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By in Training on 24th Nov 2007 11:00

NVQ level 2 and 3 sports turf students have been busy constructing a three grass surface golf green on campus at Writtle College. The project was co-ordinated by course lecturer, Nigel Beckford, who designed the project to enable students to gain valuable experience in organising and managing a large construction project. The exercise has also proved invaluable to the facilitation of the course, offering students a unique sports turf project to work on.

The students are currently employed on golf courses and sports grounds in and around the Essex County. NVQ Level 3 student, Greg Knight, has been involved in the project since the planning and preparation stages in March 2007. Greg commented

"The skills gained from my course have been invaluable, I would like to now use the experience gained to progress into a new role as deputy green keeper at the golf course where I work. "

"What I have enjoyed most about the project is seeing the golf green all coming together after all the preparations and hard work put into it."

The golf green project has been funded by the CoVE (Centre of Vocational Excellence) initiative at the College in collaboration with local industry suppliers. 'Baileys of Norfolk' sponsored the sand, 'British Sugar' the topsoil and 'Barenbrug' sponsored the grass seed. An irrigation system was fitted by the global American company Toro. The sponsorship and involvement from local suppliers has been both encouraging and promising for the College, who intend to use the new golf green facility for future students to compare and contrast the effects of respective maintenance regimes and environment on the selected grass species.

There are effectively three greens to the project with differing root zones; pure sand, British Sugar's Landscape 20 topsoil and the indigenous soil (predominantly clay). All three surfaces were divided into three sections and sown with varying mixes of grass. At the front is a mix of Lolium perenne (Perennial Ryegrass), in the centre is a mix of Festuca rubra commutata (Chewing's fescue) and Agrostis tenuis (Browntop Bent) and at the rear of each green is another mix of Festuca rubra commutata (Chewing's fescue) and Festuca rubra litoralis (Slender Creeping Red Fescue). The surrounds of the greens were sown with Festuca arundinacea (Tall Rhizomatous Fescue).


www.writtle.ac.uk/

Read more articles in Training, by Press Release or from November 2007.



There are 6 comments on this article

26 Nov 2007 by Greg Knight

I was fortunate enough to be one of the students participating in this project and the skills and experience gained from this have been invaluable to me. Its been a great insight into the construction process of a golf green and the finished result is an outstanding learning resource for future students. It will be interesting to compare the growth habits of the different grass species on the three contrasting rootzones.

I would like to thank my course lecturer Nigel Beckford and Writtle College for giving me this opportunity and also the other students for the efforts towards this project. I would like to thank our suppliers/sponsors of the materials; 'Baileys of Norfolk', 'British Sugar', 'Barenbrug and TORO, without their input this project would not of been completed.

Greg Knight

27 Nov 2007 by NEIL STOPPS

The construction of the greens at writtle college is the first step towards creating an outstanding training programme for all students wishing to better their knowledge on golf surfaces. Hopefully with the continuous generosity of our sponsors and passion from Nigel Beckford this will create the best teaching aid any lecturer could ever need. This can only better our industries and provide us with a sustainable amount of proffesional greenkeepers ready to take playing surfaces into the 21st century.
A very big thank you to all sponsors and writtle college for making this happen.
A huge thank you to Nigel Beckford for pressuring everyone into letting us do it.
If there are any companies out there that might be able to help with anything i'm sure Nigel would be very grateful.

27 Nov 2007 by Stuart Patten Last edited 27 Nov 2007

It was great to come onto the NVQ level 3 and get the opportunity to take part in the construction of the greens, as I do not work on a golf course it was a brilliant incite into the industry. Nigel Beckford, our lecturer was a great help, with encouragement each week, and the time he has put into making everything happen with supplys and machinery. With a good maintence plan, the greens will be there for future students to aide there studies, as it has mine.

A big thanks to Nigel Beckford, Writtle college, suppliers, sponsors and my fellow students.

Stuart Patten

27 Nov 2007 by Nick Witting

Having worked in the construction process of the greens since day 1, it has been a great achievement for all involved. It is espically nice to be one of four second year students to see how the project has developed since seeing it on paper and now seeing the first blades of grass shooting! It has been of valuable experience to all and for the first years who are going to be maintaining it for the first year of maturity.

The knowledge we all gained out of carrying out the project was espically in surveying ad planning of the site.

It can only be an asset to the college providing future "turfies" with a platform to gain knowledge on plant identification, maintainace plans, and getting experience with how the greens develop over time!

Nick Witting

27 Nov 2007 by David Rhodes

Education and Industry working together for the betterment of students. Wonderful!
Nigel is a star. Well done all.

Good Luck.

David Rhodes.

29 Nov 2007 by Jonathan Mantripp

Being a first year student on this project it was a great experience for me because ive never really done any big construction work at my golf club.
I feel like ive got a better insight into what goes into creating a green, i would like to thank the guys for bringing all the first years upto speed with the project. Im going to take great pride in maintaining the greens for the next two years of my NVQ level 3 course, its goin to be a great learning experience for me to see how different grasses grow in different soils.

Jonathan Mantripp

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