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GMA Hub set to boost the game

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GMA Hub set to boost the game: The GMA Hub (Stand C190) is set to demonstrate all the benefits to be gained from Grounds Management Association products and services. The hosts and organisers of SALTEX have an impressive line-up, all devised to boost the game, skills, career, and surfaces of visitors to their packed show area.

There will be no shortage of expertise available on the GMA Hub, with the Technical and Learning team available to discuss training and education options for those who have been in the industry for years, and to those just starting out, giving visitors the chance to boost their skills and career.

GMA Hub set to boost the game

GMA Hub set to boost the game

The GMA’s Pitch Advisory Service and sport’s National Governing Bodies will be at the Hub to advise on funding or give visitors a tour of equipment for community sport clubs being displayed in the new Community Sport Zone, located alongside the GMA Hub.

Meanwhile, ready to share their extensive knowledge at the Hub’s dedicated Soil Science area will be soil science experts Dr Kate Entwistle and Alex Vickers, equipped to help tackle common turfgrass problems.

The GMA’s Membership Services team will be at the Hub to talk visitors through the many reasons they should consider joining the leading membership association for the sports, turf, and grounds care sector.

The GMA is also on the hunt for passionate and engaging young people to join its Young Board of Directors and members will be on hand each day from 10.00am until 1.00pm to discuss what is involved with all interested parties.

Hosting the popular GMA Job Clinic, will be careers counsellor Frank Newbury. He will be available to offer expert and current guidance on perfecting your CV, proactive job searching, performing better at job interviews, as well as negotiating pay and perks. And for those on the other side of the interview table, Frank can give valuable insight to on how to select the right candidate for every role.

To take advantage of the wealth of knowledge at the GMA Hub at SALTEX 2023, register now at: https://bit.ly/456l0dA

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Groundsmaster series fits the bill

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Groundsmaster series fits the bill: Ian Brawn, course manager at Worsley Park Golf and Country Club, part of Delta Hotels by Marriott, has been with Marriott for 18 years – but the club’s trusty Toro Groundsmaster 3500-D has been there even longer.

For the last 21 years, it’s been used to maintain the Manchester club’s picturesque 18-hole PGA Championship golf course. Impressed by the mower’s longevity, Ian recently acquired another Groundsmaster 3500 with Sidewinder shifting decks to help ease the burden on its older sibling.

Groundsmaster series fits the bill

Groundsmaster series fits the bill

Ian comments: “We chose to go with another 3500 because we wanted a like-for-like model to go alongside our existing Toro machine – just obviously a lot newer! We began to call the existing Groundsmaster the older sibling but, really, we should call it the grandfather!”

Despite the older mower’s age, Ian’s in no hurry to retire what he dubs ‘the course stalwart’ just yet. “If it’s looked after and well-loved, Toro kit can go on and on,” he says. “The original 3500 still does the job, but it’s obviously not as effective as the new one.“However, for lighter duties it’s fantastic. We’ve always kept it maintained, so it’s the perfect backup should the new mower be unavailable for whatever reason. As a club, it gives us more versatility. The new 3500, though, is without a doubt a huge game changer for us.”

One reason Ian decided to update his Toro fleet with Reesink is because Worsley Park Golf and Country Club, which will soon be celebrating its 25th birthday, is currently in the process of changing the aesthetics of its course.

“We get a huge amount of golfers here at Worsley,” he explains. “So, naturally, we’ve been using the 3500 duo, but particularly the new mower, quite often.

“We’re currently looking at how we present our course: adapting the presentation, improving our consistency of cut, bringing on a new patterning and new look.

“The 3500’s adjustable head, allowing side-to-side movement means we can get a closer cut around bunkers and sloping greens, improving presentation.”

With Toro’s unique Series/Parallel traction drive system and Contour Plus cutting technology, the Groundsmaster 3500 effortlessly navigates undulating and wet terrain while maintaining a high consistency of cut.

“In addition, we’re also adding an intermediate rough, which requires us to use both mowers side-by-side, which has been nice to see,” Ian says. “Since we’re quite a big site, having two great Toro machines at our disposal really improves the club’s greenkeeping efficiency.

“For all this, of course, we have to extend a huge thanks to Steve Halley from Cheshire Turf Machinery and Reesink, who’ve been really supportive. We have a good working relationship, and Steve and the team have always been there whenever we have issues, especially while Paul, our resident mechanic, is finishing off his training.”

To learn more about Toro’s flagship Groundsmaster series, call 01480 226800 or visit https://www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Johnsons J Tee proves the solution to shade issues at

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Johnsons J Tee proves the solution to shade issues at: A trial of J Tee from the Johnsons Sports Seed range has now been rolled out course-wide at Knutsford Golf Club in Cheshire, after solving a number of issues on their heavily shaded tees.

The combination of high footfall and a lack of sunlight caused by trees have previously posed a number of problems when it comes to the maintenance of the small tees, which Course Manager David Jones now claims to be a thing of the past thanks to the ‘second to none’ results from the J Tee mix.

Johnsons J Tee proves the solution to shade issues at

Johnsons J Tee proves the solution to shade issues at

Knutsford Golf Club, once part of National Trust site Tatton Park, is somewhat unique with a 10-green layout. While this enables golfers to play a different 9 and 18th hole, for David and his team of four, this means double the traffic on the tees which he admits used to let the overall course condition down. “We knew that removing trees to allow for better light and airflow was not going to be an option accepted by the members so we had to find another way” he explains. “I put an SOS call out to Stuart Yarwood, our Regional DLF Technical Manager, to see what we could do and the support and advice we’ve had has been brilliant.”

Stuart recommended Johnsons J Tee – combining 4Turf® tetraploid ryegrass along with traditional ryegrass and strong creeping red fescue. The additional inclusion of 5% Sabrena rough stalked meadow grass makes J Tee truly unique, creating a mixture that delivers exceptional disease resistance, rapid establishment and a hard-wearing sward even under heavy shade, making it ideal for golf tees and pathways. The fineness of leaf and shoot density of Sabrena is comparable to a high-quality bent cultivar, while its speed of establishment is akin to that of perennial ryegrass – enhanced further by DLF’s Growmax seed coating which enhances overseeding results in difficult conditions. In shade trials, Sabena is amongst the hardest wearing varieties on the market.

“We began a programme with J Tee in the spring, which has really come to fruition over the summer. The biggest difference has been the wear tolerance, the team and I have seen a noticeable improvement in sward density which is withstanding and the wear and tear.” David continues, “The 4th tee is the most shaded and even here, we’ve achieved outstanding coverage.”

The successes of J Tee come alongside three years of fantastic results with Johnsons J All Bent on the greens. “Our greens are over 100 years old and where other varieties have struggled with the drainage and poor soil profile, the strike we had from the J All Bent made this a no-brainer to continue.” He adds, “We’ve also noticed that we require less water and chemical inputs to maintain the greens, even in the difficult weather conditions we’ve all had these last couple of years, while still retaining good plant health and little to no disease.”

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ET Lander the extra staff member at Olympic Park

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ET Lander the extra staff member at Olympic Park: The Etesia ET Lander electric utility vehicle is like having an extra member of staff according to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Head Gardener Gary Spreadbury.

Following a competitive procurement process, idverde was selected as a grounds maintenance partner for the Queen Elizabeth Park in in early 2012. Ever since then it has been responsible for park, plant and wildlife management and maintenance.

ET Lander the extra staff member at Olympic Park

ET Lander the extra staff member at Olympic Park

Gary Spreadbury has been the Head Gardener at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park since May this year, and he claims his working life has been made a little easier by the Etesia ET Lander.

“What I really like about the ET Lander is that it fits and can manoeuvre in tight spaces around the Olympic Park,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of small paths which big vehicles can’t fit down, so it’s very efficient and time saving. It’s used mainly for the transporting of materials around the site, especially during the winter and autumn months when it comes to the leaf clearing and for the mulching of the gardens.”

100% electric, spacious, well-equipped and user-friendly, the ET Lander is built on a robust chassis and has an array of options including a three-way tipper bed with dual control from the fully fitted two-seater cab or by remote control when outside the vehicle. With a length of just 3.72 meters, the ET Lander is very compact. Thanks to the power steering, the short turning radius of 4.40 meters and 360 ° visibility, it goes anywhere. The autonomy of the vehicle lasts for a full working day – without noise pollution, can transport loads of up to 940kgs and can also tow up to 750kgs.

The latest models are fully N1 homologation compliant meaning that the ET Landers are fully road legal along with being able to be used off road. They also feature lithium-ion batteries which ensures that the range of the ET Lander extends to 100km and have a charger system compatible with a standard type 2EV car charger.

“I’ve used battery powered vehicles before but in my opinion the ET Lander is the best by far,” continued Gary. “It runs a lot smoother and feels like you’re driving a car; it is so light that you could take it onto the pitch without causing damage and it just makes working life a lot easier. The ET Lander is like having an extra member of staff – it’s definitely earning its living and is well worth the money.”

Gary isn’t the only one at the Olympic Park who has been impressed with the ET Lander. Chris James, Contract Manager for idverde, is also upbeat about the innovative electric utility vehicle.

“Aside from its ability to manoeuvre, the ET Lander has lots of other great features such as reversing cameras and the option of adding things to it like PTO’s, salt spreaders and water tanks. I like the fact that it’s got some storage units within the vehicle underneath the body too.

“The all-round visibility from the cab is another key feature that we like about the ET Lander. We have around 6 million visitors through the park each year so it’s essential to be mindful of the public.

“The ET Lander is an absolute must-have vehicle for any grounds maintenance contractor, but I believe that there are a lot of other industries out there that could make use of this vehicle as well.”

idverde purchased the Etesia ET Lander through RT Machinery, and Chris feels as though they are in good hands.

“The communication that I have had with the team at RT Machinery has always been positive and they are quick to respond to emails and questions. Some of our other contracts use RT machinery and they always speak highly of them. The availability and the quality of the products that they’re selling is 100%.”

To see the machine in action at the Olympic Park, please click here.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etlander.co.uk

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

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Simply the best

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Simply the best: A near 125-year history isn’t stopping Orsett Golf Club from eagerly looking towards the future. Course manager, Perry Lowe, is intent on regenerating a significant portion of the Essex-based club with the very latest and best Toro machinery through Reesink’s popular lease hire model.

“We’ve quite the unique course here at Orsett Golf Club,” comments Perry. “The ground is a mix of ballast and shingle, which is unusual for clay-heavy Essex; many clubs have flooding issues in winter. While it’s excellent for our members, being open all year round does mean the course experiences a lot of wear and tear.”

Simply the best

Simply the best

To stay on top of the constant course maintenance, Perry recently took out his fourth package deal with Reesink Turfcare, leasing an entirely new fleet of Toro machinery. “At previous clubs I have seen and experienced the headaches that come with owning your own kit,” he reflects.

“You run it to death and then it needs replacing,” Perry goes on. “In my book, it’s not the best way to work with machines; older bits of kit are liable to break down at the wrong time and on top of that they can be incredibly expensive to replace.

“Rather, I prefer running a five-year lease hire model: it offers much better value for money and more reliability. The deal we’ve just completed with Reesink’s Richard Freeman, whom I’ve known for over a decade, is perfect for us – we will always have the latest technology to enact our rolling ten-year plan.”

Over the next decade, Orsett Golf Club intends to upgrade several regions on its course, with a special focus on the short game area. Perry also wants to build new greens and bunkers, as well as a new entrance to the clubhouse.

Thanks to Orsett Golf Club’s lease plan, Perry will have access to a range of the latest mowers and utility vehicles, including the all-electric Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 and Toro Workman UTX.

“Electric mowers have been around for over 20 years, but they’ve always been pretty awful,” says Perry. “But we’re a club that likes to try new things. So when Richard told us about the new Toro electric range of kit, we jumped at the opportunity and we’ve not looked back since – both models are faultless.“As a club that’s always looking ahead and wanting to improve, the best quality of cut and the latest machinery available are a high priority for us. Fortunately, Reesink’s lease hire plan is a very simple way to enact that and carry out our 10-year plan.”

To discover how a lease hire package through Reesink could help your club or business, simply visit https://www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk/finance.

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