Tag Archive for: Impresses

New GreenMech chipper impresses new Course Manager

/in , , /by

New GreenMech chipper impresses new Course Manager: 2024 saw a number of new additions to the team at Ashridge Golf Club. Together with a new Course Manager in the form of George Little, just two months later was the arrival of a ChipMaster 220 TMP (CM220TMP) woodchipper from GreenMech.

Purchased to keep on top of routine woodland maintenance, it’s delivery in September was incredibly timely as – set among thousands of acres of National Trust-owned woodland – the team braced for the impacts of a wet and blustery winter season.

New GreenMech chipper impresses new Course Manager

New GreenMech chipper impresses new Course Manager

Heading up a team of 10, George joined Ashridge in July following seven years spent at the nearby Dunstable Downs Golf Club. One of the main responsibilities of his new role was to take charge of the heavy woodland, lending itself to the popular tree-lined 18-hole course. “The team would be keeping on top of routine pruning and general removal of old or unsightly branches but, without our own chipper, would stack these up in piles awaiting the availability of a hire machine” George explains. “To stop these backlogs the club decided to invest in our own woodchipper and opted for the CM220TMP from GreenMech.”

Promising maximum chipping output with minimal investment, the CM220TMP is driven by the PTO shaft and uses its own hydraulic oil to power the rollers. It combines a large 9” capacity with a small, light footprint – something that’s incredibly important for George. “We’re always conscious of avoiding traffic on particularly sensitive areas, so rather than loading brash and timber into trailers and transporting it, we can now take the GreenMech to the exact location and chip. Reducing the risk of damage, it also speeds up the process by 300%.”

“We knew the machine would be helpful, but in a few short months we’ve used it a lot more than we thought we would to the point that I’d go as far as to say we now couldn’t live without it!” Alongside routine pruning of the boundaries, which George says it’s been brilliant for, the CM220TMP also came to the rescue of a number of silver birch that fell victim to the winter storms. “Again, we had the ability to hook up the chipper and take it exactly where it was needed, to quickly and easily deal with the damage.”

“It has definitely impressed us and has undoubtedly brought improved productivity to our woodland work.” He adds, “We’ve also had a good experience with dealers Avant South East Limited and GreenMech’s Neal Hussey who delivered a thorough induction and has been on hand to help us with any questions. It’s, overall, been a very positive addition to the fleet.”

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.

INFINICUT® fleet impresses at Coventry City

/in , /by

INFINICUT® fleet impresses at Coventry City: It’s been an exciting two years for Dale Gregory since he joined Coventry City Football Club as their new Head of Grounds & Facilities.

Not only has he overseen the significant expansion of the club’s Sky Blue Lodge Training Ground and Alan Higgs Academy Site, but investment has also resulted in the purchase of first-class equipment to maintain it! Among his new fleet are a trio of INFINICUT® SM34 Rotary mowers and another three FL34 cylinders, helping to deliver year-round presentation and outstanding quality of cut.

INFINICUT® fleet impresses at Coventry City

INFINICUT® fleet impresses at Coventry City

Dale leads a team of six, responsible for looking after the surfaces across the two sites. “At the Sky Blue Lodge we have two and a half hybrid pitches that are for the first-team and four natural pitches at the Alan Higgs centre for the academy” he explains. “The construction of the pitches at Sky Blue Lodge is identical to that at the stadium – and we maintain it as such – to give the players the same experience they’re going to get when it comes to match day.” Consistency and familiarity was also what led Dale to the INFINICUT’s, having used these in his previous role at the King Power Stadium.

“The quality of cut and presentation, particularly striping, produced by the INFINICUT® range is one of the best I’ve seen.” With this in mind, Dale opted for a fleet comprised of three SM34 rotary’s and three FL34 cylinder mowers, delivered by Martin Shepherd of George Browns Ltd in February 2023. “Throughout the winter, training is still happening every day so we use the Rotary’s to follow up with a clean-up cut, maintaining the height and removing debris. When we don’t have training, we’ll employ the services of the cylinders to sharpen up the cut and further boost presentation levels.”

He continues, “Not only are we getting the aesthetics we want, the fact they’re also electric was another major reason we opted for INFINICUT®, as we look to improve our operations on the sustainability front. As well as reducing emissions and vibration levels, they’re quiet, which means we can mow one pitch while players are training on the other.”

The club also took delivery of a pair of SpringRake™ and ThatchMaster™ cassettes from the TMSystem™ to quickly and easily equip into their FL34’s. “Grooming is essential for keeping the plant healthy and doing it with the INFINICUT® means we can keep unnecessary weight off the pitches. These operations will be conducted regularly throughout the spring and autumn and play an important part in our overall maintenance programme.”

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.

Playability impresses at John O’Gaunt

/in , /by

Playability impresses at John O’Gaunt: The Course Manager and Head Greenkeeper at the John O’Gaunt Golf Club in Bedfordshire believe that Attraxor® plant growth regulator has played a major part in all the positive feedback they have received this year.

The John O’Gaunt Golf Club is set in over 300 acres of tree-lined parkland and boasts two renowned 18-hole golf courses. The two courses are maintained by an outstanding greenkeeping team.

Playability impresses at John O’Gaunt

Playability impresses at John O’Gaunt

Nigel Broadwith is now in his 15th year as the Course Manager and while he admits to being very much hands-on, he still spends most of his time focussing on improving the playing characteristics of the two courses.

Nigel values the input from his Head Greenkeeper Kevin Armstrong, and together they identified Attraxor® as a product which could potentially signal some improvements.

“Poa annua seed heads are generally a problem in the UK and most courses suffer from them,” said Kevin. “We are no exception, and we were having to verticut weekly, if not more, just to keep on top of them. Mike Williamson from Agrovista Amenity suggested that we try Attraxor® and we started using it in March this year.”

Nigel said: “We had full confidence from the trial work we had seen from Agrovista Amenity. We have used other similar products, but we quickly found Attraxor® to be the best at supressing seed heads.”

Attraxor® is a plant growth regulator containing the active substance, prohexadione calcium and can be used to regulate growth of all managed amenity turf. This active substance inhibits the gibberellic acid pathway, which results in a reduction of turf height and turf biomass. Root growth is promoted whilst turf colour and quality are maintained.

Furthermore, using an innovative formulation for fast leaf absorption, the product provides almost instant results, as it is activated once diluted in water. Contrary to other plant growth regulators that need to be activated by the plant enzymes, Attraxor® can be used earlier or later in the season during cooler weather.

Both Nigel and Kevin elaborated on the success of the product.

“We have seen a massive seed head suppression,” said Nigel. “By the second application it was beginning to be highly noticeable. I do know from other courses in the area that seed heads have been rife this year, but we haven’t experienced that since applying Attraxor®

“A major improvement has been the playability, and the feedback we have had this year has been really positive in relation to the green speed and trueness. We believe that Attraxor® has had a major part to play in that positive feedback.

“It is such a good product, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to supress seed heads,” added Kevin. “We’d be happy to welcome anyone to visit our site so they can see how it has worked for us.”

Playability impresses at John O’Gaunt

Playability impresses at John O’Gaunt

Attraxor® can also be tank mixed with other products, something which Nigel and Kevin are particularly impressed with.

“We use Attraxor® in a tank mix with a liquid feed and this is a huge bonus,” said Kevin. “John O’Gaunt is a very busy golf club, and we don’t always have time to go out with a sprayer, so the more products we can apply at one time the better.”

Nigel agreed: “Back in the early days we would never have dreamed of mixing two products together, but due to the advancements in technology we are now able to. Plus, we are confident in Mike Williamson’s advice that we can mix Attraxor® with other products. We have found this to be incredibly beneficial in terms of the turf health and time and labour.”

In addition to the positive results from Attraxor®, Nigel was quick to point out the importance of working with key suppliers.

“I have been here 15 years and in my first couple of years we really struggled with disease and thatch. We sat down with Mike Williamson from Agrovista Amenity and he recommended some fungicide tank mixes. From that moment things started to improve dramatically, and ever since then we have been working together. I only work closely with a couple of suppliers, and I very much see Agrovista Amenity as part of my extended team.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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.

Hunter innovation impresses The Swans

/in , /by

Hunter innovation impresses The Swans: The advanced technology of Hunter Irrigation has hugely impressed Swansea City FC with Head Groundsman Evan Davies claiming it has improved the turf and simplified the irrigation process. 

As soon as Evan started his first job at a local cricket club, he knew that sports turf management was going to be his career. Over a decade later and he finds himself in the top position at the Swansea.com Stadium – home to Swansea City FC and Ospreys Rugby, in which he oversees the main stadium, the first-team training complex, and the youth academy.

Hunter innovation impresses The Swans

Hunter innovation impresses The Swans

Somewhat of a perfectionist, Evan likes to keep well informed of industry trends and technological advancements, and future planning is something he likes to see in companies that he chooses to work with:

“In my opinion, companies in this industry always need to have something next in line – the next product or innovative technology. KAR UK and Hunter Irrigation are great examples of forward-thinking companies. The development is always there. Roger Lupton (KAR UK Regional Sales Manager) is always keen to tell me what exciting new products and concepts are coming next. It’s great to see.”

The Hunter Irrigation system at the stadium, supplied by KAR UK, includes eight of the most technologically advanced commercial rotors on the market – the I-80’s.

Engineered for sports turf, the I-80 is built with a robust, dirt-tolerant gear drive that offers the highest torque output of any rotor in the commercial sphere, and extends a radius range from 11.3 to 29.6 meters. The I-80 features a wide range of highly efficient, dual-trajectory, wind-fighting nozzles for highly efficient performance in a range of applications. It also provides total top serviceability (TTS) via its integrated, surface-mounted snap-ring for no-dig easy maintenance.

“The I-80’s are incredible,” said Evan. “We are now able to get water to every area of the pitch including the wings – whereas previously we couldn’t reach them. It has made the pitch quicker and the playability better, so the manager and the coaches are happy.

Hunter innovation impresses The Swans

Hunter innovation impresses The Swans

“The TTS aspect of the rotors makes life a lot easier too. For example, before one game an away player came onto the pitch earlier than expected. He kicked a ball, and it broke one of the sprinklers. Fortunately, myself and a member of staff fixed it and put a new one in within 15 minutes. With the old sprinklers, that would have been impossible – we may have had to have the game postponed as we would have had to dig around it to replace the sprinkler.

“The ease of being able to change and service the I-80’s is a massive benefit. In fact, I can rely on any of the staff at any of the sites to be able to change the I-80 rotors if needed.”

As Evan alludes to, a Hunter Irrigation system is installed at all three of the club’s sites and Evan and his team can control the system to any of the pitches through the mobile-friendly Centralus irrigation management platform. This provides highly secure, comprehensive cloud-based control and monitoring features to the ACC2 controller. The connectivity allows users to view a controller’s status, change settings, view forecasts, save water, and receive instant notification of important system alarms — all without costly and time-consuming travel and site visits.

“It is so convenient,” said Evan. “If you are pitch side you don’t have to keep walking back and forth to control the water – you can just do it from your phone; you could be at home after just putting some fertiliser down and the rain suddenly stops – well you don’t have to drive back into work to put the water on anymore; whether it is a phone, a laptop or a tablet you can control everything.

“In the palm of your hand you can ensure that any part of any pitch gets the exact amount of water it needs. That is technology that certainly makes life easier for any groundsman.”

For more information, please visit www.karuk.com

You can also follow KAR UK on Twitter @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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.

Imperative MM impresses the Imps

/in , /by

Imperative MM impresses the Imps: Lincoln City FC, also known as the Imps, boasts a pitch consisting of MM60 grass seed and Head Groundsman Craig Housley could not be more impressed.

MM60 is the UK’s leading winter sports renovation mixture and can be attributed with playing a key role in many of the finest sporting venues you see today. The 100% Ryegrass formula, which is perfect for divot repair, is renowned for its extremely fast germination and its high wear tolerance. It produces fantastic aesthetic qualities, and its high disease resistance provides ultimate protection.

Imperative MM impresses the Imps

Imperative MM impresses the Imps

Craig, currently in his second season as the Head Groundsman at Lincoln City FC, is no stranger to the market leading grass seed. “I knew just how good the seed was because I had used it in my previous role at Scunthorpe Untied FC. I would highly recommend it and will carry on using it in the future,” he said.

The decision to apply MM60 at Lincoln City FC’s LNER Stadium coincided with the construction of a brand new Fibresand pitch which took place at the end of the 2020/21 season. In fact, the process began the very next day after the Imps’ last game of the season.

A month later and MM60 was ready to be used. Craig applied the seed in four passes at a rate of 35g per square metre. This, in theory, would have provided enough time for the pitch to be completely ready in time for the first game of the season, but based on Craig’s experience of using MM60, he knew that this would never be in doubt.

“I’ve never known grass to come through so quickly which I believe is due to the HEADSTART® GOLD treatment,” he said.

As Craig says, MM60 is treated with HEADSTART® GOLD, which has been developed using the latest scientific findings and field experience. It is a natural revolutionary grass seed treatment that ensures rapid germination and is perfect for enhancing performance on sports fields, golf courses, lawns and amenity turf.

Imperative MM impresses the Imps

Imperative MM impresses the Imps

“There are so many benefits from using MM60,” continued Craig. “The colour you get from it is really good, as is the recovery, and the speed of germination is fantastic. I’ve never had any issues and it keeps the pitch free from disease.

“It’s a hard-wearing seed and we have managed to maintain really good grass coverage. Football is a difficult sport to maintain grass, especially now with the rigorous warm-ups before a game; even the cool-downs are like full training sessions. We don’t struggle for grass coverage anywhere on the pitch, even in the tight areas, and I believe that is down to the MM60.”

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s new website www.mm-seeds.co.uk. You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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.