A couple of years ago I wrote an article on the current state of golf after having the pleasure of visiting Wentworth GC and seeing the investment they commit to ensuring the course under the stewardship of Kenny McKay remains one of the best golf courses to play. 

I was in awe of the level of greenkeeping skills and attention to detail by the greenkeeping team to ensure this course maintains its status as one of the best golf courses in the world.

Two years on, and particularly after this terrible Covid pandemic, golf seems to be as popular as ever. Golf was in fact, one of the first sports allowed to continue under some of the Covid restrictions.  Many courses opened with limited rounds of golf being played, In essence a lifeline for many golf courses.  
However, with restrictions finally now lifted on July 19th we should now hope all golf courses will be back to near normality and start seeing the return of some much-needed income generation from both golf and social events for the rest of the calendar year. 

It certainly has been a tough couple of years for greenkeeping staff who have been working hard throughout the pandemic, either at full or reduced capacities. Either way it has no doubt been a testing and often stressful time for many. 

Like any business which has to adapt to survive, golf courses are no different. Personally, I place a high regard for what golf courses have to offer, not only providing a changing game of golf, but the shear value of the benefits they can bring to wider community and local fauna, flora and wildlife.

Every golf course should aim to maintain a high standard of playing surfaces. The reputation of the golf course is usually determined by its playing experience. All too often in recent years we have seen golf courses reduce their budgets and resources on the maintenance of the course - which over time sees a decline in course quality.

You cannot put a value on what a golf course can offer to the wider community. There is so much potential for these clubs to further embrace and work more closely with their communities to attract new business opportunities to supplement their main golfing income.

However, I do have some concerns about the number of greenkeepers leaving the industry, fed up with the constant battering they get from course members and greens committees. Many of whom do not have a clue or understand the requirements, skills, education and dedication to the job of looking after a golf course. 

It has been a bone of contention for many years, but even with better communication channels and the fact that many head greenkeepers and course managers have a good dialog with their employers, there is still a lot of tension and issues spilling into the welfare of the greenkeeping staff in terms of how they are treated by members. 

Constant criticism does not help anybody. Often part of the problem is the expectations of the members, who demand their course look the same as Wentworth or any other topflight golfing venue. They are not content with the fact that their own golf course is unique and can only compete with the top courses with increased investment - which many clubs do not have.

With most eighteen-hole golf clubs running on staffing levels of five or less they are really never going to compete with clubs who employ between 7 -10 members of staff. Trying to deliver the expectations of the members with a team of five staff is always going to be a tall order.

The only way they would be able to compete will be investing in a lot of time and labour saving machinery and equipment to cover the ground more efficiently. However, it is really about the detail and polish you can deliver over and above the basic maintenance techniques that often makes the difference.

So the question I am asking is what should the staffing level of a typical 18 hole golf course be? I firmly believe we should have at least 7 full time employees to deliver a decent level golfing expectation and experience.  Ultimately the reputation of the golf course is usually down to the condition, playability and presentation of the course. This can only be achieved by investing in the right number of staff and investing in the relevant machinery and resources they need to deliver the club’s expectations.  

As mentioned in recent blogs, we the turf grass industry are facing a crisis in recruitment with many golf course managers finding it difficult to attract new members of staff - especially well qualified experienced staff. There seems to be a void in the market at this present time. 

I again have written about this subject in a previous articles in TurfPro called the Next Generation which was followed by an article called A Groundsman’s Lot that talked about the fact that many of our practicing groundsmen and greenkeepers are undervalued. 

The problem of recruitment in the golf industry I put down to several factors - pay and conditions, the fact they need to work weekends and evenings and their prospects of promotion is limited. They can probably earn more driving a white van and quite frankly do not see working in the turf industry as a glamourous job.

I would like to see a national campaign run by BIGGA to attract and entice new blood into our industry. We need to go into schools and colleges and explain the opportunities to be had by working in this unique turf grass industry. 

However also, I think many, golf courses need to look at themselves more closely and start working with the golf governing bodies to ensure they are positively trying to provide a pleasant and well rewarded place of work for the next generation of greenkeepers. 

There are still too many golf clubs, not investing anywhere near enough funding in the greenkeeping facilities, namely their sheds and messroom facilities. Many are still often poor and run down and not fit for purpose. The question the club secretary, treasurer or indeed the chairman of the club, should be asking themselves is would he or she be happy having to use the facilities they currently provide?

It is time clubs changed their mentality towards their staff and start treating them with respect and reward them for their loyalty and commitment. The future of any golf course is in the investment of good staff and facilities. 

I passionately believe the tide is turning and golf courses now have a brighter future ahead of them - especially if they continue in investing and supporting their dedicated greenkeeping teams who work tirelessly to maintain these unique land assets for future generations.

As Gleneagles enters the fifth year of its partnership agreement with John Deere, they say their adoption of the latest precision spraying and mowing technology is paying off across theirs championship courses, The King’s, Queen’s and PGA Centenary, plus the 9-hole Wee Course.

Scott Fenwick, Craig Haldane (front centre & right) and members of Gleneagles’ greenkeeping and gardens team with John Deere and dealer Double A staff on the 18th fairway of The King’s Course.

The award-winning luxury destination in Perthshire holds a unique position in golf as the first European venue to have hosted both The Ryder Cup (in 2014) and Solheim Cup (in 2019). John Deere was the official golf course and turf maintenance equipment supplier to Gleneagles for the latter event, with tournament support provided by local supplying dealer Double A at Cupar.

The next professional tournament scheduled at Gleneagles takes place in July 2022, when The King’s Course will host The Senior Open Presented by Rolex for the first time. This will be Europe’s only Senior Major Championship next year.

Gleneagles director of agronomy and estates Scott Fenwick says, “We’re anticipating a great tournament next summer, particularly as The King’s Course also hosted what was then the Bells Scottish Open from 1987 to 1994. Hopefully a lot of the big-name golfers from that era will be able to play the course again, and we look forward to welcoming them back to Gleneagles.”

Scott Fenwick recently took delivery of the latest additions to Gleneagles’ extensive John Deere course maintenance equipment fleet, including the ProGator-based GPS PrecisionSprayer, WAM 1600T and 9009A TerrainCut rotary rough and finishing mowers, plus nine TS & TX Series Gator utility vehicles.

“We were the first UK golf course to receive a prototype of the GPS PrecisionSprayer for assessment, from the start of the John Deere contract,” says Scott.  “We were able to do a lot of testing with it over three seasons, to help John Deere evaluate the machine in true commercial conditions.

“Accuracy is key for everything we do at Gleneagles. We were also one of the first golf venues in the UK to achieve GEO Certified status, and the environmental credentials of our business are very important to us. To be able to spray only target areas is obviously much better from an environmental point of view. We are now able to apply around 12 to 14 per cent less chemical at lower total volumes of water, which also means lower costs, so it’s a big win all round.

“Although autonomous technology is well established in agriculture, it’s new to our side of the industry. Once you get used to not having to steer the machine and allowing it to do everything automatically, it’s very operator friendly. Testing the sprayer over an extended period meant we could be sure that it did what it was supposed to do and have full confidence in the results.”

Precision is a feature of the A model mowers that Gleneagles uses, with the machines set up using the TechControl system so that they mow and turn at exact speeds. This helps give a consistent finish across all courses.

“This is particularly important on a big site like ours, with a 50-plus strong greenkeeping and gardens team and a lot of equipment,” Scott adds. “Every operator has a slightly different approach and feel, but with so many mowers being used by different people every day, we need to achieve consistency.

“Since joining Gleneagles three years ago our golf courses manager, Craig Haldane, has been instrumental in bringing the golf and gardens staff together to operate as one team across all the courses and grounds. This has meant we can manage and direct operations and the equipment fleet much more efficiently, and it has also improved communications and the use of resources.

“Overall the new John Deere fleet is now in a really good place. It’s also been great for morale that even though the hotel had to close during lockdown, the business has continued to invest in the new machinery we need to maintain the courses to the highest standards.”

Following a successful partnership over the last two years, Cobra has announced its continued support of research and care charity, Breast Cancer Now, throughout 2021.

The garden machinery manufacturer has raised £10,000 for the charity over the course of the partnership and hopes to raise more this year than ever before, with the machines now available at dealerships across the country.

Money will continue to be raised through the sale of its limited-edition pink GTRM38P mower (above), with £25 from every purchase of the model going to Breast Cancer Now to help make world-class research and life-changing support happen.

The electric mower comes equipped with a range of features, including a 15” cutting width and provides seven cutting heights.

Support for people affected by breast cancer has never been more needed due to the devastating impact of COVID-19 say Cobra. At the same time, the pandemic has significantly impacted Breast Cancer Now and the charity urgently needs support so that it can continue to be there for people affected by breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Now is steered by world-class research and powered by life-changing care. The charity works with hospitals and patients to improve breast cancer services and makes sure anyone affected receives the best possible treatment and care. It is there for anyone affected by breast cancer, the whole way through, providing support for today and hope for the future.

Lisa Gilmour, head of regional community fundraising at Breast Cancer Now, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Cobra for their wonderful support over the last two years and are excited to work with them once again this year. 

“Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK, and the impacts of the pandemic mean that people affected by this devastating disease need us now more than ever. As such, support from businesses like Cobra has never been more needed and we are so grateful to them and their customers for their unwavering support – together we can help change the future of breast cancer.”

One of the largest grounds maintenance and landscaping firms in the East of England, CGM Group based in Downham Market, Norfolk, has purchased four Toro LT3340 triple flail mowers to aid the 150-strong grounds team operating across East Anglia and the East Midlands for eight months of the year.

Marcus Glover, operations director at CGM Group, said, “Our teams are working solidly for two thirds of the year cutting sports pitches and maintaining school sites and commercial grounds. 

“We need machinery we can rely on, machinery that is flexible and adaptable. We are not only faced with a wide range of landscapes and environments, but the weather can apply added pressure to our work, particularly in 2021 when we’ve seen extraordinarily fast grass growth due to the wet and warm weather. 

“The performance of the Toro mowers is excellent. We can expect fine finishes on cricket outfields to reliable, neat trimming for clients who require general monthly cuts throughout the season. The flexibility of the range of machines is superb.”

The four new mowers join five existing Toro machines, taking the overall fleet to nine.

Marcus continues: “It’s also all about the support and back-up care. Although we’ve had no problems with use, the response time of the workshop is phenomenal. Replacement parts are sourced overnight so I know I’ll have machines back out on the ground the following day. It means that, from an operational perspective, we are working as efficiently as we can.”

Danny Lake, area sales rep at Reesink Turfcare,added, “CGM is one of the biggest grounds contractors in the region so performance and reliability are key. We understand the seasonality of their business and work to support them as best we can with fast-response after-care.”

Farmtrac say their all-electric compact tractor, the FT25G, so impressed show founder Robert Llewellyn on his Fully Charged TV show last year that it will be will be at Fully Charged LIVE UK in September. 

Steven Haynes, sales manager at Farmtrac, says, “Last year the FT25G featured on an episode of Fully Charged and the immediate reaction from the audience was incredibly positive and it has since proved itself to be a worthy alternative to a diesel-powered tractor. This year we have further increased the options available on the tractor to make it even more useful in a host of year-round applications and we can’t wait for people to experience it first-hand.”

On an episode of Fully Charged which airs to over three million people a month on YouTube, the FT25G was put through a series of tests to evaluate its performance and both Fully Charged TV show host and show founder, Robert Llewellyn and farmer Adam Henson, were highly impressed with the results.

Robert said at the time: “What it has proven today beyond a shadow of a doubt, it’s not just me saying it, it’s Adam – proper farmer too – he drives tractors all the time and he absolutely loves this thing. It’s so much quieter than a diesel machine... It’ll give you six to seven hours of hard work. So, I’ve been using this thresher that uses a lot of energy and it’s fine, it keeps going. And it doesn’t half do it well, it mashes through it.”

The FT25G compact tractor is the first commercially available all-electric tractor in the UK. Featuring a 72V lithium-ion battery and onboard charger, the FT25G produces zero emissions and low noise. The manufacturer says it can be charged from any domestic socket to 100 percent in eight hours.

The FT25G will be on stand E18 from 3-5 September at Fully Charged LIVE UK, Farnborough International.

WHO WE ARE:

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At Bayer you have the opportunity to be part of a culture where we value the passion of our employees to innovate and give them the power to change

At Bayer Environmental Science (ES) we have a vital role and responsibility as we safeguard and strive to advance the health, hygiene and safety of people all over the world, sustainably. Through our work we are committed to fostering healthy environments where we live, work and play, enabling people and communities all over the world to live life to its full potential, helping them to thrive. We are well known in the UK for products such as Ficam D, K-Othrine® Partix™, Amenity Roundup, Dedicate and Valdor Flex.

ES in the UK/IE predominantly operates in the following industries.

• Professional Pest Control
• Rural hygiene
• Turf management
• Industrial vegetation management – amenity, rail etc 

THE ROLE:

As Head of Sales you are responsible for the sales of our ES products and services across the UK & IE. There will be six National Account Managers reporting to you, split across our various industries and regional locations. You will also be supported by the Marketing Team, our Technical Managers and the Head of Business. 

Your responsibilities will include: 

• Developing, implementing and monitoring sales strategies with the National Account managers
• Ensuring sales and profitability targets are met across different business segments, regions and product portfolios
• Identifying new business opportunities
• Managing a team of National Account Managers and Technical Managers.
• Working closely with the Senior Leadership and Marketing to maximise our marketing efforts
• Developing and maintaining close contact with customers and end users to stay up to date with the market and competitors
• Monitoring and improving communication between sales and other departments
• Work closely with the NAMs to ensure accuracy of the S&OP forecast
• Working as part of the Management Team, ensuring that all business KPIs are met
• Help with the business’s digital transformation efforts
• Represent ES on relevant external committees or expert groups, with the aim of influencing and defending our interests.
• Participate in lobbying activities of ES. 

WHO YOU ARE:

• Detailed knowledge of the chemical industry landscape including Turf and Amenity and Professional Pest distribution networks, customers and competitors
• Extensive business knowledge
• BASIS/RSPH
• Computer literacy (Word, Excel and Power Point)
• Good interpersonal skills
• Communication & Collaboration

Your Application:

At Bayer you have the opportunity to be part of a culture where we value the passion of our employees to innovate and give them the power to change.
 
Reward is important to us, employees benefit from excellent employment conditions, such as:

• Competitive salary and performance bonus
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private Healthcare, generous pension scheme and Life Insurance
• Employee discount scheme
• International career possibilities
• Flexible working

Are you up for the challenge? If so, please apply online.

Visit the Kentucky Exposition Center, between the 20-22nd October 2021, to take part in GIE+EXPO’s:

• 4,000sqft hands-on Drone Zone
• UTV Test Track for driving and comparing the latest vehicles on real terrain
• Remote Pilot Certification Course
• Arborist demos and classroom courses
• Keynote presentation from Admiral James Stavridis
• Free dealer workshops by Bob Clements International, as well as much more… 

Visit gie-expo.com to find out more.

HOT & BOTHERED

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

DUE RECOGNITION

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

SIZZLING SUMMER ON ITS WAY

MAKING PARKS SAFE

INVESTNG IN FACILITIES

LOW PAY CRISIS

SPORT IN CRISIS

DRYING OUT . .

RETURNING TO FULL SPEED

ROBOTS ON THE RISE

A GAME CHANGER FOR PARKS

WORKING PRACTICES CHANGED?

OPENING UP

ROADMAP TO NORMALITY

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

BEAST FROM THE EAST RETURNS

PLAYING OUR PART

WISHES GRANTED?

TIME TO REFLECT

SELLING OUR SECTOR

SPRING WITHIN OUR SIGHTS

LOOKING AHEAD INTO 2021

A FLOOD OF WATERLOGGING ADVICE

View all of 2020's blogs here

View all of 2019's blogs here

View all of 2018's blogs here

GO WEST
Inishturk GAA pitch – one of the most westerly sportspitches in Europe

WORKING ON A TIGHT BUDGET
Nenagh Golf Club

ON A MISSION
Wrekin Golf Club aiming to enrich wildlife and fauna

WILD AND WONDERFUL
Design By Nature

LEARNING HOW TO SURVIVE
Abbey Par 3

TACKLING OBESITY
Vital that schools can provide sport

A LIFETIME OF LEARNING
Vital for turf professionals

CELEBRATING 125 YEARS
Tullamore Golf Club

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGES
At Trinity College Dublin

BLENDING THE OLD WITH THE NEW
Bray Golf Club

A WELL POLISHED COURSE!
Ierne Social And Sports Club

IDENTIFYING THE TRUE VALUES
Of grounds maintenance

THE INDUSTRY WILL CHANGE & ADAPT
But it will survive

WIRRAL GOLF COURSES SAVED
Renewed hope and optimism for the future

GREEN SPACE CONTRIBUTION TO WELLBEING IS UNDERVALUED
Parks invisible on national agenda

A SHINING LIGHT IN IRELAND'S SUNNY SOUTHEAST
Wexford Golf Club

GREEN SPACES DO NOT LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES!
Keith Kent says we must invest in people

WE SHOULD TELL THE WORLD ABOUT THE UK INDUSTRY
Right time for all sides to come together

SOIL LIFE IS PRECIOUS
Good-quality soil can help save the planet

MORE THAN JUST CUTTING GRASS
Encouraging the next generation

A BUZZ FROM DOING THE JOB
Wide experience of the turf grass industry

PAYING THEIR WAY
Low wages is the bane of the industry

AMENITY MANAGEMENT IMPACTS US ALL
Professor John Moverley

CARING FOR PARKS OF ALL TYPES
Mary Worrall

TOP FIVE FRUSTRATIONS FOR CRICKET GROUNDSMEN
What causes you the most frustration in your role?

PROFESSIONALS AT THE CUTTING EDGE
Vic Demain and Phil Sharples

BOWLS CLUBS IN PERIL
A sad decline

A VERY SPECIAL INDUSTRY
Loz looks back

SNEAK PEAK AT A ROBOTIC "GAME CHANGER"
Commercial model capable of covering 50,000 m2 teased

HALESOWEN PICK A BIG ROBOT UP FRONT
Invest in mowers

COMPRESSED AERATION
The new way

PARKS MATTER MORE THAN EVER
Recent sector developments

ON TEST
STIHL blowers

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?

As a first step on the road to getting the industry back together in a face-to-face environment after this enforced separation, the first exhibition for the turf care sector since the pandemic began, took place last week on Wednesday and Thursday. BIGGA laid on their first ever Festival Of Turf in the indoor and outdoor setting of the Warwickshire Event Centre.

Straight off the bat, it must be said this didn't appear to be the best attended event ever. I'd say well done to BIGGA for simply getting something on and for getting a mix of exhibitors together, but it certainly felt to me on the first day that it was sparse on visitors through the gates.

There's probably a myriad of reasons for this. It's a busy time of year for professional greenkeepers and groundsmen for one. There was some quite extreme weather mid-week (unusually for the UK this meant incredibly hot temperatures rather than downpours!). There's a pingdemic on. People are going on holiday as the schools are breaking up. People wouldn't want to risk getting pinged because they're about to go on holiday. And indeed some people are likely to still be nervous of mixing in groups.

Whatever the reason, speaking to exhibitors on Wednesday afternoon, I certainly picked up a disquiet regarding the number of turf professionals or dealers they were seeing come on to their stands.

Now of course, the value of any trade exhibition is not judged purely on numbers. From an exhibitor's point of view, it's always quality of visitor over quantity. And speaking to the representatives on the stands on that first afternoon, most were telling me they'd had one, two, a handful even of decent contacts thus far. The problem was though as they saw it, with so few people arriving at the showground, their odds of meeting a new potential customer or a dealer for their range, were shortened.

Certainly by 2pm on Wednesday I got the distinct impression most stand holders were talking amongst themselves and each other - doing their best to find whatever shade was available.

To be fair to BIGGA, I don't know what expectations they had set for themselves before the show or indeed what the final numbers were following close of play? In a press release issued on Thursday afternoon, BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said, "While visitor numbers were not as high as hoped for, those who did attend engaged meaningfully with the exhibitors and reconnected with friends and peers."

I do suspect that the greater intention was simply to stage something with a more social feeling, following so long with nothing whatsoever able to take place. And of course, to attempt to make up for missed income from January's cancelled BTME.

From a personal perspective, it was great to catch up with industry peers in real life, who I've only be able to speak to via little squares on the internet for so long. There's a real value to this which we've always been aware of - however I do believe that people will become more acutely attuned to its importance as we begin to venture out more.

It was encouraging to hear from the exhibitors who I spoke to, just how positively business had been going for them during the past 18 months. New ways of working had proven successful for everyone I chatted with. The turfcare machinery sector certainly sounds like it has experienced a buoyant period.

Of course many were now talking about the delays that manufacturing around the world is facing currently. Lack of supply of components to factories was a common theme, leading to delays in supply of stock. Some felt the situation was starting to improve, but combined with the attendant huge increase in shipping costs, it was clearly still causing significant headaches.

Around the showground

Looking round the stands there were some interesting developments on show, either available now or coming soon - and it was valuable to gauge the opinion of stand holders about the value of shows in general.

There were also a couple of major announcements. Four major players in the amenity sector displayed their coming together which you can read about here and BIGGA and Campey presented a prestigious prize which you can read about here.

Husqvarna were displaying the new Ceora, large area robotic mower. Hoping to build in-roads into the golf market for the machine, the team on the stand talked about how there will be a specific fairway attachment for the unit down the line.

The company was confident that the supply of the new robots are on track for Spring 2022 and they were pleased how interest in the concept has been growing via the online marketing they have been undertaking.

Overton had the new Altoz machines on their stand, including a tracked stand-on version. These are newly certified for use in the UK and I was told they are generating interest amongst end users who are interested in the machines' ability to work on slopes.

Grillo had plenty of machines on their stand and told me they had experienced a great year of business. The TS unit and the 4x4 Climber are performing particularly well, finding favour with contractors.

Iseki had a selection of machinery on show and said they'd made a couple of new contacts during the first morning of the show - as well as catching up with colleagues they hadn't seen in a while.

Kioti told me they'd also enjoyed an excellent 12 months of business. Being back at a show, alongside competitors was important to them and they hoped industry events would kick on from here.

Redexim were displaying their new name and new specialist turfcare kit, following their change from Charterhouse Turf Machinery. They told me they had been pleased with the mix of representatives from different sporting disciplines come by their stand.

GreenTek said they'd had a steady flow of people on to their stand during the first morning - mostly people known to themselves.

Durabunker were pleased to be out meeting the industry once again. They were hoping for one or two excellent contacts over the show.

TIming

Overall, I would congratulate BIGGA for managing to get the first turfcare industry event for 18 months staged. I would argue that perhaps the timing wasn't ideal - and I don't know, but I'd be surprised if this particular event was held for a second time in the same format.

What I do think perhaps, despite the stonking heat, is that the Festival Of Turf might revive a desire for the holding of an outdoors show for the sector?

It may sound obvious, but viewing these large pieces turf care machinery outside on, you know, turf, kind of makes sense.