Tag Archive for: New

Planting of a new ‘community woodland’

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Planting of a new ‘community woodland’: Leading international exhibition for sports turf professionals helps create wildlife habitat at Harrogate Golf Club with the planting of a new ‘community woodland’

Staff from the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association joined the greenkeepers and members at Harrogate Golf Club recently to plant a ‘community woodland’, comprising more than 200 trees donated by exhibitors at the upcoming BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME).

Planting of a new ‘community woodland’

Planting of a new ‘community woodland’

BTME is due to take place at the Harrogate Convention Centre from 24 to 26 January and is recognised as among the most influential events on the UK golfing calendar, with more than 5,000 golf greenkeepers and turf professionals in attendance.

High on the agenda each year is sustainability and the increasing importance of environmentally friendly practices on golf courses, particularly with the annual Golf Environment Awards taking place in Harrogate concurrent to the trade show.

Overall, British golf courses cover an area roughly equivalent to the whole of Greater Manchester and provide wide-ranging habitats including wetlands, wildflower areas and woodland. Countless forward-thinking golf clubs around the UK are now undertaking activities that boost their environmental credentials and the team at BIGGA, as the UK’s only membership association for golf greenkeepers, wanted to do their bit.

When booking their spot at the 2023 exhibition, supporting companies were invited to ‘Plant a Tree for BTME’ and it is hoped that over the years sufficient trees will be planted to create a network of ‘BTME community woodlands’ around the UK, with Harrogate Golf Club the first to participate in the scheme.

BIGGA is extremely grateful to those exhibitors who have participated in the scheme, with Reesink UK purchasing 100 trees, Aquatrols purchasing 50 and The FairWays Foundation purchasing 20. Other contributors included: Advance Grass Solutions; Bernhard and Company; Campey Turf Care Systems; COMPO Expert; East Riding Turfcare; EVEN Products; GreenBest/Velvit; LFP Civil & Environmental Engineering; Redlynch Leisure; Shelton Sportsturf Drainage; and The Double A Trading Company.

James Hutchinson is Membership Services Manager – Ecology & Sustainability at BIGGA and is considered one of the UK’s leading authorities on golf course ecology. James said: “Plant a Tree for BTME is a wonderful scheme and I’m delighted that so many exhibitors purchased saplings, which we have planted at Harrogate Golf Club. This is such a brilliant idea because trees sequestrate carbon in the soil, meaning we are able to offset some of the carbon that is generated at BTME.

“Not only that, but trees create wonderful habitats for the great British wildlife. Golf clubs are often overlooked by the general public, but they provide priceless habitats for countless species, often forming safe zones for wildlife to thrive in urban areas. Harrogate Golf Club is a fantastic example and the addition of these silver birch, downy birch, rowan and cherry trees will create outstanding habitats for years to come.”

Ken Ward is Head Greenkeeper at Harrogate Golf Club and said: “I was thrilled when James asked us if we would like to take part in the Plant a Tree for BTME scheme. We are very much about ecology and sustainability at Harrogate GC and creating new wildlife habitat by planting trees is very much in line with the ethos of the club.

“Harrogate Golf Club is hugely appreciative of BIGGA and all the exhibitors who contributed to this scheme as it is such a worthwhile cause, not only for us but also for our kids, grandchildren and future generations.”

Lauren Frazer, Head of Business Development at BIGGA, said: “We’re committed to making Plant a Tree for BTME a fixture on the BTME calendar and I’m hopeful that next year we’ll be planting even more trees at another brilliant golf club and once again highlighting the vital work golf greenkeepers do to support the wider environment.

“Thank you to all of those who contributed to this wonderful scheme and I’m really looking to seeing all our exhibitors and the attendees at BTME in just a few short weeks.”

For more information about BTME 2023, head to www.btme.org.uk

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Redexim appoint HRN Tractors as new regional partner

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Redexim appoint HRN Tractors as new regional partner: A re-shuffle of their regional partners in North and East Scotland has seen Redexim UK appoint HRN Tractors – leading suppliers of groundcare, agriculture and plant equipment.

Effective from 1st January 2023, HRN will be responsible for the full Redexim portfolio of products, offering sales and support to new and existing customers across Tayside, Angus, Grampian and the Highlands and Islands.

Redexim appoint HRN Tractors as new regional partner

Redexim appoint HRN Tractors as new regional partner

HRN was founded by the Barclay family in 1980 and has gone on to become one of the largest dealerships in Scotland, operating out of eight depots across the country. Representing leading franchises including Kubota and Kverneland, the team have a long and illustrious record for providing a friendly and knowledgeable sales team, together with trained technicians for expert after sales service.

Commenting on the appointment, Groundcare Manager for HRN Wilson Morrison said, “This is a really exciting partnership for HRN, with Redexim being a global leader in the manufacture of specialist equipment for both natural and synthetic surfaces. A great fit alongside our other franchises, we can now provide customers a one-stop shop for turf maintenance machinery and look forward to growing our market share and reaching new customers across our regional area.”

Ian Lauder, Northern Regional Territory Manager for Redexim UK added, “HRN have built a fantastic reputation on providing established products with excellent customer service. With so many years of experience and know-how under their belts, we look forward to working together with them to offer a more localised service across this area.”

Any existing warranties relating to Redexim equipment sold by previous regional partners Gammies Groundcare and MacGregor Forest and Groundcare will continue to be supported.

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New bermudagrass delivers total package

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New bermudagrass delivers total package: Pure Seed and Atlas Turf International announced the introduction of Sun Queen, their newest seeded bermudagrass for the golf, sports field, and landscape markets. This new release from the breeding program of Pure-Seed Testing, Inc. delivers the total package in elite seeded bermudagrass, with reliable growth, maximum protection, and advanced playability and appearance.

“Pure-Seed Testing developed Sun Queen using germplasm obtained from Mississippi State University,” said Dr. Melodee Fraser, director of Pure-Seed Testing, Inc. East.   “It has demonstrated wide adaptability by exhibiting excellent turf performance in multiple trial locations over a range of environments and management conditions. Sun Queen is well-adapted for sports turfs, golf courses, parks, lawns, and amenity turf areas.”

New bermudagrass delivers total package

New bermudagrass delivers total package

Consistently ranked as a top establishing bermudagrass in NTEP trials, Sun Queen provides rapid grow-in. From there, the durability of Sun Queen takes over with extreme wear tolerance, demonstrated through leading results in trials for performance under traffic stress at the University of Tennessee. And when injury does occur, Sun Queen’s aggressive growth delivers quick recovery.

The harshest turfgrass challenges are no match for Sun Queen. As its name implies, Sun Queen withstands extreme heat without sacrificing performance. Adding further sustainability, it offers dependable drought tolerance. The powerful protection of Sun Queen continues with proven disease resistance.

The total package would not be complete without advances in aesthetics and playability. Sun Queen features a beautiful dark green color, refined leaf texture, and early spring green-up. Combine these attributes with excellent turf quality and density, and Sun Queen produces a better and more beautiful playing surface.

For added assurance during the grow-in stage, Sun Queen is protected by PureCoat+™ water absorbent seed coating. PureCoat+ guards the seed against environmental pressures and provides faster germination, quicker establishment, and improved water efficiency for stronger, healthier plants.

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New course manager at The Grove

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New course manager at The Grove: The Grove today, in its 20th anniversary year, announced the important appointment of William Evans as its new Golf Course & Estates Manager.

William returns to The Grove for a second time – he was previously Head Greenkeeper between 2008 and 2011 – to lead the award-winning agronomy and gardens teams at the five-star, luxury Hertfordshire estate that features a Kyle Phillips designed championship golf course.

New course manager at The Grove

New course manager at The Grove

Over the past six years, William has enjoyed a highly-successful period in Bahrain as Director of Agronomy at the Troon International-managed Royal Golf Club. In his time in the Middle East, he was recognised as 59club’s International Greenkeeper of the Year on two occasions.

Brad Gould, Director of Golf at The Grove, commented: “William is a dedicated and highly motivated turf manager, and proven leader of people, and we are thrilled to have him back at The Grove.

“His industry experience and goal-focused approach to his work will be of huge benefit to our operations and he will undoubtedly help us to further enhance and develop what is an already exceptional, award-winning product.”

The Grove boasts one of the finest golf experiences in the UK thanks to its Top 100-ranked golf course and impeccable customer service. It also recently announced a host of investments in its golf experience that will be completed for its celebratory 2023 season.

These include an extension to the much-loved Stables Bar, enhancements to the outdoor terrace and courtyard, and significant renovations to the Locker Rooms, Stables toilets and Halfway House.

The Grove is also one of the first venues in Europe to unveil a grass-tee TrackMan Range solution on its practice facility, and is set to become the first venue in Europe to offer golf cars with music when a new fleet of high-spec Club Car vehicles, complete with Bluetooth speakers, is delivered.

On re-joining The Grove, William Evans said: “I relish the opportunity to manage such a vital part of The Grove’s business and I know I will be blessed with a truly fantastic team around me to reach even greater heights. One of The Grove’s USPs is the year-round pristine conditioning of its golf course and this will continue to be a key objective as we move forwards.”

Situated 18 miles from central London, The Grove is the only venue in the UK to have hosted a World Golf Championship (WGC) event – won by Tiger Woods in 2006. It also hosted The British Masters in 2016.

Beyond its pristine fairways and greens, The Grove’s 18th-century Mansion houses 25 rooms and suites as well as the uniquely-designed Lounges. There is also the thoroughly modern West Wing with a further 189 deluxe, superior and family rooms. Many of these rooms have balconies and terraces looking over immaculate formal gardens.

For further information: www.thegrove.co.uk

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ISEKI Dealer opens new Depot

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ISEKI Dealer opens new Depot: ABA Groundcare based in the South West of England have expanded once again with another new depot opened recently on Woodward Road, Tiverton. 

Following the closure of MST, former Devon Agricultural dealership, in 2022 due to cash flow issues, Jamie Hutchings, the owner of ABA Groundcare seized the opportunity to expand his business and opened up a branch in Tiverton.

ISEKI Dealer opens new Depot

ISEKI Dealer opens new Depot

Jamie Hutchings said: “We established the business in 2014 in Dorchester. We built up in that region and then looked to expand. I got to know Scott Struthers from MST and dealt and traded with him regularly. I offered him a job many times, but he always said no. Then we heard what was happening with MST and stepped in and offered five former members of the staff including Scott, a job at our new premises in Tiverton, totalling over 200 years experience.”

He said that employing skilled staff was an issue in every trade, and he was thankful that he could find five skilled new members willing to carry on working together.

“It was an easy decision to make,” he said. “They wanted to stay together working and very quickly decided they were happy to join my company.”

The Tiverton branch offers servicing and parts, supply garden machinery, agricultural vehicles, and quad bikes from the likes of Stihl, Yamaha, Husqvarna and Stiga to name a few, alongside the specialist ISEKI ground care unit.

“We are continuing to offer a service which customers of MST now miss here in Tiverton,” Jamie said. “It’s also a great central location as you can get anywhere reasonably quickly in Devon from here.

“It’s a service-led business, but we sell as well,” Jamie explained. “We are here to look out for our customers; any sales are a bonus. Scott Struthers, previous sales rep for MST, has built up excellent relationships with customers in the area, it is great to have him on board to continue offering the same service.”

“I come from an engineer’s background, so every product we sell has been chosen because it’s a good quality product, easy to work on and reliable. It’s not just about selling product; it’s about selling decent products, and that’s why we partnered with ISEKI because there’s nothing better.”

On running the business during the pandemic and cost of living crisis, he added: “The ground care business hasn’t been too badly affected, other than the supply of goods.

“People still need the machinery; they still want to be in their gardens, so other than the cost of everything going up, we’re in a fairly strong place.

“If customers are not buying from you, they’re going to want what they’ve got repaired and serviced. I don’t think we will see too much problem, but we will try and keep the costs down and try and weather the storm.”

Commenting on the change Scott Struthers said: “it’s the best outcome for me and my customers, I have built up such good relationships with so many in the Devon area and to be able to continue to build on this with such good support and service from ABA Groundcare is the ideal outcome for me.”

David Withers, managing director of ISEKI, added: “It’s exciting for us. We’ve been trading with Jamie, ABA Groundcare for many years and have a great relationship, which makes it easier. We know Jamie; we know he is really customer focused and dedicated to the service side of the business, which is what customers really want.

“As well as that, you’ve got a group of people who we would’ve lost all of that industry knowledge if Jamie hadn’t stepped in to do what he’s done. It’s great for the customers in the area who will get great backup support, and we’ll get more exposure going forward. It’s excellent for Jamie to be able to expand his business.

“It’s a win for Jamie, a win for us as a manufacturer and great for the staff there who could have ended up without roles or having to do something that they’re not experienced in, it would have been a shame to have lost that.”

Andrew Parr, a former MST staff member, now working at ABA Groundcare, said: “I worked for MST from the year dot, with almost 40 years of employment. It was such a shock when MST announced it was closing. It was a great shock to everybody because MST has been a part of Tiverton for many years. The old depot was built in 1962 and started as Twose in Halberton.

“I saw a lot of changes over the years, and now it’s just lovely to continue providing a service in Tiverton with our customers, working with five former MST staff, and being around familiar faces.

“Jamie is a good boss, he is driven, and we have the backing of ISEKI, which is a great product.”

Another former MST staff member, Sue Westlake, is now ABA Groundcare’s officer administrator. She said: “Having been made redundant at MST, we were lucky enough to know Jamie, who was looking for new staff, so it fitted in nicely with us.

“The end of MST happened very quickly, although it didn’t surprise me. In a way, it was a relief that it happened, but sad. I worked for MST for over 40 years, so seeing what was happening was a shock.

“It’s lovely to be able to come and work here now. We have a great camaraderie, and we look forward to doing well here and the company succeeding.”

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