Magazine - Issue 40 - December / January 2011 / 2012

How continued product development has improved operator safety and comfort
3 Mar 2012 - Industry - David Morgan - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
David Morgan is a Product Manager for Ransomes Jacobsen, based at their international headquarters in Ipswich, Suffolk. In this short article, he looks at how continued product development has improved operator safety and comfort, whilst reducing regular and routine maintenance

Artificial pitch maintenance - who, how, when and why?
2 Mar 2012 - Synthetics - Nick Harris - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012 - 9 comments
The importance of maintaining artificial turf pitches is widely acknowledged throughout the sports industry, and the consequences of neglecting to do so have been well-documented. But, when it comes to the fundamentals, the practicalities of actually looking after your own artificial sports surface, where do you start?

Backpack blowers product test
29 Feb 2012 - Industry - Jane Carley - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
“We consider blowers to be disposable machinery, replaced every couple of years, so price is important. If the cheaper makes do the job, and you are on a budget, they are worth considering”. The groundstaff at Robin Hood Golf Club put a selection of backpack blowers through their paces.

A family affair at Harts Common Golf Club
27 Feb 2012 - Golf - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
It’s a family affair at Hart Common Golf Course, where Peter Roberts’ dream of creating one of the best pay and play courses in the north-west of England is finally coming to fruition with the help of his wife, son and two daughters

Anatomy of a golf course - Greens
26 Feb 2012 - Golf - Andy Watson - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
In this article Andy Watson, of Andy Watson Golf Design, will look at what constitutes a green; how it is placed; its size and shape; and technical advancements that have improved the green surface over time

Natural or artificial turf? The ESA argue the case for natural surfaces
24 Feb 2012 - Synthetics - European Seed Association - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
Why does natural turf remain the ‘natural’ choice for football, sports and playing surfaces, when many back the introduction of artificial surfaces? The European Seed Association argue the case for grass

Mannofield Park battling with the Scottish weather
22 Feb 2012 - Cricket - Ken McCurdie - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
Sharing a latitude with Juneau in Alaska and St Petersburg in Russia, Aberdeen’s Mannofield Park is the most northerly One Day International accredited cricket ground in the world. Tending its surface in all weathers is Head Groundsman, Ken McCurdie

The "best turf in the world" for Trump course
20 Feb 2012 - Golf - Editor - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
In April last year, Tim Fell, managing director of turf producer, Tillers Turf, was having a fairly routine day at his Lincolnshire turf nursery until Donald Trump called from his office in New York to make his rather substantial request.

Soil formation and the role of natural and synthetic chemicals in the support of plant life
18 Feb 2012 - Consultancy - Jimmy Kidd - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
Jimmy Kidd tells us that our soil is a gift that will provide us with the quality of turf that we need, as long as we let the rootzones, micro and macro life farm it as nature intended

The Forsyth Barr stadium - the world’s first permanently-roofed stadium with natural turf
17 Feb 2012 - Rugby - Dr Richard Gibbs - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012 - 1 comment
This article provides an insight into how the Forsyth Barr stadium came to be and the many agronomic challenges that needed to be overcome.

How to avoid disputes with contractors
15 Feb 2012 - Consultancy - Gordon Jaaback - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
The careful use of the most appropriate and explicit wording can contribute to a clear understanding between contractor and client. However, avoiding disputes and controlling costs is often best handled by employing a consultant suggests Gordon Jaaback

The trials of breeding winter tolerant grass seed
13 Feb 2012 - General Sports - Simon Taylor - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
The UK climate can only be described as variable. I can remember my grandparents talking about the floods in the 1950s, and the winter of 1963. Most of us can remember the summer of 1976 and, more recently, last winter. Simon Taylor, UK Sales and Marketing for Eurograss BV, discusses the characteristics that make good winter tolerant grasses

First impressions count at The Leys
11 Feb 2012 - Schools - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
Matthew Pullen is only the fourth Head Groundsman at The Leys School in Cambridge since the 1950s. The fifty acre site is maintained by a grounds team of just five. In this article, he tells our editor about the improvements he has made since his arrival, and his plans for the future.

Remedial work at the SWALEC Stadium
9 Feb 2012 - Cricket - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012 - 2 comments
Three years down the line, Keith Exton finally has the backing of the committee to undertake major remedial work on the Swalec’s square. Steven Pask was the contractor chosen to carry out the work.

Filton College - raising standards and the apprenticeship scheme
7 Feb 2012 - Schools - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
When Nigel Hornsby left a secure position at Millfield School to take the head job at Filton College, he knew that he would have his work cut out to bring the standard of the facilities up to scratch. Now, two and a half years later, both he and the college are seeing the benefits of the improvements he and his new team have made.

Uttoxeter Racecourse able to weather the storms
5 Feb 2012 - Racing - Jane Carley - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
With vastly experienced Senior Clerk of the Course, Charlie Moore, at the helm, and a dedicated team of groundsmen, Uttoxeter Racecourse is in great shape to weather any coming storms

Pride and Passion shines through at Dunaverty Golf Club
3 Feb 2012 - Golf - Laurence Gale MSc - Issue 40 - Dec / Jan 2012
During his visit to Machrihanish Dunes, our editor took the opportunity to visit some other venues. Jimmy Kidd was insistent that he should see Dunaverty Golf Club, a small, but beautiful, members club set on the most southern tip of the Mull of Kintyre peninsula, in the village of Southend