Tag Archive for: Proves

Suståne proves the key for consistency

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Suståne proves the key for consistency: A programme based around Suståne 5-2-4+Fe organic slow-release fertiliser is working wonders at Linköping Golf Club in Sweden – delivering enhanced consistency in plant health and growth for Head Greenkeeper Andreas Bergqvist and his team.

Now into their second year of pursuing a more natural approach to enhancing soil biology, not only are the greens performing better, the additional strength has seen improved resistance to Anthracnose.

Suståne proves the key for consistency

Suståne proves the key for consistency

Andreas has been in charge of the maintenance of the picturesque parkland course for the last five years, but has been at the club since 2001 as a deputy where he first gained experience of products from the Suståne range. “My approach to plant health is very much to work with nature and feed from the bottom up, rather than the top down” he explains. “We’d been using Suståne for a number of years, but when I took over I further reduced artificial inputs in favour of upping our Suståne programme to get better structure into our push-up greens.”

The current plan consists of 8-10 week applications of Suståne 5-2-4+Fe between the months of April and September; the long-lasting sources of organic nitrogen promoting greater root development and good colour. “The main benefit we’ve found is that you don’t get the flush of growth like you do with synthetic fertilisers. It keeps the greens consistent in terms of playability and means that we’re employing fewer mechanical practices such as verti-cutting to keep on top of rapid growth which, in turn, brings benefit for surface quality and health.”

“Prior to using Suståne we would also commonly see outbreaks of Anthracnose around the course. This appears to have decreased significantly, and when we do get a patch we can target treat with some additional 5-2-4+Fe and it’s seemingly resolved within a couple of days.”

He continues, “One of the biggest issues we face here in southern Sweden is drought. The Suståne product being naturally-derived means that we can apply when we need to, and not when the rainfall forecast is in our favour. The boost to root development also means we’re finding that the grass is more tolerant to the hot and dry conditions which means we’re well-placed to deal with the changing climate moving forwards.”

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Verti-Drain® proves past, present and future

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Verti-Drain® proves past, present and future: While much has changed in the fine turf industry over the last 40 years, one thing that has remained a constant for greenkeeper Trevor Dennis is the presence of a Verti-Drain®.

As an early adopter of the technology in his position at Kings Lynn Golf Club in 1986, the original aerator has played a major role at all of Trevor’s clubs – including Heacham Manor Golf Club in Norfolk where, on his retirement, he hands over not only the Head Greenkeeper baton, but a pair of Redexim Verti-Drain’s.

Verti-Drain® proves past, present and future

Verti-Drain® proves past, present and future

Trevor was one of the first to see the Verti-Drain® used in a golf course environment during his apprenticeship training in 1986 and, impressed by the benefits, convinced his club at the time to invest. “I had to explain the technique and what this would do for course condition… Comparing it to an agricultural plough was the only way to get the committee of farmers to understand! I have only used a Redexim Verti-Drain® since and have complete faith in it” he explains.

Inheriting two Verti-Drain’s, including a 1513 and Redexim Carrier delivered just a few weeks ago by local dealer Ben Burgess, is Tom Brooks who became Heacham’s new Head Greenkeeper in October 2023. An American Links-style course, Heacham Manor features 18 USGA specification greens which was the reason for the club’s most recent purchase. “We have a Verti-Drain 7416 and wanted to complement this with something light enough for work on the greens throughout the winter months” explains Tom. “Our new Carrier and Verti-Drain® will give us enough depth and versatility to alleviate any compaction on the greens without applying any unnecessary weight, all while freeing the tractor up for other maintenance tasks.”

Tom continues, “Verti-draining is central to what we do and now we have two machines, the 7416 can focus on the fairways and walk-off areas while the Carrier and 1513 combination promises to deliver effective relief on the greens – particularly in this very wet start to the winter.” Lightweight and robust, the Redexim Carrier utilises a 31hp engine and hydrostatic transmission to power a range of high output implements while exerting minimal ground pressure.

Along with offering year-round versatility thanks to a range of tine options, the pair also work well alongside other maintenance machines – in particular, Tom notes their Rink DS800 topdresser. “We’ll be looking to use the Carrier and 1513 as part of spring and autumn green renovations, following with the Rink to effectively incorporate accurate amounts of sand dressing into the profile.” He concludes, “The results and reliability we get from Redexim has served us well in the past and will continue to do so long into the future.”

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Johnsons J Tee proves the solution to shade issues at

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Johnsons J Tee proves the solution to shade issues at: A trial of J Tee from the Johnsons Sports Seed range has now been rolled out course-wide at Knutsford Golf Club in Cheshire, after solving a number of issues on their heavily shaded tees.

The combination of high footfall and a lack of sunlight caused by trees have previously posed a number of problems when it comes to the maintenance of the small tees, which Course Manager David Jones now claims to be a thing of the past thanks to the ‘second to none’ results from the J Tee mix.

Johnsons J Tee proves the solution to shade issues at

Johnsons J Tee proves the solution to shade issues at

Knutsford Golf Club, once part of National Trust site Tatton Park, is somewhat unique with a 10-green layout. While this enables golfers to play a different 9 and 18th hole, for David and his team of four, this means double the traffic on the tees which he admits used to let the overall course condition down. “We knew that removing trees to allow for better light and airflow was not going to be an option accepted by the members so we had to find another way” he explains. “I put an SOS call out to Stuart Yarwood, our Regional DLF Technical Manager, to see what we could do and the support and advice we’ve had has been brilliant.”

Stuart recommended Johnsons J Tee – combining 4Turf® tetraploid ryegrass along with traditional ryegrass and strong creeping red fescue. The additional inclusion of 5% Sabrena rough stalked meadow grass makes J Tee truly unique, creating a mixture that delivers exceptional disease resistance, rapid establishment and a hard-wearing sward even under heavy shade, making it ideal for golf tees and pathways. The fineness of leaf and shoot density of Sabrena is comparable to a high-quality bent cultivar, while its speed of establishment is akin to that of perennial ryegrass – enhanced further by DLF’s Growmax seed coating which enhances overseeding results in difficult conditions. In shade trials, Sabena is amongst the hardest wearing varieties on the market.

“We began a programme with J Tee in the spring, which has really come to fruition over the summer. The biggest difference has been the wear tolerance, the team and I have seen a noticeable improvement in sward density which is withstanding and the wear and tear.” David continues, “The 4th tee is the most shaded and even here, we’ve achieved outstanding coverage.”

The successes of J Tee come alongside three years of fantastic results with Johnsons J All Bent on the greens. “Our greens are over 100 years old and where other varieties have struggled with the drainage and poor soil profile, the strike we had from the J All Bent made this a no-brainer to continue.” He adds, “We’ve also noticed that we require less water and chemical inputs to maintain the greens, even in the difficult weather conditions we’ve all had these last couple of years, while still retaining good plant health and little to no disease.”

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Murrayshall visit proves inspirational

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Murrayshall visit proves inspirational: Students in Golf Course Management from Scotland’s Rural College based at the Elmwood Campus in Cupar, Fife, were recent visitors to the Murrayshall Country Estate in Perthshire to learn more about the transformation of its two golf courses into US-style challenges.

As part of a vocational training program set up by SRUC to emphasise the importance of the wider ecology of golf course property rather than focus on traditional fine turf areas, a group of ten students and their lecturers spent time with Murrayshall’s Head Greenkeeper Darrin Urquhart and five members of his team to gain some useful insight into the workplace. “It was the first time that the group had been to Murrayshall and we were all impressed by the high standards of turf care being achieved with relatively limited members of staff,” said Ian Butcher MBA, the Program Leader & Senior Lecturer in Golf Course Management at the SRUC’s Elmwood Campus.

Murrayshall visit proves inspirational

Murrayshall visit proves inspirational

“Darrin explained how he and his team are producing surfaces that combined playing quality with presentation, as well as meeting the diverse expectations of club members wanting different levels of difficulty or features from the course. And in additional to the playing areas, they undertake specific developments such as walkways and viewing spots for non-golfers to enjoy. This wider
perspective of the estate as whole was very useful to share with our students and every member of Darrin’s team was on the same page regarding the Murrayshall brand.

“I’ve been fortunate to play Murrayshall before and from a Scottish landscape experience, it’s hard to beat. But with the attention to detail and refinements now being seen, these qualities will only be enhanced into a truly memorable round of golf and a first-class parkland experience in a true Scottish setting,” he added.

According to Darrin Urquhart, who has been at Murrayshall over the past 14 years, the visit also served to give college graduates an insight into the work needed to transform a conventional parkland course into a US-style layout with white sand bunkers, smaller greens and surrounding rough. “They won’t have seen courses like these in this part of Scotland before and it’s one of the distinguishing features that sets Murrayshall apart, so we were really pleased to show them all around,” said Darrin.

The 365-acre Murrayshall estate offers golfers a challenging 18-hole Championship course and the nearby 10-hole Lynedoch course, ideal for those wanZng to play a quick round, or juniors and those new to the game. It also features one of the most picturesque driving ranges in the country.

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CS100 proves perfect

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CS100 proves perfect: Satisfying the increasing demand from domestic customers for retaining wood chip, a CS100 from GreenMech has been non-stop since its delivery, according to Max Bishop, Owner of MJB Group.

Installed by local dealers GA Groundcare in December 2022, the CS100 sits alongside a GreenMech Arborist 150P which now gives the landscape, arb and grounds team the versatility to tackle projects of all shapes and sizes.

CS100 proves perfect

CS100 proves perfect

Into their sixth year of trading, MJB Group undertake all areas of garden maintenance and tree surgery, and in addition to a large residential client base, have recently begun working on a number of commercial jobs in and around their trading area of Wiltshire and Somerset. “We’ve had a GreenMech Arborist 150P on our fleet for the last five years and it’s a fantastic piece of kit” Max says. “This is in use every day. Increasingly, on the domestic jobs, customers were asking to keep chippings to use in their flowers beds so we spoke to Ashley at GA Groundcare about a smaller, more portable unit that we could manoeuvre into back gardens, chip on the spot, and then spread the chippings where they’d like them.”

At just 760mm wide, the GreenMech CS100 is ideal for jobs in confined spaces, fitting through standard gates and doorways making it the perfect partner for work in domestic environments. The 18hp electric-start petrol engine and twin, reversible chipping blades make light work of timber, wood waste and vegetation while the adjustable discharge chute makes chip disposable convenient and simple.

“Within half an hour of the CS100 demonstration we’d decided to buy it! The build quality of it is extraordinary and, after having a look at other machines, this only confirmed that we weren’t going to get anything more robust or better suited to our needs.” He continues, “It’s been working on all-manner of jobs, from garden clearances through to large ash tree removals where we hooked it up on the back of the quadbike and towed it into position.”

“It will take material up to 4” extremely easily and produces lovely chips. Having this second machine has also saved us a considerable amount of money that we were spending on disposing chippable material when the Arborist 150P was busy.” Delighted with the performance of his CS100, Max has also been impressed with the back up support and service from GreenMech and his regional dealer GA Groundcare. “They’re a fantastic brand to work with, really easy to talk to and no question is too much to ask. With our pair of machines working so well, as we continue to grow it’s great to have a brand supporting us that can continue to support our requirements moving forwards.”

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