these Open Championship Clubs choose to relief grind - Pitchcare

Andy Gray, Southampton FC
Artificial Surfaces
Life is short, Fake it!
Is anything that is ever a copy of something natural better
than the original? Can natural things even be compared to
their artificial counterparts or, should I say, counterfeits?
Matt Frost enters the ‘artificial‘ debate. Pg50
Understanding maintenance
responsibilities
The performance, durability and safety of an artificial
sports pitch is intrinsically linked to the level of
maintenance completed throughout its life, and
understanding your maintenance responsibilities could go a
long way to avoiding a costly court case. Pg54
Winter Sports
Saints be praised!
With Southampton flying high in the Championship, their
free flowing, passing game requires a good surface. Charged
with providing that is Head Groundsman, Andy Gray, and
his team of three. Pg62
Dale’s Diary
Coping with dual sports is never easy but, with a new pitch,
new equipment and ‘new’ assistant, Phil Collinson, Head
Groundsman at Rochdale’s Spotland Stadium is winning the
battle to retain grass coverage. Pg66
Viewpoint
Our anonymous football league head groundsman, Mr AKA
Grasscutter, offers some advice to youngsters wishing to get
into the industry. Pg70
Schools and Colleges
Eric’s not been idle!
After thirty years service to Bromsgrove School, Head
Groundsman, Eric Burford, aims to retire later this year.
Here, he talks about his time at the school and the
improvements he has made during his tenure. Pg86
A matter of degrees
Neville Johnson heads to the University of Kent’s
Canterbury campus to meet Paul Griffiths, the man whose
job it is to see that the grounds always get a First. Pg92
Farmer Joe - happy as a pig in ...
Joe Cooper’s life at Milton Abbey School has evolved into
much more than being a groundsman, and it’s a position he
treasures. It’s not hard to see why, when you can work in
beautiful surroundings in the peaceful Dorset countryside.
Pg96
Equestrian
Sandown Park - ready for anything!
Groundsmen at dual purpose race tracks often have to
work hard to provide the ideal going for flat and national
hunt meetings within the same season but, at Sandown,
Estate Manager Craig Williamson and his team achieve
this feat on the same day. Pg100
Eric Burford, Bromsgrove School
Summer Sports
Ready to take on the world
Expectations are running high that the 2014
Commonwealth Games will mark the rebirth of lawn bowls
in Scotland. All the signs are favourable that it will. Pg72
Perfection - and the better it is, the
better!
How does the bowls greenkeeper attempt to meet the
expectations of the club membership? In fact, how does he
even know what those expectations are? Mark Allen seeks
out the answers from two of the best bowls greenkeepers in
the Birmingham area. Pg76
Thoughts for the winter
Another year entered, with thoughts on a blisteringly hot
summer heavy on the mind. Then you pinch yourself back
to reality and know you will settle for no rain on a Friday,
but for some nice heavy rain about 8.30 on a Sunday
evening. That’s not too much to ask for is it? Pg80
Smith family are rolling on...
After a lifetime spent collecting, servicing, repairing and
renovating, there’s not much that Eric Smith doesn’t know
about cricket rollers. Now, this enthusiastic ‘Fred Dibner’
of heavy machinery and champion of cricket club
groundsmen has finally produced his own, radical model.
Pg84
Technical
Germination Summed Up
Seed germination is one of the most fundamental
processes of nature. It is a source of immense debate on
how to achieve optimum establishment when sowing grass
seed mixtures. Pg104
Safety management of trees
Trees provide carbon sequestration, replenish oxygen,
provide habitat for vertebrates and invertebrates and,
when trees die, they can be utilised for various products.
Pg106
Under the cover of darkness
Normally carried out under the cover of darkness, away
from prying eyes, revetting pot bunkers has been a closely
guarded secret passed down through generations of
greenkeepers. Pg110
Sand - making the right decision
Choosing the right sand can be a huge decision. Graeme
King, Managing Director of leading sports sands supplier
Hugh King & Co, reveals some of the key factors to
consider. Pg112
The anatomy of a golf course -
Fairways
The fairway is the glue of the golf course holding all other
elements together, and becomes the target point for the
golfer if the green is not in sight or range. Pg116
Given much thought to your red
diesel lately?
The fact that the specification for red diesel (BS2869:A2
gas oil) changed significantly in January last year passed
many people by, including, it has to be said, many regular
users. Pg119
Also in this issue:
News .............................. 4
The Eyes have it .............. 8
The Keynote Interview .... 10
Turf Tip.......................... 115
Monthly Diaries ............ 122
Thoughts on training .... 126
Pitchcare training ........ 128
Frank Newberry .......... 130
History of covers............ 132
Now that’s magic ........ 134
National Memorial
Arboretum .................. 136
Hard times .................. 138
Cost of spraying .......... 140
Chafer Grubs .............. 142
Turf side up .................. 144