Tag Archive for: golf

Syngenta Showcases Sustainable Golf at Top French Destination

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Syngenta Showcases Sustainable Golf at Top French Destination: Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort in France is the latest destination to feature in Syngenta Golf’s YouTube course walk series on golf and environmental stewardship.

The award-winning 36-hole resort in Provence – one of only three golf venues in France to receive the Gold Certificate for Biodiversity from the French Golf Federation and the National Museum of Natural History – has embedded sustainability into its vision and business planning since opening 20 years ago.

Syngenta Showcases Sustainable Golf at Top French Destination

Syngenta Showcases Sustainable Golf at Top French Destination

Now, in a new episode of The Green Report, Syngenta Golf’s flagship docuseries on sustainable course management, Terre Blanche demonstrates how its long-term sustainability philosophy is delivering measurable environmental benefits across the resort, including:

  • Transforming out-of-play areas into thriving ecosystems rich in native plant and wildlife species
  • Using 100% non-potable water for irrigation, ensuring responsible resource management across the estate
  • Empowering staff to become active ambassadors for environmental sustainability.

Among the interviewees are President Marc Delauné, Course Manager Philippe Burgeat, and HR Director Anca Gherman, who each explain how Terre Blanche’s holistic approach – integrating land, water and people – is helping to inspire guests and benefit the local community.

Marc Delauné, President of Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort said: “Our commitment from the outset has been to manage this property responsibly. We have seen firsthand that golf courses not only protect fauna and flora, but often play a vital role in improving them.”

Mark Birchmore, Global Head of Marketing, Turf & Landscape for Syngenta, said: “Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort is a leading example of how environmental sustainability can sit at the very heart of a golf business. From the beginning, the business has shown how a long-term vision and genuine commitment deliver benefits for people, planet and profit.

“We hope this latest episode of The Green Report will inform and inspire other golf courses to share their own sustainability journeys.”

The new episode will be released at 9AM ET / 3PM CET today, and will be free-to-watch for all golf industry professionals and stakeholders on YouTube.

To watch all episodes of The Green Report and for more news, features, videos and case studies on sustainable golf, as well as links to the Changing the Business of Golf podcast, visit Syngenta Golf.

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Parkstone Golf Club transforms winter playability

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Parkstone Golf Club transforms winter playability: Renowned as one of the finest courses on the South Coast, Parkstone in Dorset is proudly ranked in the Top 100 golf courses in Great Britain and Ireland.

Upholding their championship-level playing conditions year round isn’t always easy, particularly during increasingly heavy and prolonged periods of rainfall, but it is a challenge relished by Course Manager Grant Peters and his team of 9. He explains how the club’s winter playability has taken a major leap forwards thanks to the installation of Hydrowick drainage by Djuke.

Parkstone Golf Club transforms winter playability

Parkstone Golf Club transforms winter playability

Passionate about course quality, Grant has been at the club for the last nine years and, over that time, identified that persistent waterlogging on some problematic greens – and increasingly on the fairways – was impacting rounds. Seeking an innovative, non-invasive solution, Grant spoke to contractors Djuke about the Hydrowick drainage system and the rest, as they say, is history!

“We had a very tentative trial of the system on the back half of one of our worst performing greens and the impact was immediate and dramatic” he explains. “The transformation in water movement was so good we immediately pushed the button to have Hydrowick installed on all of our problem greens. Since then, we’ve had nine greens done – turning what were some of the wettest areas of the course into the driest.”

He emphasises, “We can see an inch of rainfall and, within a couple of hours, these greens are playable where, previously, they’d have been closed for half a day or longer.”

Encouraged by the results on the greens, Grant is delighted to have now rolled Hydrowick onto Parkstone’s fairways. “We had no concerns whatsoever that the system would perform equally as well here and, lo and behold, shortly after the installation at the start of November we saw 60mm of rainfall and the fairway remained playable.”

Hydrowick is one of the most efficient and effective drainage systems on the market, utilising a patented rope system to ‘wick’ away excess moisture. Laid at 2m centres, the installation process is also far less invasive than most other systems – maximising results and returning surfaces to play within 24 hours. Generating very little spoil was one of the key advantages for Grant, with Parkstone designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest meaning the club is highly constrained on where and how it can move and store soil.

The club now plans to extend the Hydrowick programme to a further three or four fairways, with installations proposed for late 2026 into early 2027. “Cameron and the whole team at Djuke are an absolute pleasure to work with. Everything from initial quotation through to installation was quick, polite, tidy and professional and the end result ticks every box for us” he concludes.

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Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa upgrades Club Car fleet

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Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa upgrades Club Car fleet: Club Car®, global industry-leading manufacturer of small-wheel, zero-emissions electric vehicles, has delivered a new fleet of golf carts to the prestigious Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa in South Africa.

Located on the beautiful Western Cape, the 5-star resort received 56 lithium-ion Tempo vehicles to enhance the golf experience on its magnificent Peter Matkovich-designed 18-hole championship course, consistently ranked in the top ten courses in the country.

Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa upgrades Club Car fleet

Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa upgrades Club Car fleet

The vehicles, delivered by AFGRI, the official Club Car distributor in South Africa, have premium features such as Comfort seats and Visage GPS connected technology.

Bevan du Plessis, Golf Manager at Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa, said: “We have many international guests, the majority of whom use a cart, and it’s essential we offer a product in keeping with the high standards of the resort. The new fleet has really elevated the golf experience. The carts not only look great but offer a smooth and enjoyable ride.

“Club Car’s Visage system has been particularly beneficial, allowing us to track cart locations, monitor pace of play and protect the course year-round, ensuring optimal playability for every visitor.

“The service and support from Club Car and AFGRI has also been exceptional,” du Plessis added. “This is our third fleet of Club Car vehicles, and they continue to exceed our expectations for quality and performance.”

Nicolas Le Glas, Club Car Regional Manager Middle East and Africa, said: “Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa offers its guests a world-class experience, and we’re proud to play a part in that with these new vehicles.”

Club Car’s highly-acclaimed Tempo golf car is used by many of the best golf venues around the world.

It delivers outstanding hill-climbing power and acceleration, and has many customisable options including colour, seats, storage, wheels and programmable drive modes to maximise performance.

For more information on Club Car visit: www.clubcar.com

For more information on Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa visit: https://www.southernsun.com/arabella-hotel-golf-and-spa  

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Tobermory Golf Club invests in new Jacobsen equipment

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Tobermory Golf Club invests in new Jacobsen equipment:  An island golf club with just 70 members has made a major investment to safeguard the condition of its much-loved nine-hole course. Tobermory Golf Club, a longstanding community hub on Mull, has purchased a new Jacobsen PGM 22 pedestrian greens mower and a caddy trailer to help its small volunteer-led team manage the steep hilltop layout.

The machines were sourced through Jacobsen’s Scottish dealer, Fairways GM at Inchinnan.

Tobermory Golf Club invests in new Jacobsen equipment

Tobermory Golf Club invests in new Jacobsen equipment

The investment comes as Greens Convener John Wilshire approaches a remarkable milestone — next May marks 50 years of working association with the club. Now semi-retired and working around 15 hours a week, he coordinates a small multi-skilled team who each contribute part-time hours to course upkeep.

“Our course sits on a hilltop and drains incredibly quickly, even after really heavy rain,” John Wilshire said. “Now we’re in mid-November, we’re cutting maybe twice a week at most, but in summer the workload is much higher.”

Multiple jobs are a way of life in Tobermory, and the greens team reflects that.

“Most of our greens mowing is done by one of our team who is also the local baker,” he added. “He’s in the bakery from 4.30am to 8.30am, then comes up to cut the greens. In summer that can be four or five times a week; at this time of year it’s about twice as the growth tails off.”

The PGM 22 will be used exclusively on the greens and supported by the club’s existing tees mower. The older greens mower remains as a backup, while a 20-year-old Jacobsen is still used after sanding to protect newer kit from abrasive conditions.

Fairways GM’s Area Sales Manager, Stuart Cameron demonstrated and delivered the new PGM 22 and caddy trailer, ensuring the team were confident with the setup ahead of next season.

The Jacobsen combination is expected to make day-to-day work on the slopes much easier when the 2026 cutting season begins.

“The new trailer makes it much simpler for anyone cutting the greens to load and unload the mower,” said John Wilshire. “Our previous trailer was higher and far less convenient — this one is like a little caddy.”

When the club later needed help, Service Manager Stewart Mulholland stepped in without delay.

“Service Manager Stewart Mulholland came over to the island to assist us,” John Wilshire said. “He cleared up a bit of confusion with the bottom blade and took us through the correct procedures.”

Still serving as Greens Convener, Club President and clubhouse caretaker, John has now stepped back from full-time duties. “I used to look after the whole course myself, but after reaching retirement age I now just do bits and pieces.”

Tobermory Golf Club continues to welcome members, visitors and golfers from around the world, drawn by its dramatic views over the Sound of Mull and its friendly welcome.

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Origin hosts successful golf irrigation training days

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Origin hosts successful golf irrigation training days: Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS), the exclusive Rain Bird Golf distributor for the UK, recently hosted two successful golf irrigation training days, providing delegates with a comprehensive understanding of their irrigation systems and how to optimise their performance.

The first session took place at Luffenham Heath Golf Club, Stamford, on Thursday 30 October, where a new Rain Bird irrigation system has recently been installed. The second event was held at Ashby Decoy Golf Club, Scunthorpe, on Wednesday 5 November.

Origin hosts successful golf irrigation training days

Origin hosts successful golf irrigation training days

Both events were well attended, attracting course managers, greenkeepers and irrigation technicians keen to enhance their technical knowledge. BIGGA CPD points were available to attendees, reinforcing the educational value of the sessions.

The training gave delegates an in-depth understanding of irrigation hydraulics on their own courses, exploring how to make existing irrigation systems operate more uniformly and how to combat dry patch to achieve better results without significant capital investment. The sessions also included an introduction to Rain Bird’s CirrusPRO™ control system, with discussion around how central control technology can help make irrigation more uniform and effective.

The days were hosted by Peter Robin, OAS Irrigation Product Manager, and Angus Finlayson, OAS Irrigation & Digital Solutions Lead, who shared their expertise and practical experience throughout.

Peter Robin commented, “It was fantastic to see so many enthusiastic delegates keen to deepen their understanding of irrigation technology. We aimed to help them get the best out of their systems, and the feedback has been really positive. The engagement and questions throughout both days showed a genuine interest in making irrigation more efficient and effective on the golf course.”

Angus Finlayson added, “Both events were a great success. We focused on broader irrigation principles rather than system-specific demonstrations and the level of participation was excellent. It was rewarding to see delegates leave with more confidence in operating and improving their irrigation systems, regardless of the brand.”

For information on upcoming events and training opportunities, visit www.originamenity.com.

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