Jacobsen Chosen to Maintain Vietnam’s Newest Golf Course

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Jacobsen Equipment Chosen to Maintain Vietnam’s Newest Golf Course: Textron Specialized Vehicles, a Textron Inc.. company, announced that its Jacobsen equipment has been chosen to maintain Yen Dung Resort and Golf Club, a newly constructed golf course in the Bac Giang province located just 50km North-East of Hanoi in Vietnam.

The course has been designed by Albanese & Lutzke Inc. and the first 18-holes opened on the 20th August 2017. The golf course will expand to 36-holes during the next phase of construction due to take place in 2020. As the only golf course in the province, it is expected to receive heavy traffic particularly from professionals working at the nearby industrial parks.

Jacobsen Equipment Chosen to Maintain Vietnam’s Newest Golf Course

The Club has invested heavily in course maintenance equipment and has purchased nine Eclipse 2 greens mowers, nine Greens King 526 mowers, three GP400 ride-on mowers, five Greens King 526 mowers, three LF570 fairway mowers, two AR522 contour rotary mowers, one AR-3, two Groom Master II bunker rakes, eight HoverKing speciality mowers and two Jacobsen Truckster XD utility vehicles.

Nguyen Nhu Ngoc is the golf course superintendent at the new golf course. Commenting on the construction of the course and the machinery chosen to maintain it, he said:

“We are on the side of a mountain here, so we have had to construct the course as well as infrastructure such as roads and bridges. It has all come together well, and it will be spectacular to play for golfers visiting the area; we are the only golf course in the province.

“I chose Jacobsen equipment because I have used the machinery on my previous course, and I have always been blown away with the results. The quality is good, and the support from our dealer, Shriro Vietnam, is also fantastic. I am confident that all of our needs will be taken care of, and we will be able to provide an exceptional golfing experience here in Bac Giang.”

There are 60 staff members in the maintenance team at Yen Dung Resort and Golf Club who manage an area of ​​190 hectares. There are 138 villas surrounding the golf course for sale, and a hotel on-site.

For more information, visit: www.jacobsen.com/europe

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Textron Golf Chosen at Hogs Head Golf Club  

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Textron Golf Chosen at Hogs Head Golf Club: Hogs Head Golf Club, a brand-new course located in County Kerry, Ireland, has chosen equipment from Textron Golf (Jacobsen®, E-Z-GO® and Cushman®) to maintain its surfaces.

The course replaces Skellig Bay Golf Club and has been built in the picturesque town of Waterville, with golfer’s able to enjoy spectacular views of the Irish coast and Atlantic Ocean. Local dealer Broderick Grass Machinery demonstrated and delivered the new machinery.

The machinery purchased by the Club includes three LF577 fairway mowers, one AR522 rough mower, one AR-3 rotary mower, two GP400 greens mowers, two Eclipse 322 greens mowers, 10 Greens King mowers for tees and greens, a Jacobsen Truckster, two ISEKI tractors, 20 E-Z-GO RXV ELiTE Freedom golf cars and a Cushman Hauler PRO.

Textron Golf Chosen at Hogs Head Golf Club  

David Daly is the golf course superintendent at Hogs Head Golf Club. Commenting on the opening of the new course, and the equipment purchased, he said:

“This is a very exciting time for everyone involved in this project. We started construction in March 2016 where we used 150,000 tonnes of sand to cap all playing areas with eight inches of sand. The course will play firm, fast and dry all year round. It has been an eye-opening experience, but the results speak for themselves.

“We chose equipment from Textron Golf because Jacobsen was recommended by Michael Murphy at Waterville Golf Links, and I have used the machines in the past and they have always been very good. The technology on the Eclipse is the best you’ll find, and it also provides us with a fantastic quality of cut. I am also very impressed with the LF577; it now takes us half the time to cut the fairways than it used to on the old course.

“A crucial part of the decision-making process was the relationship with the dealer and the back-up support we would receive. This is where Brodericks, and our local dealer Pat Geaney, really made our minds up for us. The companies both provide the best service around, and I know I can have parts delivered the same day if needed. I’m very happy with the equipment from Textron Golf, and the support from our dealers.”

Niall Moran is the general manager at Hogs Head Golf Club, and was responsible for the purchase of the new E-Z-GO ELiTE Freedom golf cars. He said:

“Investing in these golf cars was a no-brainer for the Club. They deliver the best performance, save us the most money by reducing electricity bills, and are light on the course which prevents damage. We have put a lot of resources into course maintenance equipment, so we want to ensure that the surfaces are protected as much as possible, and the new golf cars provide us with this. We’ll be using them on the golf course and for transporting people from the hotel to the course and vice versa.”

For more information, visit: www.jacobsen.com/europe

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John Deere Supports The 2017 British Masters

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John Deere supports The 2017 British Masters: John Deere course maintenance equipment supplied by dealer Greenlay of Cramlington in Northumberland has been helping to prepare the Lee Westwood Colt Course at Close House for The 2017 British Masters in September – the first time the north-east venue has welcomed a European Tour event.

Supported by Sky Sports, the tournament has been hosted by the club’s attached tour professional Lee Westwood, who originally opened the Colt Course in 2011 as the world’s number one golfer. Other stars include Masters Champion Sergio Garcia and four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, who made both his professional tournament debut and first start in a professional event in The British Masters in 2007.

Set in almost 400 acres of beautiful Northumberland countryside at Heddon-on-the-Wall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Close House was voted one of the top 100 courses in the UK just 12 months after opening in 2011, and is the only course in the north-east of England to hold that accolade.

John Deere Supports The 2017 British Masters

John Deere equipment has had a presence here from the outset, when Greenlay supplied greens, tees & surrounds and fairway mowers, an Aercore aerator and core collector, compact tractors, Gator utility vehicles and an HD200 amenity turf sprayer.

Lee Westwood has assisted in improving features on the course, and his experience in competing on the world’s best courses has allowed the Close House team to produce a golf course that provides a challenge to all levels of golfer. “It’s an undulating parkland course that is like a links to play,” says course manager Brian Clark.

Brian and his team of 20 staff maintain all areas of the estate, which has three courses including the Filly and the 9-hole Yearling par 3 in addition to the championship Colt. These are maintained to a high standard with a large equipment fleet, including the John Deere machines.

To ensure this standard is maintained throughout the four days of tournament play and ensure the smooth running of The British Masters competition, the Close House team has been assisted by 20 volunteers, while John Deere and Greenlay have also stepped in with the loan of additional equipment to supplement the existing fleet.

John Deere provided two XUV 855D S4 Gators and two greens mower trailers, two TE electric Gators and an 8000AE hybrid electric fairways mower, with Greenlay supplying a 9009A TerrainCut rough mower featuring the programmable TechControl display.

“Course preparation started 18 months ago, and there has been a lot more fine manicuring to bring the cut to PGA presentation standards,” says Brian Clark. “The 8000AE is being used on the fairways to maintain the height at 8mm throughout the tournament. Our existing John Deere 2653 utility mower helps keep the semi-rough to 30mm, and the greens are being mown at anything from 2.5 to 3mm.

“The mowers ensure a high standard of cut – whenever a new model comes onto the market I’m amazed at the improvement in cut quality. The extra Gators and mower trailers also help to ensure that we can get men and machines quickly and efficiently around the course to mow the tees, greens and approaches.

“Close House hosting The British Masters is very good for the north-east, and we very much appreciate the assistance from John Deere and Greenlay, with whom we have a good, long established relationship – the after-sales back-up the dealer provides is fantastic.”

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

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GKB Drainmaster Makes Their Day

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GKB Drainmaster Makes Their Day: Phil Day Sports of Worcestershire has added a GKB Machines Drainmaster to their fleet of sports ground construction and maintenance equipment.

Established in the late 1990’s Phil Day’s company has built a firm reputation as a leading sports turf contractor and specialist in the sports amenity sector. Their constant aim, they say, is to offer best value by constantly upgrading specialist equipment and machinery. They see the GKB Drainmaster as having a significant role in the work they carry out for their wide range of customers which includes Premier League football clubs, county cricket, top class rugby and golf clubs and leading independent schools.

GKB Drainmaster Makes Their Day

As every turf professional and greenkeeper knows, surface water and pitches that stay wet for too long will always be an issue along with the cost and downtime for renovation. The GKB Drainmaster offers a complete solution to improving and accelerating the drainage of surface water. Toby Grace, Business Development Manager at Phil Day Sports, had been looking at investing in a secondary drainage system for a while and was impressed by what could be achieved with the Drainmaster. He and his team decided they were going to need one for a number of pending client requirements, including work at West Bromwich Albion F.C., Wasps Rugby and the STRI. Once ordered, after tender at the beginning of 2017, the GKB machine arrived within three weeks and was put to work with immediate results. The Drainmaster excavates two or three trenches four centimetres wide which are positioned perpendicular to the existing underlying drainage. Soil removed is disposed of by means of conveyor belts and can be re-used as dressing soil. The trenches are filled with drainage sand up to the operating depth of 23cm in the same operation while the Drainmaster wheels press the sand into the trenches.

“We have found the Drainmaster does what it says with unique sandslits to the correct width and depth and we have seen excellent results.” Says Toby. “With the way the sand bunker has been developed, you can choose to operate the full length of the pitch in one operation or two across the width. The grass grows on the trenches in a matter of weeks.” The overall effect is strengthening of the grass while the drainage network ensures a higher playing capacity.

“The next real test will be in the winter months and with the changing weather we’ll be carefully monitoring the results.” Toby says. “For now we’re very happy with the quality achieved and the service we have had. GKB as the manufacturer talk to us and we’re providing feedback so it’s a two-way traffic of information that helps us all.”

GKB add that where there is a need to create a more even, well-functioning pitch you can combine the operations of the Drainmaster and their well-known Combinator for the optimum playing surface.

To find out more, visit: www.gkbmachines.com

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Bobcat Dealer AMS Bobcat Celebrates 25th Anniversary

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Bobcat Dealer AMS Bobcat Celebrates 25th Anniversary: Scunthorpe-based AMS Bobcat Limited, the Authorised Bobcat Dealer for Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire in the UK, is celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary this year. 

Established in 1992, AMS Bobcat took its name from the initials of the surnames of its three founders, George Aitkenhead, Alex Murray and Peter Sowerby.

Initially set up as a hire, service and sales company for compact machinery, AMS Bobcat began business mainly hiring skid-steer loaders and mini-excavators to the steel works based in Scunthorpe.

AMS placed its first order with Bobcat in 1993 for 35 skid-steer loaders and attachments.  Soon after the order, AMS was appointed the Bobcat Dealer for Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire and North Norfolk and has remained in this role ever since.  The company is one of the longest standing Bobcat dealers in the UK.

UKs first S450_AMS_Rodmell

Over the intervening years, AMS has sold in excess of 3500 new Bobcat units into a wide range of industries, including construction, agriculture, shipping, plant hire, mining, landscaping and demolition.

Managing Director, Steve McIntosh, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating our 25th anniversary this year.  As a Bobcat dealer for almost all of that period, there have been many memorable moments from appearing live from our stand at the Muck99 show on Channel 4’s Big Breakfast programme to several firsts including the sale of the UK’s first Bobcat 17 m telehandler in Hull Docks and the first of the very latest Bobcat S450 skid-steer loaders in the UK farming industry.“

Paul Hyslop, Bobcat District Manager (UK North & Nordics), commented:  “On behalf of Doosan Bobcat EMEA, I would like to congratulate AMS for achieving this notable milestone.  AMS is a very professional company which is easy to do business with.  With an excellent track record as a Bobcat dealer, AMS has never waivered over the last 25 years from offering the very best in customer service to match our market-leading Bobcat range.“

Prominent in Rental

With 25 years’ experience in the plant hire industry, AMS has built up a state-of-the-art rental fleet of Bobcat machinery and attachments comprising 65 skid-steer loaders, 35 compact excavators and 10 telescopic handlers.  Steve McIntosh added: “The company maintains a team of experts who are on hand to offer customers advice they might need regarding the best machinery for their project.  The high quality of the products is only matched by the high quality of the customer service and AMS takes great pride in tailoring our service to meet the specific needs of each of our customers.”

Steve (1997 – present) is one of several staff AMS has been lucky enough to have at the company for more than 20 years.  The others include founder, George Aitkenhead, who is still Chairman/Owner today, together with Hire Manager, Pauline Chafer (1995 – present); Service Manager, Kevin Barrowcliffe (1997 – present) and Service Engineers, Dave Borrell (1995 – present) and Allwyn Dalton (1997 – present).

With this level of experience, it is not surprising that AMS offers an excellent level of expertise and knowledge of the Bobcat range and the other products it offers, whether it be new and used equipment sales, parts supply, service repairs or long and short term rental.

Steve McIntosh added: “Having started with five staff members, AMS now employs 25 people including Service, Parts, Hire and Sales Managers; six service engineers, three HGV drivers, three plant operators as well as reception and accounts staff.  In acknowledgement of our high level of customer service, we have been accredited since 2003 to the highest industry standards ISO 9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001.”

AMS is responsible for sales and service of Bobcat skid-steer, compact tracked and all wheel steer loaders, compact excavators, telehandlers and attachments throughout Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire.

AMS also offers a full selection of genuine Bobcat accessories and parts to support both new and existing Bobcat customers in its area.  Customers benefit from AMS’s well-established on-site service network, covering everything from emergency repairs to routine maintenance.  The company offers flexible service agreements including 24 hours a day coverage, depending on the requirements of the customer.

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