School Extends Dennis Fleet

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School Extends Dennis Fleet: Andy Richards, grounds manager at Shrewsbury School, has extended his existing fleet of Dennis mowers having recently purchased three new Dennis FT510’s and two new G760’s. 

Andy has been the grounds manager at the illustrious Shrewsbury School for nearly eight years and he and his team of eleven groundstaff tend to 120 acres of green space – three quarters of which are sports pitches. In addition to synthetic surfaces and other world class facilities there are ten grass pitches which cater for the School’s highly competitive sports teams.

School Extends Dennis Fleet

The boys compete internationally in cricket, and Shrewsbury School boasts a string of historically strong football teams. Rugby is played at a high level and girls compete locally and nationally in hockey, netball and tennis. It’s no wonder then that with over 800 pupils, many of whom participate in sports, that the sports pitches endure an incredibly high amount of usage. This, however, does not keep Andy and his team from maintaining them to an exceptionally high standard.

“The trick is to be pro-active rather than reactive,” he says. “We try to keep the standards of our pitches to those of the football league. In fact, our first team football pitch is definitely better than the pitch I had when I was the head groundsman at a professional football club.”

Andy chooses to use a variety of equipment from Dennis to get the best out of his sports surfaces. For cricket square maintenance he uses his three Dennis FT510’s and for football two G760 mowers.

“This is my third batch of FT510’s and they work extremely hard here,” he says. “We use them predominantly for cricket wicket presentation and through the cricket season we host 250 matches – they are used for every one of those.”

The Dennis FT510 is an interchangeable cassette cylinder mower giving users options to fit twelve different cassettes including scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, spikers and slitters as well as 5 or 10 blade cutting cassettes.

“We’ve got a wide range of cassettes and by having the three machines we have the ability to use a different cassette in each one. We might have a cylinder, a brush and a verticutter out at the same time so we can use them back to back. On other days, one of the team may just work all day on a wicket and they can simply interchange their cassettes without having to get a different machine out. It’s a massive time saver and it’s great having that versatility.”

For his football surfaces, Andy revealed that he is an advocate of hand mowing and that he uses his G760’s in conjunction with his Dennis Premiers: “I’ve always been a fan of the G760’s and originally we used them on the cricket squares. However, we started hand cutting the first team football pitch with them and we have the added bonus of using a variety of different cassettes such as the verticutter and brush.

“To allow us to mow more pitches by hand we use the G760’s alongside the Premiers which have a slightly wider cut and it gives us a good contrast with the G760 because that is slightly smaller and slightly lighter. When the pitches are wetter we can get on with a G760; on other occasions we may veer more towards the weight of the Premier.

“We try and vary what we do and it may depend on the usage and what games we have but it is ideal having a variety of machines.”

With such a hectic schedule, Andy was also quick to praise the reliability of the machines and the back-up he receives from the Dennis team.

“We are such a busy school and we haven’t got any downtime at all. Fortunately we don’t have many problems and that comes down to the quality of the machines. The back-up from Dennis is really good and reassuring and I could pretty much guarantee that if something did go wrong, I know that something would be sorted out extremely quickly.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

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New Support At Polaris

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New Support At Polaris: Leading ATV manufacturer Polaris has appointed Kenny Kay as  a Technical and Warranty Specialist.

Kenny joins the Polaris Technical Department directly from the military where he completed a lengthy and extensive hands-on mechanical career. Currently he is undergoing the comprehensive Polaris induction and training programme before starting his role of interfacing with dealers and their mechanics.

New Support At Polaris

“Kenny possesses a vast range of technical knowledge of all types of vehicles,” says Polaris Technical Department’s Sam Merrifield, “and he can’t wait to apply this knowledge and experience to the ever-growing range of Polaris products.”

Even one of Kenny’s hobbies, alongside running and ice hockey, is rebuilding engines. Kenny says what attracted him to Polaris was a great opportunity to work with quads, side by sides and motorcycles in such a progressive and professional environment. He looks forward to being able to start his role and bring his experience in solving mechanical issues to the Polaris dealer network. Polaris, in turn, welcomes him into the Polaris Central Europe team.

For more information, visit: www.polaris-britain.com

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Bill Mitchell Retires

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Bill Mitchell Retires: A 58-year career is not in itself remarkable, what is remarkable, as in the case of Bill Mitchell, is a 58-year career at just one club. Not to mention the 25-year relationship with Toro and Reesink Turfcare.

After almost 60 years at Perranporth Golf Club, on the North coast of Cornwall, the club he joined straight from school, Bill leaves behind a legacy that has helped shape the industry.

Bill Mitchell Retires

Over the years, Bill has quietly and diligently cared for the links course of Perranporth, favouring a traditional approach to links greenkeeping and bringing genuine long-term sustainability to the club’s core.

Bill proved over his career that it’s possible to stick to what you believe in – despite the fact that it goes against the industry norm – and achieve commercial success. He created and maintained fast and smooth surfaces high in fine fescues and kept low in disease-risk on a links course. It was, he says, his greatest achievement.

“The fact that I proved it’s possible to maintain a natural links course is my biggest achievement, and the thing I am most proud of,” he says. “I hope I showed the next generation that sustainable, natural links greenkeeping is not only possible but viable, that I took the difficulty out of it and perhaps inspired them to try it should they ever be in the privileged position of working on a links course.”

A long-term Toro fan, Bill believes it’s quality rather than quantity that applies to all aspects of greenkeeping: “It’s possible to get results with dedication, vision and hard work, just as much as it’s possible from big budgets or greenkeeping teams. As soon as it was no longer possible to support all British in my machinery choices, it was Toro I turned to. They’re the finest products and treat the ground with respect.”

John Pike from Reesink Turfcare presented Bill with a decanter from the company in recognition of his career, he says: “Bill is an unofficial ambassador for the industry. Approaching 60 years at one club is almost unheard of and he certainly made his mark on the course at Perranporth! Actually, I think it’s fair to say he made a mark on everyone he’s worked with, myself included. We wish him well for the future, I don’t say it lightly when I say he will be much missed.”

Throughout his career, Bill’s been involved in the education of the industry, he helped set up the Duchy College training programme and was heavily involved with the assessing and training of attendees, and always placed the utmost importance on the education of his apprentices. In addition, Bill enjoyed time on the Open Support teams throughout the years, helping prepare the courses and assisting with the smooth running of the world-famous tournament.

Bill has also been a key member of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) Devon and Cornwall section since its inception over 40 years ago. In fact, so instrumental was his work for the organisation that he was given life membership in recognition of it.

It is therefore, with pleasure, that we can confirm Bill will continue with his advisory and education work for the foreseeable future.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Buxtons Named New Kubota Dealer

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Buxtons Named New Kubota Dealer: Kubota UK is pleased to confirm it has further strengthened its extensive dealer network having joined forces with Staffordshire-based groundcare and arboriculture specialists Buxtons.

The appointment of Buxtons is part of Kubota’s ongoing investment to ensure its market leading range of high performance groundcare machinery is supplied through an independent dealer network that is committed to a first class service offering.

Buxtons Named New Kubota Dealer

The new partnership means Buxtons will now supply Kubota’s complete range of high quality and innovative groundcare solutions, from walk behind, ride-on, out-front and zero turn mowers, to Kubota’s industry leading compact tractors and its durable and rugged RTV utility vehicles. This includes Kubota’s recently launched range of BX Series, B1 Series and B2 Series sub-compact tractors, and the new ZD1211 zero turn ride-on mower.

Neale Hopley, Managing Director of Buxtons said: “We are absolutely delighted to become a Kubota dealer. Although we previously supplied groundcare equipment, our range was limited.  This new relationship with Kubota enables us to significantly expand our business, giving us the chance to target a much wider range of commercial sectors including local authority, education, equestrian and the sports turf market.

“These are exciting times for Buxtons. The Kubota brand is synonymous with quality, durability and reliability, with a fantastic reputation for innovative, cost effective and hard working machines.  It’s a trusted brand that turf professionals know will get the job done and not let them down. We are extremely excited to be working in partnership with Kubota and are looking forward to growing our business with them.”

Adrian Langmead, Business Development Manager for Kubota UK’s Groundcare Division said: “Here at Kubota we pride ourselves on having a dealership network that is second to none. By signing Buxtons up as a new dealer we can extend our reach across a 30-mile radius throughout the Staffordshire area, enabling us to secure key accounts within the commercial market.

“Buxtons is a well established and respected dealership, so it was a natural fit to partner with an organisation whose commitments reflect our own. We’re looking forward to the longevity of this partnership, enabling Buxtons to provide both residential and commercial customers with the highest quality Kubota machinery, Kubota Care, Kubota Finance and aftersales services and parts.”

Buxtons has already received significant interest in Kubota’s machinery, securing a number of orders from both commercial and residential customers at its recent open day, which saw over 100 potential and current customers attend.

For more information on Kubota and its extensive range of groundcare solutions visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

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Leamington GC Chooses Foley

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Leamington GC Chooses Foley: The search for continual improvement is high at Leamington & County Golf Club, with the ambitious team of head greenkeeper and general manager looking towards the Foley ACCU-Sharp 605 for cost saving, plant health and ease of use.

The duo of head greenkeeper, Jason Cooper, and general manager, Bryan Frazer, make a formidable team through their understanding of each other’s role in maintaining and elevating one of Warwickshire’s finest parkland courses.

Leamington Golf Club Chooses Foley

The most recent display of their common objective was bringing grinding in-house with their first ever on-site grinder. Criteria were drawn up, the options examined, and the result now sitting proudly in the workshop sporting a familiar green and black, is the ACCU-Sharp 605 spin and relief grinder.

Bryan is the driving force behind what is a progressive and forward-thinking club that is always trying to improve for its members, but also the outside golfing world. His aim, by providing Jason and his team with equipment they need, is to improve on the already high standards and create new competitions by building a reputation for excellence.

Women’s golf is an area Bryan is particularly focused on and it is his hope that Leamington & County Golf Club will be able to attract some of Britain’s top female golfers in years to come – but the improvements begin by improving the course.

“The core thing for us was that buying the grinder through a finance deal was a no cost option because we already had a cost for contracting. This on-going expense is now gone, and the fixed term means we will be cost free within five years,” Bryan said.

“Our point of view on is that by learning new skills and having our own machine it would be cheaper than the winter service work and provide us with the flexibility we need to offer more events.”

“Ian invited us to Farol’s (John Deere dealership at Hinckley) for a demonstration of their Foley grinders, and it didn’t take me very long to say to Jason ‘We could definitely use this grinder to raise the quality of the golf course.’ and along with the new drainage schemes underway, we will be able to sustain a better course for the same money and then look at how we offer that to our members and the wider golfing world.”

Of the numerous considerations in the decision-making process, the most crucial for Jason was the time it would take to learn and operate the grinder for first time users. After going through training with ProSport UK’s Ian Robson, himself and two of his staff quickly realised the simplicity of operation.

Jason explains: “Learning to use the machine has been fine.. Two of us are more mechanically minded than the other that’s using it, but I wanted him on board so someone who knows the process is always on site. He found it incredibly easy and intuitive to use, with the direct training provided by Ian to explain the basics. We’ve got it on a rotation system where one strips the unit down, one does the grinding and then the other person rebuilds, and we swap it around so we all get used to it.

“The really interesting aspect we have discovered, is the concept of relief grinding, but once you understand the principle, it makes perfect sense to take grinding from basic sharpness to a whole new level of excellence. It gives us that ongoing improvement in the quality of the cut, we reduce disease, we reduce fungicides, we reduce pesticides and gain a lot of flexibility.”

All these positive benefits will allow Jason to pursue his goal of having the course at the same high standard for the entire season, whilst also allowing Bryan’s vision for the club and what they can offer to expand.

Jason continues “We can plan when we’re going to grind now, for example before our main club event. We can give the cylinders a quick sharpen and we’ll have a nice crisp clean cut. We can work with this flexibility and see what we can achieve. If a mower goes off cut or the reel is damaged we aren’t waiting for a day and half for it to be fixed, we can turn it around ourselves and get back up and running within a few hours.”

Looking for ways to improve is a very strong part of the clubs continued success and by working together Bryan and Jason hope to elevate the course and fulfil its potential, and both view the acquisition of the ACCU-Sharp Sharp 605 as a vital part of that progression.

For more information, visit: www.prosportukltd.com

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