ISSUE “My two
Groundsmen were brilliant and supported me
totally. I couldn’t have done it without them” STEVE HARPER
Aston Villa FC Training Ground Head Groundsman
Going to Seed? .......................... 8 Spiral Nematodes .................. 18 Irrigation System Design ...... 20 Golf Course Otocec ................ 28 In the Black .............................. 30 Robert Jones Diaries .............. 34 United at Carlisle .................... 40 No Bull at Hereford ................ 47 Manchester Airport ................ 54 It’s Snow Joke .......................... 54 Secondary Elements .............. 60 Draining the Lakes ................ 80 Basis Training .......................... 88 Forsdike’s Saga ...................... 92
PLUS: EMS applied to turf, Climate change and the herbicide industry, Badgers and the law, Grumpy Old Git, What’s the cause of your disease?, Blecability, Frank Newberry
Inside THIS
Pitchcare’s Laurence Gale joins Leicester Tigers Head Groundsman, Steve Packwood, as he prepares for the visit of Leinster in the Heineken Cup
Match Day COUNTDOWN ................
10 14 22 36
50 62 68
ISLAND HOPPING ... Shaping 72 bunkers in six weeks over the course of two winters
was never going to be easy. Simon Freeman reports on how Castletown Golf Links, on the Isle of Man undertook the task.
HEXHAM’S SINISTER HERITAGE Former PGA Tour Professional, Mark Lathan, is the Head
Greenkeeper at Hexham Golf Club. How does he keep the course in top condition with a staff of just four?
A SUSTAINABLE MINDSET Simon Freeman, Head Greenkeeper at Machrie Links on the
Isle of Islay, suggest that you don’t have to trust the experts when it comes to sustainability.
HEROES AND VILLAINS Steve Harper is the Head Groundsman at Aston Villa’s new
multi-million pound training facility. He reckons there are some steep learning curves ahead of him and his staff.
CLIFFHANGER
Many people might not associate the word cliffhanger with the sport of bowls but, for St John’s (Meads) Bowling Club, the term is more appropriate than they would perhaps like.
SOUTH COAST SMASHER More than 40,000 spectators are expected to watch this year’s
pre-Wimbledon Women’s Tennis Championship at Devonshire Park in Eastbourne. How do the groundstaff prepare?
CRICKET SPECIAL The cricket season is fast approaching. Pitchcare looks at
budgeting for club cricket, when, why and if you start rolling, and maintaining artificial strips.
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STEVE HARPER Aston Villa FC
Ransomes Sports & Social Club RAY FORSDIKE
SIMON FREEMAN Machrie Golf Club
STEVE PACKWOOD Leicester Tigers RFC
RAY MITCHELL Carlisle United FC
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