Company profile: Rigby Taylor

You may not have heard of Rigby Taylor, but its products are helping golf courses such as Carnoustie and Gleneagles deal with a range of issues, writes Chris Clark.

Chris Clark is the executive chairman of Rigby Taylor

As managers of golf clubs, with all that entails in running a successful sporting venue, you may not be familiar with the name but Rigby Taylor has been supplying products to golf course greenkeepers and course managers for over 100 years. Products that keep the turf healthy; feeding it, sustaining it, protecting it, all with the aim of creating an attractive, consistent playing surface.

You may have more on your mind than being concerned about what grass seed, fertiliser, top dressing or a myriad of other products that are applied to the turf because you employ a greenkeeping team to know all about that. However, as one of our current customers, or one we would like as a customer, I would like you to know more about who we are and what we can do to help make your course the best it can be.

A Rain Bird irrigation system ‘rain curtain’

Firstly, we seek to build relationships with our customers; a form of partnership that has a value and provides benefits over and above just a supplier of products. You may not know that in addition to supplying clubs with consumable products we are also the UK appointed distributor of Rain Bird irrigation products … a system so highly regarded that one of the greatest golf courses in the world, Carnoustie, has just announced it will be installing it on all their courses. And, to keep on that water theme, we also have pioneered the development of Ground Water Dynamics, a low invasive drainage systems, which has proven so successful that Gleneagles installed it to solve a major drainage problem – with little disruption to play.

We also have access through our parent company, Origin Enterprises, to areas of expertise that offer managers the ability to harness digital communication for their benefit and that of their staff. TurfKeeper is an online management tool that allows course managers to more effectively communicate with staff, improve record keeping and enhance reporting and presentation skills. To be in constant contact with staff, remotely communicating tasks, recording results and accessing such stored information for management presentations, with just a click on a keyboard, swipe on tablet or click on a phone is priceless.

As a company we are fully aware that member retention and visiting players are the lifeblood of golf clubs today. So how do we work to help the course manager and club, and in doing so address the needs of the players and visitors who demand the best playing surfaces and course presentation?

Well, for many years we have adopted an integrated maintenance programmed approach. We understand that players have a choice when deciding which club to join and on which course to play. The course itself is the jewel in the crown of every club and, working closely together with the course manager, our Rigby Taylor specialists build integrated maintenance programmes to deliver quality playing surfaces that satisfy playing members and visitors alike. These programmes deliver long term sustainable value to the club in keeping and attracting players and assists the greenkeeping team in terms of plant health, course presentation and great playing surfaces, all achieved within a manageable expenditure budget.

Providing the correct solutions to specific problems are key aspects of what Rigby Taylor offer. Products are never recommended on a ‘one size fits all’ approach. There are so many variables and product alternatives that it is vital to have a full discussion with the course manager, and in depth understanding of the course, its history, topography, climate, current programmes and available budget. When a decision has been made, full support is provided to maximse results.

Rigby Taylor has the experience to deliver the finest, most diverse range of products and solutions providing the best results for our customers. Innovation has been a key driving force and this was rewarded when one of the company’s products was awarded the Queens Award for Innovation, the company also was the first to bring to the market the exciting tetraploid grass seed technology. However, we do not rest on our laurels. As part of the company’s strategy, we have created in the UK, a research and development facility that will enable us to compare products, procedures and techniques. The results will ensure the industry can have confidence that only the very best products, ones that have been thoroughly tested to the highest standards, will be released for use by course managers. Such an approach ensures we deliver innovative, cost efficient, top quality products and services to both existing and prospective customers.

Rigby Taylor will never rest in the pursuit of the value added advice, products and services to meet the aspirations of turf professionals and their customers. The future presents any number of exciting challenges and Rigby Taylor is well placed to play a leading role providing golf course greenkeepers with products and services that combine traditional practices with innovative solutions and golf club management with a resource that can offer endless possibilities.

I hope you have read to the end of this introduction to Rigby Taylor and I have piqued your interest to want to get to know us a lot better. Our future is entwined and in the pages of The Golf Business you will see and learn more about us in the future. Please take a moment to view our website: www.rigbytaylor.com or freephone us on 0800 424 919. We are also active across all social media platforms. For an introduction to the online management system view www.TurfKeeper.com.