Toro Trio Impresses Duns Golf Club

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Toro Trio Impresses Duns Golf Club – Duns Golf Club, an 18-hole parkland course established in the Scottish Borders in 1894, has recently taken charge of three new Toro machines, which join the existing fleet to maintain almost 100 acres of turf. And since the Toro trio purchase less than a month ago the undulating course is “really starting to impress”, says club captain Derek Bates.

Toro Trio Impresses Duns Golf Club“The Toro machines were trialled over a number of weeks and it soon became obvious, from the response of head greenkeeper Andy Chambers and his assistant Stuart Thomson, that they ticked all the boxes,” confirms Derek.

The machines purchased were the Reelmaster 5610-D, Greensmaster 3250-D and the “excellent” Groundsmaster 4300-D. Derek says: “The course which covers 97 acres with many undulations is really starting to impress now. The greens are the highlight of the course thanks to the Greensmaster 3250-D. They are immaculate and visitors are impressed with how fast and slick they are playing. The machine follows the undulations effortlessly, giving a consistent cut and climbs any hills with no problem.”

And the greens aren’t the only talking point, the fairways are also turning heads with some help from the heavy-duty Reelmaster 5610-D: “The fairway mower’s DPA cutting units are giving a great after-cut appearance and visitors have compared our fairways to that of baize on a pool table,” says Derek.

The final machine in the trio is the Groundsmaster 4300-D. According to Derek: “The greenkeepers use the GM4300-D to chew through the roughs with ease and report that, like the other Toros, it is very comfortable to operate.”

Derek says the deal was made easy by Reesink rep Mike Turnbull: “After lengthy discussions with Mike, an excellent deal was struck. We considered the fact that the machines have low fuel consumption and brilliant residual sale values. Reesink and Toro provide a first class backup service, too, ensuring optimum performance and longevity. All these factors led us to believe that by choosing Toro the club has made the right decision for its future.”

With visitors raving about the results provided by the new machines within a month, it clearly was a good decision.

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Greetham Valley Just Got Greener

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Greetham Valley Just Got Greener – Environmental Golf Course of the Year invests in Toro’s Reelmaster 5010-H 

Greetham Valley Just Got Greener

The Environmental Golf Course of the Year, Greetham Valley Golf Club, gained its title at the prestigious national Golf Environment Awards 2017 for its extensive efforts to increase biodiversity and reduce its carbon footprint. The club’s conscientious environmental attitude is also evident in its recent decision to purchase the Toro Reelmaster 5010-H hybrid mower, known for its ability to cut fuel consumption by up to 20 percent.

Ecological best practice is important to all staff at Greetham but none more so than course manager Adrian Porter who, among many other ecological projects, has implemented iniatives ranging from reducing chemical usage and controlling pests, disease and weeds using holistic methods, to creating wildflower meadows and constructing 17 new ponds.

Adrian says: “The environment and sustainability is at the forefront of the club’s mind in every decision it makes. As an industry-leading innovator with greener mowing options, Toro matches our forward-thinking approach.

“We invested in the Reelmaster 5010-H as its PowerMatch technology greatly reduces fuel consumption and therefore our impact on the environment. We really value biodiversity, so the fact that the more fuel-efficient electric cylinder drive reduces exhaust pollution and removes oil leaks are bonuses that won’t upset

wildlife or players.”

The 5010-H boasts environmental benefits without sacrificing results: “The after-cut appearance remains superb because the cutting decks follow the undulations of the course. Plus the lightness of the machine means no turf damage and reduced soil compaction,” says Adrian.

Greetham Valley Golf Club has been a Toro customer for 23 years and Adrian says he’s “always been able to rely on Reesink’s customer service”: “Any issues or queries are resolved quickly and our relationship with Reesink representative Andy Humble is great. He often pops in to make sure we’re happy and is always on hand to answer any questions.

“We remain exclusively loyal to Toro thanks to this service and the machines’ reliability. The machines are always of great build quality and the investment is worth every penny – especially as Toro’s reputation means they will have a great resale value in years to come.”

In addition to the Reelmaster 5010-H the club purchased a Groundsmaster 4500-D, Workman HDX, ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator and a Greensmaster TriFlex 3400 to join its existing Toro fleet.

Adrian speaks of the latter: “We bought another 3400 because we were so impressed with the versatility of the two we already had. Together, the three machines do the job of five thanks to interchangeable cutting heads that can be swapped quickly to a series of different groomers, verticutting or tees units.

“It’s made a big difference to our day-to-day productivity: we go out in the morning using 11-blade units on the greens and swap them later in the morning to 8-blade units for the tees, surrounds and approaches.”

He continues: “We invested in all the machines because we have a replacement period of five to eight years to ensure reliability and keep downtime at a minimum. We have a small fleet and Greetham’s 276 acres to maintain, so we can’t afford for machines to be off-duty!”

Adrian heads up a team of nine greenkeepers, one gardener and one mechanic. On top of maintaining 45 holes, Greetham’s greenkeeping team use their skills and Toro machinery to tackle sports pitch maintenance and landscaping jobs in the surrounding area.

According to Adrian: “Our Toro [MultiPro 5800-D] sprayer is an old favourite that’s been invaluable for this side of the business. Its accuracy is excellent as the machine’s Pro Control calibrates everything on the move. The team and I have our hands full, but the extra work is possible thanks to great people and reliable, innovative Toro machines.”

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Neary 555 SRI Grinders Brings Cheshire Turf Machinery Into Sharp Relief

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First of the new Neary 555 SRI Grinders in the UK, brings Cheshire Turf Machinery into sharp relief

Neary 555 SRI Grinders brings Cheshire Turf Machinery into sharp reliefStockport based Cheshire Turf Machinery Ltd can get down to some serious relief grinding now they have installed a Neary 555 SRI professional grinder, complete with workstation tail lift – the first of its kind in the UK. The new addition from the Neary stable raises the standard of table-top style grinders to a different level. It delivers the quality of spin expected of a Neary grinder and provides professional relief grinding with automatic blade indexing to make the job even easier.

What sets the Neary 555 SRI apart from similar machines is the integrated relief grinding facility. Not only is this excellent value for money grinder incredibly easy to set up, it is the simplest machine on the market to use. It has a fast, efficient action for spin grinding and delivers an even sharper, longer lasting relief angle on all professional mower blades.

Director of the TORO dealership Mark Woodward knows how important it is to return the cylinder blades back to manufacturers specification. All TORO professional mowers leave the factory with relief ground cylinders and most mower servicing contracts include a requirement for relief ground edges. “We are sharpening more than 2000 cylinders annually, from all different sports, all demanding the highest standard. Football clubs such as Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool as well as many prestigious golf clubs and local authorities come to us because we deliver excellent technical support. The new Neary relief grinder is part of our continuing strategy for improving the services we offer.”

Foley and Neary grinders are synonymous with quality, performance and high specification. But not everyone knows you can have Foley/Neary top of the range performance at a price that suits your budget and be as simple to operate as your current spin grinder.

The success of the Foley grinders worldwide delivers the Accu-Sharp 605 and Neary 181 Spin/Relief and combined Bed knife grinder from as little as £15,995.00.

The latest Foley United and Neary Technology range of professional grinders bring speed and simplicity of setup, to add to the already superb quality of build and reliability of operation. The Foley range includes the new flagship fully automated and computerised models such as the Accu-Master 653/633 spin and relief grinders and Accu-Sharp 673/672 Bed knife grinders. Whereas the Neary range is topped by the super quick and super simple to use 555 SRI spin/relief grinder and the 277 semi-automatic Bed knife grinders.

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Two More TYM Tractors For Oundle School

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Two More TYM Tractors For Oundle School – Tractor specification remains “unrivalled” for independent School

Two More TYM Tractors For Oundle School

Less than a year after purchasing three TYM tractors, Oundle School, one of the UK’s leading independent Schools, has invested in two more as it aims to create the finest sports facilities of any independent school in the UK.

Head of grounds and gardens at Oundle School, near Peterborough, Nick Tebbs says: “Our existing TYM 50hp and 35hp tractors have proved to be popular with our operatives; head gardener Mark Bird and head groundsman Stuart Palmer. That, coupled with the fact that, after like-for-like comparisons and evaluations against other brands, no other supplier came close to matching the TYM specification, so we have purchased two more TYM tractors.”

The School has opted for two T503 tractors as it approaches the second phase of its Sports MasterPlan. Stage one included a new cricket pavilion and the drainage and levelling of the School’s pitches and now the School has been granted planning permission for a new multi-purpose sports centre as well as an athletics track, eight tennis courts, AstroTurfs and six netball courts. Work will commence this autumn, with completion expected by the end of 2019.

Nick says: “This investment is part of the School’s broader Sports MasterPlan, all complementing the award-winning cricket pavilion which opened in 2015. The large-scale development includes significant landscaping and aesthetic considerations while maintaining the visual appeal of the campus and all the different sports pitches. Our aim is to have the finest sports facilities of any independent school.”

The team masterminding the development and management of the new facilities includes Amy Scott as project manager and Danny Grewcock as the School’s director of sport. Amy will draw on her experience working on the London Borough of Brent Primary School Expansion Project, as well as redevelopment projects for Battersea Power Station and Universities of East Anglia and Hertfordshire to ensure the project is completed on time, within budget and to client satisfaction.

Danny, MBE, joined the School last year from Bath Rugby Academy and is highly regarded for his leadership nurturing young players and the importance he places on their wider education and development. Having achieved 69 England caps as part of a distinguished career in professional rugby this will come as no surprise!

The expectations placed on the performance of the School’s machinery fleet will be extremely high, says Nick. However with TYM having already demonstrated itself to Nick and the team with its: “proven reliability, power-to-weight ratio, first class operator platform with cab air conditioning, great visibility, an ergonomic design that provides excellent working conditions, plus compliance with hand/arm vibration and noise at work regulation,” means it is unlikely to be a problem.

There will also be back up from Stewart Jeffs from Reesink Turfcare, the UK distributor of TYM and his colleagues, who Nick says: “have already demonstrated their support and worked hard to meet our expectations.” In addition to this there is onsite maintenance support as Nick explains: “The TYMs provide easy access for routine maintenance, but should we need it we are fortunate to have the skills of our own groundsman and mechanic, Sam Wyles. We will also take advantage of Reesink’s training programme and Sam is enrolled on a workshop management course.”

Given the size and capacity of the campus, the team will also be supported by selected Service Level Agreements for cleaning and maintenance of the athletics track, hard courts and Astros as well as floodlighting.

There’s a phrase: a plan is only as good as the people who see it through. Not only does Oundle School have an ambitious Sports MasterPlan it also has the expertise and experience of an extensive team – and five very capable TYM tractors! – to see it through.

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Harpenden Common GC Turn Trilo SG400 Into Multifunctional Machine

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Harpenden Common GC turn their Trilo SG400 into a multifunctional machine – The 18-hole parkland course on Harpenden Common in Hertfordshire features a mixture of mature woodland and gorse.  The club has used a Trilo SG400 vacuum sweeper to deal with the substantial leaf fall for many years now, but the introduction of a scarifying unit has changed the dynamics, says Head Greenkeeper Sean Brocklehurst.

Harpenden Common GC Turn Trilo SG400 Into Multifunctional Machine

Golf has been played on Harpenden Common since 1895, with the golf club formally founded in 1931.  The majority of holes are set on common land, posing numerous challenges when it comes to maintenance.  Therefore, any machinery that can quickly and efficiently deal with some of the larger tasks is a welcome relief for Sean and his team of 7.

“The hundreds of trees we have which line the fairways and other areas means that every autumn we have a huge problem with leaves” explains Sean.  Prior to the Trilo’s delivery leaves would be blown into large heaps and vacuumed into a trailer – a 2 or 3 man job.  “We knew we needed a multifunctional unit to speed up the process so looked at a number of machines, but the SG400 ticked all of our boxes.  We’ve never looked back.  The size has really suited our needs, as has the good working speed and easy manoeuvrability compared to some that we demo’d. We can blow leaves into lines or piles, and then with the main deck or wander hose we can remove and compact them in one pass, even those under trees – the whole course can be cleared in just 2 or 3 days.”

This year, for the first time, they have fitted the Trilo SG400 with the optional Verti-Cut unit to scarify the fairways and semi-roughs on the course. Sean again, “It does a very neat job, handling the contours very well and removing masses of dead organic material that is collected at the same time. It takes under a week to do all the fairways, all of which show signs of recovery very quickly after the operation.  Utilising the machine for both scarifying and leaf collection means the SG400 has become a very useful multifunctional tool for all year-round operation and has allowed us to keep all areas of the course spotless.  It has also freed up labour and time that we have been able to put into other projects on the course. It’s also worth adding the back up support we’ve received from Jon and Jeremy at Trilo.  They have been quick to respond to any problems or questions we’ve had and will visit if needed.”

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