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Versatile Ventrac at The Mere

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Versatile Ventrac at The Mere: The Mere Golf Resort & Spa in Knutsford, Cheshire, has joined an ever-burgeoning list of sports and leisure organisations that have purchased a Ventrac all-terrain compact tractor and selection of attachments. Supplied by local dealer, Cheshire Turf Machinery, the attachments include a Contour deck, a Stump grinder and Turbine blower.

The 18-hole, 6,882 -yard, par-71 course at The Mere was designed by James Braid, and created out of 150 acres of Cheshire parkland in 1934. Today, the Championship course holds the reputation as one of the best maintained and highest quality golf courses in the North of England.

Versatile Ventrac at The Mere

Versatile Ventrac at The Mere

John Quinn, a native of Donegal in Ireland, has been the Course Manager for the past 4 years, after joining the prestigious resort’s greenkeeping team seven years ago. He leads a team of 10 comprising of 8 greenkeepers and two full-time gardeners.

Commenting on the Ventrac he said,

“We are a destination resort and we pride ourselves with the visual appearance of the property and the immaculate presentation of the golf course. This Ventrac is probably the best innovation in course maintenance in the past 20 years. It will go almost anywhere and its versatility is unparalleled. It’s great in wet areas and ticks all the boxes from a health and safety point of view.

“What other machine allows you to switch out a mowing deck and attach a stump grinder, then switch again to blowing leaves? It’s an adaptable piece of equipment with an ingenious coupling system that lets you change implements in just about a minute. The eight wheels gives it a low centre of gravity, which makes it very safe on slopes, especially around tee banks and bunker surrounds.

“It’s up there with the best machines I used. It’s just a case of getting to know its capability and getting the confidence to go where no other ride-on can go. It helps us to maintain difficult areas on a regular basis and has certainly enhanced the presentation of the course.”

John Quinn began his career at his local course in Portnoo, Donegal, with an initial six-week placement that lasted four years. To further his career, he spent two years in full-time education at Elmwood college achieving an HNC and HND in golf course management as well as work placements in Sweden. He then joined Linden Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa in Northumberland and three years later migrated south to take up the position of deputy head greenkeeper at Caversham Heath near Reading. Five years on, he then moved to Davenport Golf Club in Cheshire, before taking up his latest position in 2015.

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Eight in one with the new Fortis mower

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Eight in one with the new Fortis mower: The new Fortis range of cylinder lawnmowers from Cobra delivers advanced lawn mower technology to bring a convenient lawncare solution with incredible cutting precision.

The range combines eight machines in one to give the ultimate package for creating picture perfect lawns, and are the first powered cylinder mowers to be launched by Cobra.

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower

Eight in one with the new Fortis mower

There are four mowers in the Fortis range. Starting with a compact 14” model that is powered by a Loncin petrol engine, and then the 17”, 20” and 25” all featuring Briggs & Stratton engines for extra power for larger lawns. They are all self-propelled and have a three-way drive facility, allowing the blades to be disengaged without having to stop the engine.

Fortis mowers all feature a six-blade precision ground cutting cylinder to give the finest, most precise cut possible. The height of cut can easily be adjusted too with variants as low as 6mm and ranging up to 30mm. The finishing touch to the perfect cut comes from the steel front roller giving an enhanced definition to the iconic lawn stripes.

Convenience and comfort have also been considered as the mowers have foam cushioned handles that fold down for easy transportation and compact storage.

What makes the Fortis machines the ultimate in lawncare however, is their ability to transform into seven other machines to ensure that lawns are immaculate and healthy. The Fortis six-bladed cassette can simply be removed and replaced with another accessory cassette in the range to switch its use. Other cartridges include:

  • Verticutter – lightly removes thatch build up with light, fine blades without penetrating the soil and by cutting vertically to increase turf density
  • Scarifier – more aggressive than the verticutter and can easy remove debris and dense thatch by penetrating the soil to encourages new growth
  • Dethatcher – will remove the densest layers of thatch and will collect twice as much material as the verticut cartridge. Its thick, wide spaced tines will penetrate the soil up to 6mm deep
  • Aerator – brakes up soil compaction as its blades slit the ground to allow extra air, moisture and nutrients to reach the grass roots. Ultimately, creating a healthier, thicker and more luscious lawn
  • Turf rake – powerful blades both lift thatch and thinly slice soil surface to ensure maximum water, air and nutrients can flow to the roots
  • Lawn brush – features rotating brushes that easily collects light debris such as fallen leaves, twigs, grass clippings or litter and places it in the collection box. It can also be used to remove dew and light rain from the lawn to prevent fungal diseases
  • 10-blade cassette – gives an even closer finish worthy of croquet, tennis lawns and bowling greens!

It’s not just the convenience of the cartridges that makes the Fortis range so special, the cutting ability is superb and incredible precise.
The cylinder mowers’ blades spiral around the cartridge, as such they cut with a scissor action, slicing instead of chopping like a rotary mower. This is better for the grass, as it has less impact and causes less trauma which in turn leads to healthier grass. The clean cut from a cylinder mower is less damaging for the plant and also helps prevent against diseases forming. Not only does this create healthy lawns, but it also gives crisply defined lines for a perfectly striped finish.

For further information about Cobra, please visit www.cobragarden.co.uk.

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The Future in mind

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The Future in mind: Henry Bechelet, ICL’s Turf and Landscape – Technical Sales Manager for the UK & Ireland discusses the new biodegradable coating for CRFs.

ICL’s newest biodegradable coating, eqo.s, is set to be one of the most important innovations since controlled release fertilisers (CRFs) were introduced on the market over 50 years ago.

The Future in mind

The Future in mind

CRFs are an essential part of sustainable turf management and one of the most efficient ways of providing nutrition for turfgrass. The release technology of CRFs provides a steady nutrient release over extended periods to match the plants’ needs with minimal losses. CRFs ensure that turfgrass is never short of nutrition, can grow consistently, and nutrient losses to the environment are significantly reduced in comparison to conventional fertilisers. Additionally, the use of a CRF reduces the number of applications that are needed though the season.

eqo.s: the first of its kind

Eqo.s technology is the first coating technology that biodegrades quickly once all nutrients are released. It is one of the biggest ICL innovations in the past years, but the end users will not notice any difference in performance from the previous coatings. The new eqo.s coating shows reliable release patterns, high quality results, and it is fully biodegradable and with a superfast breakdown once all nutrients are released.

Compliant and future-proof

The eqo.s innovation is a step into the future for ICL. Driven by an innovative mentality, and of course a desire to comply with the new 2026 EU fertiliser legislation, ICL wanted to ensure that its products are completely compliant to the new regulations. ICL are proud to be upholding the highest standard of fertilizer quality and are leading the way in the turfgrass industry.

Research and testing

Like every product and technology at ICL, eqo.s is extensively researched and tested before being introduced to the market. The first laboratory tests were carried out at ICL’s R&D department. Additionally, the technology was tested in independent studies at Bangor University (UK), and in the field at independent trial stations throughout Europe and Australia. The trials have shown that CRFs with eqo.s are not so different from our current CRF technologies in terms of use, consistency and turf quality responses. But the main benefit is that the fully biodegradable eqo.s coating breaks down quickly and is completely compliant with the new fertilizer regulations.

How does it work?

The eqo.s technology is coated nitrogen whereby the urea nutrient core is coated with a sulphur (intermediate) layer, topped by an outer coating layer. This outer layer is the critical one as it regulates the movement of moisture into the granule and releases the nutrients out of the granule. ICL is specialized in developing these coatings. The new eqo.s outer coating offers a 3-4 month longevity and once all the nutrients are released, the coating shell breaks down quickly.

What it takes to innovate

ICL’s R&D department has extensive lab facilities and is constantly working on improvements and new products. For the eqo.s development, many experts were involved in different phases of a process that took about 5-6 years; from screening formulation chemists, chemical engineers and analysts, to agronomists and technical experts. It is a process of innovation, testing and then setting up the manufacturing and production processes and so takes a huge effort and level of commitment to bring to life.

Introduction of eqo.s in ICL’s CRF brands

The first eqo.s releases will be within the Sierrablen (standard size granule) and Sierrablen Plus (mini granule) ranges. Later this year, eqo.s will be introduced in ICLs other CRF product ranges such as Sportsmaster CRF Mini, ProTurf and Landscaper Pro. With eqo.s you will be getting the best results but with technology that is better for the environment. ICL continue to produce products that perform but with the needs of the future in mind.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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BGL apprentice greenkeeper selected to work at The Open

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BGL apprentice greenkeeper selected to work at The Open: BGL (Burhill Group Limited) is delighted to announce that a member of the greenkeeping team from its Abbey Hill Golf Centre in Milton Keynes has been selected to be part of the support team at this year’s Open Championship.

Sam Norman, who joined the BGL group and Abbey Hill in 2018, has been selected as one of just two apprentices who will join the support team at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in the week prior to the 151st Open. At the event, he’ll share responsibilities such as hand-mowing Hoylake’s greens, before joining the famed bunker raking squad that follows each group during The Open Championship tournament days.

BGL apprentice greenkeeper selected to work at The Open

BGL apprentice greenkeeper selected to work at The Open

Norman’s selection further demonstrates BGL’s continued commitment to supporting staff development across the group, by providing its teams with the best opportunities to grow their skillsets and enhance their CVs.

“I’m very excited to head up to Royal Liverpool Golf Club for this summer’s Open Championship,” commented Norman. “To be selected as one of just two apprentices to join the greenkeeping team in July is a great honour, and I’m looking forward to having the chance to represent Abbey Hill and BGL, and hopefully learn a huge amount at such a high-profile event.”

Colin Mayes, CEO of BGL (Burhill Group Limited), added: “Everybody at BGL is extremely proud of Sam for being selected as one of just two apprentices to work at golf’s most historic event. We’re passionate and committed to supporting our staff in their endeavours to develop their careers. Whether it be via our internal learning platform or national programmes, we’re delighted to offer opportunities for personal and professional development and champion the success of our people.”

Since joining in 2018, Norman has grown to become one of Abbey Hill Golf Centre’s most valued employees. He secured a full-time role on the greenkeeping team in 2021, and his stellar efforts saw him recognised as Abbey Hill’s Employee of the Year for 2022.

In early 2023, Norman’s BIGGA membership gave him the chance to apply to be part of the greenkeeping team at The 151st Open. He was one of more than 60 applicants and, following a conversation with Royal Liverpool Golf Club’s Links Manager, James Bledge, he was selected for the role.

The BGL group continues to be an industry-leader in personnel career development. The group offers an Online Training Academy platform, which contains more than one thousand training courses which are accessible to team members throughout the group. It also actively encourages employees to explore external development opportunities that they find interesting and feel will further their careers.

For more information on BGL (Burhill Group Limited), visit www.bglcompany.co.uk

For more information on Abbey Hill Golf Centre, visit www.abbeyhillgc.co.uk

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Trilo offering the scarification solutions

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Trilo offering the scarification solutions: The start of spring growth signals the safe return for some of the most critical mechanical maintenance operations – which can bring a significant boost to plant health.

Effective scarification can encourage healthy growth, tackle weed ingress and create an environment less favourable to fungal activity. Among the range of scarification tools from Trilo are solutions for both fine turf and sports turf applications which, when combined with effective husbandy, can have not just environmental benefits but financial savings too!

Trilo offering the scarification solutions

Trilo offering the scarification solutions

For flat surfaces, the Trilo VCU range offers effective scarification down to depths of 40mm. Available in 1.5m or 2m working widths, PTO drive provides reliable power to the rotor – equipped with 3mm thick manganese steel knives, capable of cutting through thatch layers and opening the surface up for more effective overseeding and better penetration for moisture and nutrients. The robust design delivers rigid strength, while the working depth of the VCU150 and VCU200 is simple to adjust via the threaded spindle, accessible on the sides of the unit. An optional undulation kit, comprising of gauge wheels, can be fitted to the rear of the frame for improved results on uneven ground.

Working up through the range and offering verti-cutting and collection in a single pass, is the 1.5m Trilo C15. Ideal for sports fields and local authority applications, the C15 offers a compact and versatile solution for scarification, utilising 3mm thick blades and wind paddles to effectively remove large quantities of thatch up and into the 1m3 hopper. Emptied easily via hydraulic lift and tip, the hopper also features a dust cover which makes for a more pleasant operator experience when working in dry conditions. The knives can be quickly accessed for simple cleaning, maintenance or changing for twisted flail blades, converting the C15 into a cut and collect machine.

Moving up again and proving that multi-function doesn’t have to mean compromise is the Trilo M4 vacuum collector which, when fitted with scarifier shaft, allows for effective scarification on large areas such as parks and fairways. When not in use for leaf collection through the autumn and winter, consider equipping the M4 with one of Trilo’s many scarification blade options for quick, single-person, thatch removal and clean collection via its large 4m3 hopper. The scarifier shaft can then be easily swapped again, for a flail shaft – delivering quick and convenient cut and collection throughout the summer months.

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