Spring brings diverse range of projects for MJ Abbott
Specialist sports turf and water engineering contractor, MJ Abbott Limited, has had a busy winter carrying out a large number of planned maintenance visits as well as important upgrades to golf course irrigation systems throughout the country.
Among the courses where MJ Abbott's irrigation installation teams have been working is Royal Jersey Golf Club where the company completed the second phase of a full-system project which commenced in late 2012 with the upgrading of the club's greens' irrigation system.
Last winter saw upgrades and renovations carried out to Royal Jersey's fairway irrigation and main lines and the installation of a bespoke new pump station, the finished result producing a highly effective and efficient system capable of satisfying all projected summer watering demands.
Having installed the current irrigation system at Open Championship venue, Royal Lytham and St Annes, over the winter of 2001/2002, MJ Abbott has been returning each year to maintain and, when necessary, update the system.
Last winter, the firm spent five weeks on the course upgrading and renewing key components as well as installing irrigation to a number of new tees.
At Chesterfield Golf Club in Derbyshire, MJ Abbott carried out a full upgrade of the club's irrigation system, including new main lines, storage reservoir and pumping station, before moving on to Hunstanton Golf Club, Norfolk, where upgrades were made to greens' irrigation along with the installation of new main lines and additional pop-up sprinklers on a number of new and extended tees.
On the golf construction front, the firm carried out drainage to greens at Royal Winchester Golf Club and also at Chelmsford Golf Club.
Following on from the highly-sensitive reconstruction of the front nine holes on Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club's Outer Course in summer 2013, MJ Abbott returned to the course to finish off the newly created and reworked bunkers , replenishing and replacing sand as appropriate.
The improvement in weather conditions evident since early March has seen MJ Abbott return to the state-of-the-art training centre being created by the firm for Aviva Premiership rugby club, London Irish, at Sunbury-on-Thames.
With grass growing-in well on four full-size rugby training pitches and 12 junior pitches, the firm has turned its attention to completion of the landscaping around the pitch perimeters, stretching from the touchlines to the outer boundary of the 20ha site.
In addition to planting trees, shrubs and new hedging, MJ Abbott has seeded areas with wild flower grass mixes designed to attract birds and insects, filled gaps in existing hedging and installed new timber fencing and access gates.
Moving from oval to round ball, the company has commenced construction of a new football pitch for Exeter Athletics.
Having completed a number of successful car park projects for clients including Holiday Inn and The National Trust using the Golpla® recycled plastic grass and gravel reinforcement and erosion control system, MJ Abbott completed recently a similar large area contract for a private client located near Dorking, Surrey.