Commercial mower guide

Commercial mower guide: The sun’s out. The weather is getting warmer. And we’re all thinking the same thing – a time for a turf maintenance refresh. Luckily for you, we have put together a handy guide that includes the best commercial mowers on the market to help you pick the right mower to complete the job.

Here at Balmers GM, we understand that choosing the right mower is essential for maximising performance whilst still maintaining a quality finish on every job. This is where John Deere’s comprehensive range of commercial mowers come in.

Commercial mower guide

Commercial mower guide

Although each mower is unique in their own way, your choice of product will ultimately depend on a number of key factors. These include; the size of the area you have to mow, how frequently the area requires maintaining, how intricate the mowing area is with any obstacles you may have to navigate around, plus the type of finish that’s required.

The full range of John Deere commercial mowers start off with their professional line-up of walk-behind mowers, moving up to their powerful diesel mowing tractors, zero-turn mowers for fast and efficient mowing, front rotary mowers for more challenging terrain, wide-area mowers for larger areas and their compact tractor series with a range of attachments to give you ultimate versatility.

All John Deere commercial mowers are easy to operate with their comfortable, intuitive, ergonomic controls, and depending which model you choose, most come with powerful 3cylinder diesel engines, hydro-static transmissions, power-steering, 2WD or 4WD options and larger fuel tanks for longer periods of continuous mowing.

Other great features include simple cutting height adjustment, drive over mowing decks, hitip grass collectors and the superb Michelin X Tweel turf airless tyres which are immune to sharp objects and last three times longer than conventional pneumatic tyres. Above all else, a John Deere commercial mower will leave a professional, class-leading cut whilst increasing your businesses’ productivity, performance and profitability.

The 4 Key Models

Diesel Mowing Tractors: John Deere X950R

The John Deere X950R is a powerful rear discharge, rear collect diesel mowing tractor and is a popular choice with landscapers, estates, holiday parks and all the other turf professionals that need to mow larger areas whilst collecting the grass clippings.

Featuring a fuel efficient high-torque 3-cylinder diesel engine, heavy-duty wheel motors, hydraulic power-steering, ergonomic controls and a high-back seat for operator comfort all day long.
The X950R can be configured with a choice of either a 48” or 54” mowing deck and a choice of high or low tip grass collector – the outstanding ‘tail follows trail’ design makes it easy to mow near fences, walls and obstacles with the collection box fitted. Alternatively, a rear deflector chute can be easily fitted to the tractor for those jobs where grass collection isn’t necessary.

Zero-Turn Mowers: John Deere Z997R

If its speed and efficiency you’re after, nothing compares to the manoeuvrability of a zero turn mower. Their ability to turn 360 means navigating around obstacles can be done easily and without slowing down, saving you time and money – making them a popular choice with landscapers and contractors alike.

The Z997R can be configured with either a 72” side discharge deck or a 60” side or rear discharge deck, which can all be easily converted to mulching deck if required.
Another popular option for zero turn mowers are the Tweel Turf Tyres. As they are airless, it’s impossible to lose tyre pressure (one of the main reasons operators are often left with an uneven cut due to loss of tyre pressure causing the mower deck to tilt) and of course are puncture proof too!

Front Rotary Mowers: John Deere 1500 Series

For those larger contract mowing jobs, a commercial front rotary mower is certainly worth considering as they’re specifically engineered to mow through thick grass at high speed for longer periods of time – up to 10 hours of continuous mowing for some models!

The John Deere 1500 series of commercial front rotary mowers come with 4WD as standard and are fitted with high performance 3-cylinder diesel engines with direct injection to increase economy and mowing performance.

All models are available with a choice of mowing decks; the 7-Iron Pro side discharge deck is designed for more challenging areas and is available in either a 60” or 72” width of cut or in areas where people may be present the FastBack rear discharge deck is available in either a 62” or 72” width of cut.

Compact Tractors: John Deere 1026R

For many turf professionals, a good option is a compact tractor. Not only will it easily tackle those seasonal mowing jobs, a compact tractor is a sound investment for all sorts of groundcare jobs all year round.

The rear PTO can operate a whole range of attachments such as leaf blowers, chippers and log-splitters for Autumnal work, and when Winter comes – snow brushes, blades and gritters can be attached quickly. Other attachments include front loaders, buckets and pallet forks and to the rear of the tractor accessories such as transport boxes and trailers are quickly attached to a 3-point hitch.

The John Deere 1026R is the smallest compact tractor in the range and is designed to let the operator switch tools and attachments quickly. Standard features include hydro-static transmission, 4WD and power-steering for smooth operation – plus a deluxe seat and suspension, tilt steering and a lighting kit for all-day, all year round work.

The AutoConnect mower deck connects to the tractor without you having to leave your seat. Simply drive over the deck ramps, listen for the two clicks as the deck attaches and you’re done. Yes, it’s that easy. And quick!

For a limited time only, you can get the 54” AutoConnect mowing deck when you purchase the John Deere 1026R model for JUST £1 – a saving of over £3,000!

If you’re still unsure on which type of commercial mower is the right one for you, then our dedicated sales team will be happy to offer advice, guidance and machinery demonstrations to help you through the decision-making process. Simply enquire now.

Balmers GM are one of North England’s largest dedicated turf machinery dealers and are John Deere’s main dealers for golf and turf machinery covering Lancashire, West and South Yorkshire. Find out more.

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Well-Being Wednesday

Well-Being Wednesday: Start Your Day off Right

After scrambling to get the kids fed and off to school, dodging traffic and combating road rage, and gulping down coffee in lieu of something healthy, many people come in already stressed, and more reactive to stress at work. In fact, you may be surprised by how much more reactive to stress you are when you have a stressful morning. If you start off the day with good nutrition, proper planning, and a positive attitude, you may find the stress of the workplace rolling off your back more easily.

Well-Being Wednesday

Well-Being Wednesday

Be Clear on Requirements

A factor that contributes to job burnout is unclear requirements. If you don’t know exactly what’s expected of you, or if the requirements keep changing with little notice, you may find yourself much more stressed than necessary. If you find yourself falling into the trap of never knowing if what you’re doing is enough, it may help to have a talk with your supervisor and go over expectations, and strategies for meeting them. This can relieve stress for both of you!

Stay Away From Conflict

Because interpersonal conflict takes a toll on your physical and emotional health, and because conflict among co-workers is so difficult to escape, it’s a good idea to avoid conflict at work as much as possible. That means don’t gossip, don’t share too many of your personal opinions about religion and politics, and try to steer clear of colourful office humour. Try to avoid those people at work who don’t work well with others. If conflict finds you anyway, learn how to deal with it appropriately.

Stay Organised

Even if you’re a naturally disorganised person, planning ahead to stay organised can greatly decrease stress at work. Being organised with your time means less rushing in the morning to avoid being late and rushing to get out at the end of the day. Keeping yourself organised means avoiding the negative effects of clutter, and being more efficient with your work.

Be Comfortable

Another surprising stressor at work is physical discomfort. You may not notice the stress you experience when you’re in an uncomfortable chair for a few minutes. But if you practically live in that chair when you’re at work, you can have a sore back and be more reactive to stress because of it. Even small things like office noise can be distracting and cause low-grade frustration. Do what you can to ensure that you’re working from a quiet, comfortable and soothing workspace.

Forget Multitasking

Multitasking was once heralded as a fantastic way to maximise one’s time and get more done in a day. Then people started realising that when they had a phone in their ear and were making calculations at the same time, their speed and accuracy (not to mention sanity) suffered. There is a certain kind of frazzled feeling that comes from splitting one’s focus that doesn’t work well for most people. Rather than multitasking, try a new strategy known as chunking.

Walk at Lunch

Many people are feeling ill effects from leading a sedentary lifestyle. One way you can combat that, and manage stress at work at the same time, is to get some exercise during your lunch break and perhaps take short exercise breaks throughout the day. This can help you blow off steam, lift your mood, and get into better shape.

Keep Perfectionism in Check

Being a high achiever can help you feel good about yourself and excel at work. Being a perfectionist, on the other hand, can drive you and the people around you little nuts. Especially in busy, fast-paced jobs, you may not be able to do everything perfectly. But striving to just do your best and then congratulating yourself on the effort is a good strategy. Your results will actually be better and you’ll be much less stressed at work.

Listen to Music on the Drive Home

Listening to music brings many benefits and can offer an effective way to relieve stress after work. Combating the stress of a long day at work with your favourite music on the drive home can make you less stressed when you get home, and more prepared to interact with the people in your life.

Thanks to verywell Mind for these useful tips

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Help for housebuilders

Help for housebuilders: The majority of the housebuilding industry has downed tools during the government’s ‘lockdown’ including the UK’s biggest builders, Barratt, Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey.

These giants of the industry remain active however in lobbying government to bring in measures post Covid-19 to help the industry recover as quickly as possible.

Help for housebuilders

Help for housebuilders

Prior to lockdown, Terrain Aeration was playing its own small part in supporting the leading housebuilders with its unique deep aeration treatment of gardens in new build developments. Picture a piece of flat land being prepared for the erection of dozens of houses and you’ll see diggers and dumper trucks, deliveries of raw materials, concrete mixers, bulldozers and brick lorries crisscrossing the site. All of which does a very good job of compacting the ground which may already have a sub-soil layer of rubble, old bricks and general landfill waste. Fine for building on so long as it provides a stable base but not so fine when it comes to setting out the gardens for each property.

Providing drainage systems for back gardens in new build properties is usually a prohibitively costly and unnecessary expense for the builder. The problem is, in a relatively short period and particularly when heavy rains occur, it becomes evident there’s nowhere for the standing water to go, the ground being so compacted. Normal aeration of a newly-laid lawn will have little or no effect, penetrating only a few inches into the heavily compacted area under the topsoil. Terrain Aeration has worked with the builders for many years resolving the problem with their deep penetration aeration system. The company’s range of machines is designed for use from open spaces to tight-entranced, enclosed gardens.

The Terrain Aeration machine hammers a hollow probe one metre into the soil using a JCB road breaker gun (this is needed because the ground is so compact at depth that it needs this hammer to break through).  Once the probe has reached one-metre depth, compressed air is released up to a maximum of 20Bar (280psi). The Terrain Aeration machines are the only ones using such high air pressure, which is needed to fracture and fissure the soil. The probe is withdrawn and the process repeated using spacings on a staggered grid pattern – this means that each shot interconnects with the previous ones. On the tail end of the air blast, dried seaweed is injected which sticks to the walls of the fractures and fissures and, over time, expands and contracts with the moisture content in the soil – similar to “breathing” underground.   The 1½” probe holes created by the Terrain Aeration machine are backfilled with aggregate to provide a semi-permanent aeration/ventilation shaft, helping to keep the whole aeration process working. Terrain Aeration is already set to work with the housebuilders once again, as soon as the current restrictions are lifted, and to contribute to getting the housing market back on track.

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Todmorden CC pay NHS tribute

Todmorden CC pay NHS tribute: Todmorden Cricket Club have paid tribute to the NHS by cutting its logo onto their pitch.

Former club president and groundsman Nevil Sutcliffe said: “It’s just a bit of a tribute from us.

Todmorden CC pay NHS tribute

Todmorden CC pay NHS tribute

“It took me a couple of hours Monday morning, half-an-hour on Sunday working out what to do.

“The response has been incredible, crackers. It’s gone viral as they say.

“It’s doing the rounds on Twitter and locally on Facebook.”

Click here to read the original article

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Avant UK turns 21!

Avant UK turns 21!: Avant Tecno (UK), the Norfolk-based subsidiary of Finnish compact loader manufacturer Avant Tecno, is celebrating 21 years of service on 23rd April 2020 with some exciting new announcements for their loyal UK customers.

In celebration of their 21st birthday this year, Avant have added their most powerful machine to their 8 series range – the Avant 860i Stage V. The largest of the Avant loaders, although still compact, it benefits from a greater lifting capacity of 1,900 kg, a greater reach of 3.5m, and a turbocharged Kohler KDI 1903 TCR 42 kW/57 hp diesel engine. The machine also complies with the latest emissions regulations and boasts many additional features to previous models, including an improved GT cabin with better visibility and usability, in addition to the best ergonomics in its class.

Avant UK turns 21!

Avant UK turns 21!

Also in recognition of 21 years of service in the UK, Avant are offering all of their customers a 3 year or 3,000 hour hassle free warranty with any new machine purchased in 2020. This also has the option to be extended to a 5-year warranty, particularly suited to those who purchase their products as part of a 5-year finance package. These warranties are in recognition of Avant’s confidence in the reliability and longevity of their machines, ensuring peace of mind for any new purchases made by their customers.

Since its launch in the UK, the Avant team has grown to 9 people and has sold in excess of 5,000 loaders through their network of 16 regional dealers, providing the UK with almost 30 sales points. With a product range of 8 model series and more than 200 different attachments, no other manufacturer offers the range of compact loaders and attachments that Avant do.

Based in Bridgham in rural Norfolk, Avant set up their permanent UK base in 1999 offering a full service inclusive of sales and marketing to servicing and repairs to show their full commitment to the UK market.

Managing Director, Raimo Ala-Korpi, says: 
“We wanted to mark our 21st birthday here in the UK by giving something back to our loyal customer family who have supported Avant over the years. Our team in Finland designed the 800 series in answer to customer demand for a more powerful loader yet still remaining versatile and compact. The first 860i loader was delivered to the UK last month and we have already pre-sold more than 20 of these models to both new and existing customers in a variety of industries such as farming and agriculture, landscaping, construction and equestrian to name but a few. Our extended warranty, which is across our whole range of machines, shows our faith in our product when it comes to performance and lifespan, and our ongoing commitment to our service”.

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A statement from Geoff Webb

A statement from Geoff Webb: Continuing to support our members during the Covid-19 outbreak, a statement from Geoff Webb, CEO at Grounds Management Association (GMA)

Over the course of the month, Grounds Management Association has continued to network with sports bodies and government to provide the latest guidance for the sector. Our primary focus always remains the safety, as well as the physical and mental wellbeing of anyone and everyone working in the industry.

A statement from Geoff Webb

A statement from Geoff Webb

Each working situation and environment during this challenging time is a case-by-case scenario. We have been able to get clarity from government that, for those where working from home is not possible – the case for much of those in our industry, then it is possible to resume work. However, this can only happen if you feel well and that it deemed safe (by your employer) for you to do so.

Government advice is changing rapidly, and we urge staff and employers to monitor the latest guidance daily. If you have any questions, contact your employer or sports body who can provide the most relevant information for your work and sector. We have produced a set of ‘safe working’ top tips for employers, relevant specifically to our sector.

We applaud the incredible key workers across the nation, as well as the those working hard to maintain the sports surfaces and green spaces that will return to being used and loved once safe to do so. We must continue to work together responsibly to play our part in slowing down the spread of Covid-19.

Our industry is crucial for sports and recreational activities, which provide positive physical and mental health benefits for many across the country. As a result, we hope that the role of grounds staff will be recognised and respected even more so going forwards.

Grounds Management Association (GMA) has also issued top tips to encourage best practice, for employers and managers in the grounds care industry.

Monitor official guidance daily

With the situation evolving daily, it’s worth keeping up-to-date with latest Government guidance online and the daily press statements to inform your decisions as an employer. If you’re self-employed, use the guidance to assess how you will personally work on the site.

Communicate regularly

With social-distancing taking place, it’s important to keep workers updated on the actions being taken to reduce risks of exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) in the workplace. Ensure you have everyone’s up-to-date contact details, as well as any emergency contact details.

Provide clear, specific working guidelines

Those in vulnerable groups will require additional details on working guidelines for their personal situation, and if they are deemed extremely vulnerable they should be shielded and supported to stay at home. Create a safe-working plan that outlines the do’s and don’ts based on your specific working environment. For example, this may include asking only one employee to use a room or facility at a time and providing signs in the relevant areas.

Maintain excellent hygiene standards

It’s important to have strict standards and make sure there are suitable facilities for everyone to wash hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water. Provide alcohol-based sanitiser for hands and to wipe down machinery. Provide tissues for staff to use, which must be disposed of afterwards.

Encourage responsible working at all times

Look out for others and those working around you. Make sure managers and colleagues know the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) and are clear on your process. For example, reporting the sickness, the support available, and what do to if someone at the workplace becomes unwell. Keep a safe distance apart at all times.

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Toro give $500,000 to Coronavirus efforts

Toro give $500,000 to Coronavirus efforts: The Toro Company (Parent company of Hayter Limited) yesterday announced that it is giving $500,000 to assist families and communities worldwide that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grant funding from the Toro Foundation will span all regions where The Toro Company operates, and will focus on providing food, health and humanitarian assistance to helping people adversely impacted.

Toro give $500,000 to Coronavirus efforts

Toro give $500,000 to Coronavirus efforts

“Supporting our customers and communities is an important part of our culture and core to who we are as a company,” said Rick Olson, chairman and chief executive officer of The Toro Company. “Now more than ever, it is critical that we come together to respond to the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 and to support those most vulnerable in our communities.”

The contributions include commitments to several global nonprofits that are assisting in the relief efforts. This includes the American Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Feeding America, the World Food Program, the United Way Worldwide, and United Way organizations in communities where The Toro Company’s employees live and work.

An additional element of the global giving effort includes a special program for its employees who wish to personally give to designated COVID-19 relief organizations. Under the program, The Toro Company will match employee contributions to a nonprofit organization of their choice in support of relief efforts.

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Bobcat in action in Germany

Bobcat in action in Germany: With over 3000 tournament events a year and almost four million people who, according to the Allensbach study, call themselves riders, horse riding is extremely popular in Germany.

The quality of the riding surface is an important part of horse and rider health. A special sand/fleece mixture has established itself as an international standard and, in addition to long life, ensures sufficient grip when jumping, landing and turning.

Bobcat in action in Germany

Bobcat in action in Germany

A pioneer in the use of this mixture is fair ground GmbH, which relies on a Bobcat T870 compact track loader and various Bobcat attachments when laying and maintaining surfaces for riding arenas, tournaments and outdoor installations. The company used all of this Bobcat equipment to lay materials for the 9000 m² of riding areas used in the Hanover exhibition halls for the 2019 Horse and Hunting Fair.

“We chose the Bobcat T870 compact track loader and are very satisfied with the performance. Above all, our operator is very enthusiastic about what they can do with the machine, after getting used to handling the new track loader in the shortest possible time. The tracks and the very wide range of possible applications means the Bobcat T870 is the perfect machine for us,” says Ekhard Dettmeier, fair ground Managing Director, who was an active show jumper until the end of the 1980s. To complete the 9000 m² of riding area at the Horse and Hunting Fair in Hanover in just two days, the T870 was combined with a Bobcat laser grader.

A Machine for Day-to-Day Business

As well as the spectacular one-offs such as the Horse and Hunting Fair, the T870 has also proved itself in fair ground’s day-to-day business. “The tracks on the T870 offer great advantages, especially in the outdoor spaces that we are creating,” Ekhard Dettmeier adds. The ground pressure plays an important role. Thanks to the tracks, this is very low. Due to its compact size, the powerful T870 is also ideal for smaller riding arenas and halls.

The many attachments compatible with the T870 also make work easier. In the compact loader segment, Bobcat has around 75 different families of attachments that cover a very wide range of tasks. “You can tell that the attachments are also from Bobcat when you use them. It is much better when the attachments are matched to the carrier machine. And thanks to the compact size of the equipment, we can put plenty of attachments on the same flatbed trailer as the T870,” explains Ekhard Dettmeier. This saves time and transportation costs. More time is saved as it is easy to change between attachments on site thanks to Bobcat’s Bob-Tach quick-change system.

Bobcat T870 in Continuous Use

“The T870 compact track loader is a real workhorse for us. The machine is in use for seven to eight hours a day. We have received excellent support from Bobcat dealer, Müller Maschinen GmbH in Hildesheim,” says Dettmeier.

“It is always nice for us to see the reaction when we supply our customers with the right tool for their requirements. With its wide range of products and wide variety of attachments, the Bobcat range repeatedly proves its versatility. If we can also help the customer with a tailor-made service, we are of course delighted,” said Ulf Ahrens from Müller Maschinen GmbH.

For more information about Bobcat and Bobcat products, visit the website www.bobcat.com

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Young greenkeepers day a success

Young greenkeepers day a success: The greenkeeping industry is in good hands if the first Young Greenkeepers Education Day is anything to go by.

The event earlier this year was supported by Toro and Reesink Turfcare, who were also two of the sponsors, and organised by Ryan Neale, greenkeeper at Blackwell Golf Club in his role on the BIGGA Young Greenkeeper Committee, Alex Brougham from Trentham Park Golf Club and Danny Patten from Huyton and Prescot Golf Club. It was designed to inspire and educate young greenkeepers through a series of interactive sessions, machinery, irrigation and tractor demonstrations and career development advice.

Young greenkeepers day a success

Young greenkeepers day a success

Rochelle Bedford, marketing manager at Reesink Turfcare, the sole distributor in the UK for Toro’s golf and sports fields equipment and irrigation, and TYM products, says: “The initiative of these three young greenkeepers to have come up with the idea for this and to implement it, is really inspiring and it’s a great match for our company ethos to promote and support the future of the industry.”

Ryan says: “The idea developed over a pint of Guinness after a day volunteering at last year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush. I was with Alex and Danny talking about how great it would be if there was an exclusive event focussed entirely on content specifically for young greenkeepers. We wanted to encourage networking, improving confidence and sharing experiences to help with their own careers.”

The event, held at Blackwell Golf Club in Bromsgrove where Ryan works, was designed for greenkeepers aged between 16 and 30. Volunteering advice and personal development was provided by Ryan, a career development presentation by Alex and an inspirational chat on the 10 minutes that changed his career was led by Danny in relation to his successful application to the 2018 Young Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award. Machinery demonstrations and an irrigation display were conducted by representatives for Toro machinery, Toro irrigation and TYM tractors from Reesink Turfcare.

Ryan continues: “We all also agreed that not many of us get the chance to have a go on the latest equipment and how great it would be to give attendees the chance to see and operate the latest kit. Jon Lewis from Reesink Turfcare put a list together of the latest Toro and TYM machines available to demonstrate and the machinery station consisted of the Toro Outcross with ProCore 1298 aerator, two pedestrian mowers including the new Toro Greensmaster 1021, a Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex series ride-on mower, and two TYM tractors with various attachments. There was an irrigation display and presentation on different heads, set up and maintenance.”

Reesink’s Pete Newton, who was there on behalf of Toro irrigation, says: “The day had a bit of everything in it and worked really well. We broke down the concept of irrigation, explaining how to set valves, open sprinklers, set their arcs and manage basic irrigation problem solving, while also demonstrating some of Toro’s irrigation products.” While Scott Turner representing TYM tractors says: “It was great to meet the faces of greenkeeping for tomorrow, it represents a promising future for the industry, and we were delighted to be involved.”

Rochelle continues: “We had a range of Toro machinery and TYM tractors there for attendees to try. Giving these young greenkeepers the chance to experience these machines gives a feel for what’s possible with the right equipment and sets a benchmark for quality.”

Ryan concludes: “We are very pleased with how the day went and look forward to planning, and helping others plan, similar events in the future. We were really lucky to have not just such influential players in the industry such as Reesink and Toro, ICL and Syngenta support and sponsor us, but to have such a good turnout of young greenkeepers keen to learn and network. The combination made for an incredibly successful day.”

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Japanese excellence at Whitefield GC

Japanese excellence at Whitefield GC: Whitefield Golf Club, one of the longest established golf courses in the North West have invested in a brand-new fleet of machinery with a retail value in excess of £250,000 to futureproof the club.

The prestigious 18-hole mature golf course, which boasts superb putting surfaces, undulating, partly tree-lined fairways and spectacular views is also renowned for its par 3 and has a reputation as being deceptively difficult, with golfers coming from miles around to take on the challenge.

Japanese excellence at Whitefield GC

Japanese excellence at Whitefield GC

The club’s ageing fleet had started to become an issue, failing to deliver the standard required and with a prestigious tournament booked for this summer, the team realised that a sizeable investment in an entirely new fleet was required.

Course Manager Danny Chamberlain called upon award winning fine-turf specialist supplier GGM Groundscare. Several considerations had to be taken into account when selecting the best machinery for the job, with reliability and productivity of equipment being key. In addition, being based in the North West of England, it was key for the machinery to perform well in all-weather conditions. The club trialled a range of products from leading manufacturers Baroness and Kubota and the Greens team instantly saw the great results, with the machines staying on cut for longer and giving a precise finish, which is so important for maintaining the image of the course”

Danny was particularly impressed with the results from the Baroness LM2700 Fairway Mower, which  delivers a high work rate while delivering exceptional quality of cut, low whole life service costs and also long life and the Baroness GM2810 Rough Mower, renowned for its fast speed when cutting extensive areas of fast growing  rough, the design of the decks allows cleaner discharge of grass giving a high quality stripped finish.

“It’s the simplicity that I love – not only will it reduce downtime, maintenance and service costs – the Baroness is far easier and safer for the team to use and gives a truly outstanding quality of cut”

Additionally, the Kubota L2501 tractor, RTV X900 Utility vehicle and ZD1211 Zero turn mower are all excellent machines and provide the club with the quality and efficient solutions that it needs. The Baroness and Kubota products work so well together and gives the ideal package to golf clubs.

It was this, along with the reliability and output of all the machines the club trialled and the fixed-cost service and support package that was available that were key factors for Danny. It allows the club to budget better and gave the team peace of mind that they won’t be receiving unexpected repair bills that gave him the confidence to place an order to replace the full fleet.

“It was a huge step for the club to move away from the previous manufacturer, and particularly when it came to making an investment of this size however, GGM Groundscare made the process so easy. Working with the right dealership is essential – after all, they become an extension of your own team. Service levels, parts back up and sales advice are all absolutely crucial. It’s fantastic to know that we’re heading into the future with the very best fleet for our club.”

Chris Gibson, Managing Director at GGM Groundscare said:

“We are absolutely delighted to supply this fleet of machinery to Whitefield Golf Club. It is well known as one of the most prestigious courses in the North West with a reputation for pristine greens, and we are thrilled to play a part in the maintenance of them. It really is Japanese excellence working together with Kubota and Baroness as there are no better machines for golf clubs to use to maintain one of their biggest assets – their course”.

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