Tag Archive for: Prepare

College Cup winners prepare Clásico pitch

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College Cup winners prepare Clásico pitch: After winning the 2019 SALTEX College Cup, four students from Myerscough College recently enjoyed an unforgettable experience at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium.

The annual SALTEX College Cup, sponsored by Toro and Reesink Turfcare, is a student-led sports turf challenge – an academic test of turf management knowledge for student competitors who are enrolled at a college on a relevant course of study.

College Cup winners prepare Clásico pitch

College Cup winners prepare Clásico pitch

Myerscough College, located in Bilsborrow, Preston, entered a team into the competition solely consisting of apprentices. Scott Danter (Warwick School), Ashley Hill (Warwickshire County Cricket Club), Ryan Harrison and Nick George (both from Leicester City Football Club) are all currently studying Level 2 or Level 3 sportsturf apprenticeships.

The competition consisted of paper-based multiple choice and short answer questions on turf management, plus a case study which required a more in-depth written answer. The students were also presented with live test samples in which they had to identify potential threats to the health of turf.

Myerscough College proved victorious and saw off competition from Askham Bryan, CAFRE, Bridgwater and Capel Manor to win the trophy. The Myerscough team was then presented with a prize that money can’t buy – a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium, where they would get the opportunity to learn from Paul Burgess, Madrid’s director of grounds and environment.

As part of the prize the four students enjoyed an invaluable groundscare work experience placement in the run up to one of the biggest domestic fixtures in world football, El Clásico, between Real Madrid and Barcelona. During their weekend visit the group enjoyed a full, behind-the-scenes experience of just what it takes to prepare the playing surface for such a prestigious fixture, and even got the golden opportunity to be part of the team that maintains the Bernabéu’s hallowed turf.

It was an experience that will live long in the memory according to student Ashley Hill: “This was a real honour,” he said. “Seeing in detail what the grounds team do at the training ground and at the stadium was inspirational. Mowing the pitch at the Bernabéu was the icing on the cake.”

Ryan Harrison believes that opportunity to learn from Paul Burgess has helped to improve his skill set and will enhance his prospects in the grounds management industry: “Paul and the team were brilliant with us all and I learnt so much. Helping to prepare the pitch for the El Clasico was a real privilege and I am going home a better groundsperson.”

The Bernabéu tour follows three extraordinary SALTEX College Cup prizes in previous years. In 2017 the winning students were part of the Wembley grounds team at the FA Cup Final and the following year the winners enjoyed an unforgettable experience of helping with pitch preparations at the 2018 Six Nations Championships at BT Murrayfield Stadium. Last year saw the winning College win a behind the scenes tour at The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), Wimbledon in which the students received an in-depth look at court preparations the week before The Championships 2019 took place.

The SALTEX College Cup continues to go from strength to strength and Dan Prest, head of technical and learning at the Institute of Groundsmanship, believes it is a fantastic platform to encourage and inspire the younger generation.

“This competition is all about raising standards in our industry. Young people should see this opportunity as a viable career option and that there is a progressive career path for them to follow,” he said.

All colleges interested in participating in the 2020 SALTEX College Cup should email Dan Prest at dprest@iog.org for more details.

SALTEX 2020 will take place at the NEC, Birmingham on 4 and 5 November.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX

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Royal Portrush Prepare With Toro

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Royal Portrush Prepare With Toro: On 18-21 July 2019, The Open makes an historic return to Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years and bringing golf’s oldest international Championship back again is Royal Portrush in County Antrim. As the club prepares to host the 148th event Toro is honoured to play a role in helping prepare the course.

As expected, preparations for The Open are years in the making and Toro has not only been there every step of the way since the news broke in 2015 that Royal Portrush would be the 2019 host, but for the last 25 years.

Royal Portrush Prepare With Toro

Course manager, Graeme Beatt, who joined the club in 2014, comments: “The relationship between Royal Portrush and Toro is a quarter of century old and for us there is no better machinery partner to ensure the optimum conditions for the players as well as the eyes of the sporting world.”

Preparing the all-important course, crews are using Toro’s Flex 2120 pedestrian mowers for the greens, Reelmaster 3550-D and 3555-D mowers on the fairways, approaches and surrounds, Greensmaster 1000 and TriFlex 3400 on the tees, Reelmaster 3100-D with Sidewinder system on semi-roughs and Groundsmaster 4500-D on the roughs. In addition, the team uses the Greensmaster 3250-D and GR1000 on the practice area and the ProCore 648 for aerating the courses. 25 additional Toro machines from Reesink Turfcare, the sole Toro distributor in the UK for golf and sports fields equipment and irrigation products, have joined the 50-strong Toro fleet already at the club in the run-up to and during the Championship.

But it’s not just a successful partnership with Toro machinery, Reesink and Lairds Grass Machinery that ensures the course will be tournament ready, but Toro irrigation too. In 2017, the irrigation system was upgraded to a Lynx central control system and Toro Infinity, Flex and B-Series sprinklers irrigate the rugged links course situated on the Atlantic coast.

“The location of the club is generally something of a challenge for an irrigation system, especially for the sprinklers,” says Graeme. “It’s quite a feat to deliver accurate spray in our unpredictable, windy and exposed conditions, but this has been no problem for Toro. We’ve been really impressed with the overall performance of the control system and sprinklers, but worthy of note are the B-Series sprinkler heads on the tees. They’ve really been put to the test and withstand all sorts.”

Of course, it’s not just an irrigation system that’s new for The Open. The world-famous Dunluce course has been extended from 6,867 yards to just over 7,300 yards and every hole has had some work in varying degrees, none so much as the 17th and 18th holes which have become the tented village areas and two new holes created at seventh and eighth.

22 miles of fibre optic cable has been installed with 12 miles of fibre ducts, 2,200 artic lorries-worth of equipment will have been used for the build and de-rig, 24 greenkeeping volunteers have been selected and a record-breaking number of tickets have been sold.

In fact, it’s this last fact that’s caused the only hiccup in the journey to being tournament-ready Graeme explains: “No Open Championship has ever sold out and when this one did, and in record time, the decision was made to release a further 15,000 tickets – that means we could have up to 230,000 spectators come through our gates! At that point we knew we needed to revisit the already established catering areas and extend them to accommodate this, which involved a lot of extra work. Let’s just say the Toro Workman MDX-D and HDX utility vehicles were really put to the test over this time moving kit around the course and aiding the team in construction work!”

Doug Reid from Reesink, who has worked with Royal Portrush for almost half of its 25-year relationship, says: “Royal Portrush has been nothing but consistent in its machinery purchasing over the years, but as expected in the last five years things ramped up and some fundamental replacements and changes to the fleet took place. The biggest change was the switch from the four-wheel Reelmaster 6700-D to the three-wheel Reelmaster 3550-D for a lighter tread on the fairways. The RM3550-D also happens to be ideal for a links course.

“The way we work with Graeme and the team is a definite partnership, and we’re glad that Toro remains the brand Royal Portrush has relied on for the last 25 years, and for its second Open Championship. Having the right equipment is vital in the preparation and performance for an event such as this, and we have worked closely with Royal Portrush to ensure all the tournament support needed from us is in place.”

It takes a tremendous amount of teamwork and coordination to prepare for an international event but as Graeme says: “I feel lucky to have been chosen for the job; it’s been such an honour to be involved. Probably the biggest achievement is that we’ve managed to do all the preparations we have with minimal disruption to our members. We’ve had their unwaivering support, and I’m sure that it will all be worth it to see their course presented on the world stage, challenging the world’s best golfers for golf’s greatest Championship!”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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JCB Prepare For F1 Opener

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JCB Prepare For F1 Opener: JCB Loadall telescopic handlers are under starter’s orders for an appearance at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend as the company kicks off its exciting partnership with a new British motor racing team.

JCB announced the partnership with SportPesa Racing Point F1 team last month and it will see prominent JCB branding on the two cars driven by Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez.

JCB Prepare For F1 Opener

The first Formula One race of the season takes place in Melbourne this weekend – when JCB Loadall telescopic handlers equipped with special jib attachments will also be trackside. The 15 machines – Loadall 531-70 models made at the company’s World HQ in Staffordshire, UK – will be on hand to quickly recover crashed cars during the various race events, including F1 practice, qualifying and the main F1 race event on Sunday.

Worldwide Marketing Director Michael Plummer said: “We are excited to kick off our new partnership with SportPesa Racing Point in Melbourne and delighted that JCB telehandlers will also be making an appearance at the Australian races. JCB Loadalls are the biggest selling telescopic handlers in the world and already a familiar sight on Formula One race circuits. To have them trackside at this season’s inaugural race is a great opportunity to show off the machines’ capabilities to a global audience.”

The special jib attachment on the Loadalls was developed to move the lifting point of the car away from the actual machine, making it easier and safer to recover a vehicle from the track.

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Prepare Your Polaris RANGER Cab For Winter

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Prepare Your Polaris RANGER Cab For Winter: Keep the winter outside with Polaris Engineered Parts and Accessories for the RANGER cab, specifically designed to enhance the riding experience whatever the weather.

With the RANGER Pro Shield Cab System – the tightest sealing cab system in the industry – alongside a number of in-cab accessories designed to help with the cold, dark winter months, Polaris offer unprecedented cab comfort and protection from the elements with the RANGER parts and accessories lineup.

Prepare Your Polaris RANGER Cab For Winter

Andreas Geisinger, Manager of Polaris EMEA Parts, Gear & Accessories Business, explained: “The RANGER is completely adaptable to any riding conditions, and so the cab should be too. We created the Pro Shield Cab System exclusively for the RANGER XP 1000, alongside the design and development of the vehicle itself for the perfect fit. This resulted in a 360-degree gasket seal that keeps draughts, dust and moisture out, fully preparing the RANGER for anything Winter has to throw at it.”.

RANGER Pro Shield Cab System

With a variety of cab components available – from roofs and doors, to windshields and rear panels – there are unlimited ways to configure the RANGER cab system for any environment, any purpose and any weather. All of the RANGER Pro Shield Cab components are built with a seamless fit and Lock and Ride compatibility, giving maximum convenience with easy-on and easy-off installation without the need for any tools.

Roof – A winter must-have for protection against rain and maintaining heat, a Polaris Engineered roof delivers fully-sealed coverage and advanced integrated roof water channels, directing water away from the cab even when stationary. Choose from impact-resistant poly, ultimate-strength steel, or lightweight canvas material.

Doors – Complete the cab with the RANGER Pro Shield Cab System door line. The premium, fully-sealed doors are finished with solid latches that feel sturdy and secure, integrated storage and controls, pre-designated mounts for audio speakers, and multiple window options for ventilation. Finalise the look with exterior accent panels colour-matched to the existing RANGER collection.

Windshield and Rear Panel – Keep riding regardless of weather, with Polaris Engineered windshields and rear panels. Choose from tempered safety glass for perfect clarity and top scratch resistance, standard poly for high-value durability, or hard-coat poly for 30x more scratch resistance than standard poly with extreme impact-resistance – all providing protection from dust-swirl and rain. Polaris have enhanced their windshields and rear panels with venting options, to control airflow into the cab depending on conditions.

Winter-proof Accessories

Complete your preparation for winter by adding extra comfort and capability to your RANGER, with premium Polaris Engineered Cab accessories.

Windshield Wiper and Washer System – Add all-weather visibility to your ride with the top-selling wiper and washer system. The 17-inch mounted kit wipes away rain or snow with ease, meaning a safer, easier ride. Operated by a simple rocker switch to wipe/spray fluid, and all mounting hardware and wiring is included. Polaris Pulse ready.

Heater & Defrost System – With eight vents for the best coverage of air dispersion, the system can be used for heating or cooling the cab, as well as defrosting the windshield. The dash-mounted controls allow easy control over the three levels of fan speed and temperature. Each vent can be manually opened or closed. Polaris PULSE ready.

Heated Seat System – A heated seat is a premium cold-weather luxury you wouldn’t expect from a UTV, but the Heated Seat System for the RANGER is just that. Designed to fit the RANGER three-person stock seats and comes with all the necessary wiring for a straightforward installation. Polaris PULSE ready.

Multi-Function Cab Light – A valuable tool with a variety of light uses in and out of your RANGER. The light provides necessary light inside the cab during the dark winter months and the LED dome can also be detached to be used as a torch where needed. The light is battery-powered but usefully recharges when the vehicle is in use. With multi-colour functionality offering white, red, blue and green LED lighting options which allow for a host of night activity – red for preserving night vision, blue for night fishing as it doesn’t produce glare on water, and green for navigating without disturbing game. Polaris PULSE ready.

With over 1,900 accessories in the range, Polaris offer a number of additional solutions to get winter-ready, such as Plows and Winches.

Dennis & SISIS Prepare For Waterloo

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Dennis & SISIS Prepare For Waterloo: Mark Audin is preparing the green at the Waterloo Hotel, Blackpool, for the biggest national tournament in the crown green bowling calendar, with the help of the Dennis FT510 and SISIS Dart.

Regarded as the ‘Wembley’ of crown green bowling, The Waterloo Hotel has been hosting tournaments for well over 100 years. In particular, The Waterloo Championships has been in existence since 1907 and this year it sees a phenomenal 512 entries from all over the country. Qualifying starts in July and concludes with the final 8 competing to get their hands on the famous trophy on 26 September.

Dennis & SISIS Prepare For Waterloo

Mark Audin has been working at The Waterloo for 10 years and for the last 5 he has held the position of bowls manager. He has a number of tasks under his remit but Mark’s main priority is to focus on the fabulous green at The Waterloo – which is a year round job, as he explains.

“Out of season when the green isn’t being played on, I cut down to about 7-8mm and during the winter we can leave it slightly longer at 10mm. From May onwards I like to keep it at around 7mm and that will gradually go down to about 6mm and possibly 5mm depending on how it is playing towards the end of the season. There is a misconception that you need to take the grass on a bowling green right down and scalp it, but that really isn’t the case as long as you regularly verticut and generally look after it all year.”

For the essential task of verticutting, Mark relies on the Dennis FT510, which is an interchangeable cassette cylinder mower. It offers the operator ultimate versatility by having the option of fitting twelve different cassettes including scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, spikers and slitters as well as 5 or 10 blade cutting cassettes.

“In the lead up to the Championships we will verticut with the FT510 once every four days in four different directions so that the playing surface will be completely smooth. Therefore, going into the Championships the green will become quicker and quicker to play on.

Dennis & SISIS Prepare For Waterloo

“We’ve got the sorrel roller cassette, the 10 bladed cylinder, the scarifier and verticutter Tungsten tipped cassette and it is all we really need here – it’s my complete maintenance tool. The FT510 is fantastic and it is so easy to use – one cassette out, one cassette in and off you go. In the past we have had machines which take half an hour just to change one cassette.

“I also really like the click adjustment on the FT510 for the height of cut, it is easy to set-up and is adjusted by 0.25mm with every click. Again, with other machines you will have to get a spanner out but on the FT510 it is adjusted in seconds. The fuel consumption also seems to be better than any others I have used in the past too.”

For reducing turf compaction at The Waterloo, Mark uses the SISIS Dart – which is an independently powered vertical action aerator. This popular bowling green aerator has a working depth of up to 100mm (4 inches) which can be easily adjusted from the operator’s position using the balanced depth control lever. Powered by a 6.5hp engine, the unit can also be fitted with a wide range of interchangeable tines to meet the operator’s requirements making it ideal as a bowling green aerator.

“We normally start using the SISIS Dart in July when the ground starts getting hard. We have a number of various interchangeable tines and we tend to go about 3 inches deep into the surface. It does a brilliant job at breaking the surface up, enabling you to get some moisture in and it really helps to reduce thatch and compaction. We’ve always had a bit of an issue with compaction because we have so many people on the green throughout the year,” he said.

“I would say that it is arguably the most used green in bowls and with all the games throughout the season, the green stands up remarkably well. That is, in part, due to the quality of the machines – I’ve tired others in the past but none are nearly as good as the Dennis and SISIS equipment.”

Dennis and SISIS are proud supporters of the Waterloo Championships and have a long history of supporting the sport of bowls. The British manufacturers of turf maintenance equipment host an annual series of free educational bowling green seminars throughout the UK, which have significantly grown year on year.

Further information about the range of bowls maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com.

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Dennis Prepare For The World Cup

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Dennis Prepare For The World Cup: The national football team won’t be the only team of professionals making the trip from England to Russia this summer. In fact, a whole fleet of Dennis G860 cylinder mowers will already be making their mark in Russia before the England squad is even announced.

Dennis Prepare For The World Cup

A staggering 88 Dennis mowers will have the task of preparing stadium and training complex pitches for the world’s greatest football players throughout the tournament while some venues will also utilise the Dennis Premier in conjunction with the G860 for matchday preparation.

7 of the 11 stadiums will use Dennis mowers, including those hosting the quarter finals, the semi-finals and the final, and 70% of the training camps will also be maintained by Dennis.

Steven Rienks – managing director of Queens Grass, who are the official Dennis dealer in Russia, has orchestrated proceedings and admits it is a proud moment for himself and his company.

“This is the greatest show on earth and is not just another contract.  Yes, it is fantastic to be a part of it but it is also a responsibility,” he says. “After all, the quality of play depends on the quality of the pitch. But this is why the G860 has been chosen – due to the quality and the presentation it offers. They all want that perfect stripe which the G860 provides because they know it will be watched by a worldwide audience.”

However, the task of preparing the pitches is made slightly more difficult by unfavourable weather conditions, as Steven remarks: “In Russia, the weather is not ideal – for instance, in one area we only have around 60 days of sunlight over the course of a year. The interchangeable cassette system really helps with maintenance procedures in a difficult climate. Also, the mowing height may differ and the sandy materials on the pitches are different.”

While the games will no doubt attract billions of viewers worldwide, many will be oblivious to actually what goes into ensuring the pitch is up to the standards expected for a tournament as prestigious as the World Cup. Even before the pitch is prepared, contracts must be concluded and signed and Steven admits that it can be somewhat of a rigorous process.

“Russia is a whole different ball game and one of the attractions of working with companies such as ourselves is the fact that we have been working with the groundsmen at the stadiums since 2001. Russian clubs prefer to be supported by local companies that supply European machines but quick, straightforward contracts are hard to make.”

“Every offer was made specifically for each stadium and training complex and all were tendered by the Russian Government. Then of course there are the complications of dealing with an eastern European country – let us say that the customs and borders in Russia are an interesting challenge.

“It is not easy but of course it is fantastic to work at such a tournament. We love our profession and it is a nice challenge to have!”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

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