Tag Archive for: On

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return

/in , , /by

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return: Golfers were warned to expect “inevitable disappointment” when they were able to return to play whenever government lockdown restrictions are eased.

Only essential maintenance has been permitted, often by stripped down greenkeeping crews, since the decision was taken to shut the doors on clubs on March 23.

Greenkeepers' caution on golf's return

Greenkeepers’ caution on golf’s return

Images spread across social media over the past few weeks have shown courses looking striped and fantastic during the spring sunshine.

But the reality, when getting up close, will be areas – such as rough – that have not been as closely monitored as teams have stuck to guidance issued by governing bodies and worked with limited numbers.

Speaking during a Talking Shop webinar held by the British & International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association (BIGGA), a panel of course managers urged caution.

“It’s expectation. They (golfers) are going to come back and they’re going to think that everything is fantastic,” said Scott Reeves, Leyland course manager and BIGGA chairman, when asked what the biggest challenge was going to be on the resumption of golf.

“(The perception will be that) The course has been empty, so the greenkeepers must have all been beavering away making everything absolutely perfect in their absence.

“We’re going to have to manage that. We’ll have to manage the expectation prior to opening, or partial opening, communicate effectively and, once they are on site, explain and build relationships back up again with golfers.

“There’s going to be inevitable disappointment.”

Andy Ewence, course manager at Woking, explained he had stopped using twitter when the lockdown began to temper expectations.

“We can keep the surfaces looking OK, fairways, greens, tees, but it is the strimming, the rough, the weed spraying,” he said.

Ewence continued: “The problem is there’s what you’re doing and the golf course down the road could be doing something totally different and the members speak.

“It’s going to be hard one. One golf course might look absolutely outstanding that have had most of their staff there, and the other one doesn’t. Going from public, private, exclusive, they are all going to be different.”

Craig Haldane, golf courses manager at Gleneagles, said communication – and doing it at the right time – would be absolutely crucial in getting everyone on side.

He added the possibility of full crews not being able to return for some time even after reopening, because of various restrictions that would still be in place, meant greenkeepers would also have to moderate their own expectations.

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.

Ffos Las stay on course

/in , /by

Ffos Las stay on course: The dual-purpose track at Ffos Las Racecourse in Carmarthenshire stages Flat meetings throughout the summer months and National Hunt meetings for the rest of the year.

The challenge of keeping the track fit for the year-round schedule falls to Estate Manager and Clerk of the Course, Dai Jones. For Dai, the combination of Masterline PM79 and Johnson’s J Nitro 4Turf is the odds-on favourite for delivering hard-wearing, quick-recovery surfaces even under the most challenging of conditions.

Ffos Las stay on course

Ffos Las stay on course

Formally the site of an open cast coal mine, the location of the Ffos Las course leaves them exposed to strong south-westerly sea winds which, when combined with multiple years of heavy rainfall on the trot, causes challenging ground and growing conditions. “DLF worked in close counsel with the contractors throughout the construction process” explains Dai, who has been at the venue for two years. “They recommended the ProMaster 79 mixture from Masterline which was used to get the course ready for opening in 2009 and has continued to work well for us ever since.”

“With over 65 inches of rain falling here last year, I sat down with our local DLF Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett to look at some alternative mixtures that would help to give some additional strength to some of the hardest hit areas.” They opted for ProNitro coated J Nitro 4Turf from Johnsons Sports Seed. 4Turf tetraploid rye ensures exceptional disease resistance and very rapid germination even at soil temperatures as low as 3oC. Its deep-rooted quality makes it ideal for the high wear requirements associated with equestrian use.

The J Nitro 4Turf gives Dai and the team a mixture for divot repair and overseeding that delivers reliable results for racing throughout the challenging winter months. “We used this on the take-off and landing sides of the fences, the hurdles and the bends through the winter months and found it to establish well even in the cold and wet. The root growth is tremendous giving us great hardiness and wear tolerance.”

He concludes, “We’ve now got a combination that is really well suited to our conditions. Through the summer we get strong recovery, great colour and healthy surfaces for racing with the PM79 mix. We can now sustain this when the ground softens, with J Nitro 4Turf giving us that extra boost.”

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.

JCB help on the menu

/in , /by

JCB help on the menu: JCB has launched an international aid initiative in the communities around its factories to help people in need of food as a result of disruption caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The company’s catering staff in the UK and India are preparing more than 37,000 meals a week for distribution around towns and villages located close to its plants. The initiative is the idea of Lady Bamford, wife of JCB Chairman Lord Bamford.

JCB help on the menu

JCB help on the menu

In the UK, staff are busily preparing 2,000 cottage pies a week for distribution in the North Staffordshire area. The first of the cottage pies arrived at The Hubb Foundation in Burslem, Stoke-on Trent for distribution today (Thursday, April 2ndd), to children and families in need of support across the city. JCB also plans to expand the initiative to cater for the homeless.

The first meals arrived in specially prepared containers with a message, which reads: “Lovingly prepared by JCB’s chefs for our local community.”

The scale of the operation in India is even bigger, where the Coronavirus has caused huge disruption to people’s lives. Forty-five JCB staff have been mobilised to cook more than 35,000 meals a week in the company canteens for communities around JCB’s factory locations in Delhi, Pune and Jaipur.

Today Lady Bamford said: “The world is facing an international crisis and now, more than ever, it’s important for communities to pull together and help some of the most vulnerable people in our society. The JCB teams in the UK and India are doing an amazing job to prepare so many meals for distribution to people who are most in need right now.”

In the UK, distribution of the meals will be widened in the coming days and weeks to cover the homeless, NHS frontline employees, vulnerable families in Rocester, Cheadle and Uttoxeter, the elderly and those suffering from mental illness.

The Hubb Foundation offers free activities, spaces and food to children and their parents across    Stoke-on-Trent during school holidays.

Carol Shanahan, founder of The Hubb Foundation, said: “Our activities are limited due to the national restrictions, but the team was determined to provide meals in these unprecedented times.

We are indebted to JCB for their support. The food will be delivered to our base at Port Vale Football Club and then distributed through our network of staff, volunteers and local businesses who are collaborating with us to a make difference in the city.”

The Hubb Foundation is planning to send out 5,000 meals over the Easter holiday, with the support of JCB.

Meanwhile, India is currently in national lockdown until April 14th and tens of thousands of the country’s 45 million migrant workers have been heading back to their villages after losing their jobs as businesses in the cities were forced to shut temporarily.

Thousands of migrant workers are also choosing to remain in the places where they work but with no income, they have no means to buy food.

To help alleviate the harrowing situation, JCB is providing food parcels to the most vulnerable in the areas around its factories. The food being distributed includes a vegetable curry, rice, green vegetables and chapatis and provides a meal of 1,000 calories. A team of JCB volunteers is working with local authorities to ensure the aid reaches the most vulnerable in society.

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.

Coronavirus’ impact on sport

/in , , /by

Coronavirus’ impact on sport: The world is witnessing the advance of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impacts on a global scale.

The effects of COVID-19, which is already considered a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation, are bringing thousands of cases in every part of the world and will cause brutal economic damage.

Coronavirus' impact on sport

Coronavirus’ impact on sport

The negative economic impact of the pandemic and its recessive reflexes scared the financial market. The economic losses will be gigantic, and the stock markets melt daily around the world because of it.

All decisions imply losses. Damages to teams, leagues and players, but also to an entire production chain that is impacted by the high degree of induction to different economic sectors.

We also have the Tokyo Olympic Games, the biggest event on the planet, which at this time has not the slightest condition to be held. The UEFA EURO Championship has already been postponed from 2020 until 2021.

Rio de Janeiro in 2016 received more than 500,000 foreign tourists, not to mention the millions of domestic tourists, athletes, professionals from different sectors and the press. In London, there were more than 590,000 foreign tourists. At this point, the Olympics would be irresponsible.

The more developed markets are closer to this index. It is the multiplier effect that makes sport a single sector.

The sport’s greatest strength is to gather interest and drag crowds. This impact that can reach 2.5 times the direct revenue is only possible thanks to its dynamism and emotion, which induces the economy and leverages cities and even countries.

There are impacts on an huge production chain, which includes transportation, food, drink, entertainment, product purchase and government taxes.

What is the economic impact of all this?

According to analysis by Sports Value, the global sports market moves US$756bn annually. This is the direct value moved by industry: the USA are responsible for US$420bn and Europe for another US$250bn.

China, the fastest growing market in global sport, makes about US$150bn annually and projects or projected its sports industry to reach revenues of US$350bn over five years.

The industry’s largest revenue source is sports retail, which accounts for more than a third of the global business.

Professional sport, although not the main source of revenue, is undoubtedly the one that most impacts the production chain, with its matchday revenues, sponsorships, TV rights, players’ transfers and its high media and employment character. And obviously its indirect and induced impacts.

Thus, a match with closed gates, the cancellation of competitions or calendar changes, directly impacts the entire industry.

Losses will be inevitable. Projected earnings will be nullified, revenues will plummet, there will be less impact to the sponsors’ business, less tourist flow, ultimately a heavy recession for all those involved with sport.

Click here to read the original article

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.

BASIS relaxes rules on CPD points

/in , /by

BASIS relaxes rules on CPD points: With much of the country working from home and most industry events cancelled, BASIS has taken the decision to relax its CPD requirements for Professional Register members.

Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO, explains that ordinarily members are annually required to collect a set number of CPD points before the points-year ends on 31 May.

BASIS relaxes rules on CPD points

BASIS relaxes rules on CPD points

“Events are typically a focal point for collecting points, but with so many sadly not going ahead, we are extending the year-end period.

“This allows points to be collected into the next points-year. The only stipulation is that the full requirement of points for the 2019/20 points-year and 2020/21 points year are fulfilled for both years, by 31 May 2021,” he says.

For example, members holding the Certificate in Crop Protection are required to gain 40 CPD points annually. However, they will now need to collect 80 points over the two-year period.

“This flexibility will enable our members to remain on the Professional Register, while ensuring standards remain consistent, enabling members to continue to practice essential agronomy work,” says Stephen.

Depending on your qualification and membership category, the required number of points will vary. For example:

  • Certificate in Crop Protection – 80 points by 31 May 2021
  • Certificate in Crop Protection, with FACTS – 100 points by 31 May 2021
  • FACTS only – 40 points by 31 May 2021
  • Certificate in Crop Protection (amenity horticulture) – 40 points by 31 May 2021
  • Certificate in Crop Protection (amenity horticulture) with FACTS – 60 points by 31 May 2021

Boost your knowledge remotely

Despite opportunities being reduced, BASIS encourages members to seek CPD points remotely in order to stay up to date with industry innovation and regulatory changes.

There are various options that can be completed at home, including reading technical publications or newsletters, as well as participating in online training sessions.

A full reading list can and associated points can be found and downloaded here.

Check your points

Members can check their training record and points requirements on the BASIS website or contact a member of the BASIS team on 01335 343945.

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.