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Seaton Carew Improves Turf Quality Thanks to Hunter

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Seaton Carew Improves Turf Quality Thanks to Hunter: Seaton Carew Golf Club, a historic championship course and the 10th oldest in England, has recently undergone a transformative upgrade with the installation of a state-of-the-art Hunter irrigation system, supplied by KAR UK.

Course Manager Tom Coulson, who took charge of Seaton Carew in 2020, has spent over 20 years in greenkeeping, driven by a passion that started as a junior golfer trying to improve his local course. Recognising Seaton Carew’s potential, Tom knew that with the right plan, the course could be elevated to an even higher standard.

Seaton Carew Improves Turf Quality Thanks to Hunter

Seaton Carew Improves Turf Quality Thanks to Hunter

However, one of the biggest hurdles standing in the way of that vision was an outdated irrigation system.

“It was immediately clear that one thing holding Seaton Carew back was the existing irrigation system, which was not fit for purpose,” Tom explained. “There was a 100% correlation between poor examples of turf and little to no irrigation coverage. For Seaton Carew to progress, it needed a fully functional modern irrigation system, especially now considering how busy golf courses are all the time.”

After a careful evaluation process and with guidance from KAR UK & Hunter, Seaton Carew selected the Hunter GT-885 sprinklers for its fairways, greens, and surrounds. This was installed alongside completely new main pipework and cabling. The club have implemented a phased in-house installation of I-20’s and GT885’s on tee boxes, with a 5-10 year plan to reconfigure, level, and irrigate them.

Additionally, grass pathways were enhanced with Hunter MP rotator sprinklers, allowing the club to gradually move away from the astroturf that previously lined the pathways.

Before any of this could be implemented, a new pump set was installed in 2022. Sized specifically for the new system, this pump set was integrated with the existing setup and laid the foundation for irrigation upgrades.

To ensure a smooth and efficient installation, Seaton Carew partnered with Arden Lea Irrigation, a company with an impressive track record of previous installations.

“Arden Lea was chosen because their previous client list was the ideal reference, but it was their honest communication and ability to phase the work while keeping the course fully functional for members that made them a perfect fit,” Tom noted.

The new Hunter system has already delivered significant improvements.

“The key benefit is having the ability to irrigate and control turf conditions across the course, rather than just in certain parts,” Tom explained. “Water is now applied more accurately, reducing waste and ensuring better turf health. The turf has responded superbly—recovery has been quicker, and the system is now used to prevent damage and aid divot recovery.”

The upgraded pipework has also resulted in a much higher flow capacity, reducing run times and allowing irrigation to take place during optimal conditions, such as the short, low-wind periods at night – a critical factor for a links course.

Additionally, the Hunter GT sprinklers have proven superior in real-world conditions, outperforming other systems by delivering a higher bulk water jet that carries through light winds to hit its target effectively.

KAR UK played a pivotal role in the project’s success, providing expert advice, technical support, and high-quality Hunter products from the outset.

“Our experience working with KAR UK was very positive,” Tom said. “Wesley Henshaw from KAR UK provided support from the very start, demonstrating the quality of the Hunter product even before any official agreement was made. The software training, database creation, and hardware management were all provided seamlessly, which made the entire process very free-flowing.”

“I would definitely recommend KAR UK to other golf clubs looking to improve their courses by upgrading their irrigation facility. The quality of the product, combined with their support throughout the process, makes them an excellent choice.”

With the new Hunter irrigation system fully operational and a phased plan in place for continued improvements, Seaton Carew Golf Club is well-positioned to maintain its status as one of the finest links courses on the east coast.

For more information, please visit www.karuk.com

You can also follow KAR UK on X and Instagram @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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Finance package paying off for Seaton Carew

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Finance package paying off for Seaton Carew: Seaton Carew Golf Club near Hartlepool will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024 and the club, which is the 10th oldest in England, is determined to make sure its course is in the best condition possible for those celebrations.

Since being established with 14 holes in 1874, not only has the golf course undergone numerous changes – today it offers an unusual total of 22 holes with five different layouts – so has the way in which it is maintained. In the early years even the club’s professional would have been expected to assist with cutting fairways, probably using a horse-drawn mower, and rolling greens.

Finance package paying off for Seaton Carew

Today a team of six well-trained greens staff led by acting head greenkeeper Ian Stewart work tirelessly to ensure these championship links are kept in the best condition, and the club has recently invested more than £200,000 in the latest advanced technology from John Deere to ensure they can achieve those goals.

A new John Deere Financial lease package arranged by local dealer Greenlay of Cramlington in Northumberland includes a ProGator utility vehicle with HD200 low-profile amenity sprayer, an HPX Gator utility vehicle, a 4049R compact tractor, three 220SL walk-behind greens mowers, a 2653B utility tees & surrounds mower and a 2500B triplex greens mower, plus ancillary equipment.

“With our previous lease arrangement coming to an end, we decided that a one-stop shop approach, with all the new kit, advice and back-up coming from one business, would potentially make a better deal for the club,” says greens chairman Jonathan Beaumont. “The equipment and finance package from Greenlay, who helped us to work out the deal based on a mix of new and ex-demonstration machines, proved to be just what we were looking for.

“Dealing with Alastair Briggs and Paul Hodgson of Greenlay was the best decision the club made. Their all-round service and communication throughout the process was first class, and we’ve established a very good relationship. Having worked in horticulture before, I knew John Deere’s reputation for quality equipment. When Ian and I made the recommendation to the golf club, they liked what they saw as well and the finance committee agreed the budget, so there was a proper consensus all round.”

Ian Stewart initially attended a BIGGA Section open day at Greenlay, which was the first time he had visited the dealership, and was very impressed by the facilities and the people he met. “I wanted to see the sprayer and Greenlay had one brought in,” he says.

“The sprayer has a much bigger capacity at 750 litres compared to our previous 300-litre mounted machine, and the controls are really good. The automatic rate controller is very accurate, so you can be confident everything’s being applied correctly. We certainly use a little less chemical now and there’s also been a massive saving on man hours doing the spraying job.

“We had the mowers on long-term demonstration and found them to be easy to operate, with a very good quality of cut. The latest cutting units on the walk-behind and ride-on greens mowers are equipped with brushes that lift the grass and provide a much better finish – it’s little details like this that mean a lot.

“A great deal of thought and effort went into this purchase over a long period of time, and we received lots of good advice from Greenlay – they were always available to answer our questions at any time. Some of their recommendations I didn’t think were right at the time, but they have been proved right since and it’s been a great deal all round.”

Alongside the work on the course, Seaton Carew Golf Club is building a new indoor coaching facility alongside a large practice area, and considering the development of a short-game area. The club also has a six-hole academy course which is used by its current PGA professional Clifford Jackson to encourage youngsters and adult beginners to take up the game.

Seaton Carew has already played host to a number of major amateur championships, including two Brabazon Trophies, a Carris Trophy and various other national and international events. It is now hoping, with the help of its new machinery fleet and the dedication of its greenkeeping team, that the course will be considered for yet another major championship to help mark its 150-year anniversary.

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