Ransomes Jacobsen, the Ipswich-based manufacturer of commercial mowers and turf maintenance equipment, has signed an exclusive agreement to supply WINSTONuniversity with a range of equipment to aid the teaching of greenkeeping and fine turf students at the new international sportsturf education centre of excellence in Germany.
WINSTONuniversity is based at the WINSTONgolf 45-hole facility at Gneven OT Vorbeck in Mecklenburg, northern Germany and will be open to European and international students in October 2013.
Under the terms of the five-year exclusive supply agreement, Ransomes Jacobsen will provide equipment to facilitate the teaching of a greenkeeping-based curriculum involving both classroom and on-course practical instructions.
The company will also provide staff from their Cutting Edge Training division for specialist teaching and every cohort of students will visit the European headquarters in Ipswich at least once a year.
Ransomes Jacobsen, through their German distributor Golf-Tech GmbH of Munster, will also provide tournament support machinery and personnel for the Pon Senior Open, a European Tour event, for the next three years as well as supporting the university’s recruitment programme.
Commenting at the recent signing of the agreement, Hubertus von Treuenfels, CEO of WINSTONuniversity said, “As a privately funded, golf management institute we aim to develop the leadership capabilities required around the world to ensure the game of golf has a successful future. We have designed an educational model of problem-based learning that will encourage students to create solutions that will develop a detailed understanding of the management of fine turf. Initially for the golf sector, this learning system will be broadened to embrace other sports and perhaps, other business sectors in the future.”
Ian Butcher, former International Development Officer at Elmwood College, is the Programme Director at WINSTONuniversity and commenting on the agreement said, “Our target audience for the initial cohort of students will be primarily from the emerging markets in golf, such as China, the Asia Pacific region and eastern Europe, although we welcome students from the major golfing nations in western Europe and the USA.
“This is an exciting opportunity as bothWinstonUniversityand Ransomes Jacobsen believe wholeheartedly in growing the game of golf and in the provision of skills and techniques necessary for the next generation of fine turf professionals across the globe to flourish and develop long-term careers.”
Rupert Price, Sales Director at Ransomes Jacobsen concluded, “We are delighted to be involved with this new and innovative educational programme for the greenkeeping industry. We are committed to training on a global scale, across our business and also imparting knowledge around the world. We are particularly keen to encourage students from the emerging nations, as we believe that the way forward in these countries is for the indigenous people to become highly skilled in the art of fine turf management.
“Golf-Tech, our German distributor, was instrumental in setting up this agreement and will provide the equipment that will be used in the learning laboratories at the three campus sites and during the initial project that will see the students building, growing-in and maintaining a three-hole, par 3 short course.”
About WINSTONuniversity
Situated in the outstanding natural beauty ofMecklenburg, 120 km NW of Hamburg, the WINSTONuniversity campus is located within the WINSTONgolf facility. Comprising 45 holes, including the WINSTONopen parkland course, the dramatic WINSTONlinks and the nine-hole WINSTONkranich, it also features a purpose-built maintenance centre of excellence, student residences, two hotels and wellness spa facilities.
The championship standard golf courses at WINSTONgolf provide a combined, realistic working and learning environment for students, existing managers and future superintendents and directors. Modern golf course management teams need to communicate their ideas in numbers as well as words. Strategic appreciation of the direction a business is going in, is required. And ensuring golf has a positive social and environmental impact requires leadership ability. WINSTONuniversity teaches such ability through a project based approach, internship experience, and by connecting with those in golf who are already showing the way.
Ransomes Jacobsen www.ransomesjacobsen.com
WINSTONuniversity www.winstonuniversity.de