Tag Archive for: greenkeeping

Is there a crisis in golf greenkeeping?

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Is there a crisis in golf greenkeeping?: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has launched an industry-wide survey that will quantify information relating to a perceived ‘crisis’ within the greenkeeping and wider golfing sector.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that golf clubs are struggling to fill available vacancies, particularly in the greenkeeping department. Reasons generally put forward for this include the requirement to work anti-social hours, lack of appreciation and a relatively low entry salary. However, for those who do embark upon a career in greenkeeping, the positives are many.

Is there a crisis in golf greenkeeping?

Is there a crisis in golf greenkeeping?

This survey is crucial as it is vital the scale of the challenge is quantified, as well as the key drivers for the issues. Effective golf club staff are critical to the health and growth of the sport as they strongly influence the experience of golfers on a day-to-day basis.

As BIGGA seeks to fulfil its overarching ambition of creating a more positive working environment for the UK’s greenkeepers, BIGGA hopes the hard data from the survey will enable the association to positively guide the broader golf industry.

Head greenkeepers, course managers and other members of the turf management team at golf clubs are invited to complete the survey. Only one response is required per golf club. The survey can be completed online at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2VZ52PH

BIGGA has requested the support of partner organisations with regards this research and will publish the results in full when the periods for submissions has closed.

BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton said: “With the ongoing cost of living crisis at the forefront of our minds and the COVID-19 pandemic having caused many people to consider their priorities, the golf industry faces a very real challenge to engage sufficient staff at club level, to effectively deliver the sport to the nation’s five million regular golfers. Participation in the sport is booming at just the time that recruiting and retaining greenkeeping staff is at its most challenging. It is vital the golf industry – utilising real data – considers positive solutions to the ongoing labour issues.

“We encourage all our members to respond to this survey, which we believe will benefit all greenkeepers and golf club staff.”

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ICL integral to fairways recovery

ICL integral to fairways recovery

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ICL integral to fairways recovery : Ian Cambridge, Course Manager at Saffron Walden Golf Club in Cambridge, has revealed how the correct advice, seed, and nutritional products from ICL have been integral in helping the fairways recover from drought.

The infamous drought of 2018 proved to be problematic for greenkeepers and course managers throughout the UK and Ian Cambridge was no exception.

ICL integral to fairways recovery

“Back in the summer of 2018, like most golf courses, we lost a high proportion of our grass sward on the fairways due to the drought,” he said. “We had overseeded in the spring of 2019 without great success and the fairways were quite poor through the early part of the season.”

Looking for a solution, Ian contacted ICL and Andrew Pledger (Technical Area Sales Manager) visited the East Anglian club. He and Ian walked around the course looking at the conditions and probed into the soil to see what could be done. It was at this point that Andrew suggested a programmed approach which centred around ICL’s recently launched Vitalnova Links bio-stimulant.

Vitalnova Links consists of a unique combination of concentrated seaweed extract Vitalnova SeaMax and the proven biostimulant Vitalnova Blade. In turn, the formulation brings together and accentuates the benefits of both products.

Vitalnova Links was combined with a wetting agent and 8kg of a water soluble 35-0-5 fertilizer.

Andrew also advised, that due to not having any irrigation capacity, Ian should not overseed again until the autumn. This time, however, Andrew recommended that Ian use a multi-blend mixture consisting of rye, fescue and SSMG (Smooth Stalk Meadow Grass).

“The grass species that we lost the most of was the fescue and we were unsure of what we should do,” said Ian. “However, Andrew explained that by using a blend of three different species we would be spreading our bets a bit more with any future drought.

“The nutritional and wetting agent programme had actually helped with some natural ingress of our existing sward. This helped lower the amount of seed that we needed to use in our overseeding that autumn and it was a great help with lowering the costs. The seed mix we chose was the ICL ProSelect 2 Tees/Fairways mix and we had great germination success.”

ProSelect 2 Tees/Fairways is proving to be an extremely popular choice with golf courses throughout the UK and beyond. The mixture is a blend of fine fescues and perennial ryegrass which creates a turf surface that can recover strongly from divoting.

The blend contains Traction smooth-stalked meadow grass and Torsion TRT perennial ryegrass to provide rhizomatous and Turf Repairing Tiller (TRT) growth for extra durability and recovery from divots. It is renowned for providing great colour, all-round disease tolerance and close mowing tolerance.

The new nutritional programme and seed were put to the test in 2020 when the drought inevitably returned.

“In the spring of 2020, the fairways were filling in very nicely, however, the conditions became very droughty once again,” said Ian. “The difference this time was that we were already on a wetting agent and nutritional programme, and yes the turf browned off but when the rain returned in August the sward came straight back.

“Our over-seeding requirements were reduced, we believe, due to the choice of the quality seed and the advice from Andrew on our nutritional programme.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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Greenkeeping Trailblazer Group appoints new chairperson

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Greenkeeping Trailblazer Group appoints new chairperson: The Greenkeepers Training Committee (GTC) has announced the appointment of Les Howkins MG, golf course manager at The Richmond Golf Club in Surrey, as the new chairperson for greenkeeping for the Trailblazer Apprenticeship Employer Group.

The Level 2 Golf Greenkeeper Apprenticeship is undergoing a review by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and Les will lead the Greenkeeping Trailblazer Group as it manages and responds to the review, ensuring the successes of the new Apprenticeships are built upon further.

Greenkeeping Trailblazer Group appoints new chairperson

Greenkeeping Trailblazer Group appoints new chairperson

Les has been involved with the Trailblazer Group since its inception in 2014 and is a huge advocate for greenkeeper training and education. Having held the post of chairperson of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) from 2015 to 2019 and through his role as golf course manager at one of the most prestigious clubs in the country, Les is ideally placed to build on the leadership of former chairperson David Croxton, who sadly passed away in 2020.

Les said: “I am excited to take on this role and following the challenging times every golf club has experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to ensure that golf courses continue to be maintained and managed by highly skilled professionals. The ongoing review of the apprenticeship will provide for this need and produce the next generation of golf course managers.”

Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO and GTC board member, said: “Les has a proven track record of leading committees and boards in our sector which, coupled with his passion for education, makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Trailblazer group at this time. With the Level 2 apprenticeship having been such an outstanding success in England and with Levels 3 and 5 poised to do likewise, we are at an exciting time for greenkeeper training.”

Fiona Lyttle, Learning and Development executive (GTC), said: “We were saddened with the loss of David, who was instrumental as the first Trailblazer Chairman for Golf Greenkeeping. With his guidance and determination, the GTC was able to build an excellent Apprenticeship programme from Level 2 to Level 5.

“We were delighted and privileged to be able to appoint Les as the new Trailblazer chairperson. Being an active employer and advocate for greenkeeping education, the Trailblazer group and I are looking forward to working with Les to maintain the level of apprenticeships our employers have become accustomed to and to ensure they have quality golf facilities for their members to enjoy.”

The Greenkeeping Trailblazer Employer Group and Trailblazer Apprenticeship programme is supported by golf facilities and governing bodies including England Golf, The Richmond Golf Club, Frilford Heath Golf Club, Colne Valley Golf Club, Colne Valley Golf Club, Gaudet Luce Golf Club, Portmore Golf Centre, Trentham Golf Club and Worplesdon Golf Club.

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Greenkeeping tools taken

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Greenkeeping tools taken: If you were in the Callan area earlier this week & noticed suspicious activity then gardai want to hear from you.

Read the full article from KCLR here

Greenkeeping tools taken

Greenkeeping tools taken

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Time to celebrate greenkeeping talent

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Time to celebrate greenkeeping talent: If there’s ever been a time when the industry needed something to look forward to and a reason to applaud greenkeeping talent, 2021 is it. And the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards is back and the way to do just that.

2020 was a tough year and there are undoubtedly so many greenkeepers who coped stoically in the face of furlough, put in the extra mile on a reduced team, used lockdown time to further their learning or just shined in adversity.

Time to celebrate greenkeeping talent

Time to celebrate greenkeeping talent

David Cole from award sponsor and Toro distributor Reesink Turfcare says: “Think back over the last year to which of your members of staff have demonstrated their mettle whether in the actual or virtual classroom or out on the course. Let’s make sure all of those young people are recognised with a nomination, give them a chance to look back on this time and remember it for something positive.

“It was hugely disappointing not to have a competition last year, but we’re determined the 32nd Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards will be even more valued, and no one should miss out because of the unforeseen pandemic. Therefore, we’re welcoming new entries for 2021 who will join the entries from the postponed 2020 event.”

It’s important to remember that it’s not just the students who benefit from winning, their nominators do too. Not only do they receive an all-expenses paid trip abroad the following year, but the winners’ success is testament to the excellent support they receive from their employers and lecturers, who Reesink and Toro are also delighted to be able to recognise.

Entries are open now for both the main and young awards. All those who entered the 2020 competition will automatically be put forward for the 2021 awards. If someone is currently 21 and has their birthday before the next application stage, they can choose whether they would like to stay in the young group or move up to the main award.

David concludes: “For 31 years the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards have supported the brightest young professionals in the UK’s greenkeeping industry and never before has there been a cancelled event. We do not plan on that being two! If the regional stage usually in July has to be held virtually, not a problem, we’re all au fait enough with Zoom now! We are confident that the September Finals can happen in a positive and engaging format and, excitingly, at a new location, yet to be revealed.”

Both employers and lecturers can make nominations. Visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk/sgoty to find out how to make a nomination into the 2021 awards.

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