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Only Johnsons can manage the microclimate at Maesteg

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Only Johnsons can manage the microclimate at Maesteg: The unique hilltop location of Maesteg Golf Club in Wales provides a challenge to golfers and greenkeepers alike, the picturesque playing surfaces nestled in a valley with its very own microclimate!

These conditions demand flexibility and durability from the grass seed, to cope with extremes of both moisture and temperature, and its mixtures from Johnsons Sports Seed that deliver just that. Deputy Head Greenkeeper James Matthewman explains how the combination of J Fescue, J All Bent and J 4Turf from DLF are retaining better coverage and plant health than ever, keeping them fungicide free for over four years.

Only Johnsons can manage the microclimate at Maesteg

Only Johnsons can manage the microclimate at Maesteg

“We first trialled Johnsons mixtures a good few years ago and right from the off, were impressed with the speed in which is germinated and established” explains James, who works alongside a team of three on the 18-hole James Braid designed course. “We wanted to go down the route of fescue, to fit with our sustainable maintenance approach and put us in a better position to cope with drought as our irrigation here isn’t the best.”

James and the team sought advice from their DLF Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett, along with Zak Thackeray at Indigrow, who suggested they trial J Fescue from the Johnsons Sports Seed range. J Fescue is a 100% fine fescue mix, providing a blend of cultivars with high drought and salt tolerance and resistance to disease, resulting in a sward that requires lower inputs of water and fertiliser. “We overseed with J Fescue in the spring, and have used this for a couple of years now with excellent results. We were especially impressed with how the fescue coped with the drought last summer, and how we emerged with good grass!”

To provide additional sward strength, the team switch to the equally sustainable Johnsons J All Bent for renovations. “Because this likes the wetter conditions, we find we get great take and then retain this coverage through the winter months. These two mixtures combined have definitely helped to keep disease and weed ingress at bay which means we haven’t applied a fungicide for over four and a half years and any scarring is easy to treat with a spot of overseeding.”

On the back of advice from Ian, the team are also employing DLF’s 4Turf tetraploid ryegrass technology within the J 4Turf 50 mix to provide additional wear tolerance on tees and approaches. “We’ll aim to do a single or double pass at the start of the season, when the weather is right, and divot the tees with J 4Turf 50 throughout the year as and when needed. The germination we get with this is incredible!”

He concludes, “We are very unique, the course is unique and our climate is awkward to say the least. With our grass it’s very much survival of the fittest and so far, with Johnsons, it’s so good.”

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ES-34R is the one for Bromsgrove School

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ES-34R is the one for Bromsgrove School: The grounds team at Bromsgrove School has chosen the Dennis ES-34R as its first ever battery-powered mower. 

Richard Hare has been the Head Groundsperson at the prestigious Bromsgrove School in Worcestershire for nearly a decade. In his time at the school Richard has overseen many changes and has produced some truly wonderful sports pitches.

ES-34R is the one for Bromsgrove School

ES-34R is the one for Bromsgrove School

Richard is embarking on another exciting chapter at Bromsgrove School as he starts to explore the world of battery-powered equipment.

“The school is committed to change and is pushing for sustainability in a massive way. As the grounds team, we are on a mission to do exactly the same,” he said. “Approximately, 99% of the gardening team’s equipment is already battery-powered and our aim as the grounds department is the same. It is slightly more difficult because the equipment is bigger, but the technology is advancing all the time.”

Richard has already taken the first steps towards replacing all his petrol mowers with electric ones, and it all started with a Dennis ES-34R rotary mower.

“I looked at a few other battery-powered mowers, but I think it was always going to be Dennis,” he said. “I’ve always been a big fan of the equipment from Dennis and SISIS. Personally, I think the two brands have the best machines on the market.

“We started by replacing our Dennis PRO 34R rotary mower for its electric equivalent – the ES-34R. I will say that I love the petrol PRO 34R’s – they are brilliant, but the ES-34R is on another level. It is by far the best mower I have ever used.”

The ES-34R is a 34″ (860mm) battery powered twin blade rotary mower using the latest lithium-ion battery technology. It is ideal for fine turf mowing and cleaning up operations in stadia and training facilities. Utilising the contra rotating hardened steel blades and low chute ensures maximum collection performance.

While allowing ground staff to achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface, the E-Series range will also help meet sustainability and environmental initiatives, minimise carbon footprint, emissions, running costs, HAV’s and noise without any range anxiety.

“For a 34-inch mower it is just incredible how easy you can manoeuvre it,” continued Richard. “With it being electric there are less things that can go wrong. We’ve never once had a maintenance issue with it, and we have used it virtually every day since we bought it. It has saved us money on maintenance costs as well.”

ES-34R is the one for Bromsgrove School

ES-34R is the one for Bromsgrove School

Richard also revealed that the ES-34R is just the start of the Dennis electric evolution as he intends on switching his other PRO 34R, and his two G860 and two FT510 cylinder mowers to their electric equivalents.

Oliver Baldi-Turner, a member of the grounds team at Bromsgrove School, provided further insight into how the Dennis ES-34R fits into the maintenance schedule.

“Predominantly, we use it on the cricket square during the summer and on the rugby pitches during the winter months. It is such a quick machine – we can cut a cricket square in both directions in 42 minutes and a rugby pitch in less than 4 hours.

“We can use the ES-34R for about 7 hours before it needs charging. It is such a quick charge too – we put it on charge while we are having lunch and by the time we are finished, it is pretty much fully charged.

“The ES-34R always provides an equally as good cut, if not a better cut, than most cylinder mowers. Also, it works like a vacuum, so it is picking all the debris up as well. It is a highly efficient mower, leaves a brilliant finish.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

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

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STAR EV arrives at the Star of the North

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STAR EV arrives at the Star of the North: Royal Dornoch Golf Club in Scotland, known to many as the ‘star of the north’, has taken delivery of seven lithium-ion STAR EV Capella 2 Pro golf buggies from the UK distributor Reesink Scotland.

Most utility vehicles and golf buggies in the UK’s golf clubs are powered by lead acid batteries. Now with the option of lithium-ion, which is far superior, making the switch to the latest technology offering in this area is the logical next step. And STAR EV is fast proving itself to be the preferred option.

STAR EV arrives at the Star of the North

STAR EV arrives at the Star of the North

Take Royal Dornoch for example, when it replaced its fleet of buggies, it made the switch from lead acid to lithium-ion with STAR EV as Royal Dornoch general manager, Neil Hampton, explains: “It was time to replace our fleet of buggies which were eight years old, and it was a logical decision to choose lithium-ion.

“The technology in this area has come on exponentially since we invested in it eight years ago and STAR EV came top for price and value in our research. Plus, we knew the support would be good as the buggies were coming from Reesink Scotland whom we’ve worked with for years.”

Lithium-ion batteries are not only superior in terms of reliability and efficiency (95 percent compared to 75 percent of lead-acid) but are also safer to use. They charge faster, are more durable and able to withstand harsher environments, allow quick and partial charging without getting damaged, lose power much more slowly during discharge, waste less energy and require no maintenance, which saves on additional costs and time.

Not to mention the environmental advantages such as releasing no emissions or leaks while being charged, no expense of topping up with de-ionised water, or toxic chemicals being released in their manufacturing and recycling process. This is why, when Reesink started its e-Vehicles division, it made a very conscious decision to use only lithium and sealed, maintenance-free AGM battery options.

Plus, they are smaller and lighter, which is something Neil can attest to: “Royal Dornoch is essentially a walking course and the buggies used at the venue are for medical reasons. We can tell the STAR EV buggies are light on their feet, which was a top consideration in the purchasing decision, as we’ve been watching wear patterns on the grassed pathways.”

And when it comes to all the other aspects of lithium-ion vs lead acid, that’s something Neil involved his mechanic in: “We got our mechanic to check over all the vehicles we demoed, and STAR EV was collectively chosen as the best all-round.”

To find out more about STAR EV call 01480 226800 or go online at reesink-evehicles.co.uk

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DLF Didbrook to host the UK Lawn Care Association

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DLF Didbrook to host the UK Lawn Care Association: Leading global seed breeders DLF are pleased to be playing host to the last event in a packed summer season of seminars and events for the UK Lawn Care Association (UKLCA).

Open to members, the visit to the trial plots and research facility at Hailes Farm, Didbrook, will take place on Tuesday 11th July with only a limited number of spaces remaining.

DLF Didbrook to host the UK Lawn Care Association

DLF Didbrook to host the UK Lawn Care Association

Hailes Farm has been home to research and development across the amenity, forage and agricultural breeding programme for more than 40 years. With cutting-edge technology, the facility has been deemed a centre of excellency for the trialling and evaluation of grass species in the UK – leading to the emergence of a number of high-performance varieties, used at topflight amenity venues at home and around the world.

In their capacity as sponsors of the UKLCA, DLF will be opening the gates to Hailes Farm next month for members to learn first-hand the science behind some of the most popular lawn mixtures and grass varieties. Following an introduction to DLF, visitors can look forward to a session on grass identification, an overview of the complex breeding processes and tips for optimising usage of the BSPB grass seed guide. Guests will then be given a tour of the trial plots to see some of the latest work and emerging trends in the world of grass seed.

“We are delighted to provide an opportunity to our members to develop their knowledge and understanding of grass science and technology- and where better to do that, than at DLF” comments Tom Arnold, Chairman of the UK Lawn Care Association. “The chance to visit facilities as established as DLF Didbrook are rare so it’s brilliant to be able to host this event with them and thank them for their continued support of those working hard in the UK lawncare sector.”

Numbers are limited, but those interested in attending or who would like further information should get in touch via the UKLCA website – www.uklawncare.net

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Tewkesbury Park get the break they need

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Tewkesbury Park get the break they need: Protruding roots on fairways and approaches were causing mower damage and affecting play at Tewkesbury Park, but the Imants RootPruner supplied by Campey Turf Care Systems, provided a clean and easy solution.

Removing roots meant excavating around the area, which would cause disruption and look unsightly. For Course Manager Paul Hathaway this was unacceptable because it was at odds with his standards.

Tewkesbury Park get the break they need

Tewkesbury Park get the break they need

The golf resort was recently voted number 50 in the Todays Golfer best golf resorts in Great Britain and Ireland. Keeping these standards on the 6554 yard, par 72 Deerpark course meant finding a solution, and Paul found it in the RootPruner.

“We noticed the roots protruding through the surface of a few approaches and fairways, and these kept being caught by the mower, damaging the blades and putting the mower ‘off-cut’,” Paul explained.

“This was more noticeable during the drought we had last year. We tried to dig and cut them out, but the mess looked unsightly and didn’t stop the roots from coming back. I always feel prevention is better than cure, so I decided to search for a machine to cut the roots near the canopy of the trees so we wouldn’t damage the health of the trees but stop the roots from encroaching into play.

“In the past, I have used an excavator to create a root break, but the disruption this caused wasn’t suitable to the standards we expect the course to be in, so we needed a machine that would create a root break but be efficient, neat and tidy.

“With the RootPruner, we were able to get around the entire course with ease and were very surprised how quick it was. The roots we went over have been removed, so we don’t have any protruding the surface, and so far, we don’t have any new roots coming through, so I am hopeful this will continue.”

The RootPruner cuts roots up to 100mm in diameter with no clean-up, making it useable on the course with no worries of shutting holes through surface damage. It also has the ability to decompact tight, narrow areas with ease and includes a unique patented triple-reduction planetary gearbox for smooth, maximum torque drive to the rotor shaft. The RootPruner also features a factory set, torque limiting PTO shaft eliminating all shear bolts and spring clutches.

For a parkland course, it can be an invaluable machine. Paul heard about it from a club in the local area who have shared similar results, and seeing it on his property once was enough to convince him to purchase his own unit.

“Once we had the demo, we were very impressed with the smoothness, cleanness and size of the roots it would cut,” he said.

“I would definitely recommend the RootPruner for any parkland golf course. It’s a machine that is so quick and easy to use, it will save you downtime and money on repairing mowers which are damaged from hitting tree roots, and also make the surface better from not having roots protruding through the surface.”

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