Sports Turf Research Institute

This is something you might not expect to find in the middle of a country park in Yorkshire.... It's an organisation called the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI). Founded in 1929, initially to provide research and advisory services to golf clubs, by the 1950s the company had established an excellent reputation for advice on all forms of sports turf and amenity grass surfaces. It is now the world's leading authority in sports turf research, design and management. Most of the major sports venues in the UK and many world-wide, owe their playing surface to this consultancy. Wembley stadium, Wimbledon, Ascot racecourse, Twickenham & Murrayfield rugby grounds, the Olympic Equestrian course at Greenwich, the 2010 FIFA World Cup venues in South Africa and St Andrews golf course are some of the big names that have been on their books. The company employs about 75 staff and its headquarters is here at Bingley St Ives.