BY LAWN SOLUTIONS AUSTRALIA | JUN 2021
Australia’s Turf Treasure Trove Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
UNDER PROMISE AND OVER DELIVER
THE DAVIDSON FAMILY MASTERS OF TURF
ATTRACTING WORLD CLASS EVENTS
... The Turfgrass Group [pg 02]
...Jimboomba Celebrate 40 Years [pg 19]
... Moreton Bay Stadium [pg 50]
PREMIUM GOLF SURFACES SIR GRANGE ZOYSIA
TIFTUF HYBRID BERMUDA
Sir Grange is a fine bladed premium zoysia matrella turf variety, which has high shade tolerance and very low nutrient and water requirements.
TifTuf has superior drought tolerance requiring on average 38% less water than other similar varieties and has been certified and issued with the Smart Approved WaterMark.
TRINITY ZOYSIA
PRIMO ZOYSIA
Trinity has fantastic mowing versatility, a nice deep green and great disease resistance, excellent density, which gives it high wear and weed resistance.
Primo’s mowing versatility allows for heights between 2 - 10mm, requires minimal nutrition once established and can handle poor quality water with a salt index levels up to 17,000ppm.
Photo: Sir Grange at Teven Valley Golf Course
Exclusive to
P | 1300 883 711 lawnsolutionsaustralia.com.au
Welcome to TurfTalk, Australia’s most comprehensive turf magazine. TurfTalk is suitable for all turf professionals, from turf growers to landscapers, golf courses and sports ground curators, to government and related industry organisations. TurfTalk is here to share with you the latest information on the turf industry, the exciting developments in turf research and to keep you up to date with everything you need to know about turf. TurfTalk is a free magazine, distributed to over 3000 landscape and turf professionals. TurfTalk is published by Lawn Solutions Australia. Contact: For any enquiries, submissions or to subscribe to our digital edition please contact us at news@turftalk.org.au Flemington Race Course (story on page 43)
Inside this issue MANAGING A MULTI-SPORTS FACILITY
PG 02
TROON INTERNATIONAL’S GLOBAL GROWTH
PG 28
MOUNT LOFTY HOUSE
PG 06
AUSTRALIAN SPORT TURF CONSULTANTS
PG 33
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS SYDNEY
PG 08
BLACKTOWN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS PARK SYDNEY
PG 36
THE TURFGRASS GROUP
PG 12
FINLEASE AND YOUR GROWING BUSINESS
PG 40
THE TORO TRI-CENTER
PG 16
TURF AND THE RACETRACK
PG 43
JIMBOOMBA TURF CELEBRATE 40 YEARS
PG 19
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
PG 48
BC SANDS, SINCE 1983
PG 23
MORETON DAILY STADIUM
PG 50
NATIONAL DIESEL, DIRT & TURF EXPO
PG 26
MARULAN CRICKET CLUB
PG 54
WELCOME TO TURFTALK / 1
Key Considerations Managing a Multi-Sport Facility Words by Chris Kercheval, Turfcare WA UWA Sports Park Manager
2 / MANAGING A MULTI-SPORT FACILITY
There are many factors that contribute to the challenges of managing a multi-sport facility. At last count, UWA Sports Park was home to 10 separate sporting codes. From your hugely popular sports such as Soccer, AFL, and Rugby, to your smaller profile sports such as Ultimate Frisbee. Regardless of stature or popularity, it is my role to lead the grounds team to deliver the highest quality surface for all sporting codes. Being a team of sports lovers ourselves, it is a responsibility that is certainly not lost on us. Perth has an extremely healthy population of soccer enthusiasts and this is very well supported at UWA Sports Park. At any one time we can have up to 6 soccer fields in play, all of which overlap fields that are used for other codes. These other codes are all dependent on ball roll, such as hockey and Cricket, thus creating wear issues which in turn, can create safety issues for the opposing sport. One of our biggest challenges with this is the ever-decreasing change over window between winter and summer sport. A good example of this was Round 1 of cricket this season. The week prior to this fixture the ground we know as ‘cricket east’ was home to the parks 4 main soccer fields. Within the cricket outfield, we have soccer goal mouths and centre circles, which are very high wear areas. These soccer fields in the height of winter season will have anywhere between 7-10 training sessions per week, on top of weekend fixtures. Added to this, are major events such as Country Week and Football West Carnivals. These fields create very high traffic. To help protect these areas and aid with the limited turnover time, we over sew all winter playing fields with rye grass. Along with the aesthetically pleasing aspect rye grass presents, it allows us to protect the kikuyu base throughout the cooler months, therefore helping provide a nice safe surface immediately for summer sport. Rather than remove the rye grass straight after the last winter fixture, we will alter the cutting height from 22mm (soccer), then an in-between cut at 15mm, finishing at 10mm (cricket). As we move through October and temperatures start to climb, we will transition the rye grass out slowly. Only when it is evident that the kikuyu is on the move, that is when we will remove the rye
MANAGING A MULTI-SPORT FACILITY / 3
Chris Kercheval
with a selective herbicide. What we have found with this process is we achieve a nice surface for the first month of cricket, then when the time is right to remove the rye, the kikuyu has already asserted dominance and we do not have a block of time where the surface is poor or in recovery mode. Another way we can improve wear is by altering the co-ordinates of the soccer fields each season. We have the capacity to move each field 5-7 meters E/W and 3-5 meters N/S, this allows us to change goal square and centre circle locations each year, this really helps to alter wear areas and decrease the need to returf these areas season after season. UWA Sports Park has recently undergone a state-of-the-art lighting upgrade. Although this is a positive outcome for sporting clubs, it has become a key consideration for the grounds team. Increased lighting ability has given clubs greater opportunity to train more often, and for longer periods of time, sometimes as late as 11pm. Obviously this creates more wear issues, but another significant consideration to account for is that it shortens our watering window throughout the warmer months. Navigating a Perth summer is difficult for any turf manager. In our situation, we are irrigating 18 Hectares of sports turf, as well as the surrounding areas. When certain areas are unable to come on at specific times of night due to these longer training sessions, including cricket wickets, it is essential that a sustainable program is identified to accommodate surface usage, as well as optimise plant health. Renovation time at UWA Sports Park is without doubt our trickiest period of the year. With multiple sporting codes, it seldom completely shuts down, there is always someone training. From a yearly planning point of view, it makes this process challenging to plan and schedule. Key consideration to account for in preparation of spring renovation season is: Who will be training, is there touring teams, what carnivals will be on etc. Some of the higher profile teams train most of the year. Our renovation window is extremely tight, and we experience teams training right the way through our renovation period. It is imperative that renovations are completed swiftly, but not to the detriment of the quality of finish that we are striving for. Turfcare WA
can provide this service with high-capacity equipment and machinery. Communication with the various stake holders throughout this process is paramount. It is not always easy to convince clubs, that the benefit of end of year major renovations outweighs the frustrations of a field being in recovery mode for a period. Although we regularly groom and vert-drain throughout the year, we still find end of year renovations essential. Winter sport sees us oversew 10 Hectares with rye grass. This significantly raises our clip rate through the cooler months, in turn increasing organic matter back into the profile. It is imperative we remove this material and break down surface tension moving into the warmer months. We achieve this through our end of year renovations. There has long been a question fertilising pre- or post-renovation. I am a big believer in a high N up front fertiliser 2-3 weeks prior to renovations. This allows us to bounce back quickly after renovating, meaning less disruption or
4 / MANAGING A MULTI-SPORT FACILITY
down time for clubs. We then revert to our more maintenance N-P-K fertilisers post renovations. On top of the 18 Hectares of sports turf we manage at UWA Sports Park, there are other surfaces that present us challenges. I believe grass and clay tennis courts are the only clay courts left in the state. A purposebuilt cinder profile grass running track, 2 x synthetic hockey pitches and clay baseball mounds. At the beginning of our tenure at UWA our team had very limited experience when it came to surfaces such as clay tennis courts and baseball mounds. With the tennis court clay becoming increasingly difficult to source, it is crucial to look after what is there. Keeping the moisture on the surface whilst courts are out of play is critical to keeping the clay in place. If we allow them to dry out, the strong south westerly winds come through in the afternoon and you can literally watch the clay being blown off the surface. Finding the right formulas and techniques to prepare and present these
surfaces have taken time. It has been a real credit to the team for their experimentation and perseverance around these areas. The hard work has resulted in some humbling feedback from user groups. You are always learning in this caper and the various surfaces have been refreshing to work with for the grounds team. A positive formula for us has been putting trust in our team, being creative, improvising and bouncing ideas off each other. If you can do that, along with having pride and taking care in what you do, 9 times out 10 you will be satisfied with the surface you can present, regardless of what that surface may be. Having such a unique multi-sport, broad acre site in metropolitan Perth, means it will always attract new sports, carnivals, touring sides, and events that other facilities are unable to host. It is a very special venue. Our Turfcare WA Grounds Team are very fortunate to come to work every day at such a wonderful site. I also feel fortunate to be able to share some of our key considerations
About the Author
“ AT LAST COUNT, UWA SPORTS PARK WAS HOME TO 10 SEPARATE SPORTING CODES. ” with you. At the end of a week, as a group, you can sit back and be proud of how your teamwork has been able to present a site, it makes all the daily and yearly challenges you face all seem worthwhile. No matter what sports we may be preparing for, I still get a real buzz when the surface we have presented looks good on the eye, and you are confident that the work you put in will mean it plays well and be a safe surface for all to enjoy.
Born and bred on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, Chris Kercheval started his career in the Turf Industry through an apprenticeship in 1999 with the City of Greater Dandenong. During this time Chris Worked at Dandenong’s premier cricket venue Shepley Oval as an apprentice turf wicket curator. Shepley Oval was also home to the Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup side in the winter and accommodated VFL games. Chris finished his Turf Management Apprenticeship in 2002. In 2002 Chris relocated to Perth for football commitments. He worked at the beautiful Aquinas College on their grounds team for 2 years before being offered the Turf Wicket Curator role at the prestigious Hale School. Chris worked in this role for 9 years before accepting the Grounds Co-Ordinator role. This role was held for 4 years. Chris then joined Turfcare WA when he accepted the Grounds Manager role at UWA Sports Park in August 2017.
MANAGING A MULTI-SPORT FACILITY / 5
The Sunnyside of Mount Lofty House SUNNYSIDE INSTANT LAWN – TIFTUF HYBRID BERMUDA INSTALLATION
Mount Lofty House in Crafers South Australia was built back in 1852 by Yorkshire-born lawyer Arthur Hardy. Over 100 years the estate was bought and sold by numerous families. In 1983, deadly bushfires ravaged the area and Mount Lofty House among over 3,000 other buildings burnt down. In 1986, the building was restored and was turned into a luxury boutique hotel.
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The Horbelt family purchased the property in 2009 with a grand vision to continue the legacy of the property long considered a treasured state icon. Since 2009, the business operated in partnership by David Horbelt and Malcolm Beam, has seen significant additions to the existing property facilities. This included a conference room extension, the construction of Stables Day Spa and Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant, full
renovation of all rooms and the recent development, a new six-star hotel, Sequoia @ Mount Lofty. With the extensive construction of new facilities, the gardens and landscaped areas were also developed. Sunnyside Instant Lawn Sunnyside Instant Lawn began working with Mount Lofty House in 2019. Sunnyside Instant Lawns is a family-owned turf business
Mount Lofty grounds
based in Mundulla owned by Andrew and Sheridan Rowett. Mount Lofty initially made contact with Sunnyside requesting advice and lawn care products to help with the appearance of their fescue. This grass surrounded the cottage and gardens, beautifully complimenting this manicured garden area. Limited sunlight however in some areas was resulting in growth discrepancies. Sunnyside recommended and introduced Mount Lofty to the turf pigment ColourGuard Plus and fertilisers to improve performance and colour in these areas. Turf Project This relationship developed further with Sunnyside meeting David Tonkin, Guest Relations Manager at Mount Lofty House on site. With discussions had about the best turf solutions for the Mount Lofty fire track which leads to the helicopter pad surrounding the property and to repair some existing areas. It was important these grassed areas would provide an aesthetically pleasing and welcoming place for guests to walk. New turf was also required for the newly
built Sequoia Villas. The grass area in front of the villas was designed to be a daily meeting point for guests to indulge in local products, socialising and interaction with the native wildlife. 1000’s of native plants were recently planted making it a truly beautiful place to relax and enjoy the amazing Piccadilly valley view of the Adelaide Hills. This space also providing a pleasant, cool, resting and feeding place for the soon to be introduced kangaroos. The water requirements for the turf to be selected for these areas needed to be minimal with limited water accessibility to the estate. “Water management is a critical aspect to our business as we do not have mains access and therefore rely solely on our spring-fed water. Our spring supplies the entire estate.” Mr Tonkin explained. Sunnyside recommended the grass TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda, a couch grass, that is the only grass currently recognised with the Smart Approved WaterMark in Australia for its water saving characteristics. TifTuf would provide a grass that could handle a lot of wear and foot traffic but would also withstand extended periods without
irrigation when necessary. Both Sunnyside and Mount Lofty worked together with a reputable landscaper in the Adelaide Hills to install the project. The Mount Lofty grounds team and landscaper prepared the area for the turf to be laid, with Sunnyside completing the installation of over 700m2 of TifTuf over 2 days. The finished result has provided a spectacular unity between the natural living areas and the Mount Lofty Facilities. Memorable moments that the estate had hoped to achieve deeply rooted in the local landscape, culture and hotel character, had come to fruition. Mr Tonkin has been particularly pleased with the amazing water usage in maintaining the TifTuf. Or as he puts it rather the ‘lack of water usage’ that the grass has shown. Mount Lofty are continuing to work with Sunnyside to develop a lawn care program including the use of plant growth regulator Primo Maxx and Oxafert PreEmergent Herbicide to maintain the best performance and visual that this incredible estate truly deserves.
MOUNT LOFTY HOUSE / 7
Australia’s Turf Treasure Trove ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, SYDNEY
Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
8 / R OYAL BOTANIC GARDENS SYDNEY
Q & A with Anthony Bashall, Senior Horticulturist Open Spaces and Natural Areas Turf. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney is an amazing place consisting of over 27,000 plants spread and intertwined across 30 hectares of vibrant green foliage. It’s no surprise that the gardens attract more than 5 million visitors each and every year. Of special interest to the turf industry, is the incredible range of turf varieties utilised right across the gardens and within the displays. Who better to speak ‘grass’ with than the man who helps manage these large open spaces and natural turf areas, Senior Horticulturist, Anthony Bashall. Anthony has worked within the gardens for over 13 years and been involved within the turf industry for over 25 years. There’s not really much Anthony doesn’t know about turf. We recently caught up with Anthony to discuss the grass at the gardens and how he manages such a large space and how he keeps it looking as incredible as it does. What does your turf maintenance program involve and what are the challenges? There are 64 hectares of lawns in the Royal Botanic Garden and the Domain Sydney that I’m currently responsible for the maintenance of. The turf maintenance programs that get implemented throughout the turf areas are tailored to the specific needs of each site. In the Botanical Gardens there are millions of visitors every year, with people coming in to enjoy the gardens and also people having their weddings or small events. In the Domain precinct there are approximately 29 major events throughout a normal year. These events consist of festivals, marathons, concerts, operas, open air cinema, Carols in the Domain and New Year’s Eve Celebrations. There are also sports fields in the Domain that are booked out for soccer and netball competitions, as well as use by the public each day for recreational use. What turf varieties do you have in the gardens? We have an incredibly broad range of turf species right across the precinct.
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Current varieties include: •
Couch (Windsor Green, Wintergreen, Santa Ana)
•
Kikuyu
•
Buffalo (Sir Walter DNA Certified, Kings Pride, Shademaster)
•
Durban grass
•
Sea Isle paspalum
•
Microlaena stipoides (Weeping Grass)
•
Themeda Triandra
•
Wallaby grass
•
Zoysia (Empire, Stockade Native, Sir Grange, Nara)
•
Tropical Carpet grass
•
Queensland blue couch
•
TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda
How are sustainability and climate conditions impacting the way the gardens operate? Just like any area in the world, El Nino and La Nina events have an impact on the lawns in the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Domain Trust. With my current role I have the ability to research grasses and trial the grass in the turf plots or in selected lawns throughout the gardens looking for improved performance. Having this ability to research grass types and grow them on site, allows us the opportunity to observe tolerance levels the grasses have. This includes tolerances for drought, their ability to grow in different
10 / R OYA L BOTANIC GARDENS SYDNEY
soil types, their threshold for pest and diseases and the type of fertiliser and renovation programs required to keep the plants healthy. How did you come about installing TifTuf at Bennelong Point? How have you been finding it so far? I was researching warm season grasses that held their colour through winter and could be planted and established in the colder months of the year. Through my research, I found an article on TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda from Brian Schwartz Associate Professor from the University of Georgia. After reading the article I sought so see if it was being grown in Australia and found a turf farm with stock in Berry NSW. It was decided to visit the turf farm in winter to see if TifTuf had the characteristics that we needed for The Royal Botanic Garden and the Domain Sydney. After seeing the grass and how it performed, it was decided to trial the grass at Bennelong Point and some smaller areas around the gardens. We have had the grass for a few seasons so far now and have been happy with how it’s performed. The grass’s faster establishment time over other warm season grasses, through the warmer and also the cooler months of the year has been ideal. With establishment times through the colder months and the amount of colour it has held through winter staying strong. It has also maintained an even coverage so far
and has held up well with large amounts of foot traffic which is considerable in this particular area. What is your experience and background when it comes to turf management? I have been in the turf grass industry for over 25 years. I did 3 years of my apprenticeship at Beverly Hills Bowling Club and completed my apprenticeship at NSW Golf Club. After completing my apprenticeship, I spent approximately 10 years working on group 1 golf courses as an irrigation tech and 2IC. After that I moved on to work at The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney for the past 13 years and have been working in my current role as Senior Horticulturist of Open Space and Natural Areas turf for 8 years. What turf trials or research projects are you currently conducting within the gardens? We have 15 trial turf plots with native grasses and other grasses that can be used in a domestic or sports environment. These grasses are on display in the turf plots for the public to see. There are also different grasses being trialled throughout the site to assess how well they grow under different use. We look forward to testing and utilising new turf varieties as they become available. If you are interested in visiting these trial plots or experiencing the different grasses within the gardens, I highly recommend you come and visit.
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS SYDNEY / 11
Under Promise and Over Deliver Words By Bill Carraway, VP of Sales & Marketing , The Turfgrass Group, Inc.
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“Under promise and over deliver.” Although I cannot take claim as the originator of this academic discipline, it is absolutely a fundamental imperative by which I operate, when it comes to the introduction of any new product into the marketplace. It was with this theory as our guiding principle that in early 2015 The Turfgrass Group (TTG) launched the release of TifTuf® Certified Bermudagrass. Little did we know that some six years later, our determination to “Under Promise” would ultimately turn out to be one of the greatest understatements ever spoken in the world of turfgrass. The University of Georgia (UGA) has long held the deferential honor of being recognized as the world’s leading turfgrass breeding program and as such, is revered as the standard by which all other university and privately owned warm season breeding programs are measured. As Scott Angle, the former Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences put it, “Much of the past success of our sod and turf industry is a direct result of the many varieties of turfgrass generated at UGA.” He continued, “In business, you’re only as good as your ability to keep ahead of your competitors. In Georgia, our sod growers and turf professionals are fortunate to have a world-class turfgrass program to keep them ahead of our friends and competitors in other states.” For those of us that view the turfgrass industry through the prism of ‘time served’, we have had the privilege of growing some superior turfgrass varieties that in some cases have had profound impacts on our careers as well as our individual farm’s growth and financial success. In some cases, these cultivar influences had run their course in a matter of several growing seasons, but those are not the ones I am attempting to focus on. The ones I am referring to are those rare cornerstone varieties, the industry changers, these are the Transformational Grasses. Can you say, Tifway 419? In 1960 the University of Georgia in cooperation with the USDA released the new interspecific hybrid bermudagrass Tifway 419. Developed by Dr. Glen W. Burton at Tifton, Georgia, this sterile triploid hybrid, now sixty years later, still reigns as the most recognized, utilized,
and produced hybrid bermudagrass in the world. The UGA list of improved bermudagrass cultivar releases is lengthy, well known, and unmatched. It is on this platform that turfgrass breeders Drs. Wayne Hanna and Brian Schwartz continue to build upon and preserve this legacy. In May of 1993 Dr. Hanna planted over 27,700 bermudagrass crosses he had made in 1992 at Tifton. As a result of continuous observation and evaluation, in 2001 a single selection being tested as DT-1 (drought tolerant number one) was selected because of its ability to maintain quality and green color longer than the other genotypes when under drought stress. With the arrival of Dr. Schwartz in 2009, he began more rigorous scientific testing to better understand Dr. Hanna’s observations. Additional evaluation plots and real-world test sites were established on turf farms and residential properties across Georgia, Texas, and Florida for the purpose of evaluating the selection in a diversity of microclimates. As the result of a specialty crops grant known as the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) which began in 2010, UGA became a part of a multi-university collaborative that would focus on selecting and testing drought-tolerant warm-season turfgrass cultivars. This team included scientists from UGA, the University of Florida, North Carolina State University, Texas A&M University, and Oklahoma State University. With the team of some 32 scientists exchanging plant material and data across such vast environmental conditions, the entire evaluation process was expedited. According to NC State turfgrass breeder Susana Mila-Lewis, “The collaboration among breeders across such different environments is priceless. It helps us to select better lines with more performance stability because they have been tested against a wide range of weather conditions like drought and cold as well as an array of pests and diseases.” Upon concluding the 2010-2015 SCRI research cycle, the five-university collective determined to release a single bermudagrass cultivar, the University of Georgia’s DT-1. The team’s five-year research initiative had demonstrated a 40% water savings over the leading bermudagrass, without loss of turf quality. When combining the SCRI results with concurrent ongoing efforts at Tifton, as well as twenty plus years of work done by Drs.
THE TURFGRASS GROUP / 13
TifTuf® sprigs in Ft Valley Georgia Hanna and Schwartz, the university had determined it was time to launch its new release. Having followed the DT-1 research data for more than a decade, TTG understood that UGA had accumulated a rather lengthy list of suitors, all more than willing to take this grass to market. In addition, based on what research data had continued to corroborate, in terms of drought tolerance and water savings, we were acutely aware that the university had grandiose expectations for this release. Thus, one can only imagine the great sense of adulation felt when it was announced that we had once again been selected to market another UGA release. With the realization that we had just been entrusted with one of “those rare cornerstone varieties”, an “industry changer”, one of those “Transformational Grasses”, it was now time for us to do what we do best, build a production network. In February of 2015, UGA’s newest release DT-1 was officially named TifTuf® Certified Bermudagrass. Now that our variety had a name, the work done in preparation for our product launch took shape in short order. With plant material sources established, key talking points memorized, armed with over twenty years of research data, our team introduced the turfgrass industry to this grass that would begin to change the face of the American landscape.
14 / THE TURFGRASS GROUP
TifTuf® at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens Our initial foray into the marketplace was nothing short of extraordinary. We began by approaching the progressive producers and leaders in our industry, many of which were already part of the TTG production network. This group of producers I referred to as “the low hanging fruit” as it took little effort to license them. These producers, like TTG, had been following the DT-1 research and were aware of the ‘value-added’ characteristics that TifTuf® would bring to the marketplace. Early in the market expansion process, TTG ownership continued to pursue additional marketing opportunities. In early 2016 TTG partnered with Harmony Outdoor Brands, the nation’s top retail sod provider. Through a vast network of sod producers, Harmony provides farm fresh sod to various markets coast to coast, including Home Depot and Lowe’s stores. With our collective networks expanding across the country, a symbiotic relationship began to develop. Today, TifTuf® is the exclusive bermudagrass marketed through both Home Depot and Lowe’s as a Harmony Premium brand. By mid-summer we had licensed TifTuf® producers in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, as well as North and South Carolina, with Georgia and the Carolina’s being completely licensed out. Though licensing producers in six states might not appear terribly impressive, understanding that TTG’s
production licensing program is unique in that we limit the number of producers permitted in each state can make licensing a bit more challenging. Additionally, making certain that we have selected the correct producers to meet market demand while also reaching the various consumer demographics within each state. More importantly, by our limiting the number of producers within a specific geography, we are better able to maintain the genetic integrity of our exclusive varieties, while at the same time protecting our producer’s ROI and product price point. In addition, TTG is the only licensing program in the U.S. that requires state Crop Improvement Certification for each of our turfgrass releases. It is imperative that both we and our licensees maintain the purity, as stated earlier, of our varieties, thereby making certain that the end-user is receiving the intended variety, thus the desired characteristics purchased. It is also important to point out that TTG is the only U.S. licensing program to field a team of professional turfgrass field inspectors. Above and beyond those inspections conducted by the individual state certification programs, we also inspect every acre of every production field nationwide a minimum of three times each growing season. By requiring Crop Improvement Certification
TifTuf® at Hoover Stadium, home of the South Eastern Conference College baseball tournament
the Georgia and California Departments of Agriculture, the GSDC provided the prowess to complete the governmental part of this equation. Through this assemblage of both government and private sector professionals, we established TifTuf® Foundation and Registered fields at Evergreens American Sod Farm facility located in Escondido, California. This marked the first time in UGA and GSDC history that a Foundation plant source field had been permitted and established outside of the state of Georgia.
TifTuf® at the Tryon International Equestrian Center standards, this also meant that TTG must provide the appropriate ‘Application for Variety Certification’ documentation to each state’s certification office where a producer had been licensed. Although this document exchange and validation process had become quite routine for TTG, a few unanticipated challenges presented themselves. Until 2015 our experience had been that all certification programs operated from a similar protocol template. What temporarily stymied our progress, was the realization that not every certification program even had established certification guidelines and protocols for warm season turfgrass. Thus, there were some brief moments of trepidation due to these enlightenments, but as Winston Churchill once said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” The outcome was that these momentary obstructions provided TTG the opportunity to collaborate with our partners at the Georgia Seed Development Commission (GSDC), fashioning language that has now become the official warm-season Certification Standard for several programs, including California. As mentioned earlier, we entered the marketplace armed with more research data than any other proprietary turfgrass in
history. We understood that TifTuf® was rapidly becoming a household name in some regions. However, not everyone was as enthusiastic and certain consumers remained more than a bit dubious. Even knowing TifTuf® checked all the bermudagrass boxes, we still chose to restrain ourselves from pontificating on every verifiable TifTuf attribute. Instead, we forced ourselves to “under promise and over deliver”. The rationale was that we would spoon-feed the TifTuf® message slowly to those that might believe that TifTuf® was simply ‘Too Good to Be True, through an expanded industry conference schedule, more targeted digital and print education and most importantly face to face presentations. Within a year, our production network had grown to over thirty producers nationwide. We had expanded TifTuf® production into Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, California, and Hawaii. As our network expanded westward, demand for cost-effective plant material on the other side of the U.S. became a necessity. We determined to establish a TifTuf® Foundation and Registered nursery in the Southwest. This was accomplished by TTG engaging one of our oldest producer partners Evergreen Turf of Chandler, Arizona and by once again calling on the GSDC. Leveraging their relationship with both
By 2019 production had exceeded 4,000 acres with new fields being planted at a record pace. Demand was exceeding availability in certain markets, while both commercial and residential developments were beginning to specify TifTuf®. As more sports venues continued to jump on the bandwagon requests to sponsor Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) events became more prevalent. By the end of that calendar year, TTG had turned down over thirty farms nationwide that had requested TifTuf® licenses that were either too close to an existing producer or were in a state that had already been licensed out. Today over 750,000,00 million square feet of TifTuf® has been installed on professional and collegiate sports fields, golf courses, and commercial and residential landscapes across the United States. As a result, in just the past 6 years, over 11 billion gallons of America’s precious water resources have been saved. To date TifTuf® production acreage has already surpassed anything that has ever been accomplished with any other licensed proprietary turfgrass in history. Our production network now stands at sixty-five farms strong, producing over 10,000 acres of Certified TifTuf® on over 100 production locations across Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, and Hawaii. I believe it is safe to say, The Turfgrass Group may have “Under Promised”, but TifTuf® absolutely “Over Delivered.”
THE TURFGRASS GROUP / 15
The TRI-Center for Technology, Research and Innovation Words By The Toro Company Toro have been developing and introducing products that increase productivity, save water, reduce fuel consumption and improve growing conditions for many years. Some examples of this are the range of recently introduced lithium-ion battery powered Greensmaster® ride-on and Greensmaster® eFLEX Walk Greens Mowers, the WE500 – a battery operated utility loader and the Lynx Central Irrigation Control system, to name but a few. Have you ever wondered what new technologies Toro is working on for the future? Are you curious about where we get our inspiration for new products and features? You may be surprised to find out we have a whole team dedicated to supporting and facilitating research and development, and we’re always evolving right along with our customers and markets. Toro’s Center for Technology, Research and Innovation (the TRI-Center) is our research facility. But our commitment to development goes back to The Toro Company’s beginnings in 1914. That’s why this story about the future wouldn’t be complete without a look back at our past. True to Our Roots Finding better ways to solve customers’ challenges has always been part of the fabric of Toro’s culture. An important chapter in that legacy started in 1952, when turf industry legend James R. Watson, Ph.D., joined The Toro Company as director of agronomy. Around that time, Dr. Watson began leading a team of researchers in conducting studies on a variety of grasses and soils to ensure best management practices in fertilisation and water usage, as well as approaches for
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controlling unwanted grasses, disease and pests. (Fun fact: The area where these studies took place was once the only research center of its kind in the world. It’s now known as the “Dr. James R. Watson Research and Development Proving Grounds” and it is still being used today at Toro’s world headquarters in Bloomington, Minn.) During his 46 years at Toro, Dr. Watson was a pioneer in turf and water management research, and he used the results of his studies to educate Toro personnel and the industry at large. Dr. Watson was more than an agronomist, he was a customer advocate — and golf courses, parks and sports facilities around the world frequently sought his advice whenever they faced difficult turf challenges. Expanding Our Focus Building on Dr. Watson’s groundbreaking research, an advanced engineering group emerged within Toro’s commercial division in the 1980s. Over time, this team expanded to include both residential and commercial equipment, as well as irrigation, evolving into the Center for Advanced Turf Technology in the late 1990s. Since then, Toro’s product offering has grown substantially — and our research and development efforts have evolved to match. Although turf science and agronomy are still very much a part of our work, we have broadened our efforts to include other nonturf areas that impact our customers. Today, the TRI-Center is a resource for every Toro business, from underground directional drilling to snow and ice management to micro-irrigation for agriculture. What Is the TRI-Center, and What Do They Do? You can learn a lot about the Center for Technology, Research and Innovation simply
Toro Greensmaster eFlex1021
THE TORO TRI-CENTER / 17
problems — from the challenge of finding and retaining qualified labour to dealing with the demands of doing more with less, the team works on problems rather than products. The solution may ultimately take the form of a new product, but it could also be finding new ways to apply something that already exists. It all comes down to understanding the challenges you face and delivering real solutions. Where Will the TRI-Center Focus in the Future?
Toro Greensmaster e1021 and eFlex1021
Looking ahead, the TRI-Center is focused on exploration in several key areas:
Toro WE500 mini digger
by looking at the name. Each keyword captures an aspect of their work at Toro: Center: The TRI-Center plays a central role at Toro, working on behalf of all of The Toro Company’s markets and customers. Research and development isn’t a separate department in a separate location; it’s done in collaboration. This eliminates duplication of efforts, as multiple divisions often need the same kinds of core technology “building blocks.” Technology: The TRI-Center supports each division by investigating new technologies — which could be anything from alternative fuels to wireless communications. Sometimes this is purely exploratory, without a set goal other than learning from customers about their challenges and identifying opportunities to apply technology. At other times, a specific division has a stated objective and the TRI-Center helps to answer questions or compare alternatives before work begins on a new product development project. Research: This is all about delivering tangible data, whether it’s substantiating the cost of ownership of an existing product or answering preliminary questions
18 / THE TORO TRI-CENTER
1.
before developing a new one. Most of this research applies directly to the markets and customers Toro serves, but the TRI-Center also partners with universities and industry organisations to support fundamental scientific research that benefits our customers’ industries overall. Innovation: The TRI-Center serves as a collaborative advocate and resource, promoting innovation throughout The Toro Company. We recognise that the word “innovation” means different things for different organisations. At Toro, it means generating ideas that are both novel and useful — not one or the other — and applying those ideas in ways that are valued by our customers. We’re not interested in inventing for the sake of invention; we’re committed to solving problems and making life easier for the people we serve. And that extends to our approach to sustainability as well. Our goal is to use technology in ways that not only help conserve our natural resources but are also cost-efficient for our customers — ultimately delivering both environmental and operational sustainability. In summary, Toro’s Center for Technology, Research and Innovation team is passionately focused on solving customer
Productivity. Whether you’re facing a shortage of labour or time (or both), increased productivity is more important than ever. That’s true for professionals and consumers alike. The TRI-Center team continues to look at ways to save time and streamline efficiencies, for example, by simplifying operation and maintenance processes.
2. Precision management. The fewer resources and inputs you have to work with, the more important it is to manage them efficiently. Historically, many of our customers have relied more on art than science to manage their resources. In the future, our goal is to equip you with more science (i.e., data-based information) to assist you in making better-informed decisions. 3. Alternative energy. We are working in support of those who have a desire to reduce their carbon footprint. We continue to investigate the potential of various forms of alternative energy, aimed at improving air quality through reduced emissions, and achieving quieter, less disruptive operation. 4. Technology exploration. What’s on the horizon that could benefit our customers? Can we use existing technology in new ways to achieve customers’ goals? Members of the TRI-Center will be keeping their eyes, ears and minds open — always looking for creative ways to apply technology in useful ways. No matter where the future leads us, you can be sure that Toro’s Center for Technology, Research and Innovation is working to find new ways to apply technology to solve the challenges you face every day.
The Davidson FamilyMasters of Turf JIMBOOMBA TURF CELEBRATES 40 YEARS
Jimboomba Turf Farm
JIMBOOMBA TURF CELEBRATE 40 YEARS / 19
While Jimboomba Turf’s origins started in 1973, the future of the business was truly cemented in 1981 when Ray Davidson and his son Lynn purchased the business. It was on a serendipitous trip to Brisbane when Ray happened to see a truck filled with rolls of turf. Soon after Ray and Lynn were working on a windmill some 10 miles from the house, where Ray was reading the lunch paper wrapping, when he noticed an advertisement for a turf farm. Sitting in the dust, under a lonely tree, Lynn had no idea what he was talking about.
Renee & Lynn
This piqued enough interest for Ray to go take a look at the farm on his next trip to Brisbane, where he called Lynn and implored him to go take a look as well. The captivation was being next to a big river, with water on demand, Ray’s logic was that the haunting droughts of Western Queensland, would be a thing of the past. On the 18th of July 1981 Ray and Lynn Davidson became the new owners of Jimboomba Turf. The family connection was further strengthened later in the 1980’s with Lynn’s sister Cherie joining the business.
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Dallas, have gone back to their roots, and some 15 years ago established Towri Sheep Cheeses. Apart from milking the Awassi ewes and making fine cheeses, Towri Sheep Cheeses were also involved in a large-scale Awassi Embryo transfer program, where some 4,000 embryos were shipped off farm, a complex husbandry process. Although milking sheep is a far cry from shearing them, the connection with the animal remains. Towri Sheep Cheeses is now a recognised brand in some of Brisbane’s top end restaurants. While inventing things is fun, to fund innovation you need sales, and Jimboomba Turf has thrived in this area. While the domestic market of “mums and dads” might be the backbone of the business, the work of the team in the commercial and export areas really put Jimboomba Turf on the map. With 40 years of continuous contracts with Brisbane City Council supplying turfgrass for spaces across the city, Jimboomba Turf, has expanded to become the go to turf supplier for large scale projects across South East Queensland. This has seen grass from Jimboomba Turf installed at Brisbane Botanical Gardens, Southbank Parklands, Port of Brisbane and Noosa Foreshore, to name a few.
Manfred Stud
The Davidson family were no strangers to working the land, with a 100 year history on the sheep and cattle station “Manfred” in the Longreach district, where 10,000 sheep and 1,000 head of cattle were run. A proud and loyal family, the family business has even had the same bank for over 100 years! It is tough land out Longreach way and to work that land you need the right kind of temperament. It is not enough to just work hard and show up, it also requires a certain spark for innovation and nous. It is this spark and nous that has kept Jimboomba Turf at the forefront of the Australian turf industry for the last 40 years. This focus on innovation and the drive to find new green solutions has seen the business regularly recognised, including winning The Queensland 400 Innovation awarded in 1998, along with several successful patents including Stay Turf, which won an award on the ABC’s The New Inventors program in 2006. The continued innovation and excellence in turfgrass saw Lynn inducted into the Turf Australia Hall of Fame in 2017. Amongst all of this, Lynn’s ever supportive wife Carolyn, and their youngest daughter
The continued innovation in this space has seen TifTuf from Jimboomba Turf become the go-to grass for the Dog-off-leash areas across Brisbane, greatly reducing the inputs required to maintain these parks while also increasing their lifespan. As the Jimboomba Turf business has grown so has the scale of their projects, with a move into golf courses in the 1980’s. High profile courses across the region became Jimboomba Turf grassed courses, from Hope Island, Sanctuary Cove,Twin Waters & Brookwater Golf Course. The success of these projects saw the business move into exports with courses from China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates all featuring Jimboomba Turf grass. More recently in the golf space Jimboomba Turf’s innovative nature came into play once more, devising a system of refrigerated transport to supply Killara Golf Course in Sydney with Sir Grange. With nearly 900km’s from farm to client, this project perfectly suited the out-of-the-box thinking that drives Jimboomba Turf. The final feather in the commercial cap was the inclusion of turf into Bunnings
JIMBOOMBA TURF CELEBRATE 40 YEARS / 21
International Womens Day at Jimboomba Turf
Warehouse stores. When Lynn first flew down to Melbourne to suggest turf as a product to the Bunnings management, the idea was not warmly received. In fact it took several trips to Melbourne to get the idea off the ground. Finally the initiative received the greenlight, and has now expanded far beyond Jimboomba Turf, with LSA forging a national footprint. This mix of domestic and commercial work has translated into dominating national sales. In fact Jimboomba Turf dominated the Sir Walter/LSA awards over the years winning the award for the greatest national sales from 2013 to 2018, only finally eclipsed in 2019 when Coolabah Turf snuck past them. This was a bittersweet moment as Lynn’s commitment to growing the industry saw him share a lot of his knowledge and encouragement with Suzie & Brad Shearer and the Coolabah team, so while it hurt to lose the number one position it was at least nice to lose it to a team that shared a mutual admiration. The next challenge lies in finding the next innovation to reclaim that top spot from the Coolabah Team. Long a family affair, the family connection has taken a big step in 2021. Fuelling that drive for innovation the third generation of Davidson’s has recently joined the business. Lynn’s eldest daughter Renee has stepped into a leadership role after a long career in the police service. Renee is no stranger to Jimboomba Turf having spent her summer holidays as a teenager spot spraying weeds on the farm. When she started her tertiary studies in Justice she moved into a casual role delivering turf samples to Bunnings stores.
In 2004 she started at the QLD Police Service Academy, graduating in 2005 with her first posting in Brisbane. Upon finishing her first year training Renee got her first permanent posting in Cairns, where she was deployed across the Cape York District. It was while in the Far North that she met her partner and Fiance Alana. A move back to Brisbane in 2008 saw Alana join the business working part-time under the guidance of long serving farm manager Daryl Pearce at the Allenview Production Facility. In 2010 Renee successfully won a position within the Logan District Child Protection and Investigation Unit (CPIU), which began a 10 year long career in investigating serious offences committed upon children. This led to a posting in the Thursday Island CPIU, in the Torres Strait. Renee encourages everyone reading this to put it on your travel bucket list (but make sure you go in Winter if you aren’t a fan of humidity), it is a precious part of Queensland. A further promotion to a management position as Detective Sergeant took Renee and Alana to Mt Isa where they remained until 2020. With Cherie’s declining health in 2020 Renee felt, and along with Alana’s support, that it was time to return to base and support Lynn and the family business. With Alana’s previous knowledge from working on the farm under Daryl and her management experience, she was in a prime position to take on managing the farm under the guidance of Lynn. Renee and Alana are both still finding their feet in their new roles, but are both committed to bringing new life into the business and are developing new strategies through technological solutions
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to make turf production from the paddock to the customer more efficient. What they have identified thus far and from talking to counterparts across the country is that the industry is struggling with finding the right technological solutions to make the dream work. Renee and Alana are now focused on bringing their management and systems based experience into Jimboomba Turf to make that dream a reality, not just for Jimboomba Turf but for the industry at large. “I believe as a collective we need a unified front on finding a solution that makes this industry more cost and time efficient in this space so we can all focus on what matters; growing top quality turfgrass for our customers. Being able to adapt quickly to the changing economic, social & environmental climate, is critical to always staying that one step ahead”. Renee Davidson Lynn’s industry observations, “at this point in history, the Turf Farming industry is like no other primary industry, there are old heads and young heads, in that there is nearly a blanket succession process happening across the country. Hopefully, this succession transition will work through positively and the industry can grow from the younger thinking, with grey hair encouragement.” Sadly in May 2020, Lynn’s sister Cherie lost her battle with ovarian cancer, this was a tremendous blow to the family and the business. Cherie is remembered as being the administrative backbone of the business, ruling this responsibility with an iron rod. Her quick wit and devotion to her staff will be sadly missed. With the addition of Renee and Alana, this devotion to staff will continue as no future is guaranteed without valued and committed team and the business is very grateful to have an awesome crew across the board, all pulling together. With some new and innovative strategies in the pipeline, along with the fresh blood of Renee and Alana the future is very bright for Jimboomba Turf.
BC Sands deliveries
Humble Beginnings to 200 Deliveries a Day BC SANDS, SINCE 1983 BC SANDS, SINCE 1983 / 23
BC Sands started as a small hardware store in Bexley in 1983 with five staff and two trucks. From those humble beginnings, the business grew to operate from an impressive purpose built, 17,000m2 plus facility in Taren Point. This facility incorporates a yard with over 50 product bays, each holding 50 plus tonnes, a hardware store, warehouse, purpose built bagging equipment and parking for over 30 vehicles (including trucks and trailers). In 2019, BC Sands opened a branch in Brookvale, a 2,000m2 purpose-built builders and landscapers’ yard with storage bins for 21 bulk products and a 500m2 warehouse for cement and other building materials.
24 /BC SANDS, SINCE 1983
BC Sands now have over 100 full and part-time staff, with over 30 trucks, ranging from narrow bodied tippers to heavy combination vehicles. This industry leading range of crane trucks (with reaches up to 21m), helps them to meet any customer’s needs. The product range at BC Sands includes over 5,000 products and uses the latest equipment and technology to provide better service to their customers. People often say they see the BC Sands trucks everywhere. This is hardly surprising, with over 30,000 customers in the Sydney Basin, BC Sands supply a vast array of quality building and landscape products all over Sydney every day - It is not uncommon for them to exceed 200 deliveries a day!
“ PEOPLE OFTEN SAY THEY SEE THE BC SANDS TRUCKS EVERYWHERE. THIS IS HARDLY SURPRISING, WITH OVER 30,000 CUSTOMERS IN THE SYDNEY BASIN... ”
BC Sands Building
Key Business Strengths: •
Crane reach capacity - Saving customers time and money by dropping their delivery to exactly where they need it. Our fleet of crane trucks have reaches of up to 21m.
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Our focus on highly trained staff and customer service.
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Quality products - Using genuine accredited turf for example.
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Utilising the latest in technology - Fleet tracking and automatic customer updates via text for example.
BC Sands try to remove problems or simplify processes for their largely trade customer base. In the past, they were selling a lot of
soil to customers for use as an underlay for turf and then customers were making another phone call to purchase their turf from a turf farm. Turf farms are happy to sell large quantities of turf, but understandingly charge a premium for small deliveries as they have tolls on the M5 & M7, as most of the farms are located out Windsor way. It seemed a logical step for BC Sands to supply the soil and the turf in the one delivery. This provides a simpler process for the customer and if a tradie is sending his team to do the work for both products (the soil and turf), they arrive and can be laid at the same time. Over the years BC Sands have had various turf suppliers, but now deal exclusively with Active Turf who are a member of Lawn Solutions Australia (LSA).
The quality of the turf is fantastic and the Muscat family who run the farm have first class business ethics. The BC Sands team have a great partnership with LSA and Active Turf and conduct a Trade Night once a year where customers can chat directly with the growers and the team at LSA. Turf is now considered one of the BC Sands ‘Hero Products’. It is very much part of the BC Sands offer to their customers and they continue to be the ‘go to’ place in Southern Sydney (Taren Point depot) and Northern Beaches (Brookvale depot) to buy your turf. BC Sands receive fresh cut turf 6 days a week and customers rely on the availability and convenience of being able to buy a perishable product so readily. This goes for summer and winter as well, with all yearround turf supply.
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The National Diesel, Dirt & Turf Expo Stands at the 2021 Expo The National Diesel & Dirt was established in 2015, managed and operated by representatives of the Australian earthmoving equipment industry, to help construction, contractors and local councils keep up to date with the latest technology in earthmoving, construction and public space maintenance equipment. Due to covid-19 the expo didn’t take place in 2020 which would have been the introduction of the turf component to make it The National Diesel, Dirt & Turf Expo, this is credited to Daryl Davidson Head groundsman at Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness/ Founder of International Greenkeepers For Hire who approached the organisers. His idea of adding the turf element to the well-established Diesel & Dirt Expo as a way
to raise awareness of what the turf industry is about and to try to reinvigorate some youthful interest in the trade. This year the expo run from Thursday the 8th to Sunday the 11th of April 2021 and was attended by over 90,000 plus visitors during this period. It is a great to know that this amount of people got some insight and knowledge on the turf industry as well as its products and services. As part of the expo on Thursday the 8th the Sports Turf Association of NSW held an education seminar for over 80 members that included the following speakers: •
26 /NATIONAL DIESEL, DIRT & TURF EXPO
Jenny Zadro (Turf Australia) – NSW floods and turf availability and latest research on ‘heat island effect” and erosion control.
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Dr Swaminathan (Draslovka) – Soil treatment for turf management in Sports stadium, golf course, bowling greens (nematodes/groundpearl).
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John Neylan (SportsEng) – Sports Field Construction and renovations, Sports Fields Hours of Use and Sports Field Construction and renovations.
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Jeremy Winer (Weed Techniques) – Integrated Sustainable Weed Management.
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Andrew Pride (Nano Bubble Technologies) – Oxygenation technology to treat turf/greenspace and wastewater technologies.
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Albie Leggett (TurfCare) – Cricket Wicket Testing.
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Hugh Rainger (Pickles Auctions) –
Stands at the 2021 Expo
“ THIS YEAR THE EXPO RAN FROM THURSDAY THE 8TH TO SUNDAY THE 11TH OF APRIL 2021 AND WAS ATTENDED BY OVER 90,000 PLUS VISITORS ” Remarketing of assets. •
Ben Lambert (FieldTurf Aust) – The future of sports ground management.
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James Evins (LandHQ) – The future of GPS and guided technology.
The following days were open to the public with the turf industry exhibitors giving the vast number of visitors some turf product and service knowledge. These exhibitors were: International Greenkeepers For Hire•
Raffled a donated Dean Trailer full of turf related products and items, that we raised $1000 for the NSWGSA flood assistance fund.
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Mock footy fields entertained endless amounts of kids during the expo.
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Product display and sales.
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Sports Turf Association of NSW. Information stand.
International Greenskeepers For Hire stand
Musturf Lawn & Turf Company/Ezi-Mat/ Lawn Solutions Australia/AusGAP Certified •
Turf displays.
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Installation displays.
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Automatic mower displays.
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Product displays.
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Promotional giveaways.
The turf stands were a success with International Greenkeepers For Hire winning Best Small Stand and Daryl is already started planning for the 2022 Expo, with the hope of attracting more turf related exhibitors and going for a Best Small stand award repeat.
NATIONAL DIESEL, DIRT & TURF EXPO / 27
Australia – A Breeding Ground For Troon International’s Global Growth
Troon started as one facility in 1990 and has since grown to become the largest professional manager of club operations in the world. Founded by Dana Garmany, Troon have grown its company one client at a time by listening to and understanding the specific opportunities and challenges, then customising this approach to achieve success. This has been accomplished by providing a foundation comprised of the best talent and resources in the industry and cultivating the creativity of more than 25,000 associates worldwide, servicing over 600 clubs.
This mantra was adopted with the expansion of Troon in 1999, with the establishment of the first international office in Brisbane, Australia. Troon International quickly established itself with the opening and management of properties such as the Greg Norman designed Pelican Waters, Brookwater and The Glades in QLD, The Vintage in NSW and Settler Run VIC as well as many other high-end facilities both in Australia and abroad. “As this rapid growth progressed with additional international properties opening in the UAE, Europe and Asia the need for well-trained professionals adverse
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in all aspects of golf maintenance and construction provided our Australian associates with fantastic opportunities for career advancements.” David Lunardelli, Director of Agronomy & Operations – Australia/Asia/Pacific Just like Troon North in Scottsdale Arizona, Troon’s first managed facility and flagship property, Brookwater Golf & Country Club in Queensland, quickly established itself amongst the best golf courses in Australia. Recognised for its fantastic service, design and course conditioning, it quickly became the benchmark and breeding ground for Troon’s expansion of up-and-coming
“ FIRSTLY, AUSTRALIA SHOULD BE PROUD THAT MANY OF THE BEST GOLF COURSES IN THE WORLD HAVE AUSTRALIAN SUPERINTENDENTS. ”
managers and superintendents. Under the guidance of Troon’s Director of Agronomy at time of opening David Nicholls and the Golf Course Superintendent David Lunardelli, the property started a long line of career advancements. According to David, “Troon International’s focus on local talent, training and promotion from within allowed us to develop our own talent pool adverse in Troon standards, local cultures and flexibility to travel without the need for US based associates. At the time, Australians were seen as very hard working and being able to easily adapt, working well with local owners, staff and differing cultures.”
- Mark Chapleski, President of Troon International.
“With a focus on hiring locally, many aspiring superintendents quickly accepted roles as Greenkeepers at Brookwater and many other Troon managed facilities in the knowledge that hard work and persistence would open a world of opportunities. This was not as easily accessible to others in the industry that typically relied on senior staff leaving at their own clubs or competing with the 100’s of other applicants for advertised positions.” Troon targeted these individuals with a preference for those who had already completed internships through Mike O’Keefe’s Ohio State Internship program
PacificHarbour Golf Course
TROON INTERNATIONAL’S GLOBAL GROWTH / 29
which proved valuable in preparing aspiring Greenkeepers for international travel and experience having already worked at some of America’s premier golf courses. “Additional to this, we focused on trainees whose progression was fast tracked through additional training and by working closely with the qualified team and international seasonal interns travelling through Australia who were constantly sharing their experiences gained working overseas” explained David. Troon, while focusing heavily on training so its own standards are delivered consistently to the highest standard, understands that an energized, career focused team creates an environment that is beneficial to both the individual and our facilities with the team striving to be the best daily. This is not only achieved by hiring the right individuals and implementing training programs but by continually creating new opportunities, so career progression is real and witnessed consistently throughout Troon managed properties. “Key to this is also creating an environment where we don’t see all our senior managers staying put at one facility too long as to block the system and progression for that underneath. This attrition normally happens naturally with either Superintendents or Assistants regularly moving to take up new opportunities seeing our trainees or greenkeepers quickly progressing to either the positions of Spray or Irrigation Technicians prior to becoming an Assistant Superintendent” David continued. As an example, Brookwater in the past 20 years has not only allowed David to progress to Troon’s Director of Agronomy for the region, but the likes of Geoff Bennell, Ben Geeson and Rob Weiks, all progressed to the superintendent’s position after stints at the property as greenkeepers, either progressing through the ranks or returning after stints at other Troon managed facilities. Additionally, James Gordon and Matt Legge the current superintendent, both returned to Australia to lead Brookwater after international postings with Troon. To date Marcus and Matt Hartup, Steve Harris, Clinton Southorn, Kelvin Nicholsen, Brendan Handsard, Cameron Allen, James Murphy, Eamonn McCarthy, Brett Merrell, Ryan Markwell, Darren Smith, Luke Mortimer, Andy Kwapnioski, Ed Nangle, Daniel Stack, Mark Ecott and Tim Cloninger have now all held superintendent positions with Troon or outside the Troon family
30 /TROON INTERNATIONAL’S GLOBAL GROWTH
Deli Golf Club in India after 2 years as the assistant superintendent at Brookwater. Ben who hails from New Zealand where he completed his traineeship at Cape Kidnappers has also travelled and worked in the UK at The Belfry and JCB G&CC which will make his latest overseas appointment easier based on these prior experiences.
Ben McLean
Pictured – Ben McLean, Golf Course Superintendent at the New Deli Golf Club in India after 2 years as the assistant superintendent at Brookwater
David Lunardelli of clubs. Joining countless other quality professionals who are making their mark in other areas of the turf and golf industry, having contributed to the success of Brookwater.
Brookwater Golf & Country Club- Hero 13th hole
“Firstly, Australia should be proud that many of the best golf courses in the world have Australian superintendents. We acknowledge that at Troon and the quality of talent who have come through Brookwater and our many other managed facilities in Australia has allowed us to grow exponentially in the international market” -Mark Chapleski, President of Troon International. “To now see Australians David Nicholls responsible for over 600 golf courses globally as Troon’ President of Agronomy, David Lunardelli Director of Agronomy for Australasia and Canadian/Australian Robin Evans VP Agronomy & Construction Troon International having all had some part in Brookwater and establishing Troon internationally is a testament to the Australian Golf Industry.” “I believe close to 20 superintendents have come through Brookwater alone and I would guess this number would be pretty significant when you factor in all the properties we have established and managed in Australia and abroad” Mark continued.
Mollymook Golf Club- 17th hole
The latest in the long list of graduates is Ben McLean who is off to India to take a position as Golf Course Superintendent at the New
“In the 2 short years I have been with Troon as the Assistant Superintendent at Brookwater, Troon has not only provided me with the training required to become a superintendent but given me the confidence to accept this exciting challenge at such a young age. Working daily with my course superintendent Matt Legge and with the ongoing mentoring provided by David Lunardelli and the corporate team has proven that I am not only ready for this opportunity but will always have the Troon corporate team and my fellow superintendents to fall back on if needed. I strongly recommend that any aspiring golf course superintendent seek out an opportunity to work with Troon, work hard and utilize all their training programs and resources and a world of opportunities will quickly come your way.” Ben McLean said. Troon International has continued to expand over the past 20 years with offices now in Australia, Europe, Asia and the UAE currently managing over 40 facilities in 25 countries. “Just as Troon North and Brookwater have led the way for breeding our new leaders we now have facilities such as The Grove in England and Abu Dhabi in the Middle East expanding the international team to now have superintendents representing Troon from all nationalities” David explains. Pictured bottome left - David Lunardelli Director of Agronomy & Operations – Australia/Asia/Pacific Troon International’s Agronomy team is expertly represented by Robin Evans (Middle East), Simon Doyle (Europe) and David Lunardelli (Australasia) who oversee all properties outside of the US. If you’d like to know more about how Troon’s agronomy team could help your club, or you are interested in a career with Troon, please contact David Lunardelli at dlunardelli@troon.com for a chat.
TROON INTERNATIONAL’S GLOBAL GROWTH / 31
Ensuring Successful Sports Turf Specifications Words By Matt Roche, Director Australian Sports Turf Consultants (ASTC)
BCC Moggill District Sports Complex Whether it be a community sports field or elite playing surface, the expectations of our natural turf sports fields have never been higher. Helping to achieve a superior surface starts at the design phase and writing definitive sports turf technical specifications. Australian Sports Turf Consultants (ASTC) has been engaged by stadium venues, Councils, and community sporting clubs to provide design and sports field technical specifications for the construction or redevelopment of sports fields. In recent years, the demand has significantly increased with access to sport and recreation grants and Councils’ desire
to repurpose tired sporting fields and maximize the use of existing sports fields and parkland. Over the last decade ASTC has come across some interesting sports field “specifications” where the requirements for the subgrade, growing medium, turfing and consolidation have been written on a maximum 1 to 2 pages. This is fraught with danger as it not only leaves the methodology up to interpretation but can leave a very grey area when things do not go to plan. It is important to determine the clients’ expectations early on to ensure that a sports field is appropriately constructed and is fit-for-purpose.
ASTC specializes in writing specifications for the subgrade, subsoil drainage, growing medium, turfing and consolidation. ASTC calls upon their nominated independent irrigation consultants to assist with irrigation designs and specifications. These days a number of Council’s are also requesting that a 12-month sports turf maintenance program be developed and included with the construction of new sporting fields. This is to ensure a high standard is maintained after the conclusion of the 8- to 12-week consolidation period post turfing. It is important that Witness Points and Hold Points be clearly listed within the sports field technical specifications. This also
AUSTRALIAN SPORTS TURF CONSULTANTS / 3 3
includes pre-commencement testing to be undertaken before any materials are to be delivered to site. This is to ensure that the materials being delivered meet the specifications and design intent.
Brisbane City Council, Zillmere with TifTuf
A key component for a successful sports field build is the quality of turfgrass, not just the variety. Whether it be a newer variety like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda or an older variety like ‘Wintergreen Couch’, it is important that the quality of the turfgrass to be supplied for a project be high. Eight (8) key parameters for turfgrass selection and supply include: •
That the turfgrass is to contain only the chosen genus, species and variety name specified for the project.
•
The turfgrass is to be supplied by a single turf farm and must be sourced from a single block/paddock and be of ‘uniform’ appearance, age and quality.
•
The turf farm soil is preferably to have either a sand, loamy sand, sandy loam or sandy clay loam soil, or a turf washing option may be required.
•
The turf must not have visible signs of disease or insect stress, contain weeds or undesirable grasses.
•
The turf colour must be above acceptable (recommended rating of above 8 using Turf Colour Meter with the factory default Grass Index set) with discretion provided for seasonal variation only.
•
The turfgrass is to be sprayed with a turf registered insecticide to control lawn grub and African Black Beetle prior to harvest. Written evidence is to be provided by the turf farm.
•
The turfgrass is to be harvested, [washed if applicable], transported, picked up, handled and or mechanically maneuvered into position without damage; and
•
Broken, torn, uneven ends or turfgrass with undesirable large holes will not be acceptable.
To assist with obtaining the high quality turfgrass, ASTC believes in independent turf farm inspections being conducted. This includes routine annual inspections for Plant Breeder’s Rights (PBR) protected grasses and Turf Farm Suitability and Turf Farm Pre-Harvest inspections for sports field projects. This is to ensure the turfgrass is fit-for-purpose and meets that specified. A program such as AusGAP is also designed to monitor turf quality and aid clients,
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“ TO ASSIST WITH OBTAINING THE HIGH QUALITY TURFGRASS, ASTC BELIEVES IN INDEPENDENT TURF FARM INSPECTIONS BEING CONDUCTED. ”
Nullarbor Couch during establishment
“ A KEY COMPONENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL SPORTS FIELD BUILD IS THE QUALITY OF TURFGRASS, NOT JUST THE VARIETY. ” specifiers and consultants to deliver a high turf standard which contributes to a project being delivered on time. ASTC also undertakes third-party independent turf farm inspections for AusGAP.
QSAC in Brisbane
Towards the end of a consolidation (grow in) period ASTC also carries out a sports field audit, similar to what they would do for a multi-use stadium or community sports field. The aim is to assess and report on the turf health and quality and to provide recommendations to increase turf and playing performance. It also provides a timely opportunity to check on the small things, such as valve boxes, sprinkler heads, fencing, goal posts etc., to allow a smoother handover of a field to the client at the end of the establishment period. Sports field auditing is something we recommend to all our clients and we encourage them to undertake annual benchmarking of their sports fields new or old. This provides them with the opportunity to track the performance of their asset and for ASTC to work alongside the ground manager or contractor to action the appropriate recommendations to get the best out of the playing surface. If you would like further information on sports field designs, technical specifications or auditing, please visit www.astcs.com.au or contact Matt Roche on mroche@astcs.com.au
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The Heart of Sport in Western Sydney BLACKTOWN INTERNATIONAL SPORTSPARK SYDNEY (BISP)
The Grounds Team at work Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney (BISP) is the self-proclaimed sporting capital of Western Sydney. Owned by Blacktown City Council and managed by Blacktown Venue Management Ltd, Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney has continued to grow its reputation as an elite and all-inclusive multi-sport and community venue. The venue was purpose-built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics under its original name -
Baseball Diamonds from the air Blacktown Olympic Park. The park played host to athletics, baseball and softball for the games and over the past 21 years has continued to be a home for all 3 sports. Since 2004, the park has undergone a transformation and welcomed AFL, cricket, football and elite sports coaching to the family. To reflect its broader appeal the park changed its name to Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney (BISP) in 2011. The Sportspark is a sporting hub that boasts first class sporting facilities for athletics, Australian rules, baseball, cricket, football,
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professional goalkeeping development and softball. The 60-hectare site offers an extensive array of perfectly manicured single and multi-use sports fields which are maintained year-round. The team at BISP is led by Kevin Jones, CEO Blacktown Venue Management. With a highly skilled team of supporting management and marketing it is the highquality of the sports fields that keeps sports coming back for more. At the head of the grounds team is the experienced Matthew Cairns, who, alongside his 2IC Heath Taylor
and team of 13 grounds staff, work around the clock to keep BISP at the forefront of local, national and international athletes. There is never any down-time for this team who are always busy providing quality and safe playing fields across the whole year. Delivering the operational outcomes required at BISP involves a high degree of commitment and passion for the tasks at hand. Like any elite sports venue, state, national and international training and competitions
are aplenty and while advanced scheduling is desired, as the COVID recovery showed us, it’s not always possible, but a first-class outcome is always desired – and achieved. Typically, field preparation for a major event begins approximately 10 days in advance – with everything from turf nutrition, regular mowing, tracking of soil moisture and irrigation. This program ensures that the team produce the best possible surface year-round for not only the elite athletes but also the grassroots. When it comes to the turf itself, the Sportspark’s vast array of
sports fields are couch grass surfaces with varieties including Conquest for the AFL/ Cricket Centre, Greenlees Park for Athletics, Santa Ana for Softball, Grand Prix and Agridark for the Western Sydney Wanderers Centre of Football and both Legend and Greenlees Park on the Baseball fields. To improve irrigation, Blacktown City Council installed an extensive on-site stormwater harvesting scheme that uses water sourced from the nearby Angus Creek. This allows BISP to be self-sufficient in water usage and irrigate all fields using
BLACKTOWN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS PARK SYDNEY / 37
Blacktown Olympic Park during the Sydney 2000 Olympics high-quality treated stormwater and limiting the amount of Sydney’s potable water used onsite. The Sportspark is also at the top of its game when it comes to incorporating technology into the operation of the venue. This includes the new Turf Tank robotic marker where a sports field can be marked out in under 45 minutes! If you love technology, then you will love the new Land HQ GPS controlled 1135L spray unit for nutrition and plant protection applications and the GPS controlled field mower – both pieces of equipment working efficiently and effectively. The nature of the Sportspark makes it hard to choose a favourite field at the venue. It’s hard to go past the baseball diamonds, which has been the Australian Baseball’s premier facility since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The 3 baseball fields occupy an area of 3 hectares and are arranged in a triangular layout.
The Grounds Team
application of trace elements and amino acids to enhance soil health and condition.
sporting stakeholders at the park and the wider community,” added Matt.
Matt says “without a doubt BISP provides lots of challenges for us to maintain a high level of renovation and field maintenance. With a busy program of events all year-round, scheduling the work is the most difficult.”
As if work at the Sportspark wasn’t already busy enough, the new International Centre of Training Excellence (ICTE) will open in 2022 and will see the Sports Park further enhance its reputation in the sporting world. The ICTE will be a multisport highperformance education, sports medicine and accelerated recovery facility and will have a brand-new high-quality rectangular turf field and a new synthetic rectangular field. More outstanding green areas for the team to make their mark on!
“Having said that, it is also the most rewarding when a plan comes together. Baseball fields and cricket wickets rate the highest of all our turf grass surfaces when it comes to preparation requirements, but with everyone in the team doing their bit, we get in and get the job done for our
Blacktown Olympic Park during the Sydney 2000 Olympics
Each year the main baseball diamond undergoes a major renovation to ensure it is kept at the highest standard possible – attracting college teams from the USA and professional baseball from South Korea, as well as being the home of the Sydney Blue Sox ABL team. The annual renovation sees the grounds team repair the levels around the bases, laser level the diamond, rolling the diamond with a compact roller and also a complete re-build of the pitchers and home plates. Work doesn’t stop there, with the turf in the diamond field mowed anywhere between 5 to 7 times a week in the growing season and 1 to 2 times in the cooler months. Turf nutrition is applied on a weekly basis in the growing season, which includes a comprehensive program of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium for all-round growth and health. It also includes the
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40 / FINLEASE AND YOUR GROWING BUSINESS
Once in a Generation Financing Mark O’Donoghue, Finlease Founder and CEO, speaks with Lawn Solutions Australia about how growing businesses can capitalise on the Federal Government’s unprecedented financial incentives. In the October 6th, 2020 budget the government announced a number of incentive programs providing a once in a lifetime opportunity for private enterprise to seize the day, expand their businesses under the umbrella of very significant cashflow support provided by the government over the next 18 months and beyond. “Circumstances have certainly been tough for a lot of industries and the recent floods have only helped to compound the problems for turf farms but overall the economic outlook is looking substantially more favourable,” he says. Finlease, which was founded by O’Donoghue in the 1980s and has since grown into a team of 70, provides over $500 million in equipment finance each year. “We arrange equipment finance for business owners all around the country, with many clients that have been with us for over 20 years,” O’Donoghue says. “We finance everything from a single motor vehicle or piece of equipment, through to millions of dollars’ worth of machinery or property.” Sourcing finance from a range of 20 capable and competitive institutions enables Finlease to spread loans across a number of lenders, ensuring business owners are not tied to just one bank that has them locked up with all securities. “Equipment finance allows companies to spread a greater portion of the overall debt to a broader base of financiers, which
FINLEASE AND YOUR GROWING BUSINESS / 41
means less exposure to their existing bank, greater competition between financiers to drive lower interest rates, often better approval conditions and a broader base of competitive lenders to assist in financing future growth,” O’Donoghue says. Forward thinking finance Despite the challenges of 2020 and the more recent floods, O’Donoghue expresses optimism about the current financial and business landscape. He adds that as COVID transitions from a here and now reality into a historical fact, mainstream financers are looking at the present and future landscape for clients when looking to approve finance. “The combination of improving employment numbers, significant government project spend and tax incentives, as well as the desire of Australians to emerge from the COVID hibernation, bodes well for 2021 and beyond,” O’Donoghue says. While the Federal Budget’s support for businesses is far-reaching, O’Donoghue notes two key incentives. First, the October 2020 budget enables businesses to deduct the full cost of eligible capital assets acquired from 6 October 2020 and first used or installed by 30 June 2022. Additionally, the government will allow eligible companies to carry back tax losses from the 2019-20, 2020-21- or 2021-22-income years to offset previously taxed profits in 2018-19 or later years. “These government incentives are once in a generation – this is significant,” O’Donoghue says.
expressing financial environments in ‘plain speak’, outlines a hypothetical example of how turf farms can capitalise on these incentives. “Barry owns AAA Turf Pty Ltd, which has an annual turnover of $8 million,” he explains. “Over the years, Barry has bought many trucks, harvesters & tractors as well as other support equipment, and has depreciated all of those assets using the simplified depreciation pool – claiming 30 per cent diminishing value depreciation each year. The closing balance on this depreciation pool as of 30 June 2020 was $3 million. “Despite the challenges of the COVID environment, AAA has had a busy year, resulting in a trading profit of $1 million for the year ended 30 June 2021.” According to O’Donoghue, this result would usually have created a tax bill of $260,000, however under new tax incentives, Barry has an option to claim 100 per cent full expensing of the entire depreciation pool balance of $3 million, equalling the total written down value of all the businesses equipment. “This one-off tax incentive allows AAA to show an actual loss for tax purposes of $2 million in 2021,” O’Donoghue says. “Not only does this mean that AAA will not have to pay the $260,000 tax bill for 2021, but Barry will also be able to ‘carry back’ the $2 million tax loss on any tax AAA may have paid on profits for the prior two financial years.
“If good profitable businesses are thinking about expanding and undertake that expansion before the 30th of June 2022, the tax breaks they can obtain through the 100 per cent write-off are mind-bending.”
“As AAA did in fact make profits of $1 million in both the 2019 and 2020 financial years, the temporary loss carry back incentive provides the opportunity for the total tax paid of $550,000 for those two years to be repaid as a refund once AAA has concluded their 2021 Tax Return,” he said.
O’Donoghue, who is committed to
Translation and advocacy
42 / FINLEASE AND YOUR GROWING BUSINESS
O’Donoghue explains that while the financial eco-system can appear complex, for businesses looking to capitalises on government incentives, planning ahead is critical. He adds that it’s important to seek finance approvals early and even look to put a finance limit in place if your planned equipment expenditure will be in excess of $500,000 for the following 12 months. These limits greatly streamline the process and once in place, it’s simply a matter of drawing down without any onerous paperwork. Finally, O’Donoghue suggests that businesses work with professionals who specialise in equipment finance, as they have the experience to negotiate the right outcome and have access to the broadest lending market. “We’ve built our business by looking after clients long-term. We’re a small business like our clients, and because we spend all day looking at companies, we understand what they do and provide good advice and alternatives,” he says. To advocate for its clients, Finlease will work with two or three of the various capable lenders, who will in effect be competing for their client’s business. “Then we’ll analyse what these lenders are offering and recommend the best outcome,” O’Donoghue says. “The trick is to know when the terms are fair relative to what the market is offering, or whether they need to be adjusted slightly. It may be as simple as wanting a longer term or a higher residual, or perhaps a lender is insisting on a deposit when others would approve 100 per cent finance.” “At our core, we’re committed to negotiating better outcomes for our clients and looking after them for the next 20 years,” he said.
The Two Industries of Turf TURF AND THE RACETRACK
Words by Bruce Stephens, Anco Seed and Turf Pty Ltd.
FINLEASE AND YOUR TURF AND GROWING THE RACETRACK BUSINESS / 43
A google Dictionary search for ‘turf’ shows the word has two meanings. The first being “grass and the surface layer of earth held together by its roots” and the second “horse racing or racecourses generally”. On any given day in Australia the thoroughbred and the grass racetracks that they compete on are on show. They are observed, analysed, and critiqued to the nth degree by the media and all that are involved, in what is one of Australia’s largest industries for employment and economic return. The Windsor Richmond area can lay claim to being the home of more turf farms and companies than any other area in Australia. It was in this same area that by 1805 a racecourse or race ground as it was then termed was operational. The Sydney Gazette records a match race being held on the race ground located in the Windsor Richmond area on April 5, 1810 the same year that the first official race meeting in Australia was held after Governor Macquarie gave his blessing for a race meeting to proceed. Ironically the Windsor Richmond area not only saw the first “Race Ground” in the country, but it is also home to Australia’s first commercial turf farm. The synergies between the horse racing and turf farming industries that exist today had commenced albeit in a geographical sense. These days those synergies are not just geographical as racetrack managers and many in the turf farming industry work closely together. Horse Racing is one of Australia’s largest and most popular industries and always has been. Take for instance the first official South Australian meeting held in January 1838. The population of South Australia at the time was 2000 and such was the popularity of racing that 800 of the 2000 attended the meeting. Those same high percentages of population attending the races are echoed in the number of people who made the trip to Flemington to witness the running of the 1880 Melbourne Cup. 100,000 attended the 1880 edition of “The Cup” when Melbourne’s population was only 290,000. Racing has continued to be popular through the years including during the Great Depression years of 1929-1933, albeit with the attraction of the equine immortal Phar Lap enhancing the numbers.
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“ THE WORLDRENOWNED FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE, HEADQUARTERS OF THE VICTORIA RACING CLUB, HELD ITS FIRST RACE MEETING IN 1840 AND IS HOME TO THE RACE THAT ‘STOPS A NATION’ ” Using the going stick to rate the track
The popularity of racing has significant economic benefits and Governments recognise this significance to their States economies. For those not involved in the industry the figures seem staggering. “Cup week” in Melbourne can be looked upon as a business. It benefits a plethora of economic sectors including tourism, fashion, hospitality, accommodation and retail. It creates jobs that would not exist without its continued popularity. In 2018 the Melbourne Cup Carnival, which is held over four days, delivered $447.6 million in gross economic benefit to the state of Victoria. All four days of Melbourne Cup Week are the most attended race days in Australia. Tourism in particular benefits substantially from the Melbourne Cup. 20,308 overseas
These roles are spread over 387 race clubs that race on Australia’s 307 racetracks. In 2019 there were 2485 race meetings that delivered $730,769,073.00 in prize money. With that amount of money at stake it is little wonder that the industry and especially the racetracks are placed under the microscope to such a degree by the press and all who may gain from the prizes at stake. Add the punter to the equation and it is obvious that the racetrack needs to perform at its optimum. The large sums of money at stake place the racecourse managers under pressure to produce a track that races with little to zero bias and favours all runners equally where possible. Most city tracks are considered to have a certain life span despite regular renovation practices. They begin to show signs of track bias caused by varying thatch levels and consequent variation in surface drainage and moisture retention as the years roll on following their construction. If not managed well fast lanes can develop in the track favouring the horse that is running in that section and as a consequence the track may need a major overhaul. The world-renowned Flemington Racecourse, headquarters of the Victoria Racing Club, held its first Race Meeting in 1840 and is home to the race that ‘stops a nation’. Each year Australia watches over its green expanse on the first Tuesday in November as the excitement of the famous 3200 metre handicap event, the Melbourne Cup produces yet another chapter in its rich history book. Media scrutiny of the track starts in the week prior to the carnival and the track manager can be seen and heard regularly over a twoweek period on TV screens and radio being interviewed about what to expect from “The Track”.
visitors attended the Carnival in 2018 and they came from 31 different countries while Cup week attracted 73,781 interstate visitors to Melbourne. In 2019, the racing industry contributed $9.5 Billion to the National economy of which 51% was generated in regional areas. 2019 statistics show the industry directly provided 75,000 jobs with 160,000 participants employed including 3042 trainers and 844 jockeys.
Such was the scrutiny of the course proper at Flemington that the VRC Board in 2001 hatched a plan to reconstruct and to develop a manageable track that would be sustainable well into the future. The track had changed very little from its original state and needed a major reconstruction to bring it into the new age. In 2006 following the last day of the Spring Carnival a reconstruction of the track commenced. The new construction involved stripping
TURF AND THE RACETRACK / 45
Mowing Flemington
The tracks are repaired following each race meeting with divots replaced or repaired with sand and seed mixtures or plugs in the case of severe damage. In winter some tracks pre germinate the divot seed to aid in speeding up the germination and establishment rate. The practice of pre germinating seed for use in divot repairs was used successfully at Caulfield in the early 1980’s and is now commonplace.
the existing track back to its base via the use of a road profiler to a depth of 500mm and establishing new levels including a one-way cross fall. The subgrade base was stabilised using lime and cement and this was followed by adding 25 kilometres of drains that feed into a collector drain that in turn is connected to a pumped stormwater system. 100mm of drainage gravel was then added and then 300mm of growing medium (sand) spread over the drainage gravel. The growing medium was amended with organics and race elements which were incorporated into the top 100mm. This was followed by a final level and rolling of the surface in preparation for the laying of turf. 125,000m2 of kikuyu turf oversown with Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass was grown and layed by Anco Turf in five stages. Anco managed the grow in for a four-week period before handover to the Victoria Racing Club. The track had its first meeting on the new surface in August 2007, five months after the last sod was laid leading into winter. The design was developed to produce even running for horses across the entire surface and a so-called good track rating as much as possible. The scrupulous punter and the media tipsters pour over what is known as the ‘Track Rating’. It is a scale that measures the firmness of the track and its ability to hold together under racing. The new scale of track ratings is expressed as a Firm 1 or 2, a Good 3 or 4, Soft 5, 6, or 7, and finally a Heavy 8, 9 or the extremely
46 / TURF AND THE RACETRACK
wet Heavy 10. To measure these ratings a penetrometer is used. The major Victorian tracks as well as some in Queensland now use an instrument called the Going Stick to get their track ratings. The Going Stick is an electronic instrument that records penetration through the amount of force required for the instrument to penetrate the surface and shear ratings that are recorded by measuring the amount of force required to pull the Going Stick back to a 45-degree angle. These two measurements when combined give a measure of track firmness and the track rating is then determined. Ratings are recorded automatically by the Going Stick and electronically sent back to a database. A track map profile is automatically produced and can be accessed by interested parties. Racetracks undergo regular renovation programs and major tracks are manicured to an extremely high standard year-round. Melbourne’s four city racetracks generally mow at a height of around 100mm in length. This is reduced to various lengths prior to renovation. Following the short mowing either solid or hollow tine coring takes place before topdressing with a matching growing medium similar to or the same as the existing soil profile. Scarifying is also practiced when necessary. Fertilising and seeding in the case of cool season grass tracks then takes place. These procedures are standard practice at Flemington and Caulfield racetracks and take place following their Spring Carnivals and at other stages of the year.
Over the years the grass types and sward blends in Australian racetracks has changed significantly. Although many rural tracks with low budgets may consist of a shotgun mix of grasses that just pop up including native grasses and paspalum, the main grasses seen on Australian racetracks are kikuyu, ryegrass including perennial, annual and tetraploid types, Kentucky Bluegrass and couch grass. Tall fescue is also used in some tracks. Lindsay Murphy who retired recently after a lifetime in the industry and managing Sydney’s major racetracks is currently the Chairman of the Racecourse Managers Association of Australia. He recalls using ryegrass to oversow kikuyu in the Rosehill Racetrack at least thirty years ago. Ryegrass is often used in the warmer states as a winter cover for colour and winter growth in the kikuyu sward. Lindsay said “they had used many different types of ryegrass over the years as an oversow grass including the Perennial Nui and Tetilla way back when improved varieties were not available. Currently there are several new racetrack projects underway involving grassing. Seymour Racetrack is currently being turfed following a reskin/resurface and works should be completed soon. This comes on the back of works on the training track at Cranbourne Turf Club involving grassing using kikuyu sourced locally. From the Hawkesbury and its roots in racing and turf growing to Flemington and the modern racecourse, our turf growing industries continue to develop, innovate and find ways to improve the “grass and the surface layer of earth held together by its roots” – the definition of turf.
Australia
AILA forum 2021
10-Year Anniversary ‘Into the Park’ at Southbank Parklands AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS (AILA) PARKS FORUM, 23 FEBRUARY 2021 Words by Melanie West, AILA QLD Chapter Manager and Shaun Walsh AILA
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Brisbane Southbank
AILA forum 2021
On a typical hot and humid February morning, 60 AILA and Parks and Leisure Australia members and friends joined us for a picnic breakfast and a ‘behind the scenes’ tour discussing 29 years of operation for Brisbane’s popular South Bank Parklands. AILA CEO, Ben Stockwin, kicked off the morning before handing over to Shaun Walsh, AILA Parks Forum founder and former CEO of City Parklands. Shaun lead the tour, starting at River Quay Green. The River Quay Green Lawn is an area over 2,000sqm of flexible open space grass area for events and everyday activities like kicking a ball or having a picnic. The talk focused on transitioning awardwinning design since its opening in 2012 into operational reality and managing the huge public demand for green lawn under large shady established trees. It is also important to consider in parklands such as this, that the existing plans for trees and plants need also consider growth.
“
SOUTHBANK PARKLANDS HAS UTILISED NEW AND IMPROVED TURF VARIETIES ACROSS MANY AREAS OF THE SITE
” The conditions experienced in 10 years’ time, will differ to that of today, and the turf selection needed to take this important factor into consideration. Southbank Parklands has utilised new and improved turf varieties across many areas of the site in order to address turf issues that existed with previous varieties. Issues such as shade and high levels of wear were ongoing problems that were leading to continual returfing requirements and intensive maintenance practices. Through the use of grasses like TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda in high wear areas and Sir Grange Zoysia in areas of high shade, the parklands have
found solutions that have eliminated the need for turf replacement. The next stop on the tour was the extremely popular River Green Playground, which is arguably the most intensively used playground in Australia. Here, Shaun and Ben Urban explored the topic of playgrounds designed to perform and talked about maintenance & how it has stood up over time. The final stop on the tour examined the newly completed Riverside Green space and Dan Kallis from Hassell was on hand to discuss the design and construction of the newest addition to South Bank Parklands. This project has been entered into the 2021 Queensland Landscape Architecture Awards. It was a great opportunity for members to network and walk through the parklands and was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. Thank you to our event partner, Eureka Landscapes for supporting the event and our AILA corporate partners, such as Lawn Solutions Australia, for attending.
AUSTRALIAN INSITUTE OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS / 49
Attracting First Class Events to the Moreton Bay Region REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS RLFC – MORETON DAILY STADIUM
It’s all happening on the Redcliffe Peninsula this year, particularly if you are a sports fan. During the thick of the Covid period in early 2020, the Redcliffe Dolphins Club penned a deal with the Brisbane Roar A-League and W-League teams that would see soccer played on the hallowed rugby league ground from December 2020. Redcliffe Dolphins General Manager of Football Operations Grant Cleal said,“Having the Roar using Moreton Daily
50 / MORETON DAILY STADIUM
Stadium has been one of the best moves we have made, and it was a realisation of why the stadium was built in the first place, to attract first class events to the Moreton Bay Region”. The venue had dipped its toe in the water with the round ball game being played a couple of times in previous years by hosting FFA Cup fixtures and the odd A-League match. But the Dolphins, Roar and Moreton Daily Stadium seem to be enjoying the partnership and the benefits
it has brought to all involved, as well as the Moreton Bay community. “The feedback from the Roar and the FFA has always been very positive, the players absolutely love the venue and in particular the heightened atmosphere that comes from a crowd that are seated very close to the field. The players love the TifTuf playing surface also”, Cleal added. The right grass is paramount when you imagine the traffic the playing area has to
cope with. Among the dozen A-League matches, the venue was scheduled to host two NRL trials at the start of the 2021 season. They are also heading into their own rugby league season competing in the Queensland Rugby League Major Competitions, where they control senior teams from the state-wide Cyril Connell Cup (under 16’s) to the Intrust Super Cup. This would usually mean hosting four senior rugby league teams on a Saturday evening, then turning out an A-League soccer pitch twelve hours later.
The Queensland Rugby League have also embraced the venue, by locking in the Intrust Super Cup Grand Final day there for the next 3 seasons. “This amount of usage is probably more than some of the major stadiums around the country at the moment, but we are enjoying the challenges presented when running a multi-use venue. We also have some great support and advice from our suppliers in Lawn Solutions Australia and Twin View Turf to name just a few. Their guidance, along
with the quality turf that we planted has helped us enormously”, said Cleal. Hot on the heels of becoming an A-League home base for the Brisbane Roar, the Redcliffe Dolphins announced an affiliation with the Vodafone NZ Warriors Club. It’s an affiliation that sees fringe NRL players swing back to the Dolphins to compete in the Intrust Super Cup on a weekly basis. It is a deal that will provide benefit to Junior Rugby League and game development in and around the region in what was a big
MORETON DAILY STADIUM / 51
52 / MORETON DAILY STADIUM
change for the Dolphins. The club had been a partner of the Brisbane Broncos for a decade helping to put the polish on players like Jake Turpin, Kotoni Staggs and Matt Lodge to name a few. They will now look to assist the Warriors in their pursuit of a maiden NRL title and quite possibly host a Warrior’s fixture or two along the way. It’s not hard to see commercial opportunities between New Zealand and the Moreton Bay Region opening up because of this new partnership. As if they haven’t been busy enough, the Dolphins are making a play at becoming the 17th team in the NRL. Many consider this to be a very strong bid, which could see the Club successfully transition to the top grade. “It’s been a goal for the club to play at the highest level possible for some time now and it would be a certainty that our facilities would be one of many advantages in the application process for an NRL franchise”, Cleal said.
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Images throughout this story - Marulan Cricket wicket install
Turf Community Unite MARULAN CRICKET CLUBS NEW WICKET 54 / MARULAN CRICKET CLUB
The Marulan Cricket Club was established in 1866 and the 2020/21 season saw the reforming of the first senior side for the club in over 8 years. The club currently run a Junior Blast Program and are looking to welcome a few junior team’s next season. David Insley, Mt Broughton golf course greenkeeper, who lives just down the road and plays for the club, reached out to Sports Turf Association NSW (STA NSW) committee members for advice on improving the existing pitch. From this communication an idea was formed to hold a trade event with wicket experts and sponsors to assist the club with replacing the old wicket block. This wasn’t going to be an easy task as both the club and wicket had been out of action for eight years and required a huge amount of work to get things up to scratch. As Dave is a passionate cricketer with a love for the game, he was determined to reinstate the
“ EVERYONE HAD A HUGE SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND A NUMBER OF NEW FRIENDSHIPS HAVE BEEN FORMED. ” club’s turf wicket block and sure up the future of the reformed senior team and the club. The existing wicket block had become overrun with weeds, mixed turf and couch varieties as well as a thick organic layer. This combined, contributed to a reduction in wicket hardness and stability, and in-turn reduced the bounce of the ball rendering the wickets unplayable.
With the limited wicket experience David had, he purchased the much-needed equipment with his own money including a roller, cylinder mower and hand tools to undertake the maintenance work required. Interestingly, a number of years ago the club had a substantial quantity of rare Bulli wicket soil (as used on the SCG) they had intended to use for the project. Members of the cricket club were notified of an overloaded truck at the nearby weighbridge on the highway that needed to reduce its weight before it continued on for delivery. This triggered a number of residents to load their utes and trucks from the parked-up semi’s trailer using shovels to help get it to the right weight and so they could utilise the soil. The story of how this came to be captivated members of the STA NSW committee and they were determined to help the not-forprofit local club get the works completed. On March 2nd this year, all of this planning
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culminated in the Sports Turf Association of NSW managing a full wicket reconstruction for the club. The day attracted a number of participants to help undertake the removal of the existing dead turf and surface, leveling the surface and placement of the new turf. The wicket block was then watered with the local Rural Fire Service truck giving the new turf a deep soak later that evening. The day all happened thanks to the unbelievable input of the following people and businesses: Ventrac Australia for removing the existing surface with the PowerRake and PowerBroom, and also mowing and aerating the outfield. MusTurf - MusTurf donated labour, machinery and supplied the 300m2 of washed TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda (Couch grass) for the wicket table. Ground Solutions Australia provided the outfield some attention with their recycled top dresser. Nuturf supplied wetting agent to help the turf establish. Colin Campbell Chemicals supplied a
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drum of herbicide to keep the wicket table clean of weeds. Mick Sammut of Mikes Grassing Around will be supplying irrigation gear, to be installed at a later stage. STA NSW Committee members - Daryl Davidson, Damien Curtis, Grant Thomas, Mick Sutton and Sophie Devine organised and participated in the day. Everyone had a huge sense of accomplishment and a number of new friendships have been formed. There is even talk of a yearly cricket match between the club and a STA NSW team to commemorate this new wicket reconstruction. The installation of the TifTuf wicket block will provide a much-needed boost to the club’s facility so they can continue to build and provide the local community with the best possible sporting surface. For Marulan Cricket Club this is just the beginning of their TifTuf wicket experience as they journey to getting senior and junior teams back playing in their local competition and growing its club’s member base. We look forward to seeing updates of this wicket grow in and wish Dave and the club all the best in their competition.
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