Support For Notts Golf Club At Qualifier For Major Tournament

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Support For Notts Golf Club At Qualifier For Major Tournament: Kyoeisha UK, the distributor of Baroness professional mowing equipment, supported Notts Golf Club when they hosted the final qualifier for a major tournament, held at Hollinwell on 4th July 2017.

Support For Notts Golf Club At Qualifier For Major Tournament

Notts Golf Club is a heathland course, measuring 7,250 yards and set in 400 acres of free draining sandstone in a natural valley within Kirkby Forest. It is maintained to championship standard year-round and has been used for major professional and amateur events throughout the years.

Baroness, together with their recently appointed local dealer, Platts Harris, provided support machinery including two Baroness LM 2700 fairway machines, which were used exclusively for fairway mowing leading up to and during the event, and two Baroness LM 315 greens mowers assisted with final greens preparation. Platts Harris provided standby technical support, which although not utilised, provided the Hollinwell team with peace of mind.

Following the prestigious qualifying event, , Phil Stain said,

“The competition was a great success and our thanks go to Baroness and Platts Harris for their support. We really appreciated their efforts and hope to be adding more Baroness kit to our fleet in the not-too-distant future. Over the last two years, Baroness have proved to us that, without question, they are a serious contender in the turf industry. In fact, in some circumstances they clearly have the edge over the competition. Ease of maintenance, cut quality and longevity are major factors to consider when we’re choosing new kit and Baroness ticks all the boxes for us.”

Jim Whitton, Business Development Manager at Baroness UK added,

“I have known Phil Stain for many years and was delighted to be able to assist him with support equipment for this prestigious event. It’s good to know that Baroness mowers can easily provide the cutting quality, performance and reliability demanded by such a high-level event.”

Notts Golf Club was formed in 1887 and moved to its current location in 1900. Willie Park Jnr designed the 18-hole course and it was opened for play on 3rd November 1901. Today, it is a thriving club with over 500 members and has frequently been the venue for major amateur competitions including the English Amateur and the Brabazon Trophy.

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‘Phenomenal’ SISIS Osca Works Wonders For The Potters

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‘Phenomenal’ SISIS Osca works Wonders for the Potters: Andy Jackson, grounds manager at Stoke City FC, has reported ‘phenomenal’ results since incorporating the SISIS Osca tractor mounted oscillating brush into his synthetic surface maintenance programme.

‘Phenomenal’ SISIS Osca Works Wonders For The Potters

It is safe to say that Andy Jackson is a one-club-man. Having started as an apprentice at Stoke City FC in 1994, he has since worked his way up the ladder and now sits in the hot seat as grounds manager in which he oversees the maintenance of the pitch at the bet365 Stadium and all of the facilities at Clayton Wood training ground.

Clayton Wood boasts a multitude of state of the art facilities including two and a half Desso Grassmaster pitches, five soil based pitches and two full size synthetic surfaces.

“Getting the right equipment for all the different textured pitches we have here is big task, and it’s key to how we go about our business,” says Andy. “The use on our synthetic pitches has become incredibly high so I needed to look at something which would combat that. I wanted a machine that was going to be effective and quick but to get a machine to do those two things I felt would be a hard task.”

Fortunately, Andy came across the SISIS Osca while attending the STMA Conference and Exhibition in San Diego last year and arranged for a demonstration to be undertaken as soon as he returned to home soil. The demonstration quickly revealed that Andy had found the machine he had been looking for.

The SISIS Osca is a tractor mounted powered oscillating brush with a 1.9 meter working width and is equally effective when used on synthetic turf with sand or rubber infill. The two oscillating brushes stand the carpet fibres up and redistributes the infill evenly, minimising compaction on the surface and improving its performance – giving consistent playing characteristics while preventing pile damage caused by reduced infill levels.

A contributory factor to the reduction of compaction is that the Osca’s working width will use fewer passes than other more conventional drag brushes to complete a pitch. Its aggressive brushing action agitates the upper infill level of the surface from side to side as well as brushing forward, helping reduce surface compaction and encourage the fibres to stand up straight which reduces the risk of contamination, drainage problems and leaves a consistent playing surface across the whole pitch.

“The Ocsa had everything we were looking for and the beauty is that it is extremely versatile. You can go deep into the pile or just take it lightly over the top – everything is adjustable to enable the machine to do exactly what is required.”

“The Oscillating brushes are the best feature for me because they get rid of any compaction problems and they provide a fantastic finish. Players at all levels, from seven year olds up to the first team, play on these pitches, so for me it is just important to have the synthetic surfaces as well presented as the natural pitches.”

Andy sets an hour aside each day to use the Osca and designates a fortnightly three hour time slot to carry out a more intensive clean. Since using the Osca he has noticed a significant improvement and he is not the only one.

“The Osca has brought our synthetic pitch to a new level and the feedback we’ve had from the staff, the coaches and the players has been really positive.”

“The results have been phenomenal and personally I think the Osca ticks all the boxes in getting synthetic turf to a level where it needs to be.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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Bobcat Introduces All New XRZ & XRZ Pro Zero Turn Mower

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Bobcat introduces all new XRZ & XRZ Pro Zero Turn Mower: To ensure Bobcat and its customers are competitive in the Utility and Budget Priced zero turn market Bobcat have introduced the XRZ & XRZ Pro models.

Bobcat introduces all new XRZ & XRZ Pro Zero Turn Mower

Built for lawn mowing professionals who put affordability high on their shopping list without compromising quality. Price range XRZ- £6800-7150.  XRZ Pro £7350-7800. ROPS £338. All plus vat.

Equipped with 22” rear Drive Wheels for a smooth ride over undulating terrain also giving increased traction on slopes and overall stability. Available in deck sizes 48”,52” and 61” there is a model for most needs. Adjustable deck from the sitting position with cutting heights from one and a half inch to four and a half inch.

Powered by reliable Kawasaki FR engines with Hydro Gear ZT3100 Transaxles that allow operators to mow at groundspeeds of up to 8 mph, coupled with a large 6 gallon fuel tank the XRZ has plenty of cutting hours in the tank. With operator comfort a priority some models are equipped with a premium high back elastomeric vibration control (EVC) seat to ease out the vibrations on undulating terrain.

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Second Toro Agreement For Sherborne

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Five Years Trouble-Free Mowing Sees Second Toro Agreement For Sherborne

Second Toro Agreement For Sherborne

Five years of trouble-free mowing sees Sherborne Golf Club on the border of Dorset and Somerset embark on its second five-year partnership agreement with Toro.

Coinciding with an extensive re-landscaping project, Toro has earnt its position at the club by being able to cope with the tough work involved with course improvements and the daily year-round cutting the free-draining, grass-factory course demands.

Course manager Chris Watson says: “When we made the decision to first partner with Toro, it wasn’t the most logical decision logistically, nor the cheapest. Devon Garden Machinery [DGM], the Toro dealer for the area, is about an hour and a half away, and there are closer dealers for competitive machinery, one just nine miles away, and Toro’s premium turfcare machinery isn’t the cheapest available. However, it is the best for a precision cut with an unsurpassed after-cut appearance and that trumped everything for everyone involved in the decision.

“DGM has proved distance doesn’t matter. For example, I recently alerted my contact Elliot Wellman about a hydraulic breakdown at 6am and by 3pm a replacement machine had been sourced and delivered. This kind of support and service – trouble-free! – is so reassuring to have.”

The parkland course can be challenging to maintain. The soil is sandy, the grass grows quickly and the terrain is hilly. All of these factors put machines to the test, as Chris, who has been at Sherborne for 14 years and leads a greenkeeping team of four, confirms: “We’ve recently taken delivery of a Reelmaster 5610-D, which is a replacement machine. We did consider an alternative, but with a course like this and the potential to have a repeat occurrence of the inordinate amount of rain seen over the summer of 2012 meant we went with the machine we knew could handle extreme conditions. Even with grass growth regulators we are cutting every day! Plus, the power-to-hill ratio of that machine is perfect for this course.”

Adding to the day-to-day is a landscaping project which has been ongoing for over the five years. Four holes have been redone, new back tees have been created and some have been moved, the course has been extended and now work has moved on to the practise areas. All the work is sympathetic to and reflective of the original James Braid design of the course and the results are being warmly received by members.

“Our landscaping project is self-funding,” says Chris. “The landscaping materials come from local housing developments. 14,000 tones of soil have been used to rebuild a tiger tee and give moulding around the green on the eighth hole. The other tees have been mounded into the landscaping to create tiger tees and the landscaping around the first four holes have been enhanced. When we were in the initial stages of designing and planning we took into account the Toro fleet and subsequently the machines have done a great job on the new surfaces, especially the rough decks.”

This deal makes Sherborne a 100 percent Toro club and includes the purchase, rather than lease, of the club’s handmowers including the latest delivery of two Greensmaster 1000 pedestrian mowers. Combine the flexibility of these new machines with the club’s 125th anniversary year approaching, and there’s plenty for Sherborne and Toro to look forward to together!

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Fleet Upgrade Pays Dividends

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Fleet Upgrade Pays Dividends: When Potters Point holiday resort in County Wicklow, Ireland replaced its golf course maintenance equipment fleet, it carried on a 20-year association with John Deere.

Fleet Upgrade Pays Dividends

This exclusive luxury mobile home park was established in 1957 and is situated in rolling parkland on a stunning headland overlooking Brittas Bay. Resort members have free use of Potters Point Golf Club; established in 1987, the nine-hole parkland course is also open to green fee paying non-members. Both the resort and the course were developed by Malachy McDaniel Stone.

“We bought our first John Deere machines in 1997,” says manager Irene Lacey. “John Deere machines last for ages – we’d had nothing new since 2008, so the fleet was getting old. This time, rather than replace the machines individually and pay for ongoing repairs, we decided to change all the equipment at the same time. The benefits were a better trade-in price and all the new machines being up-to-date and equipped with the latest technology.”

The new fleet includes three PrecisionCut cylinder mowers – an 8700A for the fairways, a 2653B for tees and surrounds and a 2500B for the greens – a JX90 walk-behind rotary mower, a 1200A bunker rake, two 3038R compact tractors equipped with mid-mounted rotary mower decks plus one front loader, and three 6×4 diesel Gator utility vehicles.

“We opted to replace two quad bikes with an extra utility vehicle, as the Gator is far more versatile,” says Irene. “In addition to the cargo bed, it can pull a trailer and carry two staff. The Gators are used as general purpose materials and staff transporters, and for jobs such as emptying the bins on the course. They’re four-wheel drive and fitted with heavy-duty all-purpose tyres, as it can be wet at times. The 3038R compacts are also used to mow the grass areas in the mobile home park.”

Whereas other makes have been demonstrated and test-driven in the past, this time Potters Point went straight to its long-time supplier, John Deere dealer Dublin Grass Machinery. “I have been on a number of John Deere courses, so I know the equipment better than other makes,” says head greenkeeper Eamonn Delaney. “We’ve dealt with Dublin Grass Machinery for the past 20 years and know that they provide a high level of after-sales service.

“I also have a good working relationship with their chief technician Roger Ingles. We carry out regular maintenance on-site, while Dublin Grass Machinery takes the machines in for winter servicing and blade changing, and provides a 24 hour turnaround. As the equipment is serviced regularly, we’ve very little downtime and it means the staff are not having to sort out machines when we could be doing something else around the resort.

“As far as the latest technology is concerned, compared to our older fleet, the quick-release system on the compact tractors’ mid-mounted deck is a fantastic piece of engineering. Setting up features such as the single-point height of cut adjustment on the mowers are a massive improvement too – they’re much easier and save a huge amount of time,” Eamonn adds.

“Engine noise has also been reduced considerably on all the machines and there are a lot more safety devices – the health and safety aspect has improved greatly.”

For more information, visit: www.JohnDeere.co.uk

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