Tag Archive for: Park

Versatility Key At Sitwell Park

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Versatility Key At Sitwell Park: Sitwell Park Golf Club in Rotherham has taken delivery of a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor and two attachments from Russell Group’s Groundcare Division. And versatility was a key reason for the purchase according to Course Manager Martin Hayward.

“It’s an incredible machine,” he said, “so versatile and it can do what other machines can’t do. We’ve purchased it with a Contour deck and a blower, which basically means we have two machines in one; three if you count the stump grinder attachment we have on loan from Russells.

Versatility Key At Sitwell Park

“We’re a parkland course situated in a valley with some severe undulations, so maintaining some of the slopes are an issue. Previously we’ve used strimmers in these high maintenance areas, but with a small team it takes a lot of man-hours and anything we can do to reduce that drain on resource is good and the Ventrac does just that.”

Sitwell Park Golf Club opened in 1913 with the support from local landowner, Sir George Sitwell, who offered part of his estate and agreed to bear the cost of building the course providing that a minimum of 100 members could be guaranteed by the time nine temporary holes were built. The club was a great success with over 100 members enrolling within a week and in May 1913 the club formally opened with over 200 members. With open countryside to the North, South and East, this was the first course Dr Alister MacKenzie built for a private client rather than for a committee.

Martin Hayward is a career greenkeeper, who has worked in Yorkshire for over 22 years. He entered the profession at Town Moor in Doncaster, moved on to Bawtry Golf Club after seven years and then to Hessle Golf Club. He joined Sitwell Park as Course Manager in April 2018 and leads a team of four dedicated greenkeepers.

“When I came here I identified a problem with shade on some of the greens, the 5th having the biggest issue, so we’re currently working on a programme of extensive tree removal to allow more light and increase airflow into these areas. Glen Sawyer at Russell’s kindly loaned us the stump grinder attachment and it has certainly impressed the lads. The Ventrac is certified to work on slopes up to 30 degrees and this has enabled us to get into areas that were previously not maintained. This will certainly help with the presentation of the course and I’ve already had positive comments from some of the members.

“I’m very lucky here having a supportive committee who have agreed to a planned replacement programme for our equipment. When we were looking at the Ventrac, all of my team were part of the decision-making process. To a man, they were all impressed and then it was just about making a business case for the committee to agree. It wasn’t that difficult as they quickly saw the versatility of the machine and how, in the long-term, we can add attachments at a fraction of the cost of buying a dedicated machine.”

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Otterbine Fountain At Ladbrook Park

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Otterbine Fountain At Ladbrook Park: For the past 15 years, Otterbine’s Sunburst aerating fountain has created a stunning centrepiece to the heart of Ladbrook Park Golf Club in the midlands.

Three impressive interconnecting lakes make up the centre of Ladbrook Park and with 12,000m² of water in total, it’s paramount a high-quality aerating system is in place to keep the water clear and healthy. And for 15 years, Otterbine’s Sunburst aerating fountain has been more than up to the task, says course manager, Kevin Fellows:

Otterbine Fountain At Ladbrook Park

“The lakes are central to the course and provide the backdrop to many of our 18-holes, so having a reliable aerating fountain that keeps the water clean and clear, while also creating a striking centrepiece is of the utmost importance.

“For 15 years, the Sunburst has given us everything we needed. When we first excavated the lakes in conjunction with a local contractor, there was a transition period when we had a lot of weed and algae build up which was causing problems and fixing that as soon as possible was a real priority.”

To combat this, the club worked with a water management company who recommended the Otterbine Sunburst fountain. Everyone was confident the Sunburst was up to the task of keeping such a large body of water in good condition, and that confidence was well founded!

“Once we had the fountain installed it solved all of our problems within a couple of weeks,” says Kevin. “You could see the improvement pretty much immediately, which definitely gave us peace of mind we’d made the right choice.”

The club excavated the lakes itself, not just to create beautiful surroundings for golfers, but to give themselves a source of water for irrigation purposes. With the Otterbine aerating fountain, the water is a good enough quality to use for irrigation across the course and without having to rely on the mains water supply, the club has saved money and gained peace of mind from its ability to be self-reliant, which “has been a real bonus” says Kevin.

During its time at the club, the fountain has performed brilliantly, and Kevin doesn’t expect that to change. “The fountain hasn’t let us down yet, and it’s over a decade old! We have routine inspections anyway and knowing we have the back-up from Otterbine and its distributor Reesink Turfcare should we need it is enough to guarantee peace of mind.”

He concludes: “The Otterbine fountain has not only been one of the best investments we’ve made, it’s part of the scenery here at Ladbrook Park. It’s cost effective to run and has proven itself to be a really reliable product which is quite literally at the heart of the course.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Toro Reliability At Rookery Park

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Toro Reliability At Rookery Park: Rookery Park Golf Club in Suffolk has recently purchased three Toro machines because “reliability is key” for course manager Neil Davey.

Neil explains: “We’re gradually replacing all of our old machines and the time had come to update two of our fairway mowers. They were continuously breaking down and we were putting money into repairs for machines that just weren’t dependable, and we couldn’t rely on to deliver what we needed. So, to replace them, we turned to Toro and bought two Reelmaster 3575-D mowers at the start of the year, and more recently we invested in another Greensmaster TriFlex 3400.”

Toro Reliability At Rookery Park

Even though Toro already makes up 90 percent of the greenkeeping equipment at the club, each machinery purchase is done on a case-by-case basis and Toro has been chosen again, predominantly for its reliability but also for the results it produces. “It’s not a given we’ll go with Toro the next time we update the fleet but from my experience it’s highly likely! We base ourselves on hard work, so what we need are trustworthy machines. Everywhere I’ve worked throughout my career, there’s been Toro, and for good reason. It consistently provides high-quality for a good price, and that allows us to do the best job possible with the budget we have.”

After contacting Julian Copping from Reesink Turfcare who set up a demonstration, Neil and the team put the machines to the test. With the features of the Reelmaster 3575-D including a powerful 24.8hp diesel engine as well as smooth turf-friendly tyres to reduce compaction and damage, it was no wonder Neil and the team were impressed.

He enthuses: “I particularly liked the three-wheel-drive system on the Reelmaster, it allows for tight turns easily and the handling in general was great. In fact, the whole team loves to use Toro, it’s easy to operate and whenever there have been any issues, they get sorted immediately. The service from Reesink is great.”

When it came to the Greensmaster TriFlex 3400, Neil didn’t need much convincing. “It’s definitely one of the best machines I’ve ever used,” he comments. “It has such good flexibility; the quick-change units make servicing the cutting units fast and easy. We’ve purchased a new model but we’re keeping the old one. Toro is known to keep its residual value and this machine is proof of that, it’s still in great condition with plenty of life yet.”

The 27-hole course set as it is in parkland, provides not only a challenging game for its 700 members, but a challenge for Neil and the team to keep in top condition too, but with Toro in the shed Neil says: “Our members have all seen an improvement in the course since we’ve brought in more Toro machines, the results are clear and prove we made the right decision. I know I’m doing my job right by going with Toro and I can know I can trust them not to let us down.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Holiday Park Switches To TYM

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Holiday Park Switches To TYM: Despite being loyal to another machinery brand for the past 18 years, Smytham Holiday Park in Devon, has made the switch to TYM and purchased a new T353 tractor, to ensure they have the best machine for the large park’s needs.

Set in an idyllic valley and surrounded by 33 acres of parkland, the grounds require 10 acres of grass to be cut and collected up to twice a week in peak season. As a result, reliability, durability and power are essential traits for the machinery purchased for the park, says owner, Tony Harper.

Holiday Park Switches To TYM

“We needed something simple and straightforward that meets the demands of a holiday park. It’s important for us to have a reliable workhorse with a lot of power, but small enough to manoeuvre between the caravans with cutting units attached.”

He continues: “We’ve been brand-loyal since we started the business, but the TYM T353 was a similar size to our previous machine, with the added bonus of a higher lift capability. Plus, the way the hydraulics were put together was a lot tidier. I’ve operated it myself, it’s simple to use, good for switching from one task to another and handles all my attachments perfectly. I’m confident it will improve the quality of the park.”

A demo, organised by Devon Garden Machinery (DGM), saw Tony and his family try out the T353 for themselves.

“We were able to organise a free, onsite demonstration within a week of first discussing the T353, as TYM’s distributor Reesink Turfcare delivered really quickly,” comments DGM sales dealer, Robert Read. “Tony was impressed by the tractor as soon as he saw it, it’s a great size for the holiday park environment. After the demonstration, Tony decided there and then he would purchase it.”

Speaking of the demonstration, Tony added: “Robert was very knowledgeable, he showed us the safety measures and how it worked, but then stepped back and let us give it a try. The tractor spoke for itself really, I knew once I’d seen it in action it was the best product out there for the price. And it was a definite bonus that he could leave the tractor with us and we could trade in our old machine that day – it made buying an easy decision!”

The T353 is already being put to good use. Along with keeping the park in top order, the tractor has been used to move a 12-foot-wide caravan, weighing five tonnes, offsite. “It’s a bit of a funny sight, seeing a little tractor pull a big caravan like that, but it just shows the power it has,” says Tony.

With a high base specification, the T353 is suitable for a wide range of tasks such as transportation, ground preparation and seeding and mowing, it’s clear to see why the compact utility tractor is nicknamed a ‘multi-tasking marvel’. The easy-to-use controls allow effortless switching from task to task, while an excellent turning radius and powerful rear lift capacity of 1200kg, makes the tractor more than capable of small and large jobs. Considering all that, it’s no wonder the T353 was found to be the best option for Smytham Holiday Park.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Marathon A Success At Hamilton Park

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Marathon A Success At Hamilton Park: Stephen Fyles, track manager at Hamilton Park racecourse, has reported significant improvements since switching to a variety of Marathon Sport extended release fertilisers from Sherriff Amenity.

With a glowing CV including roles at Aintree, Epsom, the Jockey Club and now Hamilton Park, it’s safe to say that Stephen knows a thing or two about preparing a horse racing track to the highest possible standard. Along with three other members of staff, Stephen oversees the meticulous operations at the 4.8 hectare site which includes the maintenance of the track and all surrounding lawns and grounds.

Marathon A Success At Hamilton Park

Hamilton Park’s race season consists of 18 days a year throughout the summer months which Stephen says is the most intense time in the grounds team’s diary. Then there are non-race events such as functions, Christmas parties and weddings which the team also have to prepare for. As you would imagine, the track faces a great deal of stress and wear so choosing the correct products in his maintenance programme is essential.

“I came into this role three years ago with the mind-set of giving the existing fertiliser programme a chance,” he says. “I gave it two years but unfortunately I was finding holes in the regime – we were losing track pace, recovery times and generally were just not seeing the results I wanted.

“I had seen the Marathon fertilisers in action in a previous role at Epsom and knew what I could expect from them. Therefore I made the switch last year and they have worked incredibly well.”

For a number of years, turf managers have reaped the benefits of Sherriff Amenity’s range of Marathon fertilisers – the Marathon Sport range of extended release fertilisers provide long-lasting, balanced growth on golf fairways, tees, surrounds, sports fields and ornamental lawns maintained at a height of 10mm and above.

“We went with an all Marathon feed for the track over the course of the summer with four feeds and the results have been fantastic. It’s been a very positive year – the track has stood up to the heavy use and at the same time it is helping me meet the requirements of our soil analysis tests because at the moment the phosphate levels in the soil are high so it requires us to have a low phosphate fertiliser to stop them from getting locked in.”

Stephen chooses to use Spring 16.4.8; Summer 10.0.15 and Autumn 7.0.21 and applies them anywhere between the recommended rate of 20 – 35g/m2 dependent on conditions. In conjunction with the Marathon base feeds, Stephen regularly applies long-lasting iron liquid in the form of Sherriff Amenity’s GoGreen Energy and GoGreen Plus.

Marathon A Success At Hamilton Park

Containing seaweed, plant sugars, simple carbohydrates and trace elements that have been specially selected to give optimum results when grass is stressed, GoGreen Energy is a concentrated bio-stimulant, formulated to assist plant health and relieve stress symptoms. For instant greening of turf many turf managers choose GoGreen Plus which is a unique complex iron sulphate that may be used as a stand-alone product or more flexibly, as a tank-mix partner.

“The programme started with an application of the Marathon Sport Spring 16.4.8 in March to give it a good push because we carried out a good chunk of renovation work in the spring which wasn’t exactly the best of growing seasons. However, within four weeks we pretty much had full recovery on the track and then went with the Marathon Sport Summer 10.0.15 at the end of May which pushed us through our most intense period. It is during these summer months that the track is particularly under stress and this year, with the lack of rain, I was expecting it to be a challenge to keep the surface to where we wanted it, but I genuinely have no complaints.

“We applied Marathon Sport Autumn 7.0.21 in the last week of July to set us in good stead for our biggest fixture of the year – Ladies’ Night, and have chosen the same formula for the end of October to bring us into winter in good shape. As well as the Marathon products we have been applying GoGreen Energy and GoGreen Plus at six-week intervals just to keep the turf healthy and give it some natural goodness.

“Essentially, the Marathon products are giving me a balanced feed at the same time as giving us what we require going forward. They have worked well in low temperatures and the site has looked amazing all year.”

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriffamenity.com

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