Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

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Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro: New 10-year Toro agreement deal for Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club in Troon on the west coast of Scotland takes relationship to 50 years.

Kilmanock (Barassie) Golf Club has been hosting Championship events since 1936 so knows a few things about what it takes to create the ideal playing surface. That’s why it’s chosen Toro for another 10 years in an exclusive partnership agreement with Reesink Turfcare.

Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

The agreement with distributor Reesink Turfcare will see the whole fleet of machines replaced over two five-year cycles. Course manager Brian Finlayson who has worked at the club for 28 years and manages a team of ten greenkeepers, says Toro has suited the club since the early 1980s: “Barassie has been an all-Toro club for 40 years and the reason for that is it suits our every need. We are a very high-maintenance, championship-standard golf club and reliability and quality from our machinery are essential. Toro has never let us down.”

In the new deal, Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club will upgrade like-for-like on previous models as it has been doing for decades as well as taking on some new technology in an effort to become more eco-friendly and reduce its carbon footprint with electric and hybrid alternatives such as the Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 and the Toro Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420.

The Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 replaces Brian’s favourite mower, the Greensmaster 3250-D, he says: “The Greensmaster 3250-D is a world-renowned greens mower for good reason. The quality of cut is exemplary. We wanted to continue the same quality of cut but with an energy smart focus so the new order will see its hybrid counterpart, the Hybrid 3420, come on board with its electric cylinder drive.”

The club has hosted many championships since 1936 and Brian takes special pride in the Women’s Amateur Championship, held this year, and the Junior Open Championship hosted in 2006, which he considers the highlights of his career. With tournaments being such a large and important part of the club’s calendar, having back up and support Brian can rely on is vital.

This deal, which also includes TYM tractors, is the club’s first done directly with Reesink Turfcare’s Livingstone branch about which Brian says: “Reesink has looked after us fantastically well and offers us first-class support especially during tournaments. That’s a large part of the club’s life and history hosting these big events and knowing we can get first-class support and back up gives us a lot of peace of mind. I’m hoping by the end of summer Reesink will be doing all our servicing and fleet work. I can’t speak highly enough of Reesink.”

Was there any thought of switching brands or going with another distributor? Brian says: “Never, at any stage did we think about going for another manufacturer. When given the choice to go to another competitor, the staff operating the Toro equipment said hands down they wanted to continue with the brand. Plus, we don’t do full mechanics here and knowing we can count on Reesink makes things a lot easier. We’ve stuck with Toro throughout the years and will continue to do so with Reesink.”

With Barassie and Toro’s relationship reaching half a century by the end of this agreement, it’s certainly a future that looks golden!

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Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

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Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann: An Aberdeenshire golf course has added a 4.05 m winged Wiedenmann Terra Brush to its fleet at the same time as updating its Terra Spike GXi8 HD.  Portlethen GC, six miles south of Aberdeen, made the double investment during early summer. Neil Sadler, head greenkeeper since 2009, had no hesitation in opting for both machines.

“Our GXi8 HD was a ‘like for like’ purchase.  We’d got one of the very first at launch ten years ago and it’s literally given hundreds of hours of neat aeration.  We part exchanged and the new one took over from where we left off …  it is superb, so versatile, with many tine choices.   It has considerably improved the surfaces of our tees, greens and approaches. If our fairways weren’t as rocky, it would be used there, too,” said Neil Sadler.

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

Built just over 40 years ago, Portlethen GC, offers golfers two challenging parkland circuits of nine holes and the option of four different courses, all with an abundance of natural features. Course development has seen the planting of around 21,000 carefully selected trees, restoration of a drystone dyke, construction of stone bridges, new tees at several holes and a pond at the short fifth.

Neil leads a team of three, supplemented at times by two seasonal staff. In summer, their day begins at 05.00 am giving them three hours to work on the course ahead of first tee off at 08.00 am.

“The more we do ahead of play the better. Once the golfers catch you up, it can be a dangerous sport,” continued Neil, who unfortunately ended up in A&E twice last year, after being struck by a golf ball.

“Our club is supportive. They appreciate we need kit that helps us do the job efficiently and quickly. The Terra Brush was another easy decision.  I’d seen the Wiedenmann demonstrated and remembered it. Our previous brush had given good service but had only one row of bristles on the wings. The Wiedenmann has four rows of bristles across its entire extended width; the row pattern is a mixture of straights and diagonals.  The bristles, therefore, are more consistent and connect better with the turf, even on undulations, so really stand the grass up or work the top dressing in harder. We chose medium firm bristles.

“September through to October, the brush is out first thing every day, brushing dew from fairways and approaches. A quick pass keeps the fairways clear of debris, the removal of the moisture leaves the grass plant drier and we follow on with a clean cut.  Later on, when not cutting as much, brushing just keeps the presentation levels high. It is fantastic for sward refinement and standing the grass tall.

“We’ve only top dressed a few greens since it arrived, but I know it will work well.”

Neil already has a Wiedenmann Mega Twister blower with a 230° swivel capability and a Wiedenmann 1.7 m Terra Rake in his fleet.

“I’ve not quite got the full Wiedenmann set.  The Super 500 is on my wish list but that will have to come later,” joked Neil. “No surprises, we need a strong blower to manage our leaves. They are quite a job; the Mega Twister is sufficiently powerful and its twisting spout allows the tractor to keep moving, avoiding frequent stops to turn around and re-position.

“We take the Terra Rake through semi rough before we cut it, to clear it out and remove thatch. It gets run through the fairways a couple of times during the season. We rake the leaves as well plus lots of other uses. So far, we’ve neither had opportunity nor time to work our Wiedenmann machines in combination, but once the season quietens it’ s only a matter of time,” concluded Neil.

John Morton, Area Manager at Fairways GM, the Scottish dealer for Wiedenmann UK, and Wiedenmann UK’s Andy Kerr were on hand to install both machines.

Portlethen GC hosts the Scottish Men’s Amateur Championship jointly with Murcar Golf Links from July 25-26 followed by the Scottish Men’s Match Play on July 28-29, 2021.

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Etesia finance makes grass cutting child’s play

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Etesia finance makes grass cutting child’s play: Martin Carty, Managing Director at Carty Services, has revealed how a 0% interest finance offer from Etesia UK enabled him to improve operations on a wide range of school playing fields throughout Warwickshire. 

During last year’s uncertainty and inevitable financial pressures, Etesia UK explored the best ways in which it could help their customers. With this in mind, a three years’ interest-free finance offer on the all new Etesia Hydro 80 MKHP5 ride-on mower was introduced to allow customers greater flexibility with their finance.

Etesia finance makes grass cutting child’s play

Etesia finance makes grass cutting child’s play

It was an offer which Martin Carty found too good to ignore.

“We were in the market for a new ride-on mower and the Etesia finance offer would give us the financial flexibility to purchase two mowers rather than one,” said Martin. “This was very appealing because two mowers would certainly help to make us more efficient.”

Based in Warwickshire, Carty Services has a glowing reputation for looking after and maintaining gardens, grounds and school sports fields to an incredibly high standard. The company has been trading for seventeen years and Martin now employees 15 members of staff.

The growth of the company is testament to the quality of work undertaken by the Carty Services team. The reputation of the company is exactly why Martin does not rush into quick decisions when it comes to purchasing new equipment.

“The finance offer obviously helped but it absolutely had to be the best mower for us – we want the finest equipment,” he said. “We looked at lots of different ride-on mowers but quite honestly, the other brands just didn’t tick all the boxes like the Etesia Hydro 80 did. The size of the machine was a big factor in our decision too.”

Measuring less than 1 metre wide, the Etesia Hydro 80 is easily transported in any vehicle whether it be a van or a trailer. Its compact size means that this impressive machine can pass through most gateways and its tight turning circle makes it ideal for small or awkward areas. It mows close to walls and fences and is highly manoeuvrable.

“We purely use the Etesia machines on school playing fields and the great thing about them is the size and how manoeuvrable they are,” he said. “They are extremely easy to get through gates and in and out of playgrounds. They deal with tight corners incredibly well and they fit nicely in the van when transporting them to different sites.

“I like how quiet they are, and we can use them without disturbing the classrooms. The ability to cut and collect in all weathers is also hugely beneficial.”

As Martin says, the Etesia Hydro 80 has been designed to cut and collect both long and short grass, without clogging in any weather. Add to that its compact dimensions, ease of use, hydrostatic drive and powerful 15hp twin-cylinder Kawasaki engine, and you have a highly efficient machine offering the kind of output that would easily replace three walk-behind mowers.

Etesia finance makes grass cutting child’s play

Etesia finance makes grass cutting child’s play

The Hydro 80 has also been robustly built and requires minimal maintenance. Operators have access to the engine and all working parts, and the hydrostatic transmission system is maintenance free. The specially coated 60 mm tubular chassis is also designed for strength and long-life.

“They are speedy, powerful and perform very well,” continued Martin. “I would say that they can cover up to nearly 5,000 square metres per hour – which is perfect when time isn’t on your side. We can be cutting the playing fields in the morning and an hour later the children can be out of playing on them.

“The Hydro 80’s are exceptionally good value for money and nothing at all has gone wrong with them. I’ve been so impressed that I’ve already decided that I’ll be purchasing from Etesia UK again when the time comes.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Etesia UK on Twitter @EtesiaUK and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/EtesiaUK You can also view the latest Etesia videos by visiting www.youtube.com/EtesiaUK

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Start of a “strong new chapter”

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Start of a “strong new chapter”: The turfcare industry reunited for the first time in over 18 months at the Warwickshire Event Centre as the inaugural Festival of Turf took place beneath clear blue skies.

With live music playing on a grand stage and ample opportunities for networking, the exhibition brought a celebratory festival feel, aided by clear sunshine and warm weather.

Start of a “strong new chapter”

Start of a “strong new chapter”

COVID protocols helped to ensure the health and safety of those in attendance and the festival provided a platform for more than 40 exhibitors from across the turfcare industry to showcase their latest innovations and products.

Among the highlights of the event was John Ledwidge, head of sports turf and grounds at Leicester City FC taking to the grand stage for a Q&A session hosted by Martin Smart of Turf Business, who were official media partners for the event.

Also taking place was the presentation of the BIGGA Excellence in Communication Award sponsored by Campey Turf Care Systems, which saw James Bledge, course manager at Royal Cinque Ports, awarded the top prize for a thought-provoking feature he produced on the use of bunker rakes.

Across the two-day event delegates from across various sports and amenity disciplines came through the doors of the Warwickshire Event Centre, bringing a buzz and energy back to the industry that had sadly been missing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all the exhibitors who signed up to support BIGGA and its members at what we hope is the beginning of a strong new chapter for the golf and wider sports turf industry.

Start of a “strong new chapter”

Start of a “strong new chapter”

“There was a tremendous atmosphere as visitors and suppliers came together face-to-face for the first time in 18 months and the overriding feeling was one of optimism. While visitor numbers were not as high as hoped for, those who did attend engaged meaningfully with the exhibitors and reconnected with friends and peers. It was scorching hot, which potentially kept some people away, but the combination of exhibition, live music, refreshments and fantastic weather brought a brilliant sense of occasion to the event. Our thanks go to everyone who came along and rekindled old friendships, struck new deals and enjoyed being together after so long apart.

“Our attention now turns to BTME, taking place this coming January, when the exhibition will return to the Harrogate Convention Centre for the first time since 2020. We have a massive education programme planned and we are incredibly excited about the return of our flagship event. We hope to see you there.”

BTME will take place at the Harrogate Convention Centre on Tuesday 25 to Thursday 27 January 2022. Visitor registration is due to open this autumn. There will also be the return of in-person learning as BIGGA’s world leading Continue to Learn education programme returns to the venue on Sunday 23 to Wednesday 26 January 2022.

You can watch and embed a video from Festival of Turf here: https://vimeo.com/577988216

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