EDITOR'S BLOG
MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Vital for our parks and open green spaces
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR
 
Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

A visit to my local park recently shocked me when I was horrified to witness local council operatives attempting to cut the grass in saturated areas.

 


The current wet weather front is no doubt causing a few problems for many groundsmen up and down the country, especially those who are trying to complete their end of season renovations.


I have been fortunate to have completed most of my planned domestic lawn renovations in between the rain showers. I have also been busy testing out some STIHL backpack blowers, which I must say have come in rather handy during the renovation work.

 

 

With air and soil temperatures now beginning to drop into single figures, the renovation window is coming to a close. Grass growth will be slowing down as we go through the latter days of the month.


There is no doubt any further heavy rain will lead to a deluge of wet and saturated pitches along with a problem of being able to get on and carry out any essential maintenance works. Nothing worse than trying to mow saturated grass pitches and areas.

 

A total mess!


This was plain to see when I noticed my local council operatives attempting to cut our nearby play area, resulting in them leaving it in a total mess! Why would they try to attempt to mow this when they know full well it’s known locally as a wet site? Also during the last week most parts of the country had over a month’s worth of rain!


It beggars belief that they would even attempt to carry out this work. But alas, they did, with the below consequences:

 

 

As an ex parks manger, I would question the integrity of the staff and their decision to mow this known saturated play area in the first place. Surely, they would question the decision themselves and make the right choice?

 

 

However, it appears not. Over the last ten years I have personally seen the standards of workmanship in local authority services decline. There seems to be no pride in what they are doing. A distinct lack of presentation or care of the work they are tasked with delivering.


It is becoming a worrying trend to see the decline of horticulture standards within local authority services. The art of pruning shrubs is also now a lost skill in many authorities. While I understand the need for mechanisation, it worries me when I hear on the grapevine of a council using tractor mounted flails to prune or cut back shrub areas on housing estates.


This decline in horticulture skills has not just happened overnight, it began in the mid-1990s. In fact, it was one of the reasons why I left local authority employment. At that time, many local authorities were going through countless restructures which always impacted on staff, moral and budgets.


Parks and open space departments were beginning to be amalgamated into larger service departments, often bringing in new managers, who perhaps did not have an affinity with parks services. Budgets were reduced, along with many of the experienced staff retiring or moving to other jobs.

 

 

The combination of this and new ways of operating, I believe, have led to the demise in parks services and standards in recent years.

 

Hope for the sector


However, it is not all doom and gloom. There are still some bastions of excellence left operating. As a Green Flag judge I am privileged to see a lot of good work still being done. This year we have seen over 2000 Green Flags awarded in the UK alone, with a further 60 plus abroad.


And as mentioned in many recent blogs, Paul Rabbits along with a dedicated group of parks managers are trying to raise the profile and importance of parks services. Which has led to the formation of the new Parks Management Forum whose aim is to represent parks professionals and champion the work they do in maintaining these valuable areas, which during the Covid-19 pandemic have been godsend to countless people.

 


There are 418 principal (unitary, upper and second tier) councils in the UK – 27 county councils, 201 district councils, and 125 unitary councils. There are around 11,000 local councils in the UK, from town councils to parish councils. These councils, along with a number of trusts, charities and other organisations, manage between them 27,000 public parks across the country and employ a significant number of professionals to manage and maintain them within such service areas including streetcare, waste services, leisure services, community services, neighbourhood services and cultural services. It is now a rarity to find an authority that retains a distinct ‘parks service’. Often they are absorbed into a wider departmental structure. Yet the publics’ perception is very different, often still perceiving that ‘parks departments’ still exist.

 

 

However, over the last 20+ years, there has been a significant reduction in the number of professionals dedicated to the management of parks and green spaces. Headlines such as ‘Last of a dying breed’ and media coverage not only in the trade press but also in mainstream media (The Guardian, The Daily Mail, BBC Radio etc) has illustrated this. Like many public services, austerity has hit hard and soft services such as parks have and continue to be affected with parks and green spaces management professionals often becoming marginalised - and in many authorities, redundancies have occurred with significant posts lost.


Up to this period of austerity, a number of organisations had represented parks and green spaces professionals including:-

  • ILAM (Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management) which became ISPAL and ultimately CIMSPA, neither of the latter organisations representing parks professionals; ILAM had a dedicated parks team with officers advocating policy and recommendations for the wider management of parks.
  • The Urban Parks Forum, becoming GreenSpace which folded a number of years ago
  • CABE Space, which was a government funded quango responsible for championing urban parks and professionals, but was disbanded and became part of the Design Council, no longer representing parks professionals.

 

Since the disappearance of these reputable organisations, no single body represents the group of individuals who continue to manage our urban parks and green spaces and the sector has become fragmented. As part of the recent public inquiry into parks, one of the key issues raised was the lack of a professional body to represent the management professionals who look after these areas. With the end of the last period of austerity and continued importance given to public parks, it is an important period to look at representing those still managing parks and green spaces as well as those that have inherited the management of these, who receive little or no sector support. This has recently become increasingly significant during the current pandemic where parks and green spaces have had greater coverage and awareness raised of their importance.


With no single professional body representation and the gap in the sector, several other bodies do exist but have fragmented links to parks practitioners and the sector - but they have carried the flag for parks. This has meant that decision makers and policy makers have had inconsistent links to the sector that actually delivers and has done for decades. The Parks Management Forum, through an independent board of practitioners can strengthen that link, not only by strongly representing the sector, but most importantly by acting as a sound board for ideas and policy implementation as well as proposing solutions and sharing best practice that can cross fertilise the work amongst the organisation.

 

 

The Parks Management Forum will work and support all the Regional Parks Forums and organisations such as the Landscape Institute, APSE, Parks Action Group, The Parks Alliance, The Gardens Trust, The National Trust, NLHF, Chief Leisure Officers Association, Chartered Institute of Horticulture, Fields in Trust, Keep Britain Tidy, CPRE and forge stronger links with Scotland, Wales and any other national and international organisations that have in common the passion and values that underpins our work in valuing our parks and open spaces.


To help understand the value of these parks and public open spaces, there are a plethora of documents and publications to be seen here all well worth a read.


Going back to my original comment on the poor practices of mowing the grass in wet conditions, why would anybody with the right knowledge, experience and skills even attempt to mow the grass knowing full well the consequences of their actions? Was it they did not care or are they working to instructions? It would certainly be interesting to hear their side of the story.

NEWS
OVER 200 PARKS & GREEN SPACES PROTECTED BY CENTENARY FIELDS
World War One anniversary programme
 
War Memorial Park, Coventry, the first of the 232 Centenary Fields to be dedicated

Our first WEB ONLY story is a report from Fields in Trust identifies 232 green spaces across the UK which have been legally protected, delivered in partnership with The Royal British Legion.

 


FORMER BRIGGS & STRATTON CEO SEEKS $11.7M
In bankruptcy case
 
Todd Teske

Our next WEB ONLY story is reports from the U.S suggest that Todd Teske, the former chairman and CEO of Briggs & Stratton, has filed a sizeable claim in the bankruptcy case.

 


SURVEY INDICATES GOLF'S MENTAL WELLBEING BENEFITS
Stress relief cited
 
Golf and mental wellbeing

A recent survey has indicated that new members at golf clubs say stress relief has been an important reason to join during the ongoing pandemic.

 


New members at golf clubs say stress relief has been an important reason to join during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

 

 

A snapshot survey of 250 golfers in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom, indicated that more than half (55%) of those who had joined a club in the past six months cited ‘mental wellbeing’ as their primary reason for joining.

 

Sporting challenge (50%), physical wellbeing (38%) and social wellbeing (31%) also proved important, while 12% indicated they joined to participate in club competitions.

 

The social media poll, conducted by Syngenta Golf, follows the publication of a multimedia article ‘The new value of golf’s green spaces’, highlighting the stress-relieving benefits of golf and golf courses.

 

In the article, environmental psychologist Prof Jenny Roe of the University of Virginia, explains, “Contact with nature slows down our stress response and induces calm.

 

“It is promoting stress resilience, it is improving our mood, it’s decreasing our risk of depression and increasing our social wellbeing, particularly on a golf course where you are interacting with other members of that community.”

 

Scientific research published in 2019 has also indicated spending at least two hours per week in nature is good for health and wellbeing.

 

Mark Birchmore, Syngenta global head of marketing, turf and landscape, said, “This is a simple, snapshot survey with a small sample, but it gives an indication of some of the reasons people have joined golf clubs in recent months and suggests further research into golf and mental welling would be worthwhile.

 

“While the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted issues of stress in day-to-day life, the reality is that the experience of spending time in nature on a golf course has always been one of the sport’s key benefits - it’s just rarely communicated as a marketing message. But it is something clubs might consider as it could be an important factor in the value proposition for golf and club membership.”

BIGGA LAUNCHES NATIONAL REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Taking place online in November
 
The RSPB's Dr Marie Athorn will be speaking at the conference

BIGGA say the National Regional Conference will retain some of the features of a regional conference which can't take place in person this year.

 


The ongoing Covid-19 crisis has led the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) to rethink how its members will access local and regional education in 2020 and has launched a new initiative known as the National Regional Conference.

 

The RSPB's Dr Marie Athorn will be speaking at the conference

 

Traditionally BIGGA’s five regions - Scotland and Northern Ireland, Northern, Central England, South West & South Wales and South East - host their own gatherings for members to meet up and hear talks from  industry figures. However, restrictions on social gatherings and the fact many greenkeeping teams are stretched to the limit due to busier courses and reduced staffing means that these in-person events aren’t able to take place through this autumn.

 

BIGGA has already announced its Continue to Learn education programme, usually held at BTME each January, will become an online event, and the regional conferences have now followed suit.

 

The National Regional Conference will take place on 10 November 2020 from 10am to 1.30pm and registration has now opened on the BIGGA website.

 

The programme of speakers is:

  • Seven things I’ve learned about turf around the world
    Presented by Dr Micah Woods, chief scientist, Asian Turfgrass Center
  • Simple steps to encourage wildlife on the golf course
    Presented by Dr Marie Athorn, Business Conservation Advisor (R&A), RSPB
  • From Lockdown to the Rose Ladies Series
    With Callum Wark, golf course manager, JCB Country Club
  • The renovation of Loch Lomond
    Presented by David Cole MG, director of golf course and estates, Loch Lomond Golf Club
  • 2019 – Parkstone’s busiest season on and off the course
    Presented by Grant Peters, course manager, Parkstone Golf Club
A NEW DEAL FOR NEWQUAY GOLF CLUB
Additions to maintenance fleet
 
Newquay Golf Club and their new Deere machines

Dan Kendle, head greenkeeper said the club needed to invest as they have been getting twice as many visitors compared to a normal year, post-lockdown.

 


Dan Kendle, head greenkeeper at Newquay Golf Club, says it is great being back at work after lockdown with his full team, on a busy golf course, with the added bonus of using several new John Deere course maintenance machines supplied by local dealer Masons Kings at St Columb.

 

Masons Kings dealer sales consultant David Barnes and Newquay head greenkeeper Dan Kendle (standing front left and right) with (rear left to right) Joe Ibbs-George, Carl Phillips, deputy head greenkeeper Scott Paterson and Tom Bunt.

 

Dan managed the course on his own during lockdown before the club opened again for play in May, mainly cutting grass and doing a bit of spraying to keep the course as tidy as the pandemic restrictions allowed. Since the rest of the greenkeeping team returned to work, he reckons they were just about on top of everything again by early September.

 

“And we needed to be, as we’ve been getting twice as many visitors compared to a normal year, as well as picking up new members,” says Dan. “On some days the club’s taken double the usual amount of green fees, which seems crazy but the demand has been there from the off.”

 

The first of the club’s new John Deere machines, a 2500E hybrid electric triplex greens mower, was delivered in September last year, with the remaining machines arriving this spring and summer. These included a second 2500E plus a 7700A PrecisionCut fairway mower and a new 4049R compact tractor plus front loader.

 

The compact replaced a 30 year old John Deere 1550 utility tractor, and the club had bought a number of Gator utility vehicles from Masons Kings before, but this was Newquay’s first John Deere fleet deal. The mowers have been bought on a five-year John Deere Financial operating lease, while the tractor is on hire purchase, and all service and maintenance operations are carried out on-site.

 

“Our previous mowers were coming to the end of their lease period, and for this new deal we were looking at new options, particularly in terms of dealer support,” says Dan Kendle. “Masons Kings is a very local dealership with a good reputation for reliable service and back-up, so it made sense for us to speak to them and have some machines in on demonstration.

 

“Everyone in the team had a go on the new machines, and we were all impressed with their operator comfort and user-friendly features. The quality of cut in particular sealed the deal for me, and I like the password protected TechControl system on the 7700A, which allows me to set the mower to get the same consistent results whoever is operating, in all conditions.

 

“As with all new machines, there were a few issues during the initial set-up but they were all sorted out very quickly by John Deere and Masons Kings, which was important. We’ve continued to receive great support and back-up from the dealership’s salesman David Barnes and technician Gavin Hearne, even during lockdown, so we’re very pleased all round as it shows we made the right decision.”

BISHOPSGATE INVEST IN REDEXIM
For new synthethic surface
 
The RTC at Bishopsgate School in Surrey

School has recently taken delivery of a RTC brush unit to keep on top of the maintenance of a brand new artificial surface, opened for use this September.

 


Bishopsgate School in Surrey have recently taken delivery of a Redexim RTC brush unit to keep on top of the maintenance of a brand new artificial surface, opened for use this September.

 

 

With a high wear pattern of both pupil and community usage, the school says the RTC will become the foundation of the ongoing maintenance programme.

 
It has been a busy time for School Bursar Charlie Carver, not only overseeing the handover of the sand-dressed synthetic pitch, but also a brand-new indoor sports hall complex, completed at the end of August. “This new surface is going to be in use very heavily - not just for sports usage but also for break periods and, as such, we knew from the outset that we would need to keep a fairly rigorous maintenance schedule to keep it in the best possible condition,” explains Charlie.


“We spoke to the installers, S&C Slatter, to get advice on maintenance equipment and they pointed us in the direction of Redexim and the RTC quickly became the ideal choice. As a dedicated, self-contained unit it means our on-site groundsman can drive it from the store onto the pitch and brush the entire surface in 30 minutes - fitting in quick, convenient maintenance during gaps in the timetable.”


Charlie hopes that brushing the surface twice weekly with the RTC will maintain the play and aesthetic qualities and prevent the requirement for more invasive work further down the line.


“Our groundsman is delighted with it and uses the RTC as the foundation for all of the artificial programme - while brushing he will survey the surface, check seams and any high wear areas and if the surface needs any backfilling, then that can be done with the RTC also. It’s going to be key to ensuring the safety and longevity of our install.”

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PREVIOUS FEATURES
EDITOR'S BLOG ARCHIVE
Catch up with Laurence Gale's recent blogs
 
TurfPro editor, Laurence Gale

Want to catch up with one of editor Laurence Gale's blogs? Here is the place to do so.

 


A CHANGE IN THE WEATHER
A new set of risks

 

A CHANGING INDUSTRY
Many influences

 

A BUSY SEPTEMBER
Plenty for the turf professional to consider

 

ROADMAP FOR RUGBY
Plan for grassroots

 

GEARING UP FOR WINTER WORKS
Planning should be in hand

 

TIME TO PLAN RENOVATIONS
Sward will be in need of some TLC

 

WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT THE WEATHER?!
Grassed areas looking stressed

 

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
Opportunities and challenges aplenty

 

BUSY TIMES FOR TURF PROFESSIONALS
Short turnaround between seasons

 

BUDGET STATEMENT
The bane of the turf professional's life

 

NICE TO BE BUSY AGAIN
Getting out and about

 

CRICKET IS BACK!
Refreshing to see

 

LITTER LOUTS
What can be done?

 

INVESTING IN OUR FACILITIES
Vitally important right now

 

WEATHER STIMULATING PATHOGENS
Prevalence of turf diseases

 

TIMES ARE CHANGING
True value of parks highlighted

 

GREEN IS THE COLOUR
Much needed rain

 

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED
We're entering a new phase

 

A GRADUAL RECOVERY
Impressive response from our sports turf industry

 

FIRST STEPS TO NORMALITY
Golf courses reopen

 

MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PHASE
Of the pandemic

 

HOW ARE WE COPING?
After six weeks of lockdown

 

PARKS AND OPEN SPACES TO THE RESCUE
During the Covid-19 crisis

 

KEEPING OUR RESOLVE
During the lockdown

 

GETTING ON WITH THE JOB
As best and as safely as we can

 

TIME TO REFLECT
Our pace of life has changed dramatically

 

TESTING TIMES AHEAD
Grasping the effects on our industry

 

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES
Covid-19's impact on our sector

 

SWITCHED ON TRADE DAY
Makita launch 30 new products

 

WHO SAID WE ONLY CUT GRASS?!
It takes years to acquire all the turf professional skills

 

TIME MARCHES ON
New month to hopefully bring much needed sunshine and drying winds

 

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY
Come again another day!

 

THE PLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE
What can we do to help?

 

SPRING HAS SPRUNG
Essential renovations

 

CELEBRATING 2020
Amenity Forum making plans

 

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

 

TIME TO GET FIT
Our industry can help tackle the growing obesity crisis

 

WINTER WORKS AND SHOWS
Plenty to occupy in January

 

LOOKING AHEAD
What might 2020 hold in store?

 

View all of 2019's blogs here

 

View all of 2018's blogs here

TURFPRO FEATURE ARCHIVE
Find our previous features here
 
TurfPro Feature Archive

If you want to catch up with any of TurfPro's previous features, here is the place to do so.


THREE CORE VALUES TO SHAPE OUR INDUSTRY
Real concerns for the future

 

ENGLAND'S GREEN SPACE GAP
A split along racial lines

 

ON TEST
EGO STX3800 strimmer with RTX2300 Rotocut head

 

A SECTOR FACING IMPORTANT TIMES
Review of the National Action Plan

 

PARKS MATTER
The role of public parks in the recovery: a discussion paper

 

A UNIQUE SPORTING VENUE
Wormsley private estate

 

A BTME OUTDOORS?
A good bet for the industry

 

PARKS NEED APPROPRIATE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
Q&A with Philippa Reece, Parks and Foreshore Manager at Adur and Worthing Council

 

CRICKET LOAM
What does it mean?

 

A HERCULEAN EFFORT TO GET PARKS BACK TO NORMAL
Q&A with Chris Worman, Rugby Borough Council’s parks and ground manager

 

ON TEST
STIHL battery products

 

TURFGRASS STRESS MANAGEMENT
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and antioxidants during biotic and abiotic stress in turfgrass plants

 

AUTUMN DISEASE MANAGEMENT
The coming months are going to prove very difficult

 

THE ABUSE OF PARKS . .
Is the abuse of society

 

WHY PARKS MATTER?
A statement from the Parks Management Forum to the Prime Minister

 

THE 21st CENTURY PARKS MANAGER
Innovative, creative and entrepreneurial

 

EAT, SLEEP, CUT, REPEAT!
Cricket under covid

 

TIME FOR A SINGLE SHOW?
Debate brought back into focus

 

A CHALLENGING TWO MONTHS
Running golf design projects from home

 

PRESSURE SITUATION
Cementing the reputation

 

A CLUB TO BE PROUD OF
10 years at the helm of Olton GC

 

GAME CHANGERS IN TURFCARE
The day the Lord's outfield reconstruction proved its worth

 

THE ESSENCE OF ESSENTIAL
Finding a sensible way forward on defining "essential maintenance"

 

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS
2001

 

HOW TO LOOK AFTER A GOLF COURSE WITH NO GOLFERS
Fundamental to the survival of almost all courses, if not of the game itself

 

RAIN STOPPED PLAY WOULD BE WELCOME
. . along with ‘lunch is being taken early’

 

PHYSICAL CONTROL OF TURFGRASS PESTS
An urgent problem

 

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

 

INTEGRATED PEST CONTROL
Opportunity to embrace new methods

 

ENVILLE ON THE UP
Major investments taking place

 

GREEN FLAG AWARDS 2019
A great success

 

U.S PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT SHOW EXCELS
Buoyant GIE+EXPO

 

LEGACY OF THE SOLHEIM CUP
At Gleneagles

 

A DAY OUT WITH THE LADIES
Behind the scenes at the Solheim Cup

 

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY'S EDIBLE GARDEN SUCCESS
2006 - present

 

HAIL THE GRASS MASTERS!
Boorish media comments about pitch quality are wide of the mark

 

CONTRACTOR SEES MULTI-DISCIPLINE SUCCESS
360 Ground Care serving professional facilities

 

BUSY TIMES
Judging the Green Flag Awards

 

TAKING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
What does it all mean in managing turf surfaces?

 

UNDER PRESSURE
Dry weather conditions continue to keep turf managers focused on moisture management

 

EDDIE SEAWARD
Death of Wimbledon’s influential grounds manager

 

MAJOR NEW IRRIGATION PROJECT
At Top 100 classic Berkhamsted Golf Club

 

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE HATTERS
Investment paying off at Kenilworth Road

 

ELIZABETHAN RESTORATION
At Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

 

WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
The vital impact of parks and green spaces on health and well-being

 

WORM CONTROL
Without carbendazim

 

THE TRUE COST OF PETROL
Battery-powered outdoor power tools are now turning the heads of professionals

 

SANDS OF TIME
Sand-based pitches are now the norm in professional sports

 

WHY DO WE DO THE RIGHT THING?
We must maintain industry standards

 

CHASING GRASS PERFECTION?
11 things you need to know . . .

 

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Q&A with BASIS ceo, Stephen Jacobs

 

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2018
Hosted at research trial grounds in Bingley

 

THE MECHANIC
Leicester City FC invest in new role

 

LORD'S 'GRASS-GUVNOR' TO RETIRE
Mick Hunt bows out after 49 years

 

HOLLOW CORING & DEEP SCARIFICATION
Is it really necessary?

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