Tag Archive for: relaunch

GMA Awards relaunch for 2022

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GMA Awards relaunch for 2022: Following the launch of the Grounds Management Association’s Hall of Fame, the association relaunches the GMA Awards (previously IOG Awards) with the ceremony taking place this November at The Vox, Birmingham.

Last year, the awards were on hold due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which gave GMA members and the industry the opportunity to focus on challenging maintenance diaries. In 2022, the GMA Awards hosts 19 categories to cover the broad spectrum of its members, including the Volunteer Sports Grounds Team/Individual of the Year Award, the Best Environmental and Sustainability Impact Award and the renowned Alex R Millar Award.

GMA Awards relaunch for 2022

GMA Awards relaunch for 2022

With turf care quickly growing its media presence and public interest, the GMA has also looked at ways to make the awards more accessible to those at all levels of grounds care or turf management, from grassroots to professional stadiums. This includes, for the first time, applicants having the option to submit a short video to the set questions and criteria, instead of completing a written form.

The full list of categories for this year’s GMA Awards is as follows:

  1. Young Grounds Person of the year
  2. Newcomer of the Year
  3. Volunteer Sports Grounds Team/Individual of the Year
  4. Community Sports Grounds Team/Individual of the Year
  5. Bowls / Croquet Grounds Team/Individual of the Year
  6. Best Managed Artificial Surface of the Year
  7. Best Environmental and Sustainability Impact
  8. Professional Cricket Grounds Team of the Year
  9. Professional Tennis Courts Grounds Team of the Year
  10. Professional Horse Racing Grounds Team of the Year
  11. Professional Rugby Football League Grounds Team of the Year
  12. Professional Rugby Football Union Grounds Team of the Year
  13. Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year (A)
  14. Professional Football Grounds Team of the Year (B)
  15. University/College Grounds Team of the Year
  16. Independent School Grounds Team of the Year
  17. International Impact Award
  18. Alex R Millar Award
  19. Induction to Hall of Fame

Commenting on the return of the GMA Awards, GMA CEO Geoff Webb says:

“Last year, we recognised that entering the GMA Awards was not a priority for many grounds staff and volunteers, but with growing post-COVID-19 optimism we warmly welcome everyone back to celebrate their achievements in 2022. Both paid grounds staff and volunteers are the backbone of sport and physical activity, and our new award categories aim to make the applications more inclusive and easier to enter for all.”

Nominations for the GMA Awards 2022 open from midday Tuesday 3 May. Judges will be announced later this year with tickets on sale for the ceremony from summer.

Award nominations will open on Tuesday 3 May. Nominees will receive an award application, which they can complete in written or video format. These will then be judged by an independent panel of experts which will be announced later this year.

Deadline for nominations is Friday 29 July 2022, and the deadline for applications is Monday 8 August.

For more information, please visit https://thegma.org.uk/awards where you can sign-up for further updates.

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Chart Hills set for relaunch

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Chart Hills set for relaunch: Chart Hills Golf Club will be officially relaunching on 1st June, 2021, following an intensive year-long redevelopment.

Led by Director of Golf, Anthony Tarchetti, and Course Manager, Neil Lowther, the club has been subject to a total property renovation. Ramac Holdings (also owners of Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich) purchased Chart Hills in December 2019, with a significant task in front of them as they looked to restore a golf course that had suffered for some years.

Chart Hills set for relaunch

Chart Hills set for relaunch

The result is the restoration of a playable, yet challenging layout that will be presented and manicured to championship standards year-round, set among some of the most picturesque countryside in the southeast.

“We have made enormous strides and are hugely proud of the product we will be presenting,” commented Tarchetti.

“While the work has been significant, we absolutely will not rest on our laurels. This is just the beginning of a road of continuous improvement at Chart Hills, with plans already in place to continue developments over the coming years.

“We are extremely excited to welcome our members and their guests back to the club in the coming months.”

Initial planning indicated that a complete redevelopment project would take more than two years to finish, with the hope of a late summer opening in 2022. However, the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and forced closures due to government restrictions, presented an opportunity to dramatically accelerate the timeframe.

The decision was made to officially close the golf course in July 2020, with no reopening scheduled until all 18-holes had been completely renovated. The focus of the project was to completely relay the fairways, to produce carpet-like surfaces that are playable year-round.

Every fairway was completely stripped, exposing the bare soil. The maintenance team then laid thousands of metres of irrigation piping down before more than 30,000 tonnes of sand was shaped onto the holes to produce a four-inch capping. The finishing team spread Creeping-Rye seed on each fairway area before the watering and fertilisation processes began.

Off the course, the entire venue has been remodelled, with a completely redecorated clubhouse, all-new club shop, modernised bar area, improved car park and signage, and upgraded practice facilities that include a state-of-the-art simulator room.

Despite a challenging winter, the club has been able to make great strides in continuing the renovation of the clubhouse area and green complexes, while applying the finishing touches to the new fairways. There has also been a complete bunker overhaul to manicure all 100+ of Chart Hills’ famous sand traps.

The full facility, including the striking and vast clubhouse, will be open and fully operational from 1st June, with Covid-19 guidelines adhered to at all times.

Examples of the latest major developments and what can be expected from the newly renovated Chart Hills Golf Club, can be seen in the latest episode of the club’s video diary series, Inside Chart Hills. To watch Episode Eight, click here.

For the latest updates on the renovation project, find Chart Hills on social media: Twitter – @ChartHills, Instagram – @ChartHillsGolfClub, Facebook – Chart Hills Golf Club.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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