STRI on the move

1984 In 1984 Bradford Metropolitan Council gave notice for us to vacate the Mansion House, STRI’s home for the last 55 years. Initially it was to make way for a private property developer to turn the house into a £3.9m 87 bedroomed luxury golf and leisure hotel complex. However, planning permission was refused and the Mansion was later occupied by the Health Authority.

1985 The Council agreed to construct a new purpose-built office and laboratory building within the old walled garden next to the existing trials grounds. Staff moved into the new, current building in September 1985. The new offices were officially opened on 3 July 1986 by the Chairman of the Sports Council, Mr J W Smith CBE, in the presence of our President Lord Luke and his wife and other distinguished guests.

STRI continued to occupy the Coach House block, which housed the new relocated soil physics laboratory, financed jointly by the FA and Football Trust, the training room and research staff offices.

1986 The steady increase in golf work continued showing a 20% increase in the years 1986 – 1989. Despite recessionary times, in 1992 STRI recorded its most successful year to date, with an excess of 1,100 golf course visits.

In 1986 Douglass Joss, then STRI’s longest serving agronomist, retired after 36 years. He worked primarily in Scotland and was a pioneer of the Institute’s consultancy work on playing field construction.

1988 After 20 years service John Shildrick retired as Assistant Director in May 1988, along with Brian Wood, secretary for 33 years, serving under all three directors Dawson, Escritt and Hayes.

Dr Mike Canaway was appointed Assistant Director of Research and Jeff Perris, Assistant Director Advisory Services. Dr Stephen Baker was also promoted to Senior Research Officer alongside his soil physicist role.

1994 Unfortunately John only enjoyed a short retirement. In 1994 he died of cancer aged 65 years. He pioneered many now established investigation techniques and became a world authority on grass cultivar research.

Advisory

R & A In 1987 links between the R & A and the STRI were strengthened when the 1987 R & A Championship Committee appointed STRI as their official agronomists to undertake visits to all courses hosting “The Open”, The Amateur Championship and the Walker Cup. Initially visits were made jointly with Jim Arthur (former STRI adviser 1947-1949) who had acted as the R & A’s agronomist since 1971.

1990 As golf advisory work increased additional staff were employed. In 1990 there were 7 officers specialising in golf agronomy and 6 specialising in sports construction work. Stuart Ormondroyd, currently Head of Agronomy, was part of the specialist golf team from its inception in 1986.

Additional in-house services were set up to diversify our work in golf. Dewar Wishart began specialising solely in golf course architecture and Bob Taylor provided one of the first ecology and conservation management services specifically for golf courses.

Two of our senior agronomists, David Stansfield and David Boocock, were promoted to act as our consultant agronomists to the R & A Championship Committee.

1991 Construction services acquired a new CAD system (computer aided design and drafting).

1992 In 1992 STRI went regional. The regionalisation of agronomists marked a new era in the Institute’s history and the way our services could be delivered to our clients. Andy Cole rejoined STRI in August 1992 as our first regionalised adviser, based in the Midlands. In the autumn Peter Winter became our regional agronomist for the south-west and in 1993 Ian McClements and Steve Isaac were regionalised to Ireland and Scotland respectively.

Research

A steady flow of funding maintained the Institute’s research programmes. In addition revenue was increasing from commercial research activities including tests on fertilisers, pesticides and wetting agents.

1984 The R & A provided substantial additional funding in 1984. In total £330,000 was provided for a 9 year research programme. A Ph.D student was appointed to examine ball impacts on golf green turf, as part of the programme.

1986 Funding from the Football Trust for research into the cost effectiveness and drainage efficiency of different types of football pitch construction.

1987 The Football League invited Dr Stephen Baker to represent STRI on their Commission of Enquiry in to playing surfaces. Dr Baker had previously served on the Winterbottom Commission to establish criteria for artificial surfaces.

1989 Dr Peter Hayes, Director, was appointed to the USGA Turfgrass Research Committee.

1992 The English Bowling Association provided a grant for research into the use of New Zealand Cotula (non grass plant) for bowling greens.

1993 The Turfgrass Advisory Committee was disbanded and replaced by the Scientific Advisory Committee. Throughout its 17 years existance Prof A D Bradshaw served as its Chairman.

1994 CEN – The European Standards Committee was established to develop standards for natural turf playing surfaces throughout Europe. Dr Stephen Baker was appointed as UK delegation leader on the Technical Committee to ensure the UK had a strong influence in their formulation.

Education

1989 Neil Thomas, Executive Director of BIGGA, based at STRI in Bingley, announced their first exhibition and educational seminar programme in the “Sports Turf Bulletin”. The event, ETME (European Turf Management Exhibition) was held in Harrogate 18-20 January in conjunction with the NTC, forerunner of today’s BTME.

1990 In 1990 the Greenkeeper Training Committee approved STRI’s 5 day training courses in golf course management as standard training for their head greenkeepers.

BIGGA also gave approval for credits to be issued towards their Master Greenkeeper Certificate.

Visits from the Sports Minister

1985 Dutch turfgrass breeders made their traditional bi-annual visit to STRI in May to meet their fellow seed men in the UK.

1986 Richard Tracey MP, Minister of Sport, visited STRI on 12th November.

1992 Robert Atkins, MP, Minister of Sport visited on the 19th November.

1989 On 28th and 29th June visitors to Bingley celebrated STRI’s 60th Anniversary.

1993 Hosel Golf Club were presented with an award for the Best Environmentally Maintained Golf Course in Germany. Jeff Perris and Bob Taylor were invited to attend in appreciation of the help and advice received from STRI.

Books and Publications

STRI staff produced a steady stream of new books in addition to the “Sports Turf Bulletin” and annual Journal.

1985 Technical Terms in Turf Culture and the Turfgrass Manual which provided a much needed account of possible seed mixtures for various uses and a comparison of turfgrass species.

1988 Bowling Greens – Their History, Construction and Maintenance. Written by Roger Evans the book was published on the 400th anniversary of Sir Francis Drake’s famous game of bowls on Plymouth Hove.

1991

• 3rd edition Turfgrass Pests & Diseases
• Sands for Sports Turf Construction & Maintenance
• Cricket Grounds: The Evolution, Maintenance and Construction of Natural Turf Cricket Tables and Outfields
• Fertilisers for Turf

1992

• The Care of the Golf Course
• 2nd edition of Bowling Greens. The book proved so popular it had sold out in just over 3 years