Sport Surfaces

Specialist Lawn and Sports Ltd offers a wide range of services for grass sports surfaces. We can construct, renovate and or maintain your sports ground using the latest methods and equipment.

Grass requires five basic elements to grow, water, air, light, nutrition and a growing medium, however, supplying just these five is no guarantee of a healthy sward, or an acceptable playing surface.

Organic matter in the top 25mm of the profile has to be managed (ideally kept between 4% - 8% and lower deeper). Drainage through the profile and the quality of the growing medium are also significant factors that affect the class and playability of the surface.

Extensive experience with the Graden Sand Injection (including seeding attachment), backed up by the STRI research, conducted on behalf of R + K Kensett, make this style of machine a popular choice to renovate golf courses and bowling greens. Allowing significant organic matter reduction quickly and cleanly, the GSI also aids species conversion by directly placing bent/fescue seed into the ideal growing medium.

Cricket and tennis clubs can similarly benefit from the standard Graden Scarifiers, which can effectively remove organic matter to a depth in excess of 25mm, impacting over 10% of the playing surface in a single pass. Multiple passes are achievable and recommended on these surfaces when renovating.

When organic matter is excessive it leads to increased disease risk, increased nutritional requirement, poor root structure, poor drainage and a poor playing surface to list just a few issues. Time to turn these problems around is not always available through the above methods and surface replacement may be the only answer. The Koro Field Top Maker can plane your surface off using multiple passes to get below the problem area. Introduction of suitable material, amelioration and levelling (using lasers if necessary), can then restore the profile and sward to a newly constructed condition.

Drainage improvements can come courtesy of simple thatch removal machinery. Removing that ‘sponge’ effect on the surface can enable excess water to run off or percolate through. However, problems deeper in the profile can be alleviated by aeration, simple punch action machines easily achieve 100mm depth, either solid or hollow tined. Groundbreakers/earthquakes creating constant slits in excess of 150mm depth. Verti-drains reaching depths over 250mm. Finally, deep probe, air blast, shattering pans from over 700mm below the surface.

Although grass will grow in virtually any medium given the other four elements, sports surfaces specify what is required of that medium. For grass to thrive the consistency and construction of the profile must be suited to, the plants' needs and the sports grounds use; and also further maintained to optimise both factors. Graden Sand Injecting can improve the profile to depths in excess of 25mm for the suited sports, standard Graden scarifying can be applied to all surfaces. Further to this SLS offer hollow coring to depths over 200mm (for appropriate surfaces) followed by topdressing of a suitable/specified rootzone plus amendments if required, and to achieve ultimate rates use TB 220 brushes to backfill tine holes. The alternative to this is to resurface or reconstruct both of which are available from Specialist Lawn and Sports Ltd.

Golf Courses

Our extensive experience with the Graden Sand Injection machine make this the most popular form of renovation we perform on golf greens. We will even come and operate your machine for you and can typically complete an average sized 18 hole + putter in two days.

Our full range of services are listed below;

Green resurfacing
Graden sand injecting with seeding attachment
Graden scarifying of all areas
Verti-draining
Groundbreaking/earthquaking
Hollow/solid tining
Aeration including deep probe air blast
Overseeding
Topdressing
Disease, weed and pest control spraying
Liquid/granular feed application

Bowling Greens

Bowling Green construction, renovation, spring preparation and maintenance can all be carried out by us, we have maintenance experience on several County and Middleton Cup venues. We aim to provide a surface for members to be proud of and one that visitors envy. Graden Sand Injection has become a popular form of renovation but more traditional methods are also available. Good, firm, fast surfaces require a low organic matter content in the profile and we can help you achieve it.

The ability to spray your own green is about to be removed unless you are licensed to do so. Contact us for a competitive quote and to remove your liability to ourselves for this operation. Check Bowls England Facebook page for details of the intended legislation. https://www.facebook.com/bowlsengland

Our full range of services are listed below;

Bowling green construction
Green resurfacing
Renovation packages
Spring preparation
Maintenance packages
Graden sand injecting with seeding attachment
Graden scarifying
Verti-draining
Aeration including deep probe air blast
Overseeding
Topdressing
Disease, weed and pest control spraying
Liquid/granular feed applications
Edge lifting

Cricket Clubs

Having worked (as a contractor) at several County Cricket grounds, mainly with the Graden scarifier, we can assist you to improve your square and outfield, from Koro off and laser level to maintenance packages that suit any budget. ECB grants and funding are available for major works, dependant on meeting various criteria. Please use the link for details.

http://www.ecb.co.uk/development/facilities-funding/grants-and-loans/england-and-wales-cricket-trust-interest-free-loan-scheme,851,BP.htm

Our full range of services are listed below;

Cricket square construction
Resurfacing
Renovation packages
Spring preparation
Maintenance packages
Laser levelling
Graden scarifying
Verti-draining
Aeration
Overseeding
Topdressing
Disease, weed and pest control spraying
Liquid/granular feed application

Tennis Courts

The turnover of grass tennis courts to artificial surfaces is far too common compared to the reverse, however, we are able to construct, renovate and maintain grass tennis courts therefore restoring the tradition to the game. If your old courts are looking tired, unlevelled, unloved but more importantly are disliked and disused then contact us, we can resurface them to restore their former glory.

Our full range of services are listed below;

Grass tennis court construction
Resurfacing
Renovation packages
Spring preparation
Maintenance packages
Laser levelling
Graden scarifying
Verti-draining
Aeration
Overseeding
Topdressing
Disease, weed and pest control spraying
Liquid/granular feed application

Football pitches

Having worked (as a contractor) on Premier League football pitches and training grounds, from construction to renovation to maintenance, we appreciate the ‘close season’ time constraint and can offer a vast array of services to the football grounds staff/club.

Our full range of services are listed below;

Football pitch construction
Resurfacing
Renovation packages
Spring preparation
Maintenance packages
Laser levelling
Graden scarifying
Verti-draining
Aeration including deep probe air blast
Overseeding
Topdressing
Disease, weed and pest control spraying
Liquid/granular feed application

Other sports surfaces

All other sports surfaces can be catered for in the same manner as those above, using only the appropriate equipment matched to the sports grounds needs, these include Rugby, Hockey, Croquet, Athletics, Polo, Playing Fields (private and local authority owned), Private Schools and Racecourses.