Slippery surfaces are a familiar problem on golf courses. Spikes grip turf well, but soft spikes and moulded soles can struggle on timber steps, footbridges and sleepers, especially in wet or frosty weather. GripClad, which makes anti-slip treads from glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), says its cleats are now used by hundreds of clubs across the UK and Ireland, and greenkeepers and managers are reporting positive results.
The cleats are made to measure and screw-fixed to existing surfaces, so clubs can fit them with their own staff. GripClad says they resist spiked shoes, weather, chemicals and frost, and that they have a design life of 20 years or more.
At The Manor House Golf Club in Wiltshire, the product came to the club’s attention through GreenKeeping magazine. The club found the cleats easy to fit and saw the benefit straight away. “Members noticed the difference immediately, even during installation,” the club says. “I was particularly impressed that the grip performed just as well in the rain and hard frost.” Members have since asked for the cleats to be fitted on the sleepers around the greens.
North Foreland Golf Club in Kent highlighted durability and service. “The product’s overall wear tolerance is excellent,” it says, and it would recommend GripClad to any club with slippery surfaces. It describes the customer service as “first-class”.
For Oake Manor Golf Club in Taunton, the main benefit is risk reduction. The price fitted the club’s budget, but the real value was in reducing health and safety risks. Members feel the cleats have worked “brilliantly”, and the club’s owners are reassured that the chance of a claim after a slip has fallen.
Lee Park Golf Club in Liverpool looked at several suppliers before choosing. Its green committee wanted a product that would withstand constant use, offered good value and suitable fixings, and could be installed by its own staff. GripClad met those requirements.
Cost mattered at Newburgh-on-Ythan Golf Club in Scotland, which had identified 12 locations that needed to be made safe. “Like many golf clubs, our finances are not as robust as we would like, so we have to cut our cloth accordingly,” it says. The overall dimensions of the cleats and the choice of widths let it specify exactly what it needed.
GripClad also points to Turnhouse Golf Club in Edinburgh, where members responded warmly after the club fitted cleats to its steps.
For more information
Web: gripclad.co.uk/industries/golf-clubs/
Email: enquiries@gripclad.co.uk
Tel: 023 8040 6796