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Campey announces passing of Tony Cundall

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Campey announces passing of Tony Cundall: It is with great sadness that Campey Turf Care Systems announce the passing of Tony Cundall at the age of 75.

Tony was the first Campey Product Specialist to cover Manchester, Wirral, Cheshire and Staffordshire, an area where he quickly became both respected and well-liked by his customers and colleagues. Not only did he provide excellent sales and service, he was renowned for his willingness to go the extra mile and a very professional approach to his work. His popularity extended beyond his sales role and he became known throughout the industry as a true gentleman on every level.

Campey announces passing of Tony Cundall

Campey announces passing of Tony Cundall

Before retiring in 2011, Tony gave up working in the field and was General Manager in house.

“Our thoughts are with Tony’s wife Dinah and Tony’s family at this sad time.’ Said Richard Campey. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew and worked with him.”

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Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

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Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries: The search is on to recognise the UK’s most professional sprayer operators in the turf and landscape amenity sector. The Amenity Forum’s Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year (ASOOTY) awards highlight best practice and experience in the challenging role of ensuring accurate application on all amenity surfaces.

Sponsored by Syngenta and ICL, in association with BASIS, the awards seek to share top tips and advice that will raise the standards of spray application across the amenity industry.

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

The winner is presented at the prestigious BIGGA Awards ceremony at BTME, along with a prize of a weekend break for two at a luxury hotel of choice. Two runners-up receive £100 Machine Mart vouchers.

Announcing the opening of the ASOOTY 2022 awards, Syngenta Technical Manager, Sean Loakes, said: “Sprayer operation is a key factor in the success of every application, including elements of nozzle choice, water volume and fine tuning the sprayer to more effectively hit the intended target.

“However, for the best possible results, today’s professional sprayer operators must also fully understand the wider aspects of why an application is being made, and what other elements they can also employ for better long-term management of potential problems.”

This year the entry process aims to test sprayer operators’ broader knowledge of issues and solutions faced across the amenity sector. Barry Browne, ICL Landscape & Industrial Sales Manager, explained entrants are not expected to know the answers to all the questions, but will help the judging panel to assess an individual’s experience and approach to dealing with challenges.

“The entry process itself will stimulate thought and understanding of the issues around application, including the need to create integrated solutions using a full range of tools and tactics. We’re looking to find operators that can make those important proactive decisions with every application.”

All entrants will be invited to attend an on-line session to review the entry form with judges and to share and learn from the experiences of others.

Professor John Moverley of the Amenity Forum highlighted the ASOOTY awards exemplified the organisation’s objective to promote best practice across the sector.

“It seeks to do this by advocating a fully integrated approach to weed, pest and disease management, tailoring solutions to meet specific situations and making use of the appropriate approved chemical and non-chemical techniques, to produce the most effective and efficient outcome – whilst seeking to create safe and healthy amenity spaces.

“The Amenity Forum has taken the lead in a major step forward in highlighting the importance of amenity management and the need to use professionally approved operators in any public space.”

Enter the ASOOTY 2022 awards here

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Change of careers pays off

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Change of careers pays off: A dramatic change of careers paid off for SRUC student Ben Matthews, after his tutors unanimously named him the winner of this year’s HNC Golf Course Management Student of the Year Award, sponsored by John Deere and Scottish turf dealer Double A.

Born in London, but raised in Canada from the age of three, Ben moved to Scotland in 2014. He worked in health and social care in both Canada and Scotland for 20 years in total before realising it was time for a change.

Change of careers pays off

Change of careers pays off

“Since moving back to Scotland I had been helping children in crisis situations as an advocate, ensuring they had a voice,” Ben says. “It was amazing work and I loved it, but I started to burn out – I couldn’t switch off from worrying about the children I was working with.”

Initially Ben studied for a master’s degree in Sustainable Resource Management at the University of Edinburgh.

“If I could, I decided I wanted to turn the degree into a job where I could work outdoors while protecting the environment,” he explains.

It was a chance sighting while passing the SRUC campus one day that led to him pursuing a career in golf course management.

“I’ve always been a fan of golf and although I’ve never been any good, I do enjoy playing it,” he says.

“I was driving past the SRUC Elmwood campus one day and they had a big banner outside which read ‘have you thought about a career in greenkeeping?’.

“I ended up calling them and going to see Paul Miller, the course programme leader, and everything he told me about it ticked all the boxes.”

Ben enjoyed the variety of subjects taught on the course, even those he initially assumed would be less interesting, such as soil science.

“I thought it would be dry, but Dr Miller made it really interesting, teaching us everything we would need to know as a turf manager,” he says. “I also loved learning about design and construction.

“I’ve been to a few universities and colleges, and this was by far my best experience – the tutors are all phenomenal.”

Ben has since secured a position as a seasonal greenkeeper for the St Andrews Links Trust.

“I only live 25 minutes away so it seemed silly not to try for a position at the home of golf,” he says.

“I’m lucky enough to be working on the old course, where golf has been played for 600 years, so every day is like Christmas Day for me at the moment!”

Ben is enjoying focusing on the practical side of greenkeeping and looks forward to building up his experience and skills.

“I’ve been absolutely blown away by the greenkeeping community – everyone is so supportive and welcoming,” he says. “It’s the type of industry where if you’re having a problem, you can call someone at another golf course and they will lend you equipment or recommend a product. It’s such a tightly knit and positive community. I’m so happy to be in it.”

Ben is currently busy preparing the famous St Andrews’ course for the 150th Open this summer.

“I don’t think I could be in a better place to start my career and I’m so grateful to SRUC and so happy to have won this award,” he says. “Finding out I had won really cemented that I’d done the right thing in changing careers and that all my hard work has paid off.”

Course Tutor Ian Butcher says: “Ben has been a very positive member of the faculty throughout a period of change and transformation, and all the staff welcome his contribution to our classes whether they are online or on campus.

“Ben has, like many of our HND cohorts, decided to change career, from the Health and Social Care sector and he also previously completed an MSc Degree in Sustainable Resource Management. This provided Ben with a strong foundation for our own curriculum as we address the challenges golf faces in the 21st century.

“He has very strong team building background and has also shown strong communication skills with industry professionals, as well as adaptability to new situations. In 2021 he was awarded the R&A Greenkeeping Scholarship, which again adds to his perspective on the golf world as a whole.

“Without doubt his keenness to learn and enthusiasm for golf course management leads to the consistently high standard of submissions and capacity to explore new ideas. We look forward to supporting his new career as it continues with the St Andrews Links Trust in the Open Championship year of 2022.”

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KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City

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KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City: A new Hunter Irrigation system, supplied by KAR UK, has given Lincoln City FC Head Groundsman Craig Housley a certain peace of mind.

Craig, who has been at Lincoln City since September 2020, revealed how his previous irrigation system caused many sleepless nights.

KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City

KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City

“Our old system had been in for about 20 years, and it was so difficult to work with,” he said. “The sprinklers were constantly breaking down; we just couldn’t trust the system to work overnight and there were parts of the pitch that were getting heavily watered and some parts that were not getting any water. Even on matchdays we would be back and forth manually changing the irrigation from the control point. It was a total nightmare.”

At the end of last season, a renovation and new pitch construction, proved the ideal opportunity to explore the possibility of installing a new irrigation system.

“It seemed like the perfect time and after being highly recommended, we got in touch with KAR UK. Mike McDonnell (UK Sales Manager) came to visit us at the training ground, and we had a great chat. He talked me through all the different Hunter products, the installation process, the various programmes and how we could control the system on a mobile phone. Based on that meeting we decided to go with KAR UK.”

KAR is the largest UK wholesaler of irrigation equipment and has long-term relationships with every irrigation product manufacturer of note. The company is also an integral distributor of Hunter Industries irrigation equipment, and this is the route that Craig decided to take.

After Craig’s meeting with Mike, KAR UK supplied a variety of Hunter I-80 and TTS-885 rotary sprinklers and the innovative ACC2 controller, with Centralus Software.

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.

Craig had eight I-80 sprinklers installed through the centre of the pitch and sixteen TTS-885’s on the pitch surrounds.

KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City

KAR UK gives peace of mind for Lincoln City

The renovation, pitch construction and installation of the irrigation system was all undertaken by leading contractor Fineturf.

“There is not one blade of grass that doesn’t get watered now which is exactly what we were looking for,” he said. “We wanted the pitch watered evenly because the manager is trying to play quick, one-touch football. The Hunter sprinklers have enabled us to achieve this now. Not only are we covering a much bigger area, but we have definitely saved water because we can manage it a lot better.”

Craig also lavished praised on his new Hunter ACC2 controller. This allows users, through the Cloud Based Centralus Software, to change settings, view forecasts, and receive instant notifications of important system alarms — all without costly and time-consuming travel and site visits.

“It’s great for the pitch but perhaps not so good for my personal life,” joked Craig. “We have cameras set-up at the stadium so when I’m at home I’m aways keeping an eye on the weather. To have this kind of control over the irrigation no matter where I am is brilliant. At any time, I can see how much water is going on; I can look at the moisture settings and turn sprinklers on and off whenever needed.

“For me the biggest bonus is never having to worry about irrigation again – this new Hunter system has given me a peace of mind for sure.”

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.

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The role of Sports Pitch Management Platforms

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The role of Sports Pitch Management Platforms: Data has always been a part of professional sports turf. For decades grounds people have made notes on paper about their maintenance. As time passed, the paper turned into spreadsheets and has evolved into online pitch management platforms such as GrasPro.

This shift has been down to advancements in pitch technology and the expectations that come with it. Simply put, to get the best out of their investment, pitch managers need to know precisely what is going on with their pitches.

The role of Sports Pitch Management Platforms

The role of Sports Pitch Management Platforms

Using a data management system to do this helps collect and track that data and allows for enhanced decision-making and early detection of issues using historical data. As an industry, we are still in the relatively early stages of data platforms, but they have already made an impact; below, we look at the six vital roles of pitch management systems in the future of turf.

The Advantages of Moving Data Online

The main advantage of moving data online is accessibility. It’s there whenever you need it, wherever you are. With a system like GrasPro, all of your information is in categories, so it’s quick to find exactly what you need. No more rummaging around notebooks or figuring out what’s the right spreadsheet.

Once you’re set up, you really see the benefit of quickly accessing your categorised data, setting and measuring KPIs, and being able to share information with your grounds team, coaches and facility managers instantly. This benefits everything from sharing notes related to upcoming fixtures and quickly comparing and analysing using graphically presented graphs, charts and tables.

Being the Change Through Data

The second vital role of pitch data is decision making and change. Having comprehensive pitch usage and quality data goes a long way to informing the future of your pitches. How many games can they take in one week? When do they need to be aerated? How much water do they need? Etc.

Having this information helps with day to day maintenance, planning and scheduling, but it can also inform major infrastructure decisions when building new facilities, deciding on a new pitch construction or planning a tournament.

Informing decisions is also applicable to consultants who use testing kits and GrasPro to provide informed improvement plans, support grounds team and benchmark pitch progress.

Data is a Team Effort

This one is less about the vital role of data and more about the team using it. Gathering data regularly is crucial for analysis, and it is a team effort. With everyone involved – whether at the same facility or venues across the globe – having a group of people adding to a system provides more comprehensive data.

It also has the added benefit of engaging those collecting. It helps them understand a bit more about how what they are doing is making a difference, and this can be especially helpful in educating new staff.

Making Pitch Maintenance a Green Machine

It’s already proven that collecting data is vital for sustainable turf maintenance, and the importance will only grow in significance.

In 2020 The Sustainability Report published by Touchline stated 83% of football fans care if their clubs impact the environment. The report also found that sustainable stadiums cost 31% less to operate.

When it comes to pitch maintenance, working sustainably can be done simply by only using exactly the amount of water and fertiliser you need, not spraying on windy days or by finding the optimum amount of time to use grow lights etc.

The savings this can make whilst helping the environment are considerable and, in some cases, can even lead to finances being available to purchase battery powered mowers.

The Ability to Bring all of your Data Under One Platform

The popularity of data collection can be seen in its availability. If you buy a weather station or grow lights, they will typically come with data collection software.

Whilst this is helpful for that particular tool, you can lose the benefit of having all of your data in one place.

A solution for this is using an independent platform like GrasPro, which has the largest range of data categories available. Having all of your info in one place means you can analyse and report on it in conjunction with other data to deliver the big picture you need.

What’s the Future of Pitch Management Systems?

A significant role in the future of pitch management platforms is development. Automating the data collection is the next logical step in making it a more efficient process.

This can include everything from automatic water readings to machinery sensors that track machines’ usage. Eventually, this can lead to automatically generated daily, weekly and monthly reports for a truly streamlined process that delivers everything you need to know.

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