Tag Archive for: rescue

Johnsons Sports Seed to the rescue at Reddish Vale

/in , /by

Johnsons Sports Seed to the rescue at Reddish Vale: As one extensive improvement project comes to an end, another unexpectedly begins at Stockport’s Reddish Vale Golf Club – and once again, Johnsons Sports Seed is playing a key role in recovery and renovation.

For the past few seasons, J Premier Tee has been transforming tees and aprons, bringing big benefits to play and praise for Head Greenkeeper Aaron Watkinson and his team. However, widespread flooding over the New Year period means a major recovery programme is now underway on the fairways – with the tried and tested Johnsons J Fairway ready to come to the rescue!

Johnsons Sports Seed to the rescue at Reddish Vale

Johnsons Sports Seed to the rescue at Reddish Vale

“I’ve worked with Johnson’s mixtures for many years and know it’s a range I can rely on” comments Aaron. “We set about some long-overdue improvements on the tees and aprons by firstly removing some of the tree coverage and identifying the key characteristics we were going to need from our choice of seed– these were wear tolerance, quick recovery, strong colour and an ability to withstand drought stress due to our aging irrigation system.”

Ticking all of the boxes has been a combination of J Premier Tee and J Fairway from the Johnsons Sports Seed range. Featuring 4turf® tetraploid ryegrass, J Premier Tee is ideal for rapid establishment on high-wear areas and sustainable shade tolerant tees. “We previously had some tees which were virtually unplayable come the end of September, but thanks to overseeding the last few years we now have a strong sward, delivering quality all year round. The members have undoubtedly noticed the improvements.”

For certain tees, Aaron also incorporated additional strength and drought tolerance with the 100% fescue blend of Johnsons J Fairway. It’s proven performance on the tees and aprons is now set to be extended as the team embark on a large-scale flood-recovery project. “We came back in January 2025 to find five of our holes under six to eight foot of floodwater from the River Tame. Once it receded, we were left with hundreds of tonnes of silt and sewerage contamination – all removed by the three of us, by hand!”

Alongside their hard work, it’s been the resilience and performance of Johnsons J Fairway that has underpinned their recovery. “Thanks to the incredible team effort some areas have already bounced back incredibly well, and those that need a bit of a helping hand will get an overseed with J Fairway which will help to complete the restoration in the coming weeks.”

The new J Fairway mix has been carefully selected to help restore Reddish Vale’s traditional heathland character and deliver cost-effective, intelligent turf management. “The blend combines high-quality chewings and slender creeping red fescues for density, visual merit, salt tolerance and drought resilience, alongside two strong creeping red fescues chosen for shoot density and disease resistance. A final 5% of browntop bentgrass gives this mixture a real edge in terms of longevity and visual quality,” adds Stuart Yarwood of DLF Seeds, who advised Aaron during the post-flood planning.

Aaron concludes, “We’re keeping positive and using this recovery as an opportunity to replicate the high standards we’ve delivered with Johnsons on the tees across our flood-hit fairways. We’ll get there!”

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Baroness comes to the rescue at Calcot Park

/in , , /by

Baroness comes to the rescue at Calcot Park: A trio of pedestrian mowers from Baroness are coming to the rescue at Calcot Park, as the club seek to maintain course standards through the ever-more challenging winter months.

The venue, like many, struggled to get ride-on equipment out over the winter of 23/24 due to increased rainfall and softer ground conditions. However, this problem will be a thing of the past with three LM66 cylinder mowers now ready to take up the task of retaining presentation on the tees and approaches.

Baroness comes to the rescue at Calcot Park

Baroness comes to the rescue at Calcot Park

Located on the Berkshire border, Calcot Park delivers a picturesque 18-holes in a parkland setting. Course Manager for the last six years Tom Jennings explains how, even outside of the ‘playing season’, the expectations of the players are high and the standards of the greenkeeping team are even higher! “We’re always striving for that next level of definition and the rain has really been hampering what we can deliver on areas that aren’t hand cut. That’s why we decided to invest in a fleet of pedestrian mowers specifically for the tees and factored the time to deliver this attention to detail into our programme.”

After a comprehensive search, and fantastic advice and service from both Lister Wilder and Luke Collins from Baroness, they decided on three LM66 mowers from the Baroness pedestrian range – delivered in June 2024.

Tom continues, “In my opinion, the cut quality with these LM66’s is the best on the market and, not only that, they stay on cut for much longer. We’ve done some topdressing over the summer and are now starting to see worm casts emerging yet, despite this, the Baroness mowers remain sharp giving us outstanding consistency and a clean, precise cut. The tees and approaches have never presented better.”

Along with the slightly smaller LM56 model, the Baroness pedestrian mower design incorporates traditional all-gear drive – delivering 100% transmission rate with no slippage or lag between the drive to reel rotation ratio. In addition, the durability of this system compared to belt or chain drive is extremely high, providing additional peace of mind that a balanced cut will be achieved with every operation. The renowned cylinder is manufactured from Nickel-Chrome-Molybdenum alloy steel which retains the sharpest cutting edge, helping to promote healthy growth and contributing to surfaces that are less vulnerable to disease. Both the Baroness LM56/66 models also include a 5-year warranty as standard.

“The good thing is that we’ve all had chance to get used to them and get a real feeling for what can be achieved with these machines.” He adds, “We now feel confident going into the wetter months that we can deliver the tees and approaches to the same standard we’re delivering in other areas of the course… if not better!”

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

J All Bent to the rescue

/in , /by

J All Bent to the rescue: When previous attempts to get a practice putting green back into play at Vicars Cross Golf Club in Cheshire had failed, in stepped new Golf Course Manager Richie Stephens, armed with the J All Bent mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed.

A few short months from seeding, and with some favourable assistance from mother nature, the USGA spec green was in business – with the programme then implemented on the construction of a new chipping green that enjoyed similar success!

J All Bent to the rescue

J All Bent to the rescue

Upon joining Vicars Cross just over 12 months ago, Richie was tasked with the completion of the putting surface which had been out of action for close to two years. Keen to unlock the solution, he spoke to DLF’s Stuart Yarwood. “I’ve known Stuart for years and his greenkeeping background means he gives not only technical advice, but the right advice for our situation as he understands the challenge having been in our shoes” Richie says. “We opted to overseed with a 100% bent mix in the form of Johnsons J All Bent.”

The blend of three top-rated browntop bent cultivars in J All Bent delivers a hard-wearing, visually-striking sward, equipped to cope with close cutting and a range of environmental stresses. Its reduced reliance on chemical inputs makes it a popular choice for clubs pursuing a fast but sustainable greens strategy.

“We got it in the ground in May, we were fortunate with the weather and it came through really well. In August we then built a chipping green which overran the original schedule and meant we didn’t get seed until mid-November. Despite this, we still saw fantastic strike before Christmas, even coverage and strong visual impact. The speeds we’re achieving on the putting green is now comparable to what we’re achieving on our regular greens.”

The other 18 greens are overseeded annually during summer renovations with J All Bent, a programme introduced by Richie to try and promote an increase in the bent populations across the site. Elsewhere, it’s PM45 Tee and Fairway Plus from DLF’s Masterline range. “We use this on areas off the greens which has proven very successful.”

“The club, the players and my team have all noticed how far the surfaces have come on since we introduced the DLF mixtures and we’re definitely coming out of winter in a stronger, better position than we have before.”

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Greenkeeper describes moment of rescue

/in , , /by

Greenkeeper describes moment of rescue: A north-east man has described the moment he pulled a man from the River Don after seeing him fall from an Aberdeen bridge.

Read the full article from Press & Journal here

Greenkeeper describes moment of rescue

Greenkeeper describes moment of rescue

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Supaturfman to the rescue

/in , /by

Supaturfman to the rescue: Greenkeeper Mark Piper claims that the SISIS Supaturfman has made a remarkable difference to the green at Maldon Bowling Club in Essex. 

Maldon, one of the most respectable bowling clubs in Essex, was founded in 1908.

Supaturfman to the rescue

Supaturfman to the rescue

Historically, the green itself was maintained by the local Council for several years, but it is now looked after by a small group of dedicated club members. It was the right decision according to Mark Piper, the greenkeeper who oversees the team of volunteers.

“It was time for us to start caring for the green because it was suffering,” said Mark.

“Unfortunately, the Council couldn’t dedicate enough time and it was affecting the playability of the green. As a club we came to this decision and not only has it made sense financially, but it has also improved the quality of the green.”

Mark took on the responsibility at the start of the year and identified which task required immediate attention.

“The green was suffering quite badly from moss,” he said. “This was because it was receiving no aeration at all throughout the winter.”

After researching various aeration machines, Mark came across the SISIS Supaturfman and decided to call the company after being suitably impressed.

“I really liked the sound of the machine, but I wasn’t too sure if we could afford it. After speaking to Dennis and SISIS, they pointed us in the correct direction so we could obtain a funding package. I was obviously delighted, and it was part of an exceptionally good service from Dennis and SISIS.”

Mark received the necessary funding from SUEZ Communities Trust, which enabled him to purchase the SISIS Supaturfman. This independently powered heavy-duty aerator is ideal for the maintenance of bowling greens. Just as Mark recognised, aeration is important for improving drainage, reducing turf compacting, thatch build up and for generally increasing the health of lawns.

Furthermore, it has a maximum working depth of 10cm (4 inches) and a choice of interchangeable tines to provide excellent lawn care when aeration is needed.

“In just a short amount of time, the Supaturfman has made a huge difference to the green,” said Mark. “It is extremely easy to use, and will be used throughout the season for aeration. When I attach the slitter – not only is it quicker than tining, but it also provides aeration with the added benefit of keeping the Poa Annua down – which we normally get a lot of in spring. I would say that I use the machine a couple of times a month, alternating between the solid tines and the slitter every two weeks.

“As the season approaches, I am planning on using the pencil tines once a month and we also bought the hollow tines should we need to do coring in the autumn.”

Supaturfman to the rescue

Supaturfman to the rescue

For those all-important autumn renovations, Mark also purchased the SISIS Truspred – a versatile hand operated spreader and top dresser for the accurate, even application of grass seed or top-dressing material.

With his new SISIS equipment, Mark now feels that the green is currently in its best ever condition.

“All of the members can see the difference already,” he said. “I’m looking forward to using the Supaturfman for the autumn renovations and keeping the green aerated over winter – I am confident that this will raise the standards of the green even more.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter or Instagram @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.