I would just like to take this opportunity to wish everybody involved in our diverse amenity / horticultural and sports turf industry a very happy new year. It will certainly be interesting to see what 2025 brings in terms of economic stability, prosperity and opportunities.

As for industry memories of 2024, I have many. I attended plenty of seminars, trade shows and I met so many dedicated turf professionals who always go way beyond to deliver the best they can, with the resources they have at their disposal.

I also enjoyed the opportunity of trying out many different manufacturers’ hand tools and mowers throughout the year, including brands such as STIHL, EGO, Makita and Milwaukee, comprising a wide range of blowers, hedge cutters and multitools.

However, one of the highlights for me apart from the trade shows was attending the Service Dealer Conference and Awards in Stratford. The event celebrated the hard work done by servicing dealerships up and down the country, ensuring the grounds industry has the right tools, machinery and support to  achieve the high workloads and maintenance regimes they undertake in preserving our landscape, heritage and sports facilities. 

The start of any year is always a testing time for grounds staff, trying to keep pitches playable when temperatures are low with short hours of daylight and the chance of wet and wintery weather fronts. 

I also feel for the thousands of service dealer businesses who are tasked with predicting the industries sales forecasts for the year. Hopefully all can continue to provide such a valuable service to their customers. 

No doubt there will be even more new products to choose from this coming year.  

On the customer front I think we shall see a greater demand for battery powered products and a continued up take of robotic technologies. 

As for online selling, this will continue to grow as more people are turning to this method of purchasing. However, more expensive machinery will still be sought via reputable dealers. 

On the employment front we have been talking about recruitment and retainment for a number of years now and I know that many organisations and governing bodies are trying hard to address these issues. However for me, as I’ve mentioned many times in blogs and news items, there is now a real need for a collective and collaborative approach of all these organisations and leading lights of the industry to come together and deliver on the main issues facing our industry. These being recruitment, pay and conditions.

We as an industry should not be advertising jobs that are below the recommended pay scales. We should also be going into schools and encouraging the next generation to join our diverse industry. Maybe we need a national campaign to do this? We then need to be able to offer a new pathway / apprentice scheme to be funded by government, that has as its aim attracting 5,000 a year for five years to come and experience the vast array of careers our industry offers.

And yes, many of you will be saying we are already doing this on many fronts. Indeed we are, but it is currently achieving our industry needs? From talking to many industry professionals, I believe the answer is no. We simply are not getting enough people coming into our industry.

 We need to do something soon as we will end up with a vast shortage of experienced practitioners in the coming years. 

Is it not time the leading top professionals and organisations finally come together for the sake of our industry needs? It would be fantastic if the likes of the GMA, BIGGA, PMA,RHS, Fields In Trust, Landscape Institute and many others worked together to achieve some key aims in promoting, recruiting, improving pay and working conditions of our industry. 

Let’s hope that 2025 brings us closer together in these difficult times.  

Today we reveal which stories were the 10 most read by TurfPro subscribers throughout 2024.

The articles that garnered the most attention were once again the expert, knowledgeable and passionate editorials written by TurfPro editor Laurence Gale and his invited specialist guest authors - as well as unusual and eye-catching news stories.

So without further ado, in order of ascending popularity, here are the most read stories in TurfPro of 2024.

10.

PAY RISE RECOMMENDED - 29th January 2024

Following extensive research, the Committee for Golf Club Salaries recommended a 7% increase in the salaries of golf club staff for 2024. 

9.

CALL FOR BAN ON LAWN CHEMICALS - 12th February 2024

David Hedges-Gower, chairman of the Lawn Association and an expert on sustainable lawn care, made an appeal for a nationwide ban on all pesticides used in lawn maintenance.

8.

IS IT TIME TO SAY NO TO 'NO MOW MAY'? - 7th May 2024

In a guest editorial Stephen Fell, md of Lindum Turf, asked does the annual campaign actually do any good for the environment and encourage an increase in pollinator numbers? Or is it just another example of greenwashing?

7.

PRO DEALERSHIP ENTERS ADMINISTRATION - 25th March 2024

Aberdeenshire-based dealers Balgownie Limited, a well known groundcare and agricultural machinery dealership, entered administration and was trading to a limited degree under the control of the Joint Administrators. 

6.

A SAD DECLINE - 20th May 2024

TurfPro editor, Laurence Gale, wrote in a heartfelt editorial that as a passionate, practicing turf professional, he finds it difficult to witness the sad decline of one of our wonderful local community sports facilities - the bowls club. 

5.

A WORRYING TIME FOR PARKS - 22nd April 2024

Laurence debated whether public grassed areas were not being cut due to saturated ground conditions or was it because councils were having to find further savings due to the severe cuts in their annual budgets?

4.

DERBY DAY DELIGHT! - 11th March 2024

On Sunday 3rd March 2024 history was made for the grounds management industry when, for the first time in football, an all-female grounds team prepared the pitch at the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal vs Tottenham in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

3.

TUCKWELLS ACQUIRE LOCAL PROFESSIONAL DEALERSHIP - 5th June 2024

P Tuckwell Ltd, the John Deere dealer across the South East and East of England, completed the acquisition of Tomlinson Groundcare Ltd. 

2.

BILL TO BAN PESTICIDE USE BY PUBLIC AUTHORITIES INTRODUCED - 11th November 2024

A new bill that would ban the use of professional pesticides by local authorities and other public bodies for amenity purposes was introduced in Parliament..

1.

A TOTAL DISREGARD FOR OUR PROFESSION - 5th June 2024

Laurence Gale wrote an impassioned editorial arguing that with so-called experts at the play-off final undermining the work of Wembley's professionals, how are we supposed to attract new recruits into our sector?

UK distributor Boss ORV has announced the appointment of three new dealers for Corvus Off-Road Vehicles.

Based in Colchester, Essex, Used 4 Turf has over thirty years’ experience providing turf equipment to the golf, sport turf, landscaping, amenity, public and private sectors. Founded by Neil Peachey, they supply new tractors and second-hand equipment. “We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service,” says Neil, “ensuring our principles, morals, and ethics are at the heart of all we do. Our personal service is what sets us apart from the competition and we’re proud to call our clients our friends.”

DJS Hydraulics Agricultural and Plant Repairs main centre is in Amlwch, Anglesey and they have recently opened a second depot in Bangor. They are taking Corvus to fulfil their UTV requirement for the area and are appointed to cover North Wales, where they have been supplying the agricultural and plant sector since 2007. DJS’ David Jones says, ”Here at DJS Hydraulics Agri we take pride in supporting customers with their needs, whether it be in parts, service or sales. We’re looking forward to offering the same with the Corvus Terrain UTV’s.” 

BOSS national sales manager Neil Everett, with James Chantry and Mark Chantry of Chantry Engineers

The third Corvus new dealer appointment is Chantry Engineers in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. A family-run business Chantry provides agricultural, and groundcare sales and service as well as vintage service and repairs. They boast a combined total of over forty years’ experience. “We’re proud to support the farming industry with all agricultural engineering needs,” says Mark Chantry, “and we’re pleased to be appointed as Corvus Off-Road Vehicle dealers and meet the UTV requirements of customers in our area.”

Boss Off-Road Vehicles national sales manager, Neil Everett, added, “We’re very pleased to have these three new dealers join the Corvus dealer network which we are expanding, to provide Corvus UTV customers with the best possible sales and support in their local areas.”

The organisers of the GroundsFest trade show say their education fund is making an impact on the next generation of grounds management professionals, with several students already benefiting from its support. 

Recently they say, George Legg, a student studying Sports Turf NVQ Level 2 at Wiltshire College and an Apprentice at Stanley Park Sports Ground, was able to finance essential qualifications that played a key role in him securing a full-time position at Stanley Park Sports Ground after completing his Level 2 qualification.

One of the key certifications George was able to pursue through the education fund was the PA1 qualification in the Principles of Safe Handling and Application of Pesticides, as well as the PA6 qualification for the Safe Use of Pesticides with Handheld Applicators. 

“The Education Fund helped massively,” George explained. “Once I had those qualifications on my CV, it was a massive boost. It made me more qualified to do certain things and definitely made me more employable.”

He continues, “I needed some extra funding to be able to do these courses, and the PA6 is especially important for grounds management with fertilisers and calibrations. It linked in perfectly with everything I was studying. Having those extra qualifications was big for me and for Stanley Park, especially because they didn’t have to fund them themselves.”

The GroundsFest organisers say their fund enabled George to obtain these qualifications, but it also allowed him to gain valuable skills without burdening his employer, Stanley Park Sports Ground, with the costs. This, according to George, is crucial in a time when the grounds management industry is facing a shortage of qualified professionals. “The GroundsFest Education Fund is great for creating opportunities for people like me,” he says. “It’s crucial because we are seeing more and more people drop out of the industry. There’s already a lack of groundstaff, and without funding or support, it becomes much harder for people to progress.”

In January, George will begin his new role as a full-time groundsperson at Stanley Park, where he will be responsible for day-to-day tasks such as line marking, mowing, calibration, and operating machinery safely. Looking ahead, George hopes to continue advancing in his career. “I’d like to eventually become a grounds manager,” he cofirmed.

Christopher Bassett, Event Director of GroundsFest, expressed his excitement about George’s success and the broader impact of the Education Fund. “This is fantastic news,” he says. “We are currently working hard on entering the next phase of the Education Fund, which will see the profits from the event reaching an even wider range of people in the industry. Watch this space.”

BIGGA have said they are gearing up for a bumper edition of their annual BTME trade show and education conference, with only a "..handful of exhibition stands available and education bookings at an all-time high."

 
The Association says by early December, stand bookings had already exceeded the overall total achieved for the 2024 edition of the show, while the Continue to Learn education programme has achieved over 1,000 bookings at its earliest point ever. 
 
To date they say, 133 stands have been allocated across 4,105m2 of exhibition space at the Harrogate Convention Centre. In 2024, the total exhibition space was 4,086m2. To accommodate this demand, BIGGA has introduced solutions including the debut of the Industry Launchpad attraction.
 
Industry partners due to return to the event include The R&A, BAGMA, EIGCA, Grounds Management Association, England Golf and the GCMA.
 
The trade show also supports BIGGA’s flagship education initiative, Continue to Learn. Open to anyone working within golf greenkeeping and sports turf management, the programme has already seen 80% of Continue to Learn classes already sold out. 
 
Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO, said, “I’m incredibly proud of the BIGGA team, whose dedication and innovation has propelled BTME and Continue to Learn to new heights. Their commitment to creating an exceptional experience for our members and the wider turf industry has established BTME as a cornerstone of the golfing calendar that is growing in size and reputation each year.
  
Kress will be exhibiting at BTME for the second time, having made its debut at BTME 2024. Kress was recently announced as headline sponsor of the BIGGA Celebration, which takes place on the opening evening of the event in the Harrogate Convention Centre’s Royal Hall.
 
Nicki Jones, Kress Head of Marketing, said, “Kress is dedicated to driving innovation and sustainability in the sector and we look forward to connecting with the talented professionals who make this industry thrive.”
 

View all of 2024's blogs here

View all of 2023's blogs here

View all of 2022's blogs here

View all of 2021's blogs here

View all of 2020's blogs here

View all of 2019's blogs here

View all of 2018's blogs here

IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE
Examples from across the year

VINTAGE PUSH MOWER USE
Enthusiast maintains lawn the old fashioned way

SUSTAINABLE AMENITY MANAGEMENT
Principles and practises

PLACING URBAN GREEN SPACES AT THE HEART OF INFRASTRUCTURE
Midlands Parks Forum's annual conference

RAISING THE VOICE
At the Amenity Forum's annual conference

SUSTAINABLE PARKS
Parks For London case study

WHY GRASSROOTS RUGBY IS IN DECLINE
A steady drop off in participation.

SEEDS OF SUSTAINABILITY
Focus on a major supplier of grass seed and related products to the amenity sector

ON TEST
STIHL BGA 300 cordless leaf backpack blower

ON TEST
EGO Multi-tool

PUT THEM ON THE TOOLS!
Time for an attitude change

SUSTAINABILITY IN THE TRAINING SECTOR
Grasping the challenge of encouraging more sustainable practice

SUSTAINABILITY IN LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Lessons learnt and experiences

SKILL SETS NEED RECOGNITION
Turf professionals are underappreciated

GREATER RESPECT FOR GROUNDS STAFF MIGHT MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
To the recruitment crisis

A COMPETITIVE SALARY
Why employers should advertise the salary when recruiting new staff

ON TEST
Makita XGT UV001G lawn scarifier

AN EXAMPLE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN MACHINERY SUPPLY
Focus on Kubota

MY PERSONAL GREENKEEPING PHILOSOPHY HAS NEVER CHANGED
I don't follow any set program

SUSTAINABILITY IN LANDSCAPING
A substantial element of amenity activity

IS IT TIME TO SAY NO TO 'NO MOW MAY'?
Any real benefits?

SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR PARKS & PUBLIC GREEN SPACES
Meeting the challenge

THE PATH TO WIMBLEDON
For groundstaff member, Conrad Cavil

ON TEST
EGO LBP8000E backpack blower

SUSTAINABILITY IN THE LAWN CARE SECTOR
A key consideration

BEEKEEPING IN COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENTS
The current situation

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE IN THE AMENITY SUPPLY SECTOR
Optimising land use through integrated solutions

SUSTAINABILITY IN THE GOLF SECTOR
Focus on BIGGA

THE SEARCH FOR SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE
Bringing together key points

DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR GOLF
R&A are supporting clubs

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF EVERY POUND OF BUDGET
A course manager's view

A NEWFOUND APPRECIATION FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS
Who look after grassroots pitches

SUSTAINABILITY & THE UK ACTION PLAN
For weed, pest and disease management

CONCERN FOR PARKS FOLLOWING COUNCIL BANKRUPTCIES
What does the future hold?

TAKING A GLOBAL LOOK AT SUSTAINABILITY
Is the rest of the world also driving towards sustainable practice?

RENOVATIONS, PLAY AND THANKS
On my mind this week

SUSTAINABILITY – IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING & EDUCATION
Set to play a crucial role going forward

TULIP TREE
Liriodendron tulipifera

LYDIA BROOM
Genista lydia

THE LAWN AND ITS VALUE
Changing attitudes

GIANT HOGWEED
Invasive and potentially harmful

LIFE-CYCLE ANALYSIS & SUSTAINABILITY
Considering every stage of the journey

NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY
The most important nutrient

BERBERIS THUNBERGII
A shrub that has stood the test of time

ENSURING FUTURE PROSPERITY
Advice imparted at road shows

INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY
A key focus

PHOTINA RED ROBIN
A sensational flowering shrub

VALUING THE GRASSROOTS
We must not overlook those who maintain these grounds

MANAGING WEEDS SUSTAINABLY
In amenity spaces

DETECTING NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS
In turf plants

SPRING RENOVATIONS UNDERWAY
A crucial period

SUSTAINABILITY IN SUPPLY
A focus on those who supply essential inputs to our sector

CHANGING CLIMATE
Is a borehole the key for clubs?

SUSTAINABILITY AT THE SHARP END
How to put into practice when budgets are tight?

ANOTHER NAIL IN THE COFFIN OF GRASSROOTS RUGBY
Clubs are struggling

SUSTAINABILITY IN PRACTICE
Seeking transparent and robust supply chains is essential

TIME FOR ACTION
To reverse recruitment crisis

CONTROLLING COSTS
Planning is crucial

THE SEARCH FOR SUSTAINABILITY
What exactly does the term mean?

CARING FOR THE GRASSROOTS
From volunteers to contractors

DEFRA IS LETTING DOWN THE COUNTRY
Complete failure to address the plastic grass debate

WE CAN ALL DO MORE
To aid biodiversity

MY LIFE IN GREENKEEPING
With Bruce Cruickshank

LEVELLING UP, GETTING SMARTER & GETTING AHEAD
Parks require so much more funding

SWITCHED ON FOR HARD WORK
Putting trimmers through their paces

MACHINERY HIGHLIGHTS
At this year's show

MY SALTEX
Daniel Lewis​, Manchester City Football Club

AWASH WITH LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Two months till showtime

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD
Priorities for the amenity sector

THE DECLINE OF ‘PARKITECTURE’
A symptom of the state of parks in 2022

DEVELOPERS SHIRKING GREEN SPACE RESPONSIBILITIES
Lack of financial commitment

TIME TO COME TOGETHER
For the good of the industry

THE DEATH OF GRASS ROOTS CRICKET
Gathering apace?

ROUTES INTO THE INDUSTRY MUST BE ENSURED
Q&A with David Fisher, Lantra’s head of industry partnerships

STRONG VIEWS ON CRICKET PITCH PERFORMANCE MARKING
A bone of contention

A PREMIUM PRODUCT
Delivered at Naas Golf Club

THE GREEN REVOLUTION
And Esker Hills

MAKING A CHANGE
Laytown and Bettystown Golf Links

A DAY AT THE RACES
Naas Race Course

WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE VOICE
How the industry needs to proceed

OVER 175 YEARS OF EDUCATION
Wesley College

ELECTRIC EXCITEMENT
Dennis's Ian Howard talks electrification

THE HOME OF CORK GAA
Páirc Uí Chaoimh

LONG POLE BATTERY HEDGE TRIMMERS TESTED
STIHL HLA 66 and HLA 86

OVER 800 YEARS OF HISTORY
Johnstown Castle and Gardens

A CLUB GONE WILD
Kilkenny Golf Club

A GOLF COURSE IN THE GARDEN OF IRELAND
Woodenbridge GC

80 YEARS YOUNG
Charleville Golf Club

AN UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE
Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club

GETTING BACK TOGETHER
Albeit gradually . .

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?