Tag Archive for: Golf’s

Golfs sustainable topdressing method

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Golfs sustainable topdressing method: Now more than ever, golf clubs are battling the rising cost of materials, with sand being one of the highest, but by using the Koro RECYCLINGDRESSER® from Campey Turf Care Systems, clubs can reapproach topdressing.

Whilst the Imants-made machine has traditionally been used on football pitches and larger areas, The Worcestershire Golf Club Course Manager, Steve Lloyd, thinks the process of the RECYCLINGDRESSER® could save up to £2.5k across an 18-hole course.

Golfs sustainable topdressing method

Golfs sustainable topdressing method

The RECYCLINGDRESSER® aerates the underlying soil vertically and horizontally, removing soil from the root zone and re-distributing it across the playing surface. Layering and compaction are eliminated, biological activity is increased, and existing fertilisers in the soil are better utilised. The RECYCLINGDRESSER® reduces the amount of new topdressing required, therefore saving labour and material costs and promoting sustainable maintenance.

The waste of material during hollow tining got Steve thinking about the machine, and after seeing it work on his USGA specification practice green, he sees a place for it in golf.

“If the cost of the material goes up substantially, then you start to question how much of it I need or if there is an alternative way that is more cost-effective, sustainable, and fits both boxes,” Steve said.

“If you hollow tine a lot, probably 80% of what you’re bringing out is good material. Where does that go? Most of the time, it gets thrown away, which is a waste, so I thought about how other sports reuse material, and that brought me to the RECYCLINGDRESSER®.

“The demo on our golf green by Jason Moody Product Specialist for Campey, went really well. It settled down within a week, and the recovery was really good. We followed up with our usual granular feed and a light top dress the following week to help restore surface levels, which is what we’d do on all the greens anyway.”

For Steve, the pressures on sand use will only continue to grow. The cost of raw materials and haulage are already becoming issues, and the demand from other industries, such as construction, means golf is down the pecking order.

With the RECYCLINGDRESSER®, he believes there are two approaches clubs could use that would bring sustainability and financial benefits.

“For me, there are two ways to do it,” Steve begins. “You can have half as much top dressing coming in because you’ll still need some topdressing, but it’ll mean instead of six loads a year, we might just have three, so we’ve ticked the box there by getting some fresh material in, but we have reduced our costs while utilising the existing material.

“The other way of looking at it is to carry on with the same number of loads but use the RECYCLINGDRESSER® to get more out. Therefore, you might be able to spread that material over a wider area, and with worm control, the more sand you can get on a golf course, the less impact there is from worm casts.

“That’s another element, so there are quite a few layers of this that can be seen as beneficial to golf clubs, especially inland golf courses.”

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Action required to solve golf’s diversity challenge

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Action required to solve golf’s diversity challenge: Golf continues to experience unprecedented demand, but it is yet to persuade the public it is a game for all, a new social listening report from Syngenta and Ipsos has found. 

Golf & Social Media: Diversity, published today, is part of a landmark study analyzing 16.1 million social media posts, shares, comments and blogs over a three-year period to help businesses understand what is being said about golf online and respond with customer-centric solutions.

Action required to solve golf’s diversity challenge

Action required to solve golf’s diversity challenge

Despite highlighting successful projects that are making golf more diverse and inclusive, such as Black Girls Golf in the US and the UK-based Muslim Golf Association, the report confirms more work is required to overcome golf’s reputational issues and successfully welcome a wider audience.

Since the pandemic, just 5% of new golfers in the UK are non-white, the R&A’s Post Covid Opportunity Report previously found.

Similarly, in the United States, African American golfers make up just 5% of the country’s 25 million players, yet contribute $4 billion of the total market value.

Claire Martin, Ipsos Social Intelligence Researcher, said: “Golf is aware of its image problem and is trying hard to diversify, but the messages are not always reaching wider audiences and people outside the sport.

“Remarkably, two percent of all mentions in our sample related to Donald Trump and Republicans playing golf. This association does not help dispel the notion that it is a sport for older, white males.”

While the findings underline the challenge golf faces, the report offers solutions and case studies, including Black Girls Golf, founded by Tiffany Mack Fitzgerald, which has built a network of more than 4,000 female players in the United States.

And in a recent podcast interview with Syngenta, Jim Beatty, Executive Editor of African American Golf Digest, said the number of African American golfers could be doubled or tripled, significantly adding to the value of golf and the bottom lines of golf clubs and courses.

Brandon Bell, Syngenta People and Organizational Development Lead, Syngenta North America, offers advice to golf venues looking to build diversity and inclusive into their businesses and making golf welcoming to all: “As a starting point, use local demographic data to better understand the scale of the opportunity to engage with underrepresented groups, then invite these groups to take a survey or join a focus group so you can learn more about their wants and needs – and how you might address those.

“By creating an environment and experience where minority groups feel welcome and valued, and this is reflected in your club imagery and communications, this will help other diverse groups understand that this is a place where they could belong.”

WATCH: Brandon Bell on How to Make Your Golf Club More Diverse

Mark Birchmore Syngenta Global Head of Marketing, Turf and Landscape, who commissioned the report, said: “Golf has long been associated with exclusivity, and this study confirms that it is still widely viewed as a sport for a limited demographic.

“However, there are many examples of golf organisations and businesses making great progress in diversity. Now the sport needs to get better at communicating this progress beyond the industry itself in order to change wider perceptions.”

Data for the report was provided by Ipsos, with 16.1 million mentions of golf on social media in the United States and UK analyzed over a three-year period (2019-2022).

To download this report and all previous Syngenta market studies, visit: www.syngentagolf.com/golf-industry-reports

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The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Services to tackle golf’s water security issues

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The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Services to tackle golf’s water security issues: The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service team has announced a collaboration with The Environment Partnership (TEP), extending their service offering to golf facilities in the UK and Ireland.

The partnership will see The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service and TEP collaborate to offer clubs consultancy on specific environmental concerns pertaining to water security, water sourcing and site water management.

The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Services to tackle golf’s water security issues

The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Services to tackle golf’s water security issues

The partnership underlines The R&A’s commitment to providing the most comprehensive sustainable agronomy solutions using best practice management to safeguard water security and surface performance.

“Joining forces with TEP will give R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service customers the opportunity to gain detailed insight from industry experts into the key issue of water security.  Clients can have the confidence that The R&A will be on-hand to provide additional support and to ensure integration with best practice agronomy plans,” comments Alistair Beggs, Head of Agronomy at The R&A.

Paul Woodham, from The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service, adds: “Golf courses will need support when assessing the future implication of the changing climate and the anticipated constraints which will reduce access to water sources commonly used today.  Golf needs to work proactively with water companies and agencies which safeguard the environment.”

TEP will develop an initial water security feasibility study in collaboration with the golf facility.  This includes a review of existing water sources, how water is used across the site and current drainage infrastructure.  This feasibility study then explores water sourcing and storage opportunities across the site, bringing these together into an initial masterplan that can be used as the basis for future integrated facility planning.  The process includes input and support from The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service team; ensuring clients have the opportunity to digest and understand the recommendations compatible with their facility.

The partnership combines leading water management proficiency with in-depth agronomic awareness, resulting in a long-term vision for sustainable golf.

“The opportunity to work with the sustainable agronomic expertise at The R&A, allows TEP to tailor water security advice so it is targeted to the specific needs of the golf industry.  We are very excited about working alongside The R&A as partners on the vital issue of long-term water security of the sector”, comments Nicola Hancock, Director at TEP.

To enquire about these services e-mail sustainableagronomy@randa.org

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R&A to increase guardianship of golf’s sustainability

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R&A to increase guardianship of golf’s sustainability: The R&A has expanded its Sustainable Agronomy Service to provide expertise and best practice advice to all levels of golf facilities in Great Britain and Ireland and continental Europe, aiding in the effective management of courses.

First launched in the Asia-Pacific market, the service will now offer facility operators worldwide with support in the delivery of sustainable agronomy, golf course auditing and benchmarking, management planning and strategic advice, annual maintenance programme planning, and project management support and drainage design.

R&A to increase guardianship of golf’s sustainability

R&A to increase guardianship of golf’s sustainability

The service is already actively supporting and guiding clubs to become more resilient and sustainable in the face of changing legislation on pesticides, climate change and access to resources.

Clubs such as Haydock Park, West Sussex and Blackwell are among over 100 facilities in Great Britain and Ireland and continental Europe already being encouraged to use more resilient grass mixes and improve growing environments for grass, in addition to making the turf less reliant on pesticides.

“We’re here to provide expertise and support to golf facilities, highlighting the most efficient and accessible methods surrounding sustainable golf course management,” said Alistair Beggs, Head of Agronomy at The R&A.

“This will enable them to develop plans that will present facilities with optimum conditioning all year round but have sustainability at the heart of the decisions and processes put in place to support this aim.”

The Sustainable Agronomy Service includes a team of agronomy experts which has acquired a wealth of knowledge and experience from its active role in supporting world-class golf championships run by The R&A each year – including The Open and AIG Women’s Open.

The team will offer facilities a bespoke service with ongoing support and advice in the planning and implementation of effective and sustainable management practices.

Paul Woodham, Head of Agronomy, Europe, at The R&A, said, “We have already seen facilities in the Asia-Pacific region benefit greatly from the support and collaboration that have been provided for the sustainable management of facilities.

“The introduction of the service in Great Britain and Ireland and continental Europe forms part of the organisation’s aim to encourage facilities to adopt a more sustainable approach to the management of courses. Furthermore, we are fully committed to reinvesting proceeds from the service into research and education for those operating in the industry.”

To enquire about these services e-mail sustainableagronomy@randa.org

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16.1 million social posts reveal golf’s great divide

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16.1 million social posts reveal golf’s great divide: Syngenta today publishes the findings of a pioneering social media listening project analyzing 16.1 million mentions of golf to learn what people say about the sport as well as their experiences of the game.

Golf & Social Media: The Great Divide, free to download from www.syngentagolf.com, has been produced in conjunction with global market research firm Ipsos and, using its Artificial Intelligence enabled Synthesio platform, explores key conversations and customer reviews, providing insights on why people play golf in two leading golf markets: the United States and the United Kingdom.

16.1 million social posts reveal golf’s great divide

16.1 million social posts reveal golf’s great divide

As well as identifying the most talked about topics online (professional golf 20%, personal experiences 16% and equipment 13%), the interactive report highlights important themes, including:

  • News drives conversations: Donald Trump and controversial topics such as LIV Golf supercharge online activity, but create negative sentiment, impacting golf’s reputation
  • Experiences drive interactions: while news about golf is negative, mentions of experiencing golf are positive, with posts on Instagram generating 41% of all interactions, engaging golfers and non-golfers alike
  • You’re either a golfer… or you’re not: real or perceived, golf still faces a challenge with exclusivity, and prospective players need to feel they are joining an inclusive community to be able to perceive themselves as golfers.

By analyzing customer reviews and understanding what motivates people to play golf, two clear customer profiles emerged: Insiders and Outsiders.

With both groups playing or attracted to golf for different reasons, golf faces a challenge – and an opportunity – to generate business growth by meeting the needs and expectations of both customer profiles.

Mark Birchmore, Head of Global Marketing for Syngenta Turf and Landscape, said: “This is the first major market study we have undertaken since publishing our findings highlighting a $35 billion market opportunity to grow female participation.

“What’s changed since then ­– and over the decade since we have been publishing customer insights reports as part of our Syngenta Growing Golf campaign – is the exponential rise of social media and its multiple channels of influence. Working with Ipsos and using AI to analyze millions of posts has enabled us to take a deep dive into social media and extract key insights and solutions for golf.

“As with all our reports, the purpose is to help golf courses better understand customers and use the insights for business growth.”

Golf & Social Media: The Great Divide is published today at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, and will be followed throughout the year by supplementary studies into key topics including Gender, Diversity, Sustainability and Golf Entertainment.

DOWNLOAD Golf & Social Media: The Great Divide

To receive market insights and success stories of individuals and businesses transforming golf, visit Syngenta Growing Golf: http://www.syngentagolf.com

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