Tag Archive for: Provide

Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s

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Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s: Royal St George’s has undergone months of preparations to welcome players, spectators and members of the media for The 149th Open and ably assisting the talented greenkeeping team create optimal course conditions are Toro machinery and irrigation.

Back on the course in Kent from 11–18 July 2021 for the 15th time, the rescheduled Championship was originally planned for July 2020 and cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as Reesink Turfcare managing director David Cole says, ‘good things come to those who wait’.

Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s

Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s

“They say that good things come to those who wait and that certainly characterises the journey Paul and his team have been on through the preparation for The 149th Open Championship that was postponed,” says David. “The highs and lows must have been challenging during their protracted journey to showcase the golf course at last. The results of their presentation is testament to their focus and resilience, and we and Toro are pleased to have supported Paul and his team along the way with both their irrigation systems and machinery.”

The 18-hole course is using Toro Reelmaster fairway mowers, Groundsmaster rough mowers, Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid riding greensmowers and Greensmaster Flex walk-behind greensmowers to create a first-class finish for the event which is expected to draw crowds of up to 32,000 a day. Reesink will also be loaning the club additional machines to keep up with maintenance demands.

The world-famous golf course began its long relationship with Toro with a fleet deal in 2013, and that relationship has continued with the installation of new irrigation in 2018 and the lease of additional equipment in 2019.

After installing the Toro Lynx Central Control System and over a thousand sprinklers across the greens, tees and fairways in 2018, course manager Paul Larsen and his team have been able to target irrigation to the areas that needed it most — conserving water through a series of very dry and hot summers. According to Larsen, the system has been instrumental in helping to maintain the highest standards leading up to The Open.

Peter Moeller, vice president at The Toro Company, says: “Royal St George’s is considered one of the world’s best golf courses, and we are thrilled that they have chosen Toro equipment to create optimal playing conditions on their course. We’re proud to be a part of it by supporting the greenkeepers at Royal St George’s throughout the Championship as well as in the future.”

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Can sand dressing provide a solution to worm casts?

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Can sand dressing provide a solution to worm casts?: Mansfield Sand has revealed that an increasing number of sports turf mangers are relying on a sand dressing as a solution to earthworm casting.

“After over three decades of greenkeeping and a few years of winter sports turf management, I am fully aware of the frustration caused by worm casts,” said Gary Cunningham, Football & Golf Sales Representative for Mansfield Sand.

Can sand dressing provide a solution to worm casts?

Can sand dressing provide a solution to worm casts?

“Whilst most earthworm activity goes unnoticed and has a role to play in soil management, its activity can have a detrimental impact on managed amenity grass surfaces. Besides being unsightly, it can lead to the deterioration in playing surfaces – allowing weed infestation, less resistance to turf disease and damage to mowing equipment. All of these inevitably also lead to increased management costs.”

Historically, surface casting was controlled by various chemical solutions. However, over recent years these options have been withdrawn from the market due to environmental protection concerns. This has left turf managers looking for alternative solutions to an age-old inconvenience.

There are several great articles and studies which have been published, and in each situation, sand dressing is shown to supress casting worm activity to some extent on managed areas.

Whilst this is not a quick fix and does depend on several factors such as local climate, soil temperature and time of year, what is apparent is that a sustained programme of sand dressing problem areas does reduce casting worm activity. In turn, casts become a sandier loam which can be easily dispersed without any smearing. This will also lessen the material build-up and not cause any issues with mowing equipment.

Mansfield Sand provides two well-known grades of silica sand to the sports market, MM35 and MM40 – which are sourced directly from the company’s Two Oaks quarry in Mansfield.

“Regular topdressing with MM35 or MM40 can help to manage casting worm activity,” continued Gary. “It can certainly help to make it easier once you build up the level of sand in the rootzone.

“Furthermore, using the right grade of high-quality sand is vital to the overall health and performance of a managed sports surface. Therefore, sports facilities that regularly apply sand dressings as part of their management programme, benefit from improved rootzones leading to better drainage and plant health.

“We may never be able to supress casting earthworm activity completely, but more and more turf managers are significantly reducing them by topdressing with sand.”

From winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas – Mansfield Sand has a solution for all, and the products have long been relied upon at stadium and training ground facilities; championship golf courses and world class show jumping arenas.

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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Wildflower Provide ‘Living Green Roof’ To Leeds Skelton Lake Services

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Wildflower Provide ‘Living Green Roof’ To Leeds Skelton Lake Services: The UK’s most prominent wildflower experts, Wildflower Turf Ltd, will be helping to enhance the biodiversity of the £60M Leeds Skelton Lake Services when the ‘new concept’ Motorway Service Area (MSA) opens on the M1 later this year.

Leeds Skelton Lake Services will include a 100-bedroom Hotel and a Food Court Building providing a wide range of Food & Beverage and ancillary retail outlets, a Wildlife Centre and a dedicated Business Centre.

Wildflower Provide ‘Living Green Roof’ To Leeds Skelton Lake Services

With the new MSA occupying a lakeside environment, the integration of the Hotel and Food Court Building in a way that is sympathetic to its surroundings has been of the utmost importance. Wildflower Turf Ltd are working closely with the Landscape Architect, Smeeden Foreman, and Wetherby-based Brambledown Landscapes Ltd to deliver an enhanced landscape that fits seamlessly into the local environment.

The innovative design of the main building showcases a unique and eye-catching undulating roof that will utilise wildflowers, supplied by the team at Wildflower Turf Ltd and installed by ABG Ltd.

The ‘Living Roof’ will be soil-less and consist of up to 41 native UK wildflower species that will provide a haven for bees and other invertebrates while delivering significant aesthetic appeal and ensuring that the building blends into its lakeside location.

Managing Director of Wildflower Turf Ltd, James Hewetson-Brown, said, “We are delighted that one of our wildflower roofs will be showcased at Leeds Skelton Lake Services. As awareness of the importance of biodiverse habitats increase, this new concept in MSA shows that the built environment can exist harmoniously with, and indeed give back to, the natural landscape.”

Andrew Long, CEO of Extra MSA said: “Throughout the detailed planning phase of Leeds Skelton Lake Services, we were acutely aware of our responsibility to the site’s natural surroundings. This new MSA will be a truly revolutionary design in the UK, providing critical safety infrastructure for this part of the motorway network, in a sustainable and visually appealing way.”

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