Gathurst GC invests in new fleet

Gathurst GC invests in new fleet: North-West based Gathurst Golf Club have invested in a brand-new fleet of machinery with a retail value of circa £200k to futureproof the club.

The prestigious 18-hole parkland golf course, which boasts a variation of hole designs and superb putting surfaces to challenge golfers of all abilities, is a private members-owned club located in Shevington, Wigan. The club’s ultimate priority is to provide a highly professional course to enhance the enjoyment of all its members.

Gathurst GC invests in new fleet

Gathurst GC invests in new fleet

The club’s ageing fleet, with machines that were up to 20 years old, had started to become both  problematic and costly and were failing to deliver the standard required. The team realised that a sizeable investment in an entirely new fleet was essential.

Chairman of Greens Eddie Cunliffe called upon award winning fine-turf specialist supplier GGM Groundscare, having purchased a machine from the business two years ago and being very impressed with the service received. Several considerations had to be taken into account when selecting the best machinery for the job, with reliability and productivity of equipment being key. Being based in the North West of England, it was key for the machinery to perform well in all-weather conditions and operate well on clay surfaces. In addition, the 9th hole has a large dip which the previous machine was unable to get up, proving time consuming for the greenkeeping team to manage.

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.

Mr Cunliffe was particularly impressed with the results from the Baroness LM2700 Fairway Mower, as the ability to switch from two to four-wheel drive offers the means to cut the entire fairway without any wheel spin, particularly on the tricky 9th hole.

“The new machines have been absolutely brilliant so far and our team have already noticed a huge difference in terms of ease of use and providing a truly outstanding quality of cut. More so, this new fleet is far more efficient and cost effective”.

He continued:

“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 and we have already received outstanding after sales service care, carried out in a quick and effective manner. 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 Gathurst Golf Club. 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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