’s purchase of a GreenMech QuadTrak chipper and trailer, almost 20 years of little woodland management across a number of course in Scotland has come to an end. Fife Council owns seven golf courses and the Trust has maintenance responsibilities for all of them. Golf Courses Manager Paul Murphy and his team of 21 greenkeepers has now put the disposal of the woody waste firmly back on the agenda with their recent purchase.

“Each course is equipped with a basic fleet of machinery for routine maintenance, however we also have a bank of equipment that’s shared between the sites” explains Paul, who has been with the trust for five and a half years. Prior to Paul joining, woodland management had been on the back burner, something that changed two years ago. “We’re now a couple of years into a long overdue tree thinning programme, for which we use an external contractor. However, following the work they mainly conduct with tree harvesters, we found there was a lot of material that required clearing.”

Woodland Work At Fife Golf Trust

When hiring a chipper was ruled out for being too costly, Paul lead the search for a chipper that would fulfil the requirements of the various courses. “We looked at a few alternatives, but I was keen on the GreenMech product from previous experience. We had a demonstration of the QuadTrak from local dealer Henderson Grass Machinery and were impressed with how it performed. That, together with the back up support from them as a dealer and the no quibble warranty from GreenMech, sealed the deal.” Paul took delivery of the QuadTrak, together with a bespoke road-towable trailer in February 2018.

“Having the tracked chipper complete with a trailer gives us the best of both worlds. The self-levelling tracks are fantastic for work on uneven ground while the trailer makes it easy to transport the chipper around the course or between sites.” While it’ll earn its keep mainly between November and February, should anything come down during the season, the team are now equipped to deal with it. “The machine is simple to operate, build quality is fantastic and all of these elements combined will help us ensure our courses are tidy for the start of the season, for many years to come.”

For more information, visit: www.greenmech.co.uk

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Toro At Gullane Golf Club

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Toro At Gullane Golf Club: It’s tribute to the quality of the course preparation and wonderful putting surfaces produced by Gullane Golf Club’s course manager Stewart Duff along with his team, with the unparalleled tournament support of Toro and Reesink Turfcare, that South African golfer Brandon Stone had a chance to make European golfing history at the Aberdeen Standard Investment Scottish Open earlier this year.

But, as Brandon stood over his seven-foot putt on Gullane’s 18th green in the final round, Stewart didn’t know what to think. If Brandon made the putt he would have been the first player to shoot a 59 on the European Tour, but Stewart wasn’t sure if he wanted Gullane to be the first course to have a 59 on its CV. On the other hand, it would have been a genuine tribute to the quality of the Gullane putting surfaces.

Toro At Gullane Golf Club

“It was a Catch 22 for me,” Stewart says. “For him, personally, I really wanted it to go in as he was a great Champion, a well-deserved winner and a wonderful young man; but for selfish reasons – for the course and for the club – I didn’t want it to go in. I was 50-50 on it.”

As it turned out the ball stayed above ground and Brandon had to settle for a 60 and a four-round winning total of 20 under-par.

Credit for the fact that Gullane produced the closest attempt yet for that elusive 59 must go to Stewart and the attention to detail he seeks from his team and his turf machinery. And in that he has met an equal in Toro and Reesink.

One example is his use of the Toro Greensmaster Triflex Hybrid 3420 mower, six of which he used on a daily basis to cut tees and aprons, and which it’s said produces results as close to perfection that nature will allow: “The quality of cut is excellent as is the way the units follow the contours on some of our grass hollows on the aprons.”

Recognising the quality, and not wishing to waste an opportunity, as soon as those tasks were finished Stewart had another job lined up for them.

“We changed over to the greens units so the boys could go and cut the greens on our other two courses,” he revealed.

“While the quality of cut and exceptional contour-following ability are huge plusses, I love the fact that there are no tools required to change the units over and even more than that, they have excellent electric motors to drive the cylinder so there’s no chance of oil leaks.”

Unlike most tournament venue course managers, the prize presentation to Brandon wasn’t the end of an intense week – for Stewart and his team it was just half time!

Because, while the world’s attention turned to Carnoustie and The Open Championship, Gullane was keeping itself pristine for the arrival of the ladies and the Aberdeen Standard Investment Ladies’ Scottish Open just the week after that.

This time Thailand’s Aryla Jutanugarn closed with a 66 and a four-round total of 13 under-par to lift the trophy at a presentation which finally gave Stewart a chance to catch breath.

“We did think that keeping the course in top condition for three weeks – two for the tournaments with a week in between – was going to be harder than it actually was, and in many ways it was probably better for the ladies than it was for the men. It was still very good for the men, but it got a little bit drier for the ladies and the greens were slightly faster,” he said, still pinching himself that both events turned out as well as they did.

“If we’d placed an order for weather we’d have asked for exactly what we got. That was our best case scenario.

“The tournament support was absolutely fantastic and, while I know that providing support at The Open Championship at the same time put pressure on them, you would not have known it. In Jeff Anguige and George McDonald from Reesink, we had two colleagues doing their best to ensure we had everything we needed. The support that they offered was wonderful. I’d also like to thank Eddie Adams, the European Tour’s agronomist, who was so much help to us for the men’s tournament, and my staff who were superb throughout both tournament weeks.”

Among the pieces of equipment which arrived at Gullane for the two big weeks were the Reelmaster 5010-H hybrid fairway mowers and the Workman GTX Electric utility vehicles, while the club’s own two Toro ProCore 648 pedestrian aerators and a Toro ProPass 200 topdresser came into their own with the seeding and sanding in the recovery programme.

“The RM5010 mowers are just a great piece of kit. The quality of cut and after-cut appearance are superb and it’s quiet. Plus, the electric motors mean there is no chance of oil leaks. It really is a well thought out piece of kit.”

The Workmans were another to receive the Duff seal of approval: “The new electric Workman has had a lot of thought put into it. Completely quiet, they are really comfortable and have little extras like phone chargers and places to store bits and bobs. While they are not in constant use, we were getting about two days out of a single battery charge.

“We currently have a fleet of utility vehicles which is not Toro, but we will certainly be changing it to be so,” revealed Stewart.

With modern-day equipment providing putting surfaces as close to perfection that nature will allow, that European Tour 59 won’t be too far away. Perhaps Stewart won’t be too unhappy if it does happen on his beloved Gullane!

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Le Golf National Remains GEO Certified

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Le Golf National Remains GEO Certified: Le Golf National is preparing to host the 2018 Ryder Cup and 2024 Summer Olympics, and has retained GEO certification, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable business management.

Having completed the new and improved OnCourse® programme, the venue was recently visited by independent verifier Pablo Munoz Vega, who confirmed demonstrable results and continual improvement actions over the previous three-year period.

Le Golf National Remains GEO Certified

Paul Armitage, General Manager – Le Golf National, said: “By proudly flying the GEO flag every day we are showing our customers, whether they be local residents, international visitors or corporate groups that we care about the same things that they do. We also want our staff to feel engaged and proud of the fact that Le Golf National provides great golf and much more for our community.

“Thanks to our Environmental Co-ordinator Artur Lecomte and the staff out on the course and in the clubhouse, the work we have done on waste separation, with increased reuse and recycling is particularly rewarding for all involved. All the team have found OnCourse® to be very easy to use and helpful in guiding and tracking the work and GEO Certified® is a tremendous reward.”

Le Golf National continues to show how an approach to fostering nature, conserving resources and supporting the community is part and parcel of running a profitable and highly respected golf facility.

The venues efforts are also contributing to The Ryder Cup Green Drive – the event’s sustainability programme – with partners Ryder Cup Europe and The Ryder Cup Organising Committee in France aiming to deliver the cleanest, greenest and most sustainable Ryder Cup yet.

Ryder Cup Europe Director, Richard Hills, said: “Le Golf National is a world-class golf course and we commend Paul and his team for their commitment to sustainable business management. It is vitally important that along with delivering one of the greatest sporting events in the world, that we also address these important issues and continue to work on maximising the social and environmental contribution of golf in the communities in which we play.”

Alejandro Reyes, Golf Course Superintendent added: “In the last three years sustainability has really become a facility-wide effort – moving from the golf course and maintenance facility into the clubhouse and now into marketing and communications. OnCourse® has helped a lot in that process and gives us a consistent way to make sure our practices are delivered and extended, our key data is in one place and our highlights are communicated and shared.”

Julie Duffus, Olympic Movement Sustainability Manager at the International Olympic Committee added: “Le Golf National is an excellent example of how a sustainable and successful Olympic Venue can be planned, designed, constructed and operated.  Our Congratulations to the team for their efforts and success on retaining GEO Certified Status.  We look forward to working together in the lead up to the Olympic Games in 2024”.

Richard Allison, Certification Manager at GEO Foundation, said: “We congratulate Le Golf National on this excellent and thoroughly deserved achievement. With the eyes of the sporting world on the course this autumn for The 2018 Ryder Cup, Le Golf National continues to strengthen its position as an ethical leader – fostering nature, conserving resources and supporting the community.”

Munoz Vega added: “It has been tremendous to witness the development of Le Golf National since their initial certification a short time ago. Commitment to sustainability and a desire to improve and keep innovating is deeply embedded in the management culture. With performance already very high I look forward to seeing the new projects and initiatives of the future.”

Key activities and results at Le Golf National include:

Resources

  • Commissioned 19 hybrid electric Jacobsen Eclipse walking mowers
  • Reduction in irrigation consumption by almost 40% as result of new Toro irrigation system
  • 16 hectares removed from irrigation (20% of irrigated area)
  • Sprinkler heads improved water distribution by 26%
  • New storage reservoir and drainage allows recycling of rainwater (44% of total consumption)
  • 340 tons of material recycled every year including glass, plastic, paper, cardboard and organics
  • Sand from ‘Paris beach’ recycled after every summer for fairway top-dressing
  • Trialling of non-chemical pest and disease control with UV lighting unit to reducing fungicide applications

Nature

  • Partnership with Natural History Museum and French Golf Federation to evaluate, conserve and promote biodiversity
  • Interconnected management of 10 EUNIS habitats including forest, wetland, open water, meadows and mineral landscape (three of which are classed as rare including tree species, riparian reeds and willows)
  • At least 350 flora and fauna species identified to date, including 70 birds
  • 13 species identified as rare including European, French and regional ‘red list’ species
  • Eight microhabitats created including hibernaculums for amphibians, rock walls, beehives, bird nests, dead branches and standing tree remnants
  • Increase in low-maintenance ecological rough areas
  • Significant reduction of maintained turf areas, new no-spray areas and habitat buffers

Community

  • New policies and pricing to increase public access to the golf courses
  • ‘GoforGolf’ campaign to introduce new players to the game
  • Spearhead the development of new affordable short courses around the country
  • Increase in social media presence to communicate the benefits of sustainability
  • Collaboration with local government to restore the ‘Porte du Merantais’, an historic gate to Versailles Palace

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