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Polo club’s first renovation Having been in place for over 25 years and showing the signs of significant thatch build-up, the fields at Billingbear Polo Club were fully renovated for the first time. Part of the King Power Polo group, the renovation was conducted by Shorts Agricultural Services, with a bespoke 100% perennial ryegrass mixture by DLF delivering the deep-rooting, hard wearing coverage demanded for equestrian use. “A renovation of this scale had never been conducted before but with the field becoming slippy and areas breaking up easily, the time was right,” explained Billingbear Head Groundsman Damian Chec. Long-standing contractor partners Shorts were called in, to fraise mow, aerate, seed and topdress the surface. “When it came to the seed, we had a
specification to work to which we gave to Craig Spooner at DLF Seeds,” said James Winfield, Manager at Shorts. “I’ve worked alongside Craig on a number of projects in the past and know that DLF will deliver a mixture that meets the spec provided but that also takes into consideration any complexities of each individual site. The support and advice we received was excellent and is part of the reason we wouldn’t use anyone else for our seed requirements.” To deliver rapid establishment, quick germination and a hard-wearing sward, Craig blended a bespoke 100% perennial ryegrass mix featuring toprated Johnsons Sports Seed cultivar Monroe – adding exceptional recovery and disease resistance to the list of mixture properties. James and the team applied the seed in September
and, despite very challenging weather conditions over the winter, only minor overseeding was required in the spring in one particularly compacted area of the pitch. “We achieved good, strong and even growth and coverage that looked superb,” said James. The deep rooting nature of perennial rye has also improved the surfaces playability when fixtures recommenced in early September 2020. “The condition of the field has dramatically improved. The issues we were having with divots and areas breaking up have been completely eliminated,” added Damian. The recent renovation marks the start of a broader programme of site improvements, including plans to install a brand-new drainage system in the not too distant future.
West Cornwall invests in Toro machinery West Cornwall Golf Club, the oldest club in its county, has invested in Toro machinery to ensure maximum efficiency. With a small team of four greenkeepers, West Cornwall Golf Club knows the importance of machinery that can get jobs done quickly without sacrificing on quality. Which is why Course Manager Lawrie Tremlett championed investing in Toro when he joined the club. “I joined West Cornwall four months ago with an aim to make it the best it could be,” said Lawrie. “But it was taking half our team two and half days a week to cut the aprons using hand mowers and a trail-behind rough mower, that just wasn’t efficient and didn’t leave much time for other tasks.” 18 | Turf Matters | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020
With support from the club, Lawrie contacted Devon Garden Machinery. “I’ve always thought Toro provided superior cut to other brands. So it was exciting to get Toro machines onto the course to see how they fared. We opted for the Greensmaster TriFlex 3400, which followed the contours of the course beautifully, the Reelmaster 3100-D which worked well on the banks and was very versatile, and the Groundsmaster 3400 which was not only powerful but cut very well in the wet. “All of the machines impressed us, so it was an easy decision to add them to our fleet. They’ve been incredibly reliable and we can see a big difference already. The quality of the course
has improved and we’ve had brilliant feedback from our members.” Club secretary, Gareth Evans, added that the club hadn’t had Toro machinery at the club for nearly ten years. “However, taking into account the cost, overall package and the quality, it was clear Toro was the best choice. The service from Devon Garden Machinery and Reesink has been fantastic, and we’re excited to see the course continue to improve.” With Toro machines helping the team to be more efficient than ever, Lawrie is now looking to the future: “It’s fantastic to see how the course has improved, but I’m not done yet. This partnership is just the first step as we work to continue improving the course.”