The host of the 2014 Ryder Cup, Gleneagles in Scotland, is to run a scholarship programme that should result in nine people becoming fully qualified greenkeepers. The Gleneagles Greenkeeping Scholarship programme is designed to equip successful candidates with the practical and theoretical skills required for a successful career in golf course management. The funded programme…

Germinal has added a new seed mixture to its Grade A range of sports seed products with the launch of a new semi-rough mixture for golf courses. Designed specifically for use along the border between fairway and rough areas, A32 Ecological Rough is made up of five different grass species, all of which have been…

Wiedenmann’s new super light Terra Spike SL is fast earning the reputation of being smart in every sense of the word. Easily tining down to 210mm on fine turf it is more than twice the match for some shallow aerators especially as it targets that vital area between 100mm and 210mm. On the looks front…

Last staged two years ago, British woodchipper manufacturer GreenMech recently hosted a vast array of the media to deliver an update on the company’s progress. The assembled press were treated to a presentation by sales director Martin Lucas, followed by a factory tour and working demonstrations of some of its new, and most popular, machines.…

Highspeed Group’s ClearWater system was the focus of much attention at BTME this year and was a winner in more ways than one! Managing director, David Mears, said: “BTME is always an excellent show for us and this year proved no exception. We were most impressed by the large number of enquiries taken for our…

One of Britain’s top universities, Imperial College London, has joined forces with the British and International Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE), England Golf and sustainability firm Environmental Solutions International to work together on a national project to survey the UK golf sector’s benefits to the environment. The project could result…

Price Turfcare, a newly established business founded by Ransomes Jacobsen’s former international sales director, Rupert Price, has been awarded the UK and Ireland distribution rights for Ventrac all-wheel-drive compact tractors. Supported by a group of former colleagues with over 100 years of experience in the groundscare sector, Price Turfcare has bespoke warehousing and distribution facilities…

Two London Golf Club greenkeepers were given the opportunity to ply their trade at the famed Le Golf National in France, helping prepare the iconic Albatros course ahead of the European Senior Tour’s Paris Legends Championship. Mark Allard and Chris Kibble, both senior greenkeepers at London Golf Club, spent six days at the 2018 Ryder…

North Berwick Golf Club in Scotland has been awarded golf’s global eco-label, GEO certified, in recognition of its commitment to nature protection, resource efficiency and community value. “We are stewards of the land,” explained Stuart Greenwood, course manager. “We are lucky enough to look after this beautiful area, and we have a duty to do…

The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has revealed the number of delegates who attended the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) and associated events. Held in January, BTME took place in the Harrogate International Centre and saw 4,460 individual visitors made head through the doors throughout the three-day event. That number is a 10…

Long Ashton Golf Club in Bristol has become the latest venue to bring in measures to deal with people picnicking on its course. Last year North Berwick Golf Club in Scotland put up signage around its course because families were picnicking on greens and building sandcastles in bunkers. Long Ashton has said it has experienced…

Tony Bell, head groundsman for Middlesbrough FC, has revealed that the secret behind keeping the pitch at the Riverside Stadium in such pristine condition is his unique and innovative approach to using the Dennis S500 PLUS ‘dual purpose’ machine. Tony, who has been at the club since 1997, not only oversees the grounds maintenance at…

Alan Abel from Complete Weed Control gives turf managers his view of what 2017 will hold for the industry. “The years, when working within the turf and amenity industry seem to go very quickly, as we are always thinking about the next season ahead. Each of the four seasons brings its own challenges, be it…

The British and International Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has honoured some of its most talented members with the presentation of the third annual BIGGA Awards. The awards were presented during BTME 2017, the largest turf management exhibition in Europe, at the Welcome Celebration event, hosted by Naga Munchetty. Each year the awards recognise outstanding greenkeeping performances…

A golf club in Leicestershire has received local praise for transforming a flooded bog on its course into a pond and wildlife haven. The change at Hinckley Golf Club was thanks to the hard work of volunteers and has been reported in The Hinckley Times. During the summer of 2014, an area of the course…

A leading golf club in Northumberland and a top venue in Hertfordshire have both had administrators appointed to them. Both venues were built during the boom of new golf clubs in the early to mid 1990s. Burgham Park Golf & Leisure Park in Northumberland is host of the PGA North Region Championship and was part-designed…

The former courses and estates manager at The Wentworth Club, who worked closely with Ernie Els during the four-time Major winner’s renovation of the West Course, has been announced as vice president of BIGGA. Chris Kennedy, 69, oversaw the course preparation for 56 European Tour events during his long career. Chris will assist BIGGA president…

The use of ICL’s new Vitalnova Stressbuster has significantly improved the overall health of the turf on the fairways and greens at Castle Stuart Golf Club, reports course manager Chris Haspell. The Castle Stuart Golf Club in Inverness, Scotland is a championship links course which overlooks the Moray Firth and other well-known Highland landmarks such…

Kubota UK, leading groundcare and agricultural machinery specialist, has launched an unmissable ‘on-site’ price for its Scraper tractor. Available until February 28, 2017, customers looking to purchase the L4240 will receive it at the exclusive price of £16,640, whilst the L5040 will be available for £17,950. Kubota’s L40 tractors deliver economic performance and low maintenance…

Fleesensee Golf & Country Club in Germany is on a fast track to complete the re-styling of all its 70 bunkers by the end of March 2017 on its acclaimed Schloss Course. The top venue is using the EcoBunker construction method. Introduced to the club in late 2014, three trial EcoBunkers, installed during the spring…

The British president and CEO of one of the world’s biggest golf course machinery suppliers, David Withers, has stepped down from his role. Withers, who has been doing the job in North Carolina, USA, since 2011, is leaving due to a relocation to Augusta, due to Jacobsen’s merger with Textron Specialized Vehicles, about 170 miles…