NEWS EXTRA
IT’s a draw in the clearwater cup The annual ClearWater Cup took place at Corhampton Golf Club with The South Coast Greenkeepers playing The Wessex Managers. The club is set in an area of outstanding natural beauty and aims to provide members and
guests with a quality golfing experience within a friendly and welcoming environment. Highcliffe Castle’s Mike Cartwright captained the Greenkeepers and Barton on Sea’s Sean Trussel captained the Managers.
Despite everyone’s best efforts, however, the match ended in a draw and so the Greenkeepers retained the trophy. Acumen ClearWater’s Matthew Mears presented the cup.
key issues drive trend towards battery power Chainsaws, chippers, blowers and vacs are known to be noisy. In extracts taken from its recent whitepaper: Lithium-Ion Battery Versus Petrol Powered Outdoor Equipment, EGO explores the impact that noise can have on the working life of a professional landscaper. The World Health Organisation considers noise to be second only to air quality as the largest environmental cause of health problems. The new Physical Agents (Noise) Directive 2003/10/EC currently sets a maximum exposure limit of 87dB in working environments. Petrol powered equipment exceeds this at operator level (one metre away). This can mean reduced operating hours, to limit the harm to workers and limit the noise in the wider environment. Quite apart from the comfort and health benefits, the lower noise levels of battery powered equipment mean that it can be used at times, and in places, where petrol powered equipment may be prohibited – typically
early mornings near sensitive areas such as hospitals, schools and visitor attractions. European noise legislation is becoming ever more stringent on this with both the European Commission’s Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and the Outdoor Noise Directive 2000/14/EC (OND) looking to regulate noise emissions caused by some 57 types of outdoor equipment – including those used in parks and gardens. The equivalent cordless equipment manufactured by EGO falls within the set limits. Battery powered cordless equipment is subject to same restrictions but is better able to meet the stringent requirements. The net result is that workers can enjoy improved comfort, communication and teamwork, while their business benefits from less disruption and a continuous working schedule. The new EGO Power Plus commercial
series of outdoor power tools has been specially developed to meet the needs of the professional market. The LBX6000 leaf blower has a maximum air force of 21 Newtons, outperforming many of its petrol equivalents – but with a sound level that, at 80dB, is among the quietest on the market. In the world of professional landscaping and grounds maintenance, petrol has been the fuel of choice for over 100 years – mainly because there has been no viable challenger. Recently however, battery powered cordless equipment has begun to gain worldwide popularity and increased market share, signalling the most significant shift in the sector for decades. There are four key factors driving this trend: health & safety, user comfort, the environment and economics, all outlined in a dedicated whitepaper commissioned by EGO, which looks at how to increase safety, productivity, sustainability and costeffectiveness in commercial gardening. The whitepaper is available to download via the EGO website: egopowerplus. co.uk/whitepaper or pick up a hard copy from EGO at stand J062 at SALTEX.
GOING In search of ‘bunker nirvana’
Imagine that a builder walks into your house to discuss an extension. He runs through some basic principles, explains where and how deep the foundations would go, what construction materials would be used and what finished looks could be achieved. Then he says ‘Mind you, depending on weather and a few other factors, within a year or so there will be damp showing, drainage may get blocked, some cracks will appear in the walls, so we’ll probably have to re-visit in two to three years’ time to repair or rebuild.” 74 | Turf Matters | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2018
Nobody in their right mind would give this the nod, yet when it comes to bunker construction and renovation, that is essentially the situation in which most clubs find themselves. The reasons behind the passive acceptance of this ‘norm’ are varied, but one of the primary issues is that golf courses are built on natural landscapes. Soils and grasses are susceptible to natural elements, and do not have the permanency that lends itself well to building durable and long lasting structures. Rhydian Lewis, founder of Durabunker Ltd, is responding to a growing realisation that traditional bunker construction practices are not yielding acceptable results. “Almost every single course we visit is suffering similar problems, bunkers are not draining, sand is contaminated, the list goes on, yet many courses simply repeat what they have been doing for decades when it comes to bunker work, resulting in a temporary fix at best,” said Rhydian.
“Bunker problems are varied and challenging, so much so, that one product in isolation cannot address the whole picture. Our core product, Durabunker for example, addresses the issues of bunker face stability and the inherent problems of building bunkers using natural material, whether revetted or not, turf edges will inevitably fail, Durabunker offers a permanent solution.” It was this realisation that began to drive Durabunker Ltd to offer total bunker solutions, rather than focussing solely on one area of bunker construction. “Synthetic bunker edges, will always be our core product, we have installed them at numerous PGA Tour venues and worked with high end architects such as Nicklaus Design,” explained Rhydian. “We have also created installation models to suit all budgets.” The concept of ‘The Fully Sealed Bunker’ is one that is being pioneered by Durabunker Ltd; Bunker Nirvana may exist after all.