Richard McGlynn, Course Manager, Blumisberg GC
One such course manager is Richard McGlynn at Blumisberg GC, Bern, Switzerland. Richard has been involved in golf course construction and maintenance all over the world, including a stint in Russia. He is currently using our Fescue turf on the sides of bunkers to introduce a more natural look.
On the 28th of September 7 greens keepers from across the Midlands visited Tillers 1000 acre Turf Nurseries.
Following a technical brief from Tillers Production Manager Stephen Richardson the tour covering the production cycle of turf, the multitude of grades we produce, the methods and machinery utilised in delivering top quality turf was carried out under clear blue skies and the day was enjoyed by all. The day was rounded off with lunch and a question and answer session.
Feedback on the day was hugely positive and everyone got something from the experience.
“I never realised all that was involved in the production of turf.”
“It’s great to see the processes and products up close and personal.”
We can also bring the turf production experience to you in the form of a CPD approved presentation which has simulated great interest. It takes about an hour and it is very informative and we also bring along samples of our range of turf.
If you would like further information on free visits to our turf nurseries or our presentation please contact Adam on 01652 678000
We’ve just invested in a Combi truck to increase the level of service to our customers. The rigid section holds 12 pallets and the trailer holds 10 pallets. With 74m2 turf per pallet this gives us a full load of nearly 1500m2, which will help reduce delivery costs per m2. We don’t like going above 74m2 per pallet because of the risk of squashing the bottom layer.
Another great benefit to our customers is that the Combi can drop the trailer off before attempting to deliver to a congested site or housing estate where access to artics is limited. The forklift mounted on the trailer can be transferred to the rigid section for mechanical off-loading.
The Combi with its distinctive livery really gets heads turning on the motorways and building sites.
Tillers Turf with the main stadium in the background
Some of the turf has been used on vast sloping spectator lawns between the stadiums. From there, people without tickets for the stadiums will be able to congregate and watch the action on big screens floating on the River Lea.
The area was previously home to polluting industries such as petrol factories, and even a vast Victorian rubbish tip. Not that the area was ecologically “dead”: 2,000 newts and hundreds of toads were relocated away from the future park before the first diggers moved in.
The first phase of the wetlands area in the north park has now been transformed into a green oasis. The turf supplied had to meet the demands of the specification set by the ODA which was produced in consultation with the Turf Growers Association. The success of the turf installation would have not been possible without the cooperative working between Tillers Turf, Rase Distribution (Tillers’ haulage contractors), White Horse Contracting and Gavin Jones Landscaping.
The supply of the turf was in part dictated by, and battling against, the UK’s coldest December since records began in 1910. Tillers’ attention to detail ensured that the turf was treated and protected against disease which can be encouraged by snow cover. Tillers were able to supply strong, healthy turf despite being previously covered in up to two feet of snow and temperatures as low as -19 degrees C over a 5 week period.
Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards, who serves on the board of London 2012, said he marvelled at the transformation of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
He said: “I can remember when this was just wasteland, and it doesn’t matter how many times I come here, I always get goose bumps to see how this has changed.” “For the athletes, being in a lovely environment will be part of the inspiration they need to do their best.”
He said that the landing of an Olympic contract was a challenge for any company.
[Comments extracted from an interview by BBC radio]
There’s a great article in the latest edition of Horticulture Week which summarises all the benefits of turf to the environment and human health. It’s the result of a study in the US, and it neatly brings together a lot of material that demonstrates how important turf is in our lives. You can see the article here: http://www.tillersturf.co.uk/pdf/benefits_of_turf.pdf
Turfing the 14th green
It all started in May 2010 when Donald Trump phoned me to ask us to grow the greens turf for him. 40,000m2 was ordered, and we subsequently sowed a mixture of fescue and bent on a USGA sand to match the rootzone planned for the greens. In the past twelve months we have treated the whole area like one big golf green. Regular topdressing with the same sand has given us a dense sward with very little thatch. The final mowing height was 6mm, which means the lads up at Aberdeen won’t have to work too hard to bring the height down once it’s been laid.
We have aslo supplied 30,000m2 for pathways around the course. A mixture of ryegrass and fescue was chosen for this. A very fine-leaved cultivar of ryegrass was used, and this will stand up well to the amount of wear expected on the course.
Now that the greens have been finished we will be supplying more of the same turf for a practice putting green, a practice teeing area, and a nursery.
Salt spay, and heavy wear and tear, present no problem for Tillers RTF turf
Colin Irvine, Course Manager, Muirfield
Muirfield is gearing up for the Open in 2013 by upgrading their tees with fescue turf from Tillers Turf.
Adam dropped in there the other day to check on progress. Course Manager, Colin Irvine, is delighted at how well the turf has rooted and established. Also included in the course improvements was a new practice area, where the pros will warm up. Fescue turf was used for this, too. Pathways around the course were turfed with our Arena Gold – a mixture of fine-leaved ryegrass and fescue. Although ryegrass has not traditionally been used on links courses it is becoming more popular on walkways now that very fine, densely-growing cultivars are available. Results have been outstanding as far as wear tolerance is concerned. Our Arena Gold is currently being laid on pathways throughout the new Trump International course at Balmedie, just north of Aberdeen.
We are also supplying turf to all the greens at the Trump International course. It was grown according to specification at our production site at Lincoln. More about that in my next blog.
The rain we have had over the last couple of days has been gratefully received and has helped our turf maintain in top notch quality.
With a long dry spell being forecast we are gearing up our irrigation equipment to keep our turf looking great and in top condition. At Tillers we are very fortunate that we have water abstraction licence and a network of lagoons and irrigation pipework that covers the farm, this means that if our turf needs extra water it never goes without and standards are kept high.
We invest a lot in our irrigation equipment and have a range of equipment avaible dependant on the requirements we also utilise technology to its full potential when it is in use. Our equipment is set up to text our operatives to let them know when it needs resetting to ensure our irrigation activities are as efficient as possible and tailored to the turf’s needs.
All this said I hope the weather is good for the bank holiday weekends at the end of the month; let’s hope the weather is not peaking too soon!
We would recommend either our Arena or Arena Bargold turf in areas which suffer from partial shade maintained in the method described below.
Grass grows better in full sunlight than it does in shade. And grass grows better in partial shade than it does in full shade. The reason for this is that grass gets its energy from a process called photosynthesis, which itself needs sunlight to work. Some species of grass are marginally better at tolerating shade than others.
But there are other factors that are more important in determining the fate of grass in shade:
1 Height of cut 
2 Water availability
3 Nutrition
4 Foot traffic
Low light levels put a stress on the grass plant. Any strategy to combat the effects of shade should aim to reduce other sources of stress. So, with reference to the four factors above, where shade could cause a problem:
1 Increase the height of cut. Increasing the height of cut increases the surface area of the grass leaf. This gives the grass plant a better chance of intercepting what light is available.
2 Water when necessary. Where shade occurs under trees drought can be an additional stress factor for the grass. So aim to water the grass if conditions dictate. In addition, by increasing the mowing height (above), the depth of rooting increases in proportion. This allows the grass to search for moisture at depth.
3 Feed the grass. Lack of nutrition will stress the grass, so apply a fertiliser to keep the grass well fed.
4 Reduce foot traffic Keep wear to a minimum. By ensuring that pathways are directed away from shady areas. Where one or more stress factors are occurring together with shade, grass growth is likely to be badly affected.
When RTF turf was first introduced it was thought to have good shade tolerance characteristics. This has not been borne out in practice and we would not now recommend RTF for shady sites. However, where drought resistance and the ability to withstand heavy wear are concerned, RTF is outstanding.
For further information have a look at our Arena & Arena Bargold products.
