Tag Archive for: Heath

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

in , /by

Walton Heath awarded international distinction: Walton Heath Golf Club, host venue of this week’s AIG Women’s Open, has achieved GEO Certified(r) status for sustainable golf, underlining its strong commitment and performance across key themes for sustainable golf course operations.

GEO Certification is overseen by GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf – the international non-profit organisation dedicated to delivering programmes that help people on the ground to evaluate, improve and credibly communicate their sustainability work. The international distinction confirms the facility satisfies all the certification criteria; meeting a credible standard in the areas of nature, resources, climate and community, and is committed to continual improvement.

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

Walton Heath awarded international distinction

Michael Mann, Course Manager at Walton Heath, said: “Becoming GEO certified really fits in with what we are trying to achieve at Walton Heath. Is is good for evaluating resource efficiencies, particularly with rising costs, and with the focus on nature and this being such an important conservation site it is important to manage the courses in the right way. Our rainfall capture systems and borehole extraction for example all fit with the GEO Certification and anything which helps you explore ways to improve is rightly a good thing. Demonstrating the positive impacts golf brings is so important to the club and wider community.”

Carole Kerrey, Credibility Manager at GEO Certification Ltd, said: “Walton Heath is a shining example of positive action in sustainable golf. The accredited third-party verifier was very impressed by the practices in place and the commitment and enthusiasm to do more. The club’s awareness of the importance of its site and progressive drive and determination to continually improve highlights what can be achieved towards building a more sustainable future.”

Walton Heath’s Sustainable Golf Highlights include:

*A biodiversity audit of the Old Course at Walton Heath undertaken in 2022 highlighted 175 different species. This included 12 Species of Principal Importance, such as the small heath butterfly and brown long-eared bat (also a European Protected Species), and five birds of conservation concern: two red listed, and three amber listed.

*11 notable plant species were also recorded, including all three native heathers: common heather, bell heather and cross-leaved heather, all of which are Near Threatened in England.

*The greenkeepers at Walton Heath painstakingly manage areas of nationally important lowland heathland and acid grassland across the golf courses to ensure that these habitats support a diverse range of wildlife.

*Since 2000, Walton Heath have collaborated with various organisations, including Natural England, the Forestry Commission, The RSPB, Surrey Wildlife Trust and the Surrey Heathland Project to restore nine hectares of pure heath.

*Areas of the practice range are left as buffer zones for pollinators. Heather nursery areas are encouraged alongside expanses of unmanaged but monitored rough.

*Water supply and efficiency has been boosted with the construction of a reservoir to store water drawn from a borehole along with a rainfall capture system alongside the M25 bank which runs along the boundary of the site. As well as reducing potable water consumption, the reservoir was designed with a marginal shelf to create support habitat and biodiversity. A new irrigation system installed in 2022 further improves precision and efficiency.

*Solar panels power the maintenance complex with all electric and hybrid equipment are charged using renewable energy. Surplus energy is sold back into the grid and all the club’s energy needs are obtained from renewable sources.

*The chef purchases much of the produce used from local sources – within a 10-mile radius.

*The club manage a car park used for daily dog walking and other recreational activities, maintaining clean and safe access to the common for the community. The club and greenstaff also manage a recreation ground on site for football and other sports, Break Lane school fields for the school, the old pheasantry and the local pond within the village of Walton on the Hill.

This week’s AIG Women’s Open will also see a range of sustainability actions implemented through The R&A’s Greenlinks programme including nature walks around Walton Heath in partnership with the RSPB. Such actions help continue to raise awareness of positive impacts highlighted at tournaments through the joint LPGA and LET Celebrating the Green presented by Dow initiative.

For further information: www.waltonheath.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Heath Engineering To Return to LAMMA

in , /by

Heath Engineering To Return to LAMMA: After a hugely successful debut at LAMMA 2017, Heath Engineering has confirmed it will be returning to the 2018 show on stand B77, which will be held on January 17-18 at the East of England Showground, Peterborough.

The innovative British manufacturer has been producing agricultural equipment for over seventy years with many customers learning that equipment carrying the ‘Heath Engineering’ name is synonymous with machines that are built to do the job and will last.

Heath Engineering To Return to LAMMA

The Heath Engineering brand and its state-of-the-art technology certainly caught the eye at the LAMMA 2017 Innovation Awards after the family owned business scooped a certificate of merit for the Farm Machinery & Equipment Innovation Award.

Amongst the vast portfolio of Heath Engineering farming equipment, it is products such as the Heath Super Grab which continues to take the industry by storm. In the past year, the company has reported that sales have increased by 125% on the Super Grab – and it’s easy to see why.

The Heath Super Grab is a truly innovative solution to large bale handling. A bale grab with a total ‘free release system’ enables safer bale stacking and loading. Holding of the bales is provided by four uniquely designed Hardox tines. The Heath Super Grab is able to handle 1200mm x 1200mm x 2400mm, 1200mm x 900mm x 2400mm and 1200mm x 800mm x 2400min bales either vertical or horizontal in operation.

Visitors to the Heath Engineering stand can also expect to see a great line up of equipment which includes the following products.

Heath Super Spike

The Heath Super Spike is a bale handling spike specifically designed with road safety transport in mind. Built with strength to allow a 1.5 tonne carrying capacity, the tines fold away for safe road transport position, while the safety bale bar extends for safe bale handing.

Heath Safety Forks

The Heath Safety Forks is another safety focused product. The pallet tines have been designed to fold away for road transport making roadwork safer, while all controlled from the cab.

Heath Super Dozer

With the Heath Super Dozer you can always fill your grain sheds to capacity. This innovative telescopic grain dozer gives an extra 1500mm of powered push. The telescopic and carriage mounting points ensure a fold up vertical position for safe road transport between grain stores and farms.

Heath Super Bucket

The Heath Super Bucket is a high capacity 3 tonne grain handling bucket for farmers that require the fast loading of lorries – saving both labour resource and money.

Heath Handling Jib

The Heath Handling Jib has been specifically designed for use with non-telescopic materials handlers to allow extended handling of one tonne bags safely.

Heath Folding Mirror Kit

No more smashed mirrors from accidental reversing into shed walls! The Heath Folding Mirror Kit is a unique hydraulic fold-up mirror for use on telehandlers with pick-up hitches. It is linked into the pick-up hitch hydraulics of the vehicle to enable operation from within the cab.

Heath Mole and Super Mole

The Heath Mole and Super Mole are robust mole drainers to suit tractors from 100hp to 500hp. Both models come fitted with low disturbance cutting discs and low ground pressure tyres. The Heath Super Mole legs are fitted with floating independent linkages to cope with undulating ground conditions and changing subsurface conditions.

For more information, please visit www.heathengineering.co.uk or call Heath Engineering on 01608 682062

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Wiedenmann Terra Spike Makes Aeration Faster For Knighton Heath

in , /by

Extra 40cm Wiedenmann Terra Spike width makes aeration ever faster for Knighton Heath GC: When Alan Magee, Course Manger at Knighton Heath GC, upgraded his existing Wiedenmann Terra Spike, he simply chose a wider version thanks to having a bigger tractor.

The Bournemouth club enjoyed the excellent service of its GXi 6 which had been both nimble and quick.  However, in August a switch was made to the 1.8 m wide GXi8 HD, hoping those crucial extra 40 cm would make the operation even more efficient.

Wiedenmann Terra Spike Makes Aeration Faster For Knighton Heath

After full course circuits in August and September, Alan Magee couldn’t praise his new Terra Spike highly enough.  “On its first outing it got round all 18 greens and the putting green in seven hours when previously the narrower machine took 12.  The tees and approaches were virtually done in a day, just spilling into an extra hour the following morning to finish the final two. Time saved there was six hours – even using the 22 mm tines. ”

Fewer passes and turns speeded up the whole process but didn’t detract from the neatness and negligible disturbance.

“We’re very pleased indeed. The machine is quiet, smooth and exceptionally balanced. During the playing season on the greens we’ll use 10 mm tines and 12 mm in the winter, with tees and approaches the 22 mm.”

At the same time Alan Magee and his team of six  also took delivery of a Whisper Twister, Wiedenmann’s all-action blower with 180* of swivel and an airflow rate of 200 m³/minute.

“Can’t fault that one either,” he said. “Primarily it’s for managing the broader leaves and then  later in the season the pine needles.  Every day we find more tasks.  Last week we cut the rough and scarified the fairways. Tidy up would normally have involved four people with back pack blowers.  But after letting it dry a little we followed through with the Whisper Twister which required only one person on the tractor, again making everything more efficient.”

On hand throughout the sales process was, Andy Frost, grounds care specialist from Wiedenmann dealer, EG Coles at Shaftesbury.

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

For the latest industry news visit turfnews.co.uk

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.