GREENKEEPER INTERNATIONAL GI Published by the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association £5.50 APRIL 2015 An American Dream Education, course visits and networking in Texas ALSO INSIDE... CHAFER GRUBS : CV AND INTERVIEW TIPS WELCOME FROM BIGGA BIGGA BIGGA President Sir Michael Bonallack, OBE “SO COMFORTABLE BIGGA Board of Management Chairman Les Howkins MG BIGGA Vice Chairman IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE Stuart Greenwood BIGGA Past Chairman Chris Sealey BIGGA Board Members Rob Welford, Andy Baker, Jeremy Hughes, YOU’RE AT WORK” Kenny MacKay, George Barr, John Keenaghan BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton BIGGA General Manager Tracey Maddison MP493 [email protected] Contact Us BIGGA House, Aldwark, Alne, York, Caption YO61 1UF [email protected] www.bigga.org.uk Tel – 01347 833800 | Fax – 01347 833801 GREENKEEPER Leadership essential to INTERNATIONAL The official monthly magazine of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers grow the game Association Limited. Production Last month saw the third staging of the BIGGA also has an important leadership Design & Brand Future Turf Managers Initiative (FTMI) role to play. We work closely with a number of Executive Tom Campbell made possible by Jacobsen. industry partners and that activity increases Many of the delegates from the previous every year as we endeavour to ensure our Tel – 01347 833800 ext 513 editions have progressed significantly in their highly skilled members have a voice within [email protected] careers already, so I’m sure the 20 ambitious their clubs. As an example of this, there have Editorial greenkeepers who were thrown together for been many regulatory changes in recent times Communications three intense days at Jacobsen’s Ipswich around the use of chemicals, water, emissions Executive Steve Castle headquarters all have excellent careers in the and other resources that could have significant Tel – 01347 833800 industry ahead of them. Thanks to Jacobsen impacts on the way clubs and courses are ext 510 steve.castle for their continued support of this wonderful managed. We have to ensure those challenges @bigga.co.uk Initiative. are communicated effectively to the golf Advertising The opening session this year was led by industry and we will be engaged in a major Business Eddie Bullock, who was such a success at project this year to do so. Development Manager Jill Rodham the Turf Managers conference this year. He Mowing the semi and rough can be an uncomfortable job, but not anymore! Tel – 01347 833800 focused on the skills required to become a The tragic death of Ollie Floyd last month ext 519 Fax – 01347 833802 leader, and the delegates and mentors were was felt very deeply by everyone involved [email protected] in greenkeeping. The new Jacobsen MP493 features an ISO-mounted operator’s platform and fascinated as Eddie shared tips and strategies Printing to build and improve their leadership qualities. It was incredible how quickly the news comfortable suspension seat ensuring days of productive mowing. All round Warners Midlands Plc, The Maltings, Manor As the golf industry attempts to stabilise and travelled, particularly via social media, around Lane, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH visibility is superb with positive sight lines to each deck and a foldable ROPS keeps Tel – 01778 391000 | Fax – 01778 394269 grow the game, leadership is absolutely what the industry. Our thoughts remain very much the operator safe and allows manoeuvrability in low access areas such as trees and with Ollie’s family and friends, and the team at Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise it requires from both its greenkeepers and our height restricted access points. reproduced without written permission. Association. Celtic Manor. Return postage must accompany all materials submitted if return is requested. No At times like these it is really important that responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited The role of the modern course manager is we reach out to those who are have been so Maintenance-free direct drive decks offer width of cut options for the excellent materials. The right is reserved to edit submissions before publication. undoubtedly to work closely with the golf dramatically affected and offer our support productivity in all environments and a 150 mm break-back system on the wing decks Although every care will be taken, no club management or ownership to fully rather than wait to be asked. responsibility is accepted for loss of helps prevent damage. manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Opinions understand the business goals. Enjoy the read. expressed are not necessarily those of the Association, and no responsibility is accepted Then it’s a case of providing leadership and The Jacobsen MP493 - comfort and productivity on the golf course. for such content, advertising or product direction to ensure the course is maintained information that may appear. Circulation is by subscription. Subscription rate: UK £50 to the highest standard so that customer per year, Europe and Eire £65, Rest of the expectation is satisfied or exceeded. No one World £95. The magazine is also distributed to BIGGA members, GCs, local authorities, the else in a golf club is as well placed to provide turf industry, libraries and central government. guidance on what is possible, what resources are needed and what long term plans are required to future-proof the club’s main asset, the golf course. FOR A LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE However, often club committees or ON YOUR COURSE, CALL 01473 270000 managers do not seek this insight, which is where leadership has to come to the fore. Communication skills, strategic planning and www.ransomesjacobsen.com ISSN: 0961– 6977 enthusiasm are all essential to playing this Jim Croxton © 2015 British and International Golf BIGGA CEO Greenkeepers Association Limited part. GI/MPJac/04/2015 @BIGGALtd APRIL 2015 GI 3 GI MP493 comfortable A4.indd 1 10/03/2015 15:18 CONTENTS A look at what’s inside the magazine this month GI BASIS POINTS APRIL 2015 In his first BASIS article of 2015, Graham Paul from Sherriff Amenity discusses the turf pest chafer grubs, and how greenkeepers Chafer grubs should deal with them FEATURES Chafer grubs, the larvae of some 20,000 species worldwide. the chafer beetle, are a fairly One of these scarab beetles, the common pest of turf in Britain. dung beetle Scarabaeus sacer They damage grass plants by was held sacred by the Ancient feeding on the roots, which Egyptians, as a symbol of Khepri can result in serious thinning (a ‘subordinate’ of the sun god Ra) of the sward. whose job was to roll the morning However, more harm can be sun across the sky! The connec- 16 The American caused by predators, such as tion arises from the behaviour of rooks, crows, badgers and foxes, the dung beetles, seen by ancient excavating large areas of turf in scholars, rolling balls of dung search of the grubs. In this short across the ground. Khepri is often Dream article I shall look at the biology of depicted in Egyptian drawings and these insects and the measures we carving as the figure of a man with have to control them. a scarab beetle head. First, some facts about beetles Scarab beetles have distinctively Sean Brocklehurst reports on in general. The simplified diagram ‘clubbed’ antennae, the club con- below may help to clarify some of sisting of a number of flaps (lamel- the terminology used. lae) arranged in the shape of a fan. Beetles are classified in Coleop- This feature, which enhances the this year’s BIGGA Delegation tera, the largest order of insects sense of smell, is especially notice- with over 370,000 species known able in the Cockchafer who seem to globally. They vary considerably be the ‘punk rockers’ of the scarab in shape but most species have beetle community. two pairs of wings; the forewings Chafer grubs are widely distrib- (elytra– singular: elytron) are tough, uted across most of the UK. They are hardened and serve to protect the particularly common on light sandy 22 Irrigation inner wings and body when not in and chalky soils in non-irrigated flight. Elytra are sometimes known turf such as golf roughs, fairways as wing cases. The name Coleop- and ornamental turf. For the most tera translates from modern Latin part they are not usually present in The importance of setting up and as ‘sheath-wings’. sufficient numbers to cause seri- Chafer beetles belong to a very ous damage and warrant control large family of insects called the measures. However, should an irrigation units correctly Scarabaeidae, often referred to as area suffer a large infestation, turf the scarab beetles, which number grass loss can result and this can 30 Hi! Noon in Australia Greenkeeping at New South and how to MAIN IMAGE: Male Cockchafer Wales Golf Club showing fan-shaped structure on the antennae (©www.dominickmoloney.com) 44 combat them RIGHT: Adult garden chafer 34 34 Chafer Grubs and 34 GI APRIL 2015 @BIGGALtd @BIGGALtd APRIL 2015 GI 35 GI_APR_15_v3.indd 34-35 27/03/2015 13:00 how to combat them 16 2015’s first BASIS article REGULARS 40 Grinding GREENKEEPER How to get the best from 3 Welcome from BIGGA grinders INTERNATIONAL Published by the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association 6 Chairman’s Word GI £5.50 APRIL 2015 42 The Young 8 Newsdesk Greenkeeper’s 14 Membership News Career Tool Box 15 L&D News Tips on CVs, interviews and more 54 Around the Green 60 Greenkeepers 44 Cold as Ice! Training Committee Kevin O’Neill in the States 22 42 62 Buyers Guide 48 Social Media and 64 Recruitment the Turf Industry 30 66 @BIGGALtd Online techniques explained An American 50 Turning Back the Clock at Royal Dream Cromer Education, course visits and networking in Texas Focus on the Norfolk course ALSO INSIDE..