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Greenkeepers to the fore

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Greenkeepers to the fore: Episode three of Syngenta Golf’s new docuseries Changing the Business of Golf is streaming now – and follows the greenkeeping team as they transform Stanedge Golf Club.

‘On Course for Change’ features Head Greenkeeper Christian ‘CJ’ Johnson as he oversees a major course upgrade while coping with new parenthood; Greenkeeper David Morgan renovates an overgrown par-three; and we meet new recruit James Wyatt, a pilot grounded by the pandemic, as he swaps runways for fairways.

Greenkeepers to the fore

Greenkeepers to the fore

Watch now: syngentagolf.com/changing-business-golf

“Nobody really notices the role of the greenkeeper,” says James, who is seeing golf from the greenkeeper’s perspective for the first time. “Everybody comes along, they play their golf, they expect the greens to be tidy, they expect the grass to be in good condition, but you don’t tend to see all of this as a player.”

But it’s not just customers who have high expectations. New course owner and PGA Professional Fame Tate believes course conditions are critically important to the customer experience – and the long-term success of her business.

“The golf course was my number one priority for change,” explains Fame. “If we were going to get people back, it was the golf course that was going to have to change.

“I want it to look absolutely immaculate. And as much as I wanted to wave my magic wand, make grass grow and make the greens perfect and do all these things instantly, I very quickly realised things take time.”

Join Fame, CJ, James and David as the turf team transform the Stanedge course to meet the demands of a growing membership.

And catch previous episodes following Fame’s remarkable one-woman mission to change golf, transform the customer experience and make her club a friendly and inclusive community venue.

Watch all episodes, streaming now, on Syngenta Golf: syngentagolf.com/changing-business-golf

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BAGMA sold to the AEA

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BAGMA sold to the AEA: The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira), has transferred the ownership of BAGMA, the British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association, to the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) with effect from the July 1, 2021.

After a long relationship between Bira and BAGMA, this has been a difficult decision. However, it is in the best interests of both BAGMA and Bira. The AEA is more aligned to the industry sector BAGMA operates in and this will enable BAGMA to offer more support relevant to its members’ business needs.

BAGMA sold to the AEA

BAGMA sold to the AEA

Bira will maintain a working relationship with BAGMA and the AEA for at least the next 12 months, with members of BAGMA still having access to the services available from Bira, including legal advice and Bira Direct.

BAGMA Director Keith Christian and his team, Kari Hearn and Richard Jenkins, will be transferring with BAGMA, ensuring the all-important continuity in the running and operations of BAGMA.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: “I, and my colleagues in Bira, are very proud to have worked closely with the BAGMA team and BAGMA members over the past 25 years. There is a strong identity among BAGMA members that is to be admired.”

Ruth Bailey, CEO of the AEA, said: “The AEA is absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to be working with BAGMA and feel extremely positive about future developments and advantages that could be brought by the two organisations joining forces.

“For many years, there has been a clear working relationship between the two Associations but in more recent times the links and directional cooperation have become closer and closer and more aligned. As a collaborative voice to government and business, there is huge potential in adding impact and in bringing a difference to the sector.

“While the AEA sees a great amount of synergy between the two organisations, it fully respects the need, however, for the continuity of membership services from BAGMA to its members and to recognise the inherent strength that the BAGMA membership brings. It is for this reason that it is very important that the highly valued and distinct identity of BAGMA is maintained and supported independently.

“We look forward to providing a clear voice to industry yet maintaining the rich heritage of each of the Associations and the value of services to their respective members.

Peter Arrand, BAGMA President, said: “The BAGMA Council of Representatives unanimously supported the purchase of BAGMA by the AEA. “The acquisition will secure a future home within industry and allow the heritage and strong brand built up over 100 years as a dealer trade association to continue. There are many synergies between the two organisations which will enable a stronger representation for the industry we operate in whilst not losing sight of the individual needs of BAGMA members.

“The advantages of being a BAGMA member have been retained and we can look forward to a bright and collaborative future.”

Keith Christian, Director of BAGMA, added: “Having been a part of the former British Hardware Federation (BHF) now the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) for the past 25 years It may be a surprise to some for BAGMA to be moving to new home.

“BAGMA’s 103-year history has always been intertwined with the AEA and whilst we represent different factions within the industry, we share a common goal in supporting the industry through both dealerships, suppliers and manufacturers.

“Whilst BAGMA will remain as an independent dealer’s association within its new home, it is expected that there will be new working relationships that will benefit BAGMA members in the future to come.”

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Wet Sand no issue with the Dakota 412

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Wet Sand no issue with the Dakota 412: As the most northern links golf course on the United Kingdom mainland, having a top dresser that can spread wet sand like the Dakota 412 from Campey Turf Care Systems is a must at Scotland’s Reay Golf Club. 

The James Braid designed course is positioned on the edge of Sandside Bay with views of the Pentland Firth and the North Atlantic from every hole. The course and its stunning views have been under the control of Head Greenkeeper Jason Norwood, since March 2021, with the new man aiming to put his stamp on the course, starting with the greens.

Wet Sand no issue with the Dakota 412

Wet Sand no issue with the Dakota 412

As the sole full-time member of staff for the main 18-hole course and junior three-hole, Jason’s priority is the greens, with volunteers giving up two days a week to assist with the fairways and roughs. The limited time available to Jason needs to be spent working, and with the Dakota 412, he’s able to top-dress as and when he needs to regardless of the sand moisture.

“I’ve tried to put my own stamp on things here with different types of machinery and different ways of working, and the club has really been on board with that, and one of those things has been buying the new Dakota top dresser,” Jason explains.

“The equipment we originally had couldn’t cope well with wet sand; it was more of a large-scale fertiliser spreader. As you can imagine at the top of Scotland, there’s a lot of rain about so any sand that we do have is normally quite wet, so that was one of the main features of the Dakota for us because it can deal with that quite easily and we still get a good even spread with it.

“We really want to push forward and make use of the North Coast 500 tourist route, which is literally on our doorstep; it passes directly in front of us, so we get a lot of passing visitors now, and I think all year-round performing greens are the main thing golfers are after on a golf course so it’s making sure that we can provide that for them.

“We’ve had the machine since the middle of April, but because of the weather chances to get it out have been limited. I’ve trialled different settings on our junior course greens to get what we want for the main course, and it’s been good so far.

“With it having four wheels the weight is distributed incredibly well, so it doesn’t leave a mark on the greens, and the first time I used it you’d have no idea that anything had been done or any heavy equipment had been over the greens it because the footprint was minimal.”

The Dakota 412 features accurate and easy to operate calibration with no manual adjustment and has four Ultra-Trac turf tyres on independent floating beam axels for maximum weight distribution, allowing Jason to work without causing viable disruption to the surface.

As part of Campey’s installation, and to help Jason get the most out of the machine, Campey Product Specialist, Richard Heywood, walked him through the various settings and features, which Jason views as an invaluable experience.

Jason explains: “Because we are so far north, there is a lot more to consider when ordering machinery. Something that was great for me was being supplied through my machinery dealer Double A with support from Campey by sending Richard to demonstrate how to use the top dresser to the best of its abilities. This proved invaluable to me not having used one before.

“He went through it all, explained what all the different settings were, how to adjust it all, and that was vital. Having someone who knows how to operate it fully really maximises its performance and helps us get the best out of the machine.”

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On the horizon podcasts

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On the horizon podcasts: Greenkeepers, turf managers and agronomists can now get an invaluable insight into the key agronomy challenges they will face on golf courses over the coming months, by following the podcast, On the horizon with Glenn & Henry.

On the horizon with Glenn & Henry features the Technical Managers of both Syngenta, Glenn Kirby, and ICL’s Henry Bechelet. Together, they tackle hot topics typically to be seen in the months ahead.

On the horizon podcasts

On the horizon podcasts

“We’re looking to help greenkeepers think about strategic planning and decision making for golf course turf management, ahead of issues occurring,” reported Glenn.

“As we move towards a greater emphasis on Integrated Turf Management (ITM), it becomes ever more important to manage conditions and prepare turf health well in advance, typically several weeks or months ahead of problems occurring,” he advocated.

The On the horizon format follows an easy-listening style of discussion that explores the experience and renowned practical understanding of both Henry and Glenn, backed up with their turf science and research knowledge.

Henry added: “The podcast gives us the chance to delve far deeper into specific topics. The discussion it triggers helps to bring together the complex interaction of many day-today aspects of turf management, which creates a more holistic approach to ITM.

“Greater awareness of the implications of what you do to today, to prepare for the challenges of tomorrow, is crucial to make ITM work in practice,” advised Henry.

The podcasts’ availability, through media sources including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google, makes the wealth of knowledge readily and freely accessible where and whenever people want to listen – be that on the mower, in the mess room or just catching up in the evening.

Topics for the July episode of On the horizon include:

  • Preventing take-all patch
  • Weather challenges
  • Managing summer stress
  • Anthracnose risks

Previous episodes of On the horizon with Glenn & Henry are all available on all popular podcast platforms.

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John Deere mowers excel at The K Club

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John Deere mowers excel at The K Club: One of Ireland’s top golf resorts has taken delivery of two new John Deere 9009A TerrainCut rotary rough mowers to keep its courses in pristine condition. The famous K Club 5-star golfing resort in Kildare, just half an hour’s drive from Dublin, hosted the Ryder Cup in 2006 as well as the Irish Open in 2016 and 13 European Opens.

When the need arose for new rough mowers at the resort, thorough research was carried out by the greens staff to investigate what each brand had to offer. In the end the top cutting quality and reliability of the John Deere models trumped the competition, and two 9009A mowers were ordered from local golf & turf dealer Dublin Grass Machinery.

John Deere mowers excel at The K Club

John Deere mowers excel at The K Club

Powered by a 55hp engine, the John Deere 9009A is a five-gang 68.6cm (27in) independent rotary deck mower with a cutting width of 2.7m (9ft), providing the all-day productivity needed for golf course rough mowing.

Gerry Byrne has been Resort Superintendent at The K Club for the past 24 years and is well pleased with the machines’ performance. “We recently bought the two new John Deere rotary mowers as we wanted to improve the overall presentation of the rough areas on both the Palmer North and Palmer South courses,” he says. “We carried out extensive research into all the main brands and decided that the 9009A suited our needs best of all.

“I have used John Deere mowers in the past but not that recently, just the company’s tractors. It’s been good to reconnect with Dublin Grass Machinery, as I have known Stan Mitchell and the dealership team since I was a trainee many years ago.

“We have operated other makes of rough mower here, and they carried out a good job of overall course maintenance. However, we felt the more versatile John Deere 9009A mowers would give us a better quality of cut. Both mowers not only provide a premium, precision cut but importantly they are also able to cope with our intricate dune style mounds, particularly around sensitive areas of the courses. I find them to be very proficient and user friendly,” he adds.

Most of the servicing and maintenance of the machinery at The K Club is carried out by the resort’s staff mechanic. A good parts and backup service from Dublin Grass Machinery was another influential factor in the purchasing decision for Gerry Byrne and the greenkeeping team.

“Our mechanic Pat Freany has been with us for over 25 years,” he says. “Pat carries out all the servicing and repairs and has a very good working relationship with the dealership. The quick turnaround on parts delivery and service kits is a unique selling point for John Deere, which Pat really appreciates.”

As for future investments in new machinery at The K Club, Gerry Byrne is confident that John Deere will feature again. “The K Club has significant investment plans for the whole estate, and John Deere mowing equipment will certainly be part of our continuing strategy to enhance the overall presentation standards for our members and guests.”

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