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EGO saws to the top at SALTEX

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EGO saws to the top at SALTEX: EGO, the cordless specialists, revealed new additions to its 2020 range at SALTEX last week.

New products were revealed on its stand, giving landscapers, facilities managers and groundscare professionals the first sneak peek at what it has to offer going into 2020. The brand displayed its new 42cm self-propelled mower, 45cm chainsaw, featuring a world’s first auto-tensioning chain, and taking trimming to the next level, the new Rotocut attachment.

EGO saws to the top at SALTEX

Also joining the range in 2020 is the new 10Ah battery, providing even longer run-times and a bristle brush/paddle brush attachment head to be used with the industry-leading Multi-Tool.
A chainsaw demonstration which featured in a covered demo area at the front of EGO’s stand, attracted passers-by as a member of the EGO team demonstrated how easy and powerful the new 45cm chainsaw is to use, boasting its auto-tensioning chain with an impressive 20m/s chain speed lightweight frame and quiet brushless motor.

Answering a strong demand in the market, EGO’s new Rotocut attachment cuts through grass, weeds and moss on concrete, pathways and verges with ease. Featuring two counter-rotating blades instead of line, it maximises run-time and most importantly, prevents debris from being thrown at high speed, making it ideal for use in built up areas.

Bringing the very latest in battery technology to the turf, the EGO Power Plus range of self-propelled mowers are simpler, cleaner, quieter and more comfortable to use. New to the 2020 range the 42cm self-propelled mower, which makes easy work of those smaller grass areas. Fitted with an independent, variable speed self-propel motor it allows the user to take the effort out of pushing. This expansion of the EGO mower range enables customers to choose a mower specific to their gardening needs.

EGO’s state-of-the-art product range offers groundscare volunteers and professionals a solution to issues many of them face every day, such as the importance of using environmental and user-friendly equipment, whilst providing a high-quality result.

Steve Roskell, Marketing Director EMEA at EGO, commented on how the event went: “Well what a show! We were pleased to share a preview of our 2020 range on our stand this year. Interest in EGO continues to grow significantly, firmly establishing us as the cordless specialists. It’s encouraging to see so many dealers and users embrace our 56Volt battery technology and move away from the more traditional petrol-powered products and brands. This trend will only intensify as health and environmental issues are put front and centre.”.

Visit egopowerplus.co.uk for more information.

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The toughest greenkeeping challenges

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The toughest greenkeeping challenges: Greenkeepers are often the unsung heroes of the golf industry. They start work early in the morning and are usually out of the way long before golfers tee up. Yet their responsibility to maintain the golf course means they’re in charge of the most important asset at any club.

Golf courses are prepared to a higher standard than ever before, despite economic pressures, the rise of year-round golf and the changing climate.

We teamed up with the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and asked a selection of course managers from all over the UK, including an Open rota superintendent about what the toughest thing any greenkeeper has to do.

Some of their answers may surprise you…

Craig Boath, links superintendent, Carnoustie Golf Links, host of The Open in 2018

“Every golf course is different and they all have their own challenges. Here at Carnoustie, we are no different. Looking after the turf is one of the easiest things, but dealing with weather and the expectations of visitors and members can be pretty hard going. Everyone who visits, thinks they are an agronomist and has an opinion on how they think the course should be presented!

“While most of the members have good intentions, I would say a lot don’t understand why greenkeepers do certain things at certain times of the year. If they had their way, we would be doing all our work in December, so we’re not in the way of the golf during the rest of the year!

“As a greenkeeper you need to keep focused on what you are trying achieve and try to not listen too much to the golfer telling you how to run the course. We greenkeepers are never satisfied, but one thing is consistent: we are proud of what we can achieve.”

James Bledge, course manager, Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, Kent, host of The Open in 1909 and 1920

“I’d say if we’re talking from the perspective of a greenkeeper, the toughest thing you face is pushing yourself to stand out from a competitive crowd in order to progress your career. With budgets becoming tighter in many clubs, the opportunity for investment in staff is reduced. The only solution is to take time out from your personal life to educate yourself. You even have to fund your own education, because when that job interview comes along, you really have to stand out.

“From a course managers perspective, there are loads of things we could talk about. One that’s really hit home for me recently is finding good kids that are willing to go through the apprenticeship scheme in order to train as a greenkeeper. Most run a mile when they see that the money is poor and that’s a shame, because they’re missing out on a really rewarding and fulfilling career.

“Another challenge is dealing with the expectations of members, especially in the light of the chemical bans that we’re seeing. This will be a huge topic of conversation for the next few years as greenkeepers adapt to work with the tools that are available to them.

“Additionally, membership fees at clubs are not rising in line with costs for materials and machinery. I know of golf clubs where the members expect the world but have zero understanding on how much it costs to run a course. I’d love to take my budget sheet to a smaller club and let the members know how much it really costs to maintain a championship course. If you want to pay less for your golf, you have to expect that the standard of the course will fall in line with that.”

Richie Stephens, course manager, Ringway Golf Club, Cheshire

“Undoubtedly, the toughest thing I’ve had to understand is the politics within golf clubs. With committee rotation and 500 bosses with 500 different points of view, it is hard to plan long term and develop consistent course plans, even with a course policy document in place.

“I’m lucky that I’ve got on well with all my course chairmen and it’s important for a course manager to have an understanding of what their members want from the course. To do that, you should find a small group of golfers, of varying abilities, who you can ask questions of. This means you can anticipate who might object to any changes.

“One thing I do is confirm all decisions and actions by email and then keep the email in a safe place, so I have a written record of every decision that is made.

“Having a course policy document and an ongoing course development plan – of at least three years – continually ratified, allows for some consistency for future planning. A course policy document can help stop the annual whims and changes of particular individuals, which often interrupts course development plans and can lead to inconsistencies in topdressing, greens renovations and aeration programmes, stuttering the improvement of surfaces.”

Jack Hetherington, course manager, Boldon Golf Club, Tyne and Wear

“The simple answer to this question is: manage expectations. I’m 32 years old and have worked in this industry for 14 years, including three as a course manager. I’ve recently moved to a new course and I feel that managing the expectations of myself, my team, the members, the committee, my family, friends and even peers is not only a very tough part of the job but also, I believe the key to successfully maintaining a good work, life and stress balance.

“I’m looking for 100% efficiency from the resources I have available; the members are looking for a high standard of golf all year around; the committee want the best golfing experience possible within budget; and my family and friends want work to stay at work and within contracted hours.

“I’ve tried in vain to prioritise the expectations that are put upon me, but now I just juggle them as best as I am able. Instead, I look at expectations as a stock investment in myself.

“For example, we recently hosted the autumn meeting of BIGGA’s North East Section. With adverse weather leading up to the event, I was left with 44 working hours to prepare the course, but 63 hours-worth of work to meet my own expectations of presentation. We drafted in greenkeepers from a local course, worked some overtime and fell a little short of the 63 hours, but still presented the course well.

“I believe my stock went up among my peers, club members and the committee, who were impressed by the course and my commitment, but it will have reduced among my friends and family who I neglected due to the long hours and among my team, who I asked to work longer hours.

“To ensure I stay married, maintain friendships and my team don’t start looking for new jobs, the team and I have to take some time away from work. This must be done in a manner that has minimal effect on the course, so any raised stock isn’t immediately damaged.

“The way I manage expectations dictates the type of course manager I am. Therefore, the ‘toughest thing I do’ is to identify how my actions affect different expectations and also execute actions to ensure I stay true to the type of course manager and person I want to be.”

Rob Clare, course manager, Brough Golf Club, East Yorkshire

“When asked the question ‘What is the toughest thing a greenkeeper has to do?’ a myriad of answers come to mind; we all have to deal with ever decreasing budgets, climate change, banning of chemicals and the general down turn in the demand for golf.

“We live in a society where people expect everything immediately and for minimal cost to themselves, where we can sometimes feel our instant needs outweigh the greater long term good. Society has a much shorter attention span and we are far more likely to give up on something we find challenging quickly. Technology has a lot to answer for, information is so abundantly available that any one thing can only grab seconds of our attention, if at all.

“So how does all this apply to greenkeeping? Our customers’ expectations have never been higher. Golf no longer has a season, with the improvement in waterproof clothing, drainage and course construction, the expectation is for 365 days of golf in pristine conditions, regardless of time of year, weather conditions, available resources or chemicals. Cheap winter golf breaks to the continent certainly don’t help our cause back home in the UK and only stand to further unrealistic expectations.

“How do we as greenkeepers deal with this problem? The obvious answer is by explaining the reality of course maintenance to members. But how do we do that? My answer would be by using every kind of resource you have at your disposal. This includes producing signs, notices, regular newsletters, daily answerphone messages, regular social media updates, uploading short videos and conducting open evenings.

“Lastly, we work in a service industry and being approachable and willing to make time for people, although sometimes time consuming, can be very constructive.

“Ultimately, despite all our best efforts, there will always be some that ignore our communications – perhaps they step over ropes, disregard GUR signs or don’t repair pitch marks – but we must show perseverance and continue to get our message across in every way we can.”

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New to the UK – GrasPro

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New to the UK – GrasPro: GrasPro is a simple pitch management tool that gives users the ability to record pitch data, generate visual reports and gain a greater depth of understanding about their pitches.

During the development of GrasPro, making it a time effective, accessible tool for groundsmen was vital. The task of keeping daily spreadsheets or paper notes has been replaced by an online system that can be accessed anywhere and used by multiple team members, with administration access to pitches at the discretion of the primary account holder. Ensuring your pitch information remains your own is an essential aspect of GrasPro, and with no third-party involvement, your data is never shared.

New to the UK – GrasPro

With GrasPro, simplicity is key. Users can track their daily activities such as mowing, fertilising, aeration and marking as well as pitch usage in a fast and convenient way. All registered activities are then summarised and visually presented with statistical reports available for N-P-K calculations, water usage, playing hours and more.

Photographs and comments can be attached to work logs, so any out of the ordinary conditions, like grass disease, can be tracked visually as well as statistically. Sophisticated weather reports at three-hour intervals join all of this to give a full picture of how pitches are performing in certain conditions.

New to the UK – GrasPro

By using this information, users can generate visual reports that highlight how the usage of pitches and maintenance practices are impacting the turf. In turn, this allows groundsmen to collate information for budget projections and accurately forecast the amount of paint, fertiliser and staff-hours they need.

The result of being able to harness all of this information is a deeper understanding of your surfaces, allowing for increased pitch usage and detailed information for future planning. Already, groundsmen, consultants and football governing bodies around the world have benefitted from using the system on individual pitches and in a tournament scenario.

New to the UK – GrasPro

For a free demonstration of the GrasPro Pitch Management System or to find out more about how it could benefit your site, visit www.gras.pro.

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Blown away by the PB-8010

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Blown away by the PB-8010: ECHO has launched the most powerful backpack power blower in its class. Introduced in the UK at Saltex 2019, the PB-8010 is built for professionals and is part of the ECHO X Series “Best in Class” range, offering industry-leading power and performance.

The blower’s 79.9cc two-stroke engine produces an air volume of 1818m3/h, an airspeed of 94.5m/sec (211mph) and an industry-leading blowing force of 44N for better performance and increased productivity. Dry weight is just 11.2kg which is made possible by the use of an innovative lightweight carbon fibre frame and fan case. This amount of power combined with lighter weight make the PB-8010 ideal for professional use in quickly clearing greater quantities of wet leaves and debris across large areas.

Blown away by the PB-8010

In addition to the lightweight frame, the other key features to aid the operator and reduce fatigue include the cruise-control throttle, ventilated backpack pad, anti-vibration system and heavy-duty backstraps. These are ergonomically designed to give the user maximum control and all-day comfort.

To make the user’s job even easier there is a heavy-duty air filter which sits at the top of the unit, protecting the engine from dust and debris in the harshest conditions. It’s easily accessible without the need for tools, making it easy for in-field cleaning and maintenance. The metal wear ring at the end of the straight pipe will reduce the pipe’s general wear and tear for increased durability. There is also an intake cover to prevent airflow to the user’ back in the colder winter months.

ECHO products have long been promoted as being designed specifically for professionals who rely on their tools day in and day out, tested in the most extreme conditions to flawless operation and packed with the most advanced features to power easily through the work. The PB-8010 power blower is no exception and as part of the ECHO X Series range, it offers a superior and dependable tool. You can find out more from your local authorised ECHO dealer.

You can also visit www.echo-tools.co.uk or call 01844 278800 for more information.

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

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New man at the helm

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New man at the helm: The new Chair of the IOG is a man who is a believer in evolution not revolution and, such has been the strides taken by the Institute on the recent past, you can be sure that there wouldn’t be a need for any U turns or radical changes in approach under his stewardship. 

David Carpenter has been a member of the IOG Board for nine years and played a key part in the move of Saltex from Windsor Racecourse north to the NEC in Birmingham and he has seen levels of professionalism across the board increase during his time involved.

New man at the helm

“I certainly don’t think that I need to take anything by the scruff of the neck. I have every confidence in the rest of the Board and the Executive team and we have been working together as a group extremely well,” explained David, who can call on his vast and relevant experience from working for the Sports Council and the Lottery Fund.

“I’m not suddenly going to change direction unless there is good reason to do so.” That is not to say that David, who took over the reins from David Teasdale, is going to be passive. He is a deep thinker on the subject of groundsmanship and the issues that are inherent in an industry which rarely gets the credit it deserves.

“I am concerned about the lack of new people coming into the industry, both as volunteers and professionals and I’d certainly like to see more young people entering the profession.

I’d also like to see more women in grounds management and I’d like to see more black and ethnic minorities represented in our profession.

“Such is the lack of level of entry, we can’t afford to not have half the population as potential ground staff,” he said.

He is not overly concerned with the elite side of the industry in terms of surface quality, after all we have many of the finest grounds managers in the world. But at the community end of the industry which impacts most on the greatest number of people there are real issues that must be addressed.

GanTIP has already conclusively identified that natural pitches are not in good condition at community level but already Jason and his team have tackled and improved nearly
4,000 community football pitches. They are doing a great job.

“I do see a scenario where community facilities could actually get worse before they get better. Local authorities are not recruiting and we have to find other routes into the profession. A lot of the volunteers we do have are older people and they are not going to be around forever and we need new younger people to work alongside and eventually take over,”

“We also know that with a little more investment there is an opportunity to make significant improvement.”

On education and professional development David has some interesting views.

“It strikes me that grounds management is where sports coaching was 20 years ago. Then there was no structured pathway for coaching and coaching appointments were very random, particularly outside of perhaps football and cricket.

“The status of the coach was really quite low. As a result of a more structured approach and clear pathways that status is much higher and coaches now receive much more respect. I think that is possible for grounds management if we are able improve the pathway quite significantly.”

One of the ways in which this could be achieved is an education process for operations managers, such as Contract Managers, Bursars and Arena Managers, who are ultimately responsible for grounds management.

“I think this process will take much longer than my time as Chair but it is a very important aspect and one which requires significant input. It is ridiculous that so many sports rely on good surfaces yet groundsmen and women don’t have the same parallel standing as those carrying out other functions within the organisation.”

He does have another interesting idea, which he stresses is his own and not IOG policy.

“I’d like to see education for the volunteer side of the industry available on a free of charge basis. Obviously that would require sponsorship support and we would have to go to the respective sports councils or sport governing bodies to agree volunteer programmes but I do think it is something worth exploring.”

David is also well aware of the change to the role of many groundsmen and women at that elite end.

“Groudscare managers now have to be so flexible. Not only have they to prepare surfaces which are scrutinised on TV and often criticised by players, past and present – when often it is as a result of bad play not bad surfaces – and then have to move seamlessly into preparing a stadium for an arena concert.

“They are working incredibly long hours, late into the night, and sometimes overnight to ensure that concerns booked by the commercial department are a success. I don’t think there is enough recognition for how much effort goes into it all.”

David was appointed to the Board as an independent member nine years ago after he had carried out some consultancy work for the IOG’s Chief Executive Geoff Webb in 2005.

“I also did a study in 2007 in which I called groundsmanship the hidden profession. I was basically saying that there was great work being done and some really good people involved but that they didn’t really have any profile at all.

“In 2010 Geoff asked me to join the Board and I have been really pleased that I accepted his offer because it has been quite an eventful time over the last eight or nine years and the organisation has made really good progress.”

Much of that progress can be seen with the success of the move of Saltex to the NEC in Birmingham, a move that David was involved heavily.

“We agonised about it for quite a long time to be frank but we knew that Windsor was staring to fail and that the status quo was not going to work. We had to shake it up and do something, and we’ve had a successful four years so far.

“The key is for us to keep the Show fresh and innovative, introduce new things and new thinking and we will try to keep it going for strength to strength. Fortunately, we have some good thinkers around the table and people who feed in good ideas and Geoff himself is very good on that front.”

David was elected Chair at the IOG’s AGM in September and firmly believes that progress will be made.

“I feel that I am taking over at quite a good time with regard to where we’ve managed to get to but we must lift the bar higher. We must push forward. For example, we have just appointed an agency to work with us with the aim of lifting the profile of the industry. Their work will not be launched until next spring but we are working very hard behind the scenes with the agency and I see this as the next stage of our challenge.”

Life is full of challenges but if you have a carpenter at the heart of things you can be sure of stability and a well-constructed future.