Tag Archive for: Round

Championship-Quality Golf All Year Round

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Championship-Quality Golf All Year Round: West Lothian’s premier golf and leisure destination, Deer Park Golf & Country Club, is proving that championship golf doesn’t stop when the clocks go back. With a significant investment in winter course care and maintenance, Deer Park is offering golfers the chance to enjoy superb playing conditions 365 days a year, ensuring the course remains in peak form, whatever the weather.

The club’s recent programme of works includes extensive micro-coring, verti-draining, and topdressing of greens and pitching areas, along with re-shaped bunkers, tree maintenance and improved course drainage. These investments are part of a long-term commitment to enhance playability, presentation, and sustainability, creating a course that performs beautifully through all seasons.

Championship-Quality Golf All Year Round

Championship-Quality Golf All Year Round

With fewer crowds, crisp air, and the unique lighting of the winter months, Deer Park offers a distinctive playing experience that appeals to flexible workers, retired golfers, and visiting players alike. The prestigious clubhouse is open seven days a week and ready to welcome members and guests for pre- or post-round refreshments. Golfers can enjoy 18 holes on the championship course for just £25 until March 2026, providing superb value and an opportunity to enjoy the full greens experience and keep the game sharp all year round.

Iain Stoddard, PGA leading professional at Deer Park, said: “Thanks to significant investment and the team’s hard work, the course is in excellent condition. The putting greens are rolling beautifully and the fairways are firm and consistent, ideal for anyone that wants to keep their game strong over the winter months. It’s great to see so many golfers making the most of the fantastic value and year-round play available here at Deer Park.”

Mark Campbell, Head Greenkeeper at Deer Park, said: “This winter’s programme is all about elevating the course’s condition and playability. Our team is fully committed to ensuring Deer Park remains in perfect shape throughout the year, with much of the work already underway. We appreciate the continued support of our members and visitors, and look forward to delivering a course we can all continue to be proud of.”

With Christmas just around the corner, there’s never been a better time to give the gift of golf and Deer Park memberships, including junior, senior and full options, provide year-round access to championship-standard play with a welcoming club community and a host of leisure and dining facilities.

Advance booking advised, for more information please call 01506 446699 or visit www.deer-park.co.uk.

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GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence

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GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence: A GKB Combitool has proven the solution to improving surface quality, and reducing reliance on hired equipment, at Norfolk’s Langley School.

Senior Groundsman Phil Cook leads a team of four in maintaining 19 hectares of school grounds – made that much easier with the versatility of the 4-in-1 implement which has taken presentation of the sports pitches to new heights.

GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence

GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence

When Phil joined the co-educational day and boarding school 18 months ago, most of the maintenance machinery was hired in. Notification followed shortly after that prices were due to increase so a change of tact was needed. “It made sense to look at what we were using most often, and as a versatile all-rounder, we knew something like the GKB Combitool would make a big difference across multiple areas of the site” Phil explains.

Working closely with Stuart Paterson at Ernest Doe & Sons, the school built a package of machines – including the GKB Combitool – for delivery in October 2024.

“I hadn’t had any previous experience of GKB, but when I saw the brochure and the build quality of the unit, it was an easy decision. In practice, it has more than lived up to expectations. It’s incredibly solid, reliable and easy to use enabling us to brush, rake, roll and spike our 10 winter sports pitches year-round and, in springtime, our cricket outfields on a weekly basis.” He adds, “Because of the size of the site, we sometimes used to struggle with moving clippings. Now, we can follow the mower with a single pass of the GKB Combitool, rake the clippings up and leave an immaculately presented surface in its wake.”

The delivery also couldn’t have been better planned for Phil and the team, with the Combitool landing just in time for Langley’s annual rugby festival which attracts teams from across the UK. “With so many spectators and matches in a condensed period, presentation really matters. Running the Combitool between games was a real eye-opener. It lifted the grass, left a brilliant finish and helped us retain superb surfaces for the duration of the event.”

The quality and value delivered by the GKB Combitool has certainly left a strong impression, leading Phil to look at other areas of their maintenance programme. “The Combitool has become our go-to implement, and is raising standards so much, we’d like to see about adding more GKB Machines to our armoury to bring other areas up to a similar level – ensuring the facilities continue to meet the high expectations of our students, visiting clubs and national tournaments alike.”

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SALTEX announces first round of speakers

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SALTEX announces first round of speakers: SALTEX is renowned for its exceptional range of professional development opportunities, showcased through its industry-leading Learning LIVE programme. 

This year, over 20 industry pioneers, technical specialists, and experts will speak across three stages, including the brand-new Community Sports Stage, over two days – making it the largest free live learning event in the sector. Many visitors cite Learning LIVE, which also offers the opportunity to gain CPD points, as a key reason for attending the show.

SALTEX announces first round of speakers

SALTEX announces first round of speakers

The Main Stage will feature discussions on the latest hot topics and issues, engaging visitors in the big conversations of the moment. Day one highlights include Lee Guerriero, UEFA Stadium Operations and Pitch Expert, presenting the ‘UEFA EURO 2024 Pitch Quality Review’.

He said: “I’m excited to share the UEFA 2024 Pitch Quality Support Program with the visitors at SALTEX. My session will cover the program’s strategy, findings, and learnings, offering insights from the main stadia to the training pitches used throughout this year’s tournament.”

Also on day one, Robert Sullivan, CEO of The Football Foundation, will discuss ‘Funding The Future of Sport’.

Day two on the Main Stage will feature Professor David James, Group CEO at LABOSPORT Group, delivering the ‘FIFA Football Turf Quality Programme’.

He said: “I’m thrilled to be sharing my insights at SALTEX once again. Working closely with FIFA, I help shape new standards and test methods for football infrastructure. This talk will offer an exciting overview of FIFA’s innovative approach to enhancing the quality of football turf surfaces.”

Additionally, Mark Ferguson, Agronomist at All England Lawn Tennis Club,  will present on ‘Raising Tennis Surfaces Standards – From Grassroots to Major International Championships’. His session will cover the expanding grass court season, grass court characteristics, grassroots venues, preparation for Wimbledon, and the growth of grass court tennis.

SALTEX will also see the return of the Spotlight Stage, featuring crowd-pullers in an ask-the-experts-style forum. On day one, Paul Bannister, with 28 years of experience in commercial horticulture, landscaping, and sports turf industries, will deliver ‘How to Provide a Safe Working Environment – Are You Compliant?’.

Day two will see Professor John Moverley OBE, former executive chairman of the UK Amenity Forum, present ‘Principles & Practices of Sustainable Amenity Management’. This session will review policy drivers, key elements of sustainable management, and integrated approaches to management and operational practice.

Geoff Fenn, Research & Development Director at Origin Amenity Solutions, will also present ‘Independent Turfgrass Research – Latest Results’, sharing insights from his extensive experience in turf management.

Sarah Cunningham, Director of Commercial and Events at the Grounds Management Association, said: “We’re incredibly excited about this year’s SALTEX, especially the Learning LIVE schedule. It’s always great to see so many industry-leading professionals come together to share their knowledge. Our aim is to create sessions where everyone feels welcome and can take something extra away with them, we believe this year’s lineup  of speakers and sessions will do just that. There’s something here for everyone.”

For more information on SALTEX 2024 and to register for the event, please visit https://www.saltex.org.uk/.

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SALTEX reveals first round of speakers

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SALTEX reveals first round of speakers: SALTEX can announce the first round of headlining speakers at this year’s Learning LIVE and details on the themed stages, which are new for 2023.

SALTEX is known for the quality, range and breadth of professional development opportunities it provides through its industry-leading, established Learning LIVE programme. This year, over 20 presenters will speak across three stages in two days. It is the largest free live learning event for the sector with many visitors citing it as a key reason to attend the show.

SALTEX reveals first round of speakers

SALTEX reveals first round of speakers

Sarah Cunningham, director of commercial and events at the GMA, says: “Learning LIVE is a well-respected, highly anticipated highlight at SALTEX, known to be a fantastic way to boost knowledge in a wide range of topics. Here we provide a snapshot of some of the headlining speakers and sessions available. It’s exciting and there is so much more to come!”

This year, the Main Stage will continue as it always has done to highlight the latest hot topics and issues, bringing visitors into the big conversations of the moment.

Day one of the show sees Lee Guerriero, pitch and technology specialist at UEFA, discuss UEFA’s 2024-2027 pitch strategy and on day two Tony Hanson and his fellow panellists from the Environment Agency and Anglian Water will cover future water restrictions for golf greens and sports turf.

Lee Guerriero explains: “Attending events like SALTEX is important to maintain an understanding of the latest developments in a rapidly evolving industry. With challenges facing grounds keepers as a result of heavy fixture schedules, climate change and the need to work in a sustainable way, it is important that all stakeholders from grassroots sports to the elite game come to events such as SALTEX.

“The Learning LIVE sessions in particular allow for an exchange of best practice and an open dialogue across sports so that the quality of the pitches continues to improve as expectation levels and demands around pitch quality also continue to grow.”

New for 2023 are themed stages and reflecting the need to place sustainability and environmental issues at the heart of the grounds maintenance sector’s thinking, the Eco Stage will do just that. SALTEX is proud to introduce Dr Eric O’Donnell from SportsLabs to talk about recycling solutions for synthetic turf and a session from the Football Foundation on its pilot on the future of sustainable synthetic turf.

The Spotlight Stage brings to the fore the crowd-pullers into an ask the experts-style forum. Dr John Dempsey will bring his insights to the 2020-2023 independent turfgrass research update and non-pesticidal disease management sessions, while Aled Lewis will highlight Welsh FA’s Pitch Improvement Funding Strategy.

Dr John Dempsey, independent turfgrass research, says: “The reason I like to present at events such as SALTEX is that I love sharing the results of not only my research but also the latest data available on relevant turfgrass subjects and it gives me the opportunity to meet many turfgrass professionals.

“Hopefully attendees will find the presentations of value and take away something that will be able to incorporate into their maintenance programs be it golf, football or playing fields.”

Sarah continues: “We have curated what we believe to be a well-rounded, industry representative programme of CPD-accredited seminars, which we will be able to share in full with visitors in due course.”

Until then, register now to boost your knowledge and guarantee entry to Europe’s largest and leading sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade exhibition at Birmingham NEC on 1-2 November 2023 at: https://bit.ly/456l0dA

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Christmas all year round with Pellenc

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Christmas all year round with Pellenc: The battery-powered Pellenc Prunion pruning shears have proved to be instrumental in helping one of the UK’s largest Christmas tree growers.

Tayside Forestry has been producing Christmas trees in the heart of the Angus countryside in Scotland for nearly 60 years. The company produces approximately 80,000 Christmas trees each year on 500 acres of prime land and its clients include large retail businesses, wholesalers and garden centres. It also sells directly to the public from the farm throughout December, turning its farm shed into a Christmas tree forest and light show.

Christmas all year round with Pellenc

Christmas all year round with Pellenc

Adam Robinson is the Farm Manager for Tayside Forestry and oversees the growing and the selling of the Christmas trees. He explained how the centrepiece of every home during the festive period takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

“Nordmann Fir and Fraser Fir are the main crops that we grow, and we have about 1.1 million trees in the ground,” he said. “We will normally take the trees out of the field in their seventh year, but we have to carefully nurture them along the way.

“During the process we let them grow and develop their root system and once they have got to a certain height (approximately thigh level) we will continue shaping the tree to make sure they have that beautiful Christmas tree shape.

“In particular, we carry out bottom handling on the trees,” continued Adam. “The purpose of this is to keep the bottom ten inches of the tree clear of branches so that people can get the Christmas trees into the stands. This is where the Pellenc Prunion comes in.”

The Prunion pruning shears are ideal for growers looking for the most powerful, lightest and most innovative tool on the market. Its grip fits any hand, and its large cutting diameter makes it incredibly comfortable to use. The numerous innovations of this pruning shear make it indispensable for professionals seeking either freedom of movement with the 150P pocket or the possibility to alternate tools with the 250 battery, which allows users to connect two Pellenc tools simultaneously.

Tayside Forestry purchased five Prunions with the 250 batteries from Pellenc distributor Agrovista Amenity and Adam revealed that they have made a huge difference to operations.

“Previously we used to have an air compressor and a lot of hose to do this job, but it was costly and took a very long time – we needed a solution,” he said. “Now, with the Pellenc Prunions we are so much more agile – you don’t have to have an air hose cable following you round or an air compressor.

“The team moves more freely and simply walk around the trees – the job is now completed in a much quicker time. One of the main reasons for purchasing the Prunion is because many of our fields are located on steep hills and it can get to where all the other equipment just cannot.

“There are quite a few settings and operating modes which is really handy. For example, if you are in a field with big branches at the bottom of the tree, you can adjust the settings to open the shears wider; and you can be sensitive on the trigger or aggressive depending on the task. It is a very precise tool.”

Adam estimates that last year the five Pellenc pruning shears were used for somewhere between 167 and 189 hours, and never once did the battery power fail the Tayside Forestry team.

Christmas all year round with Pellenc

Christmas all year round with Pellenc

“The team can be out in the field cutting with them constantly from 7am-5pm,” continued Adam. “Not one set has ever run out of battery on us – you could easily get two days’ work out of them.

“Originally, they were just purchased for bottom handling, but we have found a lot of other uses for them like clearing old fields, bottom handling very old trees, they can be used alongside marking trees, collecting branches and making Christmas wreaths.”

After working hard throughout the year, Adam sent the Prunions for an annual service at the expert Pelllenc technical centre in Edinburgh.

“I was very impressed with the service and it was all part of the warranty agreement,” he said. “I simply dropped them off locally to Agrovista Amenity and all five Prunions were back within a couple of weeks with new blades and in excellent condition ready to be put to work again.

“I’ve used electrics for quite a number of years for pruning and these are the best set I’ve ever come across,” Adam continued. “They are practical, easy to use, cost effective and function very well. They have proved to be an exceptionally good purchase.”

Pellenc products are exclusively distributed in the UK by Etesia UK.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.pellencuk.com

You can also follow Pellenc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @PellencUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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