The turf industry is linked to the sun in every way. Climate plays such an important part in the management decisions turf professionals make that…

The 50% decline in population of one of the UK’s best-loved wild animals has ignited many campaigns such as Hedgehog Street and Hedgehog Awareness Week. STRI’s Head of ecology…

by Emma Beggs, STRI agronomist Turf stress comes in various forms, drought, disease, mowing etc; but there’s another stress within the turf industry that needs to…

Over the past decade STRI consultant, Conor Nolan, has dedicated himself to the pursuit of the finer grasses on putting surfaces. However, one of the…

Water, water everywhere, or is it? STRI research operations manager, Dr Christian Spring, talks about water, its importance for sports surfaces and the pressures on…

The Golf Environment Awards (GEAs) have been a part of the golf industry for twenty-four years, but how much do you really know about the…

Fluctuating weather patterns, withdrawal of pesticides and accumulating thatch may leave bowls club officials and players feeling less than bowled over. STRI general manager of…

STRI has announced that its annual research open days will take place on 25 and 26 September 2019.   The event, which takes place at…

  The Bulletin is a sport industry magazine representing the latest news and opinion from across the STRI Group. It is distributed quarterly across six…

STRI Group is delighted to announce the appointment of Gary Smith as an agronomic consultant, based in its Scotland office.   Smith has worked in…

We are all seduced by images of magnificent stately home lawns, and dream of lazing our days away on the lush grass with a glass…

The Golf and Health project is aiming to scientifically prove the physical, mental health and wellbeing benefits of golf. But how do clubs go about…

STRI Group is delighted to announce the addition of a new set of honours for the 2020 Golf Environment Awards (GEAs).   The Home Unions…

With all eyes on picture perfect Augusta, STRI agronomy operations manager, Steve Gingell, asks you to spare a thought for UK greenkeepers still dealing with…

STRI has received two accolades at the prestigious Association of Landscape Contractors of Ireland Awards (ALCI), which celebrate exceptional landscape projects.     STRI beat…

The new stadium pitch at Crawley Town Football Club, which was designed by STRI, is winning praise from rival managers.   STRI project managed the…

As punters ready their wallets for a flutter on the Grand National, STRI agronomist Richard Wing takes a look at what goes into producing a…

We take a sneaky peak into Bob Taylor‘s diary after the 2019 Golf Environment Award winners return from their trip of a lifetime to visit…

As butterfly species continue to decline in the UK, STRI ecological consultant, Rowan Rumball, lists his top six reasons to help protect our fragile friends….

In the first of a new segment for 2019, STRI ecological consultant, Rowan Rumball, discusses how golf is uniquely positioned to be one under par…

Amanda Dorans, greenkeeper at Dundonald Links, south-west Scotland chair of BIGGA and previous Golf Environment Award (GEA) champion, discusses the ‘behind the scences’ sustainability at…

I will be honest. I am a huge food snob, as many of you who have eaten with me or been to Portugal with the…

STRI ecologist, Rowan Rumball, looks back on his first year with the Golf Environment Awards and discusses the 2019 finalists.         Earlier…

I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here is on TV so that means Christmas is just around the corner, yet many areas of sportsturf are…

STRI’s principal technical consultant, Dr Richard Gibbs, who project managed the pitches at 2018 World Cup in Russia, gives an insight into what goes on behind the scenes….

STRI is delighted to announce the finalists for the 2019 Golf Environment Awards (GEAs), recognising golf clubs and individuals that strive to undertake environmental best practice.    …

Pitch quality and playing surface management have been a hot topic in Scottish football for many years.  STRI’s senior project manager, Gordon Howat, discusses how Heart of Midlothian solved…

STRI consultants Richard Windows & Adam Newton lift the lid on what went on at the 147th Open at Carnoustie before the crowds descended on the famous…

With golf looking to increase participation levels, it is essential that we look to keep the sport interesting and exciting for both existing players and new additions…

STRI Head of ecology and environment, Bob Taylor, considers the impact current trends in grassland management has on arachnids, and why we might be doing wrong, by…

STRI has scooped two gongs at the University of Bradford’s Summer Experience Awards last night.   We are thrilled to have won the Outstanding Placement…

It’s not just skill, strategy, and a Machiavellian intent to disarm opponents that are the keys to success in the gentile art of lawn bowls,…

British strongman, Eddie Hall, broke world records when he lifted 500kg (equivalent weight to an average-sized horse) at the World Deadlift Championships in 2016. Imagine…

STRI agronomists, Alistair Beggs, Adam Newton and Stella Rixon, formed the team responsible for helping Royal Lytham Links Manager, Paul Smith, and The R&A, deliver a…

Heart of Midlothian FC met champions Celtic for the first time on their new state-of-the-art hybrid pitch at Tynecastle Park in the opening home game…

We have strengthened our ecology services by appointing a new consultant to join our UK team.     Rowan Rumball joins STRI as ecological consultant…

How does a groundsman or greenkeeper make the right choice when purchasing large pieces of costly equipment, or even replacing a whole fleet? STRI’s grounds…

I’m delighted to announce that entrants to the Golf Environment Awards 2019 will receive CPD points in conjunction with their BIGGA membership during the application…

Opening up about mental health issues is still rare in the workplace, even more so in the stout-hearted world of turf. STRI deputy grounds manager, Tim Randall,…

Join STRI’s team of global sports turf industry specialists and our event partners for the seventh annual research event on 19/20 September. Enjoy a day…

They defy the natural laws of physics, secretly communicate via an elaborate fungi network, and receive preferential treatment from their mothers. Bob Taylor, STRI’s head of…

Green speed is usually at the top of the golf club agenda with a common cry being ‘We want them faster!’ STRI consultant, Stella Rixon discusses…

by Bob Taylor, STRI’s head of ecology and environment The word sustainability is used so widely that its original context has been corrupted to the point…

by Bob Taylor, STRI’s head of ecology and environment There are always occasions in our life, or in our work, that cause us to stop, look…

by Bob Taylor, STRI’s head of ecology and environment As I pondered how I might start the “Focus On” workshop that I was compiling for…

by Bob Taylor, STRI’s head of ecology and environment Following my presentation at this year’s BTME, I thought it would be interesting to discuss the subjects…

by @striturf_richw and @striturf_adamn STRI’s anthology, ‘Disturbance Theory’, provided strategies for managing sward composition of putting surfaces. Ten years on, senior agronomists Adam Newton and…

by Bob Taylor, STRI Head of ecology and environment To kick-off my first ‘Taylor Talks’ column I’m going to discuss two related and very important…

follow @striturf_adamn How do you keep your golf members happy in winter when they’re already experiencing fewer hours of daylight, adverse weather conditions and course…

by Alistair Beggs, STRI Head of Agronomy   After 37 years of first-class service Stuart Ormondroyd has finally hung up his auger. He has been…

by Stella Rixon, STRI agronomist   Golf clubs have many weapons in their armoury when it comes to luring new members to tackle their beautifully…

by Sophie Vukelic, Ecology consultant The STRI ecology and environment team has completed the final longlisting process for the 2018 Golf Environment Awards. This heralds…

by Paul Woodham, STRI Agronomy services manager   Balancing your greenkeeping maintenance budget can be tough no matter how big or small the course is. How times…

Improving your turfgrass management skills is an important part of career progression in the turf industry. Here, STRI’s head of research, Dr Ruth Mann, gives…

Following another successful STRI Research event at our UK head office and sport research facility in September, we bring you the best images from over…

by Mark Ferguson, STRI’s Wimbledon Research Manager   Day 13 of The Championships saw Roger Federer lift the Wimbledon men’s singles title for a record…

After a wait of nine years the Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale. STRI’s Alistair Beggs, looks at the preparation that has gone into making…

LAST CHANCE: The Golf Environment Awards application deadline is approaching! Have you entered yet?     STRI Group and The R&A encourage all eco-friendly clubs,…

Golf courses are not just great for a quick nine holes, they are also great areas for wildlife. STRI’s ecology consultant, Teneille Barwick, wades into…

By Alistair Beggs, STRI head of agronomy   Insect pests of fine turf have been problematic in the UK for many years. However, until recently controlling their…

The sports turf industry is always changing. The next generation of greenkeepers and groundstaff will have some very interesting benefits and dilemmas to consider. STRI…

As some of the biggest games in Fulham’s history loom in the form of the Championship playoffs, can technology first developed for the carpet industry help…

Here’s our “Golfers’ Grumbles” series in full, we hope you enjoy reading it.     You can check out all five ‘grumbles’ parts on the…

by @striturf_paulw For the final part of our series on “Golfers’ Grumbles”, I thought I’d serve an extra helping of green speed debate, as it’s an…

by @striturf_paulw For part four of our series of “Golfers’ Grumbles”, I will be looking at the thorny issue of green speeds.     Once…

by @striturf_bob Woodland thinning and tree removal are an essential part of greenkeeping. It’s necessary to ensure optimum turfgrass quality by way of air flow…

by @striturf_paulw For part three of our series of “Golfers’ Grumbles”, I will be looking at the practical issues surrounding course closures and inspections. A…

by @striturf_richw and @striturf_sophie Gorse is a very important component of links courses around the UK. It provides shelter and nesting habitat for birds and mammals,…

by @striturf_paulw For part two of our series of “Golfers’ Grumbles”, I will be looking at the practical issues surrounding bunkers and touching on a…

by @alistairbeggs (STRI head of advisory) Clenched teeth, anger, palpitations and emotional outbursts are not just the symptoms of mass hysteria, but also characteristics to be found…

by @strituf_paulw Picture the scene. The greenkeeper is proudly laying turf on a newly constructed tee, when he hears the ‘banter’ of the passing golfer…

by @striturf_sophie March signals the beginning of many wildlife events, some of which determine how we manage the landscape. Whether you manage a golf course…

It doesn’t matter if the players who step on to your pitch are worth £20million or less than a bag of crisps, everyone involved in…

Devoting time and energy to training can be an exasperating process. Budgets are tight, travelling offsite is time consuming and your staff have different requirements….

As Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday ceremonies draw near agronomy manager Steve Gingell reviews the preparations, management and aftercare at the Thiepval Memorial, when it…

One of the most problematical turf issues faced across western Europe is earthworm casting. STRI’s turfgrass agronomist Conor Nolan investigates their murky underground world for…

As the autumn nights draw in your golf club’s attention may be turning to course refurbishment, landscaping or extensions. Perhaps tree removal, pond cleaning or changing…

STRI Research 2016 took place at our headquarters in Bingley on 21/22 September and featured stations from Bayer, Farmura an Aquatrols Company, ICL, SISGrass, SWDsystems,…

by @striturf_tomy You may have noticed that more and more buildings are now being constructed with their roofs covered in plants. Known as ‘living roofs’…

The Amateur Championship has been graced by some formidable golfers since it was founded in 1885.  In 2016 the links of Royal Porthcawl and Pyle…

by @striturf_sophie   Trees are an important feature on golf courses, providing definition, strategy and screening for adjacent holes. However, their removal is also a vital part…