EcoBunker Thanks Greenkeepers for Growth
On ‘Thank A Greenkeeper Day,’ bunker solution experts EcoBunker has extended its thanks to the thousands of greenkeepers across the world who ensure their course is the best it can be, with a special thanks to the hundreds of greenkeepers whose expertise has played a vital role in the development of this innovative business.
“Greenkeepers are the heart and soul of a golf course, that’s why I take every opportunity to pick their brains when I visit a club,” said Richard Allen, founder of EcoBunker. “They know every challenge of keeping a golf course looking its best, so while we help them by installing bunkers that require significantly less maintenance than traditional bunkers, we pick up vital information that helps us to accelerate our product development.”
One such development was the invention of EcoBunker’s renowned synthetic bunker edges. Following feedback from greenkeepers on the time being spent on bunker edge maintenance, Richard set upon inventing a solution that would release greenkeepers from the maintenance of hazards and free up time to dedicate to the greens, tees and fairways where their talents could shine through. Over the years since the initial breakthrough, input from greenkeepers has aided the refinement and improvement of the synthetic edge bunkers, and that process continues to this day.
“Necessity is the mother of invention, and the knowledge held by greenkeepers has provided me with many an inventive spark,” concludes Richard. “From the day to day care that greenkeepers give to presenting our bunkers in the best possible way, to the knowledge we are able to gain from their unique insight into maintaining a golf course, greenkeepers play an invaluable role in helping our business. I thank them for the expertise that makes playing our game such an incredible experience, and from a personal perspective, for sharing the knowledge that helps our business be the very best it can.”
Club Car announces Luxury Carts UK as a new distribution partner
Club Car, global industry-leading manufacturer of small-wheel, zero-emissions electric vehicles, has appointed Luxury Carts UK as an official distributor.
Luxury Carts UK is a new venture that acquired Carryway MTS Nationwide Ltd, and will provide Club Car’s acclaimed range of golf, utility and personal transportation cars to customers in the north of England and Scotland.
Luxury Carts is a leading distributor in the Middle East and has been an official distributor for Club Car since 2020. The newly-formed Luxury Carts UK has purchased all stock, assets and contracts from Carryway, as well as its experienced team.
Andy Bourke, Club Car’s Regional Manager the UK & Ireland, Scandinavia and Iceland, said: “We have developed an excellent relationship with Luxury Carts in the Middle East since 2020, and we know they will bring excellent customer service and after-sales support to the UK arm of their business too.
“Luxury Carts UK is set to be an innovative, dynamic company that’s well placed to serve customers with our range of market-leading vehicles, as well as our innovative connected technology, Visage and FT+, which is the screenless version.”
Steve Shaw, General Manager for Luxury Carts UK, said: “We are excited to grow our relationship with Club Car and expand our services to the UK. Club Car has very strong brand presence, which combined with our extensive industry connections has meant we’ve been able to hit the ground running.
“We’ve already had significant interest in Club Car’s vehicles, and we look forward to attracting many more new opportunities with Club Car.”
Club Car supplies many of the world’s leading golf destinations with its wide range of vehicles, and is an official supplier to the DP World Tour, the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), the PGA of America and St Andrews Links Trust.
For more information on Club Car visit: www.clubcar.com
For more information on Luxury Carts UK visit: www.luxurycartsgroup.com or contact Steve Shaw at s.shaw@luxurycartsuk.com / +44 (0) 7484 430433.
Reesink and the Toro Company combine at Saltex
Biggest range of grounds machinery to celebrate 40-year partnership
In celebration of 40 years working together, Toro distributor Reesink UK and The Toro Company have joined forces on stand at SALTEX for the first time to bring visitors to the show the biggest range of Toro groundscare machinery yet.
Alastair Rowell, Managing Director of Reesink UK, comments: “We wanted to do something special at SALTEX in recognition of our 40-year partnership. We’ve been providing the UK groundscare customers with Toro machinery options for decades and our stand will celebrate that. There will be 10 machines – our largest selection ever at a show; a range of Toro and Perrot irrigation solutions for the sports market, and – another first – an interactive racing game in conjunction with Mark Blundell’s racing team, MB Sports.”
Representing all that is new, innovative, productive, and versatile in the Toro range from Reesink Turfcare is the highly productive LT-F3000 triple flail mower; the latest model Toro Groundsmaster 7210, the zero-turn rotary mower that is rugged and durable enough to be called a Groundsmaster, and the Workman UTX utility vehicle which boasts 25 percent more cargo capacity than that of others in its class and a towing capacity of up to 2000lbs.
They are joined by two environmentally friendly versions of popular mowers. The Toro eProStripe removes fuel from the equation of guaranteeing a crisp stripe to turf and means sports turf professionals now have the solution to English Premier League guidance for noise generation.
From The Toro Company, there will be the Toro Revolution series Z Master and Grandstand and hand tools, the ProLine H600, and the 60V Flex Force Power System powered heavy-duty 53cm Proline and eTimeMaster walk-behind mowers.
Reesink Hydro-Scapes will be present with irrigation solutions from Toro. The new Tempus Decoder System, which will launch on stand, is the only decoder system that works in WiFi connection. There will also be a selection of the brand’s best-selling and most popular sprinklers all with turf cups. For many this will be the first opportunity to see Perrot, which is new to the Reesink range, and there will be a selection of sprinklers to suit all types of sports surfaces including football, golf, hockey, tennis, and even horse racetracks.
This year Toro has proudly sponsored the Mark Blundell Motorsport Racing Team with a Vista® lithium-ion powered shuttle vehicle from Reesink to travel the British Touring Car Championships circuits with Jake Hill and his team.
Toro and Reesink are always looking to support the sports sector and young emerging talent, and this was the perfect way to do so and mark the 40th year of working together. As such there will be two racing car simulators on stand giving visitors the opportunity to race any car at any racetrack in the world with coaches from MB Motorsport on hand giving guidance on achieving the best score and topping the leaderboard. The innovative Vista which serves as a crucial asset for transporting up to eight people will also be on display.
Whether you’re heading to the exhibition for the newest, most innovative groundscare and sports turf maintenance equipment, sustainable technology, or advice, Reesink and Toro has it all on stand K080.
New Survey: 78% of active golfers dissatisfied with their home course
Only 22% of regular golfers in the UK & Ireland are satisfied with the year-round condition of their home golf course, according to a new snapshot survey by Carr Golf.
The findings reveal a significant commercial challenge for golf club managers and owners: keeping up with golfers’ expectations for consistently high-level playing experiences.
The survey highlights the increasing importance of course conditions for customer satisfaction, particularly as golf participation has surged dramatically over the past four years.
Expectation vs Reality
An overwhelming 90% of respondents identified the golf course as the most critical aspect of their golf club experience. However, the survey exposes a gap between golfers’ expectations of course conditioning compared with what they experience, with most clubs falling short on average.
Respondents Highlighted bunkers (68%), tees (60%) and fairways (42%) as areas that require the most improvement.
As part of the snapshot survey, Carr Golf also assessed which characteristics of the golf course are most important to golfers.
Participants, the majority of whom play golf at least once a week, identified smooth-running greens (93%), visual appeal (67%) and level tees (62%) as their top priorities.
Mitigate potential threats
The survey results reflected feedback trends from management teams at the 22 venues where Carr Golf oversees course maintenance operations.
Managing Director Ed Pettit said: “These findings confirm the high levels of post-COVID customer expectations reported by course managers. It also underscores the fundamental role of the golf course experience in member satisfaction.
“Golf course businesses must prioritise their most prized asset to mitigate potential threats and achieve long-term stability. However, prolonged inflation, ever-more stringent regulations, labour shortages, and unpredictable weather make it increasingly difficult to maintain the same level of conditioning year-on-year.”
Meeting member expectations
Recognising these challenges, Carr Golf equips maintenance teams with a results-driven roadmap to enhance course performance, presentation and sustainability. This collaborative approach is based on year-round maintenance and agronomic plans set against 12 key performance indicators (KPIs).
Clients receive monthly KPI, labour, equipment, and treatment reports via their IT system. This in-depth reporting ensures ongoing stakeholder communication and empowers greenkeepers to make data-backed decisions and continuously improve course conditions.
In a previous, unrelated survey, 88% of members of venues partnered with Carr Golf said they were ‘very satisfied’ with course standards.
BIGGA teams up with The R&A to enhance annual Continue to Learn education programme
The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association’s (BIGGA) Continue to Learn education programme, which takes place each January, has received the support of The R&A as part of its commitment to a sustainable future for golf and golf courses.
Held in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Continue to Learn runs alongside the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), itself the leading trade show for golf course professionals in Europe. Continue to Learn provides more than 140 hours of learning opportunities for golf greenkeepers and groundspeople, making it among the most influential events in the golfing calendar.
The R&A is a long-time supporter of BIGGA and its members and in recent years has demonstrated its commitment to BTME and Continue to Learn by hosting presentations that offer guidance based on expert research and experience of staging major events. R&A representatives have been a mainstay on the Continue to Learn programme for many years, providing world-leading agronomic advice and hosting panel discussions in the context of historic championships held throughout the year. The Golf Course 2030 programme was launched at Continue to Learn in 2018 and research participants have returned each year to discuss their findings and proposals.
For the first time, in 2025 The R&A will be recognised as formally supporting the Continue to Learn Conference programme, which comprises of a major two-day learning event and a separate New Greenkeeper Conference. Additionally, R&A representatives will participate in various Classes and contribute towards cost-free learning opportunities such as the Seminars and the BTME Breakfast Session.
Next year (2025) will also mark the 20th anniversary of The R&A’s Greenkeeping Scholarship and events are anticipated to take place at BTME and Continue to Learn to mark the occasion. To date, over 500 greenkeepers from 30 countries have benefitted from this influential scholarship opportunity.
Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO, said: “As a governing body for golf, representing over 61 million golfers in 145 countries, we’re proud The R&A has recognised the pivotal role greenkeepers play in the success of the sport through this commitment to supporting the Continue to Learn Conference programme and wider education opportunities provided by our annual gathering, BTME.
“Creating our annual programme of learning experiences and hosting it within the context of a massive trade show takes significant effort and we’re proud that for many years The R&A has recognised just how valuable BTME and Continue to Learn have become to the entire golfing industry. We thank everyone at The R&A for investing in our members and the wider turf management industry in this way as it will only enhance the BTME experience for everyone involved and help ensure the game is still thriving in 50 years’ time.”
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