Turf Matters | Turf Spotlight | Feature articles for Turf Professionals Groundsmen and Greenkeepers

For sustainability, meet the EPG

March 26, 2021

For sustainability, meet the EPG: Senior Environmental Consultant Dr Tom Young introduces the newest member of the STRI family, The Environmental Protection…

Introducing a WOW factor

March 25, 2021

Introducing a WOW factor: Scott MacCallum talks with Michaelyan Hip and discovers why Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh attracts - and produces - illustrious…

So, how are we doing?

March 24, 2021

So, how are we doing?: By Ian Mather-Brewster, Key Account Manager/Regional Pitch Advisor at the Grounds Management Association. This year has been particularly…

Complete stadium branding solution

March 24, 2021

Complete stadium branding solution: Scott MacCallum meets up with David Pritchard, Chief Commercial Officer for GroundWOW. It was at Saltex in late 2019…

Towards a new normal

March 22, 2021

Towards a new normal: The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. Scott MacCallum finds out what's next as a Coronavirus-ravaged world starts…

In the shadow of BT Murrayfield

January 27, 2021

In the shadow of BT Murrayfield: Edinburgh Rugby has a new home, a short pass away from the grandeur of BT Murrayfield. Scott MacCallum talks with Jim…

'I’m much more worried about you'

January 26, 2021

'I’m much more worried about you': Jim Dawson speaks candidly about how stress got too much – and how support was quickly forthcoming. Jim Dawson…

Lawn Care Legends - Who, What and Why

January 26, 2021

Lawn Care Legends - Who, What and Why: John Ryan, Founder of Lawn Care Legends, gives Turf Matters an insight to the thinking behind one of the fastest…

Superb in Singapore

January 22, 2021

Superb in Singapore: Sentosa Golf Club is widely respected as one of the world’s greatest golf clubs. It is also home to two world-class championship…

Dew diligence

January 21, 2021

Dew diligence: Water management is an essential element of every turf maintenance programme. We work hard to keep the soil moisture content at the right…

Further accolade for Turf Matters in top awards

November 24, 2020

Further accolade for Turf Matters in top awards: Turf Matters proved that last year’s triumph in the International Turf and Ornamental Communicators…

Embracing new technology

November 23, 2020

Embracing new technology: One silver lining among the heartache of the pandemic is an acceleration in the adoption of new – and better – ways of working… Craig…

Honour and a privilege

November 23, 2020

Honour and a privilege: Scott MacCallum talks with Adam King, Head of Grounds at Radley College in Oxford, and learns that while there is competitiveness…

The men who made it happen

November 23, 2020

The men who made it happen: When Malcolm Campbell struck the official first drive to open Dumbarnie Links in early summer it was a proud moment and one…

Dumbarnie: It’s worth the wait

November 20, 2020

Dumbarnie: It’s worth the wait: Scott MacCallum celebrates the opening - at last - of a fine addition to the long list of magnificent Scottish golf courses,…

Keeping safe through the pandemic

October 6, 2020

Keeping safe through the pandemic: Mark Tomlinson, Head of Environmental Stadia Projects, for Bio Circle, provides a specialist’s view on what is required…

How to develop and create great teams

October 6, 2020

How to develop and create great teams: Master Greenkeeper Phil Helmn’s book ‘The Power of People’ looks at the strengths of effective leadership.…

Champion Cheltenham

October 6, 2020

Champion Cheltenham: Scott MacCallum enjoys an extended socially distanced interview with Christian Brain, Grounds Manager at the prestigious Cheltenham…

It's time for tee

October 1, 2020

It's time for tee: On the vast majority of golf courses, it is the greens on which course managers spend a high proportion of their time and available…

Robotic mower top tips

October 1, 2020

Robotic mower top tips: Looking to buy a robotic mower? If it’s your first time dipping your toes into this gadget world, here’s ten tips on what you…

Grounds management is vital if we are to get back to play

July 8, 2020

Grounds management is vital if we are to get back to play: 2020 will undoubtedly go down in history as the season of no sport. With tournaments cancelled,…

Under the cloud of COVID-19

July 8, 2020

Under the cloud of COVID-19: The last three months have been traumatic and many of us will have lost relatives, loved ones, friends and colleagues to the…

Don’t forget your lines

July 8, 2020

Don’t forget your lines: Why GPS line marking technology is saving time and is more efficient. Football is now scheduled to re-start but pitches throughout…

Time to do things differently?

June 30, 2020

Time to do things differently?: With the world’s oldest golf courses being almost exclusively links courses it is no coincidence that very sandy materials…

Dealing with global extremes

June 30, 2020

Dealing with global extremes: STRI’s head of sports surface technology, Dr Stephen Baker, considers the problems of turf management in some of the more…

New lawns shown NO MERCY

June 30, 2020

New lawns shown NO MERCY: Scott MacCallum gets to grips with EGO’s battery powered mower. As a journalist, I am far more adept at writing about things…

Eon Bio – a time capsule with a difference

March 18, 2020

Eon Bio – a time capsule with a difference: David Snowden discusses the benefits of improving your growing medium and why using a soil conditioner is…

Surf 'n Turf

March 18, 2020

Surf 'n Turf: A horse’s impact on a surface, whether a racecourse or eventing track, has been much debated in sporting circles. On a professional sports…

Sheer Poetry

March 18, 2020

Sheer Poetry: Scott MacCallum catches up with Andy Richards to learn about his new role at the prestigious Haileybury School. Many Wimbledon champions…

It’s all about Grass Seed

March 18, 2020

It’s all about Grass Seed: Stronger germination and faster establishment are key. DLF Seed’s ProNitro Coating Technology has been helping greenkeepers…

Leaving the Brits in the shade

March 18, 2020

Leaving the Brits in the shade: Tuesday February 18 saw two high profile events on the UK calendar. Both had a superb venue, both had a stellar cast of…

Case for the defence

January 10, 2020

Case for the defence: The Christmas and New Year festivities are now just a lingering memory but though the days are starting to lengthen, there’s a…

Revolution in professional turf care

January 10, 2020

Revolution in professional turf care: Strained sports turf surfaces are particularly stressed by the influence of walking on, playing on or driving on,…

Prevention better than cure

January 10, 2020

Prevention better than cure: Ian Robson Prosport UK & Ireland Importer/Distributor for Foley United, explains why relief grinding maximises the performance…

STIHL waters run deep

January 10, 2020

STIHL waters run deep: It was there from about 20 minutes into the journey and I couldn’t shift it, not that in all honesty I really wanted it to leave. The…

Better with a bit of Buttar...

January 10, 2020

Better with a bit of Buttar...: In his first interview since taking over as Head Groundsman at Twickenham, Jim Buttar speaks to Scott MacCallum about his…

Don’t score an own goal with your borehole

January 10, 2020

Don’t score an own goal with your borehole: Last November Norwich City Football Club was named joint fifth in a sustainability league table of all 20…

STRIving for success

January 10, 2020

STRIving for success: Scott MacCallum returned to an old haunt to learn about the phenomenal transformation that has taken place at the STRI. You invariably…

Full steam ahead

October 25, 2019

Full steam ahead: Iseki UK was launched in 2017 into a rocky economic environment but with exactly the right man steering the ship. Two years on David…

Getting turf through winter

October 25, 2019

Getting turf through winter: Geoff Fenn, of Advanced Grass Solutions, helps you navigate the trials and tribulations of the winter months. Autumn and…

Can Europe be pesticide-free by 2050?

October 25, 2019

Can Europe be pesticide-free by 2050?: With the ecological consequences of food production and agricultural practices coming under increased scrutiny,…

New man at the helm

October 25, 2019

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…

Machinery at the touch of a button

October 25, 2019

Machinery at the touch of a button: We live in an age where we can carry out any amount of business from a laptop, tablet, even a phone. Where once we…

Thunderbirds are go!

October 25, 2019

Thunderbirds are go!: Ask Darren Baldwin about some of the technical innovation contained within the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and his answer brings…

A Heart To Hart With David

September 9, 2019

A Heart To Hart With David: Turf Matters spoke exclusively with David Hart, Managing Director of Kubota UK and covered everything from demo lorries, structural…

Local Heroes For An Event That Produced A Local Hero…

September 9, 2019

Local Heroes For An Event That Produced A Local Hero…: Scott MacCallum catches up with Royal Portrush Course Manager, Graeme Beatt, following the magnificent…

Tackling Summer Turf Stress

September 9, 2019

Tackling Summer Turf Stress: Last summer saw the highest level of drought stress the UK has seen for years, and many courses are still feeling the effects…

Talk of the Toon

July 9, 2019

Talk of the Toon: In meeting a host of people from the industry over the years, it’s not unusual to hear someone say they wished they’d moved into…

The Agronomic Elephant In The Room

July 4, 2019

The Agronomic Elephant In The Room: Dr Minshad Ansari, left, discusses the Leatherjacket and Chafer Grub problem with Scott MacCallum. The agronomic elephant…

A Great Place To Be

June 24, 2019

A Great Place To Be: Scott MacCallum catches up with Phil Helmn, the man with the most diverse job in turf management… I often interview turf managers…

How Turf Changed Tennis

June 24, 2019

How Turf Changed Tennis: The STRI’s Mark Ferguson explains how an improvement in the grass deployed on tennis courts changed the way in which the game…

Memories Are Made Of This

June 24, 2019

Memories Are Made Of This: Scott MacCallum returns to a place where he has spent quite a bit of time and created many wonderful memories, as he talks with…

Will It Be Sparks That Make The Clippings Fly?

March 1, 2019

Will It Be Sparks That Make The Clippings Fly?: James de Havilland gives his thoughts on the advance of the electric or hybrid mower revolution. Although…

Coming To Terms With Artificial Pitches

February 28, 2019

Coming To Terms With Artificial Pitches: Eric O’Donnell, Managing Director of Sports Labs, adds insight into the recent highly publicised debate in Scotland…

Scott MacCallum Chats To Ben Hastie

February 28, 2019

Scott MacCallum Chats To Ben Hastie: Scott MacCallum caught up with Ben Hastie, the man with the toughest job in turf maintenance as he prepared for...…

Five Years On Yet Still, Turf Matters

November 8, 2018

Five Years On Yet Still, Turf Matters: This issue of Turf Matters marks our fifth full year in production and the time seems to have just flown by. We…

Greenkeepers’ Acclaim For Meeting Ryder Cup Challenge

November 8, 2018

Greenkeepers’ Acclaim For Meeting Ryder Cup Challenge: For years the greenkeepers have remained the ‘unsung heroes’ behind tournaments and big events.…

Hagg’s Castle’s Silver Lining

November 8, 2018

Hagg’s Castle’s Silver Lining: It wasn’t the best day that Scott Ballantyne, Course Manager at Glasgow’s Hagg’s Castle Golf Club, had ever experienced,…

An Update From Scott MacCallum

August 2, 2018

We have just come from a tumultuous six weeks of sport – with the World Cup, Wimbledon and The Open Championship at Carnoustie and you know what –…

Jacobsen Success in Oman

July 16, 2018

Jacobsen, a Textron Golf brand, is making waves in Oman, with equipment being exclusively installed at three out of four golf clubs in Muscat, the capital.…

Good To Have David Back

July 5, 2018

Good To Have David Back: David Withers, who became one of this country’s most successful exports when he rose to the position of President and CEO with…

Get Ready

July 5, 2018

Get Ready: The Ryder Cup is looming. Turf Matters pitches some questions to key people in the run up to the big event. ALEJANDRO REYES Golf Courses…

The danger beneath our feet?

July 4, 2018

The danger beneath our feet?: A number of media articles regarding possible health risks linked to artiﬁcial pitches have prompted Turf Matters to investigate…

Park Life

July 3, 2018

Park Life: A report by the Heritage Lottery Fund, State of UK’s Public Parks, suggests that in the UK 34 million people visit a park regularly. To put…

Rugby Groundsmen Connected

June 20, 2018

Rugby Groundsmen Connected: As a past player, coach and club groundsman, I am only too aware of the importance of having a decent surface to play on,…

A data-driven approach

May 15, 2018

A data-driven approach: How a decade of technological innovation has put groundsmen more in control than ever before... Groundsmanship today looks…

The Lakes

May 15, 2018

The Lakes: Laurence Gale travelled to Australia and persuaded an ex-pat greenkeeper to write about his experiences greenkeeping on the other side of the…

2018 World Cup in Russia

May 15, 2018

2018 World Cup in Russia: Laurence Gale takes a look behind the scenes at the venue for the World Cup final to be held in Moscow in July. With the…

The Beast On The East

May 15, 2018

The Beast On The East: Scott MacCallum takes his life in his hands and heads to Carnoustie ahead of this year’s Open Championship. Carnoustie has…

Exploring The Lakes

May 3, 2018

Exploring The Lakes: A recent family trip to Sydney to see my daughter, afforded me the opportunity to visit some local sporting venues, I was particularly…

Stars of The Big Top

March 21, 2018

Stars of the big top: Laurence Gale pops into Edgbaston to see how marquees are providing additional preparation time for both grounds’ team and players. A…

Feel The Power

March 15, 2018

Feel the power: Laurence Gale takes a look at PowerGrass and chats with Graham Longdin, of Agripower, about its qualities Within the last five…

Improving on a Masterpiece

March 14, 2018

Improving on a masterpiece: An opportunity you would not let slip through your fingers! Scott MacCallum took the chance to visit the Machrie, a golf…

Shrewsbury Rugby Club

March 14, 2018

Laurence Gale enjoys a nostalgic trip back to Shrewsbury Rugby Club: Our personal sporting heritage in this country, nearly always starts from our introduction…

World Class, without resting on their laurels

February 28, 2018

World Class, without resting on their laurels Laurence Gale travels to Derby to see developments at Dennis and Sisis: It has been a couple of years…

Demain’s the name

February 28, 2018

Demain’s the name: When the name of the Professional Groundman of the Year was announced at the IOG Awards Dinner in November, there was one man in…

Vision of the future

February 5, 2018

Vision of the future: Laurence Gale finds out what’s behind Gloucester City Council’s successful PPS Initiative. As an ex-local authority manager,…

Say Goodbye To Standing Water With Apex Soil Solutions

February 5, 2018

Say goodbye to standing water with Apex Soil Solutions: There is always a conflict of interest when it comes to golf. Course Managers like to get as much…

Six Nations: How the grounds staff are preparing

February 5, 2018

Six Nations: How the grounds staff are preparing For many sports fans it is the most exciting time of the year. The NatWest Six Nations is a celebration…

The World’s Best

November 7, 2017

The World’s Best: Laurence Gale goes back to university to discover what has made Loughborough the world’s best university for sport Loughborough…

Inside the Webb

November 7, 2017

Inside the Webb: Scott MacCallum catches up with Geoff Webb, the IOG’s Chief Executive and the man who steered Saltex to its new Birmingham home. With…

Whatever The Customer Wants

October 27, 2017

Whatever the Customer Wants: That legendary American industrialist, Henry Ford, who brought automotive transportation to the masses, was famous for many…

Laurence Gale Makes A Return Visit To The STRI

October 20, 2017

Research at its Best: Laurence Gale popped up to Yorkshire to make a return visit to the STRI It has been a few years since I last visited the STRI…

Providing Consistent Conditions To The Best Show Jumping Arena In The World

September 20, 2017

Edward Bunn is Facilities Manager at Hickstead, one of the most iconic show jumping arena in the world. Still a family-run business, Ed’s been tending…

Transforming Greenock Morton FC

August 16, 2017

Scott MacCallum catches up with Mark Farnell, Head Groundsman at Greenock Morton, a man used to making the most of what he has got. There is groundsmanship…

Day Of The Tetraploid

August 9, 2017

Day Of The Tetraploid: Wonderful work is being carried out by Top Green which will take sports surfaces to another level. Scott MacCallum dug out his…

A Legacy Bearing Fruit

June 9, 2017

A Legacy Bearing Fruit - Scott MacCallum catches up with Greg Bolton as he works on transforming West Ham’s new stadium back into its original athletics’…

The Challenges of the UK’s Most Iconic Stadium

April 19, 2017

Scott MacCallum meets up with Lee Evans, Head Groundsman at the Principality Stadium with the Champion’s League Final looming There can be no more…

No Excuses Now!

February 21, 2017

Scotland’s new Performance Centre gives the country’s sporting elite (and aspiring elite) the chance to maximise their potential There may not be…

Working in a Winter Wonderland

January 10, 2017

It’s a myth which needs exploding. Sports turf professionals do not hibernate in the winter. Nor do they spend their time playing darts or three card…

GROUNDSMAN ON A MISSION

November 25, 2016

In a Turf Matters exclusive, Leicester City FC grounds manager John Ledwidge, speaks openly about his iconic pitch designs, raising the profile of the…

THE SWISS ARMY KNIVES OF STADIUMS

November 25, 2016

We look at the development of the all-purpose, multi-use stadium, and how they have become part of the fabric of modern day society. The vast majority…

HOW TROON TOOK ON THE WEATHER

November 25, 2016

Following a spate of adverse weather conditions, Royal Troon is gearing up to host the world’s greatest golfing tournament… Wouldn’t we all…

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