New Renewal Agreement Sees The Roehampton Club Stay With Toro

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New Renewal Agreement Sees The Roehampton Club Stay With Toro: Multi-sports venue trusts in Toro for golf, tennis and croquet surfaces.

New Renewal Agreement Sees The Roehampton Club Stay With Toro

Constant evolution is what sees Roehampton Club remain one of the best multi-sports Clubs in the UK. Every year for the last three years, there has been a major development at this attractive Club in South West London. As it embarks on its next, which is a £3.5m investment on refurbishing its outdoor pool and adding new studios to the gym, one thing that remains the same is the club’s relationship with Toro machinery, recently confirmed again with the signing of yet another five-year exclusivity agreement.

Roehampton Club has a rich and illustrious history with its origins in polo and croquet rather than the four core sports of golf, tennis, squash and health and fitness it is known for today. Then as it is now though, Roehampton is at the heart of London sporting society.

The priority for course and grounds manager, Peter Bradburn, who heads up a team of 20 is to maintain the high standards on the golf course, tennis courts, croquet lawn and gardens. With its Toro fleet set to grow by up to 75 percent under the new agreement to include machines suitable for all three surfaces, the Club has once again chosen Toro, after conducting a thorough market testing exercise.

“I’ve been involved in the building of golf courses all around Europe,” Peter says. “And although the country – most recently Cyprus (Elea Estate Faldo design), Turkey (Maxx Royal Montgomerie design) and Italy (Palazzo Arzaga Nicklaus design) – changes, Toro has always been a constant. In fact, many projects I have worked on were intentionally undertaken because they involved working with Toro as you can rely on the quality of Toro’s equipment, aftercare and service.

“This agreement encompasses all the turf-based facilities we have here, the management of which requires a multi-disciplined approach”.

Included in the first order under the new agreement comes the Groundsmaster 4700-D and the Greensmaster 3250-D for the 18-hole parkland golf course, which in 2015 was accepted by the World of Leading Golf for the quality of the course. The reason behind choosing the GM4700-D is the greater width of cut it offers. Peter says: “We’ve changed how we manage the roughs by opting for a machine that can deliver a wide cut each time. This improves our timings working around the course, meaning we get things done more quickly.”

Improvements have also been made to the way the fairways are managed. Groomers have been added to the new GM3250-D, which Peter and the team have found enables a better quality of cut in damp conditions. “We can cut in all weathers using this machine”, he says. “And being able to get straight out on the course in the morning regardless of the dew, and start cutting, improves the day’s productivity.”

Being the course and grounds manager of a multi-sports venue involves, says Peter, “wearing many hats!” There are four croquet lawns at the club, all at international standard and reputed to be the best in the UK. Hosting the Croquet World Cup and International Open Championships each year and regular internal and external tournaments, it is essential all four lawns live up to expectations. Peter explains: “Cutting on the croquet lawns is low at 3mm to create a billiards table finish. The Toro Greensmaster 1600 pedestrian mowers fitted with 11-blades deliver a 3mm cut without losing the velvety finish our players like.”

For the 30 tennis courts, of which ten are grass, Peter has brought in Toro’s Greensmaster 1000 pedestrian mowers. “Tennis is a very different surface to manage to golf and croquet. A good, consistent bounce is required and to achieve that the courts must have a high clay content and the grass plant must be well established with a dense root mass to stabilise the ground similar to that used for the cricket field, otherwise the wear caused by play traffic would disintegrate the surface very quickly. The GM1000 mowers offer a precise but gentle cut, ideal for this surface.”

Rubbing shoulders with the other ‘greats’ in the area: The Hurlingham Club, Queens Club and the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Roehampton Club is set apart by being the only one to offer golf for its members. It is ranked one of the best sports clubs in the country and Peter and the club’s greenkeepers who skilfully maintain all grass surfaces with Toro machinery take great pride in that.

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Kubota Announces New Groundcare Dealer Appointment

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Kubota Announces New Groundcare Dealer Appointment: Kubota has further strengthened its extensive UK dealer network with the appointment of Hunts Engineering Ltd as a Kubota tractor and groundcare machinery dealer for Shipston On Stour, as well as covering Coventry, Evesham and Stratford. 

Kubota Announces New Groundcare Dealer Appointment

Hunts Engineering Ltd will initially stock Kubota’s GR1600 II and GR1600ID range of ride-on mowers ready for the start of the grass cutting season, as well as an RTV X900 utility vehicle and compact tractors. Although the working relationship is still very much in its infancy, there is a great confidence that this new dealer partnership will grow the Kubota market share of all groundcare products across the region.

Peter Hunt, Managing Director at Hunts Engineering Ltd, started out as an agricultural engineer before establishing the business with Julie Hunt in 2007. Having been an agricultural engineer for so long, Hunts Engineering Ltd boasts a purpose built workshop with a team of engineers to ensure that servicing and parts are at the heart of the company.

Peter commented: “We are very excited to be working in partnership with such a prestigious company as Kubota. In addition to the great machines they manufacture, it was their commitment to aftersales care that we were really impressed with.

“Service and aftersales care is a big focal point for us and has been the driving force behind the success of our business. It’s great to be working with a company that shares these same values and I’m looking forward to what the future has in store.”

Adrian Langmead, Groundcare Business Development Manager, added: “Our dealer network is the lifeblood of our business and we are thrilled to be working alongside Hunts Engineering Ltd who share the same passion for excellent customer service as we do. I’m sure this is the beginning of what will become a very fruitful working relationship.”

For more information on Kubota and its service solutions for the groundcare and agriculture sectors visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

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Twin Peaks

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Twin Peaks: Now the Polaris Ranger Diesel and Ranger XP900 are virtually identical twins and both offer peak performance. You have the choice of a petrol engine with the Ranger 68hp XP900 ProStar engine that is purpose built, tuned and designed for balanced and smooth, reliable power.

Twin Peaks

The Engine Management System (EMS) delivers the torque and horsepower you need while allowing for optimal fuel economy. Should you prefer Diesel, the Ranger Diesel HD is built for purpose as well with a 1028cc Kohler 3-cylinder overhead cam liquid-cooled engine. This proven, high performance diesel engine utilizes indirect injection and delivers smooth power with reduced combustion noise. The compact, heavy-duty design has a cast iron crankcase for durability and an aluminium cylinder head for weight reduction.

Both these twins are real workhorses with Active Descent Control for controlled hill descents, automatic four-wheel braking on steep inclines and Electronic Power Steering. To make life really comfortable, the industry exclusive Lock & Ride Pro-Fit cab system provides a new standard in accessory integration. The highly modular design offers options from robust canvas doors and a poly windscreen, to premium automotive glass tip-out windscreens and electric windows. The roof and rear panel on the Rangers come as standard. The ideal seat height combines with wide foot clearance for easy entry and exit. There’s a full ten inches of tilt steering adjustment and room for three adults. The payload capacity on these machines is 680.4 kg, with a gas-assisted rear dump box that can handle a hefty 454 kg of materials and a full-sized pallet. A 7-pin trailer socket comes fitted as standard and when it comes to towing there’s 907kg of class-leading towing capacity on tap. When the going gets rough the on-demand all-wheel drive kicks in for more forward traction when its needed, reverting back to 2WD when the terrain smoothes out.

Smooth is what these Polaris Rangers are all about, from the ride and handling to the descent down steep inclines, the 30.5cm ground clearance, power steering and VersaTrac Turf Mode that unlocks the rear differential for easier, tighter turns that won’t tear up grass. All new Polaris Rangers and Sportsman models (excluding Youth) also come fitted with CESAR security systems as standard. And if you’re not quite ready to purchase a new Ranger there is, in addition to the XP900, the even more powerful petrol Ranger XP1000 coming along for 2018.

To find out more, visit: www.polaris-britain.com

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Ransomes to Showcase New TR320 and HM600 at NEC

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Ransomes to Showcase New TR320 and HM600 at NEC: Ransomes, the Ipswich-based manufacturer of commercial mowing equipment, will be showcasing the brand new TR320 triplex cylinder mower. Ransomes will be exhibiting on stand H090 at SALTEX in November.

Ransomes to Showcase New TR320 and HM600 at NEC

The Ransomes TR320 is one of the lightest machines on the market, ensuring that surfaces are kept pristine. A combination of narrow transport width (1.64m (64.5”)), a 1.83m (72”) width of cut, superior slope capabilities and manoeuvrability, allows operators to safely negotiate the tightest of spaces and most challenging terrain. Designed and manufactured at Ransomes Jacobsen’s European headquarters in Ipswich, the TR320 is primarily targeted at the sportsturf and landscaping market, providing a quality maintenance solution for sports pitches, estates, and light municipal applications. You are invited to come along to stand H090 to see the latest innovation from Ransomes.

Also, debuting at SALTEX 2017 is the HM600. Built on the foundations of the Ransomes MP wide area mower platform, the HM600 builds upon this, providing users with the ability to run three heavy duty flail mowers with mulching technology from Müthing. With all mowers engaged, the 3.2m width of cut delivers exceptional productivity.  The fingertip control of individual units makes trimming around obstacles easy and brings new levels of versatility to flail mowing. Units fold up securely to transport easily between work areas and access confined sites.

Ransomes is proud to be sponsoring the SALTEX College Cup for the second time; introduced by the IOG as a brand-new national student-led sports-turf challenge that will take place on the first day of SALTEX 2017. It is an academic test of turf management knowledge for student competitors in teams of four who are enrolled at colleges throughout the UK on relevant courses of study.

As one of the groundcare industry’s major manufacturing companies, Ransomes will also be showcasing other municipal mowers plus Cushman utility vehicles, Iseki tractors and turf maintenance equipment from the Turfco and Ryan brands.

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

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Reesink Turfcare Launches Toro Groundscare Mower At SALTEX

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Reesink Turfcare Launches Toro Groundscare Mower At SALTEX: New Toro rotary mower is designed to improve productivity and go longer between stops. 

New to Reesink’s product line and in the spotlight at SALTEX 2017, is a machine that revolutionises clipping clear up and elevates productivity to new levels.

With a 41L fuel tank and 810L capacity hopper, plus the ability to change the height of cut without stopping, Reesink Turfcare says productivity is at an all-time high with this machine.

Jeff Anguige, national sales manager at Reesink, says: “This new launch will appeal to councils and landscape contractors looking for minimum downtime. The fuel tank is large enough to power a full day’s work, while the increase in the hopper’s capacity is accompanied by a sensor which alerts the operator when the hopper is full. That prevents unnecessary stopping to check and empty. Changing the height of cut is intuitive and quick with adjustments made possible from the operator’s seat.”

The new machine will be revealed on stand H010.

As well as this exciting new product launch, Reesink Turfcare returns in full force to SALTEX, with all of its brands in tow. Bringing for the second year running, a full line-up, including the latest popular products from Toro turfcare machinery, Toro irrigation controllers and sprinklers, Otterbine lake and pond aeration systems and TYM compact tractors.

Products on stand from the Toro groundscare range include the highly versatile heavy-duty Toro LT-F3000 triple with its two-in-one machine cylinder attachment option, for switching between long or short grass; the Groundsmaster 360 Quad Steer zero-turn mower for ultimate manoeuvrability; the hard-wearing Groundsmaster 7210 zero-turn rotary mower for the toughest of groundscare jobs, and the Groundsmaster 4000-D with SmartPower, which alters engine speed according to the contours for optimal blade power.

Concluding the line-up from Toro is myTurf, a fleet management programme which offers automatic log recording of all machines in operation and instant ordering of replacement parts when due. Preventative maintenance, repairs and parts are all tracked online as part of myTurf, allowing for a more accurate calculation for cost of ownership.

Representing Toro’s irrigation range is the Lynx Central Control system, with its intuitive technology, and Infinity 55 sprinklers with Smart Access, the perfect pair for maximising performance and efficiency. Also on stand are the TS90 and T7 sprinklers with TurfCup, a feature for hidden infield irrigation and for seamless-looking turf, as well as the Flex 55 sprinklers.

For optimising oxygen levels to keep water healthy, Otterbine offers a range of versatile and cost-effective aerating systems and fountains that improve water quality and enhance aesthetics. The brand’s best-selling Fractional five-in-one aerator delivers the highest performance rate of any fractional aerator on the market and is joined by the Concept 3, the aerating fountain that perfectly illustrates how industrial aerators can give the best of both worlds offering function and beauty.

This year is also the first year that Reesink will have two stands – H080 will be entirely dedicated to TYM Tractors, with the new T393 with the option of a factory-fitted air-conditioned cabin and the TS25 coming to represent the compact tractor range built purposely for mid-duty groundscare applications. The BH120 rotary tiller and TE145 flail mower from the recently launched range of attachments from Sicma completes the line up from Reesink.”

Reesink Turfcare’s marketing manager Holly, comments: “There’s lots to be excited about this year. SALTEX is the perfect platform for our new launch and it’s great to have representation from all brands at the show. We look forward to welcoming everyone to our stands to see the line-up and share invaluable advice from our specialist groundscare machinery team.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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