GREENKEEPER INTERNATIONAL GI DECEMBER 2010 Inside... THE ULTIMATE Featured TURF MANAGEMENT Fairhaven EXHIBITION IN EUROPE Your guide to the annual Golf Club 5-day event, returning to THIS MONTH’s Harrogate this January COURSE FEATURE Graduation Day Three beneficiaries of this year’s BIGGA Higher Education Scholarship Scheme write for us xx_gk_aug_West Country:golf_feb_folio_ 14/7/10 14:59 Page 1 NO.1 IN THE UK FOR HIGH QUALITY STEEL BUILDINGS DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED TO YOUR SPECIFICATIONS DOMESTIC - COMMERCIAL - AGRICULTURAL EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK GOOD REASONS TO CHOOSE A WEST COUNTRY STEEL BUILDING • West Country Steel Buildings is an authorised distributor of Capital Steel Buildings, the leading producer of cold rolled steel buildings in the UK and Ireland. Working together we give fantastic service experienced staff for both design and clever design. and construction with a proven record of accomplishment. • This allows West Country Steel Buildings to provide you, the • From advice on location, design and planning permission customer with the very best, cost effective buildings designed through to informing you of delivery dates and when the specifically to suit your needs. assembly team will be at your site to erect the building. At West Country Steel Buildings we value you, the customer • Our success is based upon several factors. Firstly we have built up and enjoy giving a fantastic service from the very start of over the last 40 years a fantastic reputation around the UK for your project to handing over the keys once everything has our professional and friendly service. Secondly, we have been completed. WEST COUNTRY STEEL BUILDINGS For further information: Office: 01633 782684 Chris: 07980 818364 Rob: 07970 827085 15, High Cross Road, Rogerstone, Newport, NP10 9AE email: [email protected] website: www.westcountrybuildings.com WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR BIGGA President Sir Michael Bonallack, OBE Board of Management Chairman – Paul Worster Vice Chairman Andrew Mellon Past Chairman Peter Todd Board Members Chris Sealey, Gary Cunningham, Archie Dunn, Ian Willett, Tony Smith, Elliott Small, Mark Dobell Chief Executive John Pemberton [email protected] Head of Learning & Development Sami Collins [email protected] Head of Membership Department Tracey Maddison [email protected] Contact Us BIGGA HOUSE, Aldwark, Alne, York, YO61 1UF [email protected] www.bigga.org.uk Tel – 01347 833800 | Fax – 01347 833801 GREENKEEPER INTERNATIONAL The official monthly magazine of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association Limited. Editorial Communications Manager / Editor Credit, where it is due Scott MacCallum Tel – 01347 833800 Fax – 01347 833801 [email protected] Design I happened to watch a bit of the England which were so quick to jump on the story when v France game on the telly last night. To it was a negative one. Design and Production Editor be honest I was still basking in the glory It comes back to the adage that “No news Tom Campbell of Scotland’s triumph over the Faroes the is good news”, but it is a bit galling for all Tel – 01347 833800 previous night, but I tuned in anyway to concerned that they come in for a pasting when Fax – 01347 833801 [email protected] see if the Auld Enemy could match our the news is bad and very little in achievement. terms of positive comment when they have Advertising Just before the start the commentator turned something around and done a superb Sales Executive threw in the comment that there were now no job. Kirstin Black issues with the Wembley pitch and that it had It is exactly the same with golf courses. Tel – 01347 833800 The spike bars are full of people pontificating Fax – 01347 833802 even coped with an American football match [email protected] recently. on what they perceive to be wrong, but the I didn’t watch the entire match, but numbers who will seek out the staff and Sales Executive that as the only comment I heard about the congratulate them when have just enjoyed a Jill Rodham pitch. superbly presented and maintained course are Tel – 01347 833800 Now go back a few months and you would very much fewer. Fax – 01347 833802 [email protected] have thought the poor playing surface was a I can’t let this column pass without saying national tragedy. something about BIGGA’s much loved Chief There was much hand wringing, opinion - of Executive, John Pemberton, who has decided Printing varying degrees of expertise - was being freely to move on. Warners Midlands Plc, The Maltings, Manor spouted on every media outlet under the sun. Life at BIGGA will not be the same when he Lane, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH Tel – 01778 391000 | Fax – 01778 394269 This ranged from gardeners and agronomists finally walks out of the door for the last time to players, managers and commentators all of next April. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. Return whom had something valuable to offer on the John still has a few miles left on the clock and postage must accompany all materials submitted I’m sure he will use them wisely. I also know if return is requested. No responsibility can be matter. assumed for unsolicited materials. The right is The idea that the state of the pitch might that it will enable him to spend more time with reserved to edit submissions before publication. Although every care will be taken, no influence England’s 2018 World Cup bid his lovely wife, Judith, and, dare I say it, on responsibility is accepted for loss of manuscripts, ramped up the anxiety even more. the fairways, and, no doubt, in the rough, of photographs or artwork. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Association, Indeed the column inches on the subject Fulford Golf Club. and no responsibility is accepted for such could have covered the playing area at Wembley Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to content, advertising or product information that may appear. Circulation is by subscription. several times over. you all. Subscription rate: UK £50 per year, Europe and The new Desso Grassmaster pitch laid earlier Eire £65, Rest of the World £95. The magazine is also distributed to BIGGA members, golf clubs, this year has obviously made a huge difference, Scott MacCallum local authorities, the turf industry, libraries and central government. but progress would not have been made Editor without a great deal of planning, thought and sheer hard work by recognised experts in pitch maintenance. It is a success story but one which elicited no more than a throw away line from a match commentator and, unless I’ve missed it, very Scott MacCallum ISSN: 0961– 6977 © 2010 British and International Golf little comment in the same press and media Editor Greenkeepers Association Limited DECEMBER 2010 GI 3 CONTENTS GI A look at what’s inside the magazine this month FEATURECOURSE FEATURE FEATURE December 2010 18 FEATURES 18 An environmental haven Scott MacCallum visits Fairhaven Golf Club and meets a man whose enthusiasm for this An job knows no bounds. Fairhaven Golf Club, in begin to move forward profession- essential course management work Lytham St Annes, is one of the ally until about fi ve years ago, ironi- has been carry out – is quite awe fi nest tests of golf in an area cally, when the club fi rst entered inspiring. which is renowned for quality the Golf Environment competition. “Basically I started to improve environmental courses. With its unusual tree “Peter knew I was interested in my knowledge base by keeping in lined but links characteristics the environment and asked me touch with the guys at the STRI and it is very much one of a kind, to go round the course with Bob but nowadays it is forging Taylor and Kelly Harman, of the 25 Thanks! an equally strong reputation STRI, as they assessed the course,” for its environmental recalled James. stewardship. “I spent a couple of days with haven Peter Simpson is Course Manager them but was embarrassed that Three BIGGA Higher but credit for much of the work that when they asked me questions I has been carried out on encourag- didn’t know any of the answers. I Scott MacCallum travelled ing ecology on the course must go to felt completely out of my depth. his Assistant and Eco Co-ordinator, “I decided there and then that if Education Scholarship Scheme to the north west coast to James Hutchinson, whose infec- I wanted to progress in greenkeep- meet a man who is seeing tious enthusiasm has galvanised ing, and ultimately get a course of the entire club and seen him named my own, I’d have to do something Graduates talk about their some real rewards for his as the Conservation Greenkeeper of about it.” hard work the Year, as well as him closing in That was very much the catalyst on a Sports Turf Science Degree, at and to say that James has upped careers and how they have Myerscough College. his game since would be very much But it was not always so and while an understatement and the work James was always a conscientious that has been done on the course benefited from Ransomes and dedicated worker, he didn’t – mostly in spare time after the GI GI Jacobsen funding. 18 DECEMBER 2010 DECEMBER 2010 19 31 Turf War for invasive root Nematodes Hilary Knght talks with Dr Colin Fleming, the world’s leading authority on Nematodes. 36 Grow wild on the golf course Linda Laxton offers a guide to planting wild flowers. 39 Harrogate Preview What to expect and what to 25 31 look out for next January.