Tag Archive for: R&A

UK greenkeepers selected to support The R&A

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UK greenkeepers selected to support The R&A: The 150th Open at St Andrews is set to be a historic event with record crowds witnessing the world’s greatest players contest the Claret Jug and a team of almost 50 greenkeepers from golf clubs all over the United Kingdom and further afield will be supporting the home greenkeeping team as they prepare the Old Course’s famous fairways.

Each year The R&A requests the assistance of British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) members in the staging of the event. Every full BIGGA member who has been with the association for at least two years is eligible to apply for a place on the Volunteer Open Support Team and those who are selected are given incredible access to golf’s greatest championship, supporting every match with bunker raking duties.

UK greenkeepers selected to support The R&A

UK greenkeepers selected to support The R&A

The history of the Volunteer Open Support Team began at St Andrews in 1984 following years of complaints from golfers and the governing body that bunker raking at The Open was inconsistent. Walter Woods BEM, links superintendent at St Andrews at the time, proposed that members of the Scottish & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (SIGGA), which existed prior to the formation of BIGGA in 1987, could be enlisted on a volunteer basis. Having a deputised band of trained greenkeepers on site would also provide the home greenkeeping team with additional support, should the need arise. The Volunteer Open Support Team was formed and has attended every Open since, providing hundreds of BIGGA members with incredible memories and inspiring them to achieve greater things both in their careers and at their home facilities.

Joining the BIGGA volunteers will be Gordon Moir, BIGGA President 2022, himself a former links superintendent at St Andrews and an industry veteran who supervised the hosting of five Opens. Gordon will begin his presidency at the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) 2022, taking place from 22 to 24 March at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “The 150th Open will be a spectacular celebration of the sport of golf and in some ways the Volunteer Open Support Team recognises the vital role greenkeepers have played over the centuries in the development and prospering of this wonderful game, so we are thankful to The R&A for providing this opportunity for BIGGA members each year. The Open is the world’s greatest golf tournament and this is set to be the biggest and best instalment ever, so everyone at BIGGA – including those members who form the home St Andrews greenkeeping team – is looking forward to playing our part in the hosting of the championship.”

This year’s BIGGA Volunteer Open Support Team features a record number of first-time team members and each year is provided with accommodation, subsistence and uniform for the event. Restrictions may be in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and any necessary adjustments to working practices will be made clear to BIGGA members ahead of the championship.

The 150th Open takes place from 10 to 17 July 2022. Applications for the BIGGA Volunteer Open Support Team for The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool will open later this year.

Here are the BIGGA members who will be assisting the home greenkeepers for the duration of The 150th Open:

Robert Acheson, Thonock Park; Daniel Ashelby, Reddish Vale; George Barr, Worthing; Robert Bemment, Elsham; Simon Bone, Royal Wimbledon; James Bonfield, The Hertfordshire; Adam Brackley, Heworth; Tim Brown, Hockley; Michael Budd, Richmond Park; Steven Carmichael, Dumfries & Galloway; Stuart Christon, Middlesbrough (Brass Castle); Paul Clarkson, Sherborne; Mark Cleverley, Ludlow; David Davies, St Annes Old Links; Jack Fairbairn, Shipton; David Forbes, Faughan Valley; Dean Franks, West Sussex; Michael Gibbons, Dunham Forest; James Gilchrist, Harborne; Andrew Harding, Boyce Hill; Darren Hexley, Muir of Ord; Stevie-Jon Hood, Ljunghusens, Sweden; Jamie Hughes, Lyme Regis; Paul Law, South Staffordshire; Craig Littlejohn, Douglas Park; David McCormick, Royal Porthcawl; Matthew Milligan, Rudding Park; Tiffany Mills, Ryston Park; David McCormick, Royal Porthcawl; William Morton, Llanishen; Ronnie Myles, Buchanan Castle; Ian Nichols, Orsett; George Nock, Enville; Joshua Raper, Hosel EV, Germany; Scott Rigby, Gathurst; Scott Robertson, Strathmore; Harry Roe, Alwoodley; Andrew Sellars, The Grove; Chris Sheehan, Chorlton-cum-Hardy; Niels Sorensen, Randers, Denmark; Craig Surgeon, Kirkcaldy; Rick Tegtmeier CGCS MG, Des Moines, USA; Mark Thompson, Galgorm Castle; Ross Traill, Kilmarnock (Barassie); Sean Tully, Meadow Club, USA; Jeremy Ward, Bradford Moor; George Watton, Ludlow; Aidan Wright, Camberley Heath.

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An R&A appointment for ETL

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An R&A appointment for ETL: ETL, a Labosport Group company in Central Scotland, are proud to announce that they are now the official testing laboratory for The R&A, supporting testing for all Professional & Amateur event venues.

Sharon Singleton-Bruce, Managing Director of ETL says “this is an amazing opportunity for the laboratory, and we are looking forward to working with The R&A’s agronomists, Alistair Beggs, Richard Windows and Adam Newton.”

An R&A appointment for ETL

An R&A appointment for ETL

Testing for The R&A includes several of ETL’s Golf Green Health Testing (GGHI) tests using bespoke sampling kits. This service is providing course managers and agronomists with data for the performance of their golf greens, including undisturbed infiltration rates, organic matter content at incremental depths and nutrient analysis.

ETL is A2LA-accredited in the field of “Geotechnical, Putting Green Materials” since 1997, with an unrivalled experience of testing venues from all over the world. Adhering to the rigorous protocols of the accreditation provides the industry’s most reliable laboratory data.

Alistair Beggs, Head of Agronomy at The R&A said “we are delighted to be partnering ETL laboratories, and we are looking forward to working with Charles and Sharon who are able to give us the supporting information and knowledge we need to ensure the venues we use are maintained optimally and provide first class surfaces for member and championship golf. “

About ETL

European Turfgrass Laboratories Ltd (ETL) provides an independent and unbiased service for the analysis of soils, sand, peat, gravel, rootzone and other materials specifically for the turfgrass and landscape industries.

Formed in 1996, we have been testing materials for many of the world’s leading golf clubs, football clubs, national stadiums, racecourses and other natural grass sports surfaces
ETL’s market began in the UK and Ireland and has rapidly expanded across Europe into Africa, Middle East, Australasia and South America.

Golf course architects, agronomists, material suppliers, contractors, local authorities and government agencies use our testing services extensively during project planning and construction to ensure that all materials are conforming to their project’s specifications.

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New R&A Greenkeeping Scholar

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New R&A Greenkeeping Scholar: A Carrickfergus student has become the first in Northern Ireland to be awarded an R&A Greenkeeping Scholarship. Callum Burnside is currently undertaking a two-year foundation degree in Horticulture (Sportsturf) at the Greenmount campus of the College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE)

The R&A Greenkeeping Scholarship Programme was established in 2004 to help boost the careers of those undertaking higher level greenkeeping and sportsturf qualifications. CAFRE is the newest addition to the approved educational establishments participating in the programme, joining Scotland’s Rural College (Elmwood Campus) and Myerscough College in England.

New R&A Greenkeeping Scholar

Callum joins more than over 320 scholars worldwide across 30 different countries. He was previously awarded the Golf Union of Ireland cadetship in 2017. This involved mastering greenkeeping skills and achieving a work-based Level 2 Diploma in Greenkeeping while undertaking duties at the Greenmount’s Greenkeeping and Golfing Academy.

Wendy Cole, manager of Sustainability at the R&A, said: “Our rigorous application and interview process ensures that only the best candidates are chosen to be R&A Greenkeeping Scholars. Callum demonstrated his passion and commitment to the sportsturf industry admirably and I am delighted that he is our first Greenkeeping Scholar from CAFRE and indeed Northern Ireland.

“We hope to further develop our links with CAFRE moving forward and hopefully we will see more scholars being appointed.”

The R&A organises The Open, golf’s oldest major championship.

Paul Mooney, head of Horticulture at Greenmount, said: “With just months before The Open returns to Royal Portrush in July there has never been a better time to consider a career in greenkeeping.”

For more information about the scholarship programme see the Greenkeeping support section on: https://www.randa.org

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Toro Sprinklers Chosen For R&A

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Toro Sprinklers Chosen For R&A: Toro’s Infinity and T5 sprinklers have been selected to irrigate the golf practice area at The R&A’s Equipment Testing Centre in order to provide pristine greens and tees for golf equipment testing.

A focal point of the facility, which is located at Kingsbarns near St Andrews in Scotland, is the practice range which allows for human and robotic testing of equipment; the results from which directly affect the game of golf across the world. It is the two greens here that have benefitted from four Toro Infinity 35 sprinklers with TDC wall mount, while seven Toro T5 sprinklers have been added across two tees.

Toro Sprinklers Chosen For R&A

Paul Kimber from Kimber Golf, the golf course architect and contractor working with The R&A on the facility, says: “From its inception, this project has asked pertinent questions as to how and why things are done and how can they be improved. We applied some new techniques, developed a site-specific construction methodology for the greens and tried to create as many research opportunities as possible.

“I have used Toro irrigation for several years and found they provide a quality product with good customer service provided by Reesink Turfcare. This was considered a very important factor for the client, and had the irrigation designer, Callum, in agreement.”

Callum Oliphant, managing director of Applied Irrigation, one of Scotland’s leading irrigation specialists, recommends the use of Toro’s sprinklers because their “performance is reliable and consistent and the quality of design excellent”.

Callum knew he and the team who installed the sprinklers, could rely on Toro to deliver the results a customer like The R&A would expect: “Each year, The R&A’s Equipment Standards department tests thousands of golf clubs and balls to ensure they conform to the equipment rules and the turf needs to provide a true surface, which means it must be in top condition. Irrigation is of course instrumental to that.”

The turf, which the tests are carried out on by some of the leading scientists and elite golfers today and two cutting edge golf robots, need to be as near to perfect as it is possible to get. It’s easy to see therefore why Toro was picked to help achieve that goal.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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