Kubota helps Crondon Park’s drive to the top

Kubota helps Crondon Park’s drive to the top

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Kubota helps Crondon Park’s drive to the top

A pair of Kubota compact tractors are proving pivotal to the ambitious development plans underway at Crondon Park Golf Club. With significant investment, a growing team and a clear vision the Essex venue is undergoing a transformation designed to elevate it into one of the county’s premier golfing destinations – assisted by the right people and, importantly, the right, reliable equipment.

Kubota helps Crondon Park’s drive to the top

Kubota helps Crondon Park’s drive to the top

Having first joined the club as a junior member in 2002 before returning as Director of Golf in September 2022, David Laffar has witnessed Crondon’s evolution from multiple perspectives. Now working alongside Managing Director Marlon Fox – whose family opened the club in 1994 – he is helping to steer the direction and investment into facilities, which has been substantial. “We often get told that the layout here is one of the best in the county, now it’s about bringing it up to a playing standard that matches.”

“Since mid-2022, over £3 million has been committed to course improvements including new drainage and irrigation systems and playing a key part in the successful execution of these projects has been the pair of Kubota tractors” he explains. Delivered by George Browns in May 2023, the 60hp Kubota L2622 and 50hp L1552 have quickly become indispensable. “They’re real workhorses and have matched the demands of the various implements we’ve been running as part of the renovation works.”

Picking up the baton to execute the next stage of the project alongside a team of five is new Course Manager David Byron. He comments, “Joining a club when there’s so much to do can be daunting, but I must say I took a sigh of relief when I saw we had two Kubota tractors in the shed! It’s enabled me to hit the ground running, getting renovations underway straight away with no concerns about power or reliability.”

“These tractors are the backbone of everything we’re doing – from aeration work to providing the right power and lift for existing and new implements we’re currently looking to add to the fleet. The two machines give us versatility for the different tasks, comfort for the operators who are often working long hours and peace of mind.” A sentiment echoed by David Laffar, “Out of our whole fleet, the Kubota tractors are probably the most reliable machines we have.”

The back-up from dealers George Brown has been another plus point for the club, ensuring that advice is available when needed. This support is increasingly important for the team as they prepare to host a number of major county championships across the summer. “We’re not a ‘traditional’ club but it’s nice to know what we’re creating here is now attracting the attention of tour organisers. We’re incredibly excited for the events of this year and beyond and know that, with Kubota, we’ve got the right kit to keep pushing those course standards” concludes Laffar.

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Royal Lytham & St Annes deploys Husqvarna autonomous mowers

Royal Lytham & St Annes deploys Husqvarna autonomous mowers

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Royal Lytham & St Annes deploys Husqvarna autonomous mowers

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club has selected Husqvarna autonomous mowing technology, marking a significant endorsement of robotic turf management at one of golf’s most historic championship venues.

Royal Lytham & St Annes deploys Husqvarna autonomous mowers

Royal Lytham & St Annes deploys Husqvarna autonomous mowers

The club, who will play host to this year’s AIG Women’s Open, has purchased four Husqvarna CEORA 546 EPOS units and one Automower 580L EPOS, supplied by authorised Pro Partner dealer Balmers GM Ltd. Husqvarna is providing a further two CEORA units to support preparations ahead of the championship. The installation reflects a broader shift in how elite venues are approaching the demands of major championship preparation, with consistent surface quality and operational efficiency increasingly central to how head greenkeepers plan their programmes.

The deployment follows Husqvarna’s significant involvement at Royal Porthcawl for the AIG Women’s Open 2025, where CEORA robotic mowers cut all 18 fairways throughout the championship: the first time The R&A had entrusted autonomous machines with that responsibility at a major. The deployment at Royal Lytham & St Annes represents a continued ambition to establish Husqvarna as a standard in maintaining elite championship venues.

Jonathan Snowball, Head of Business Unit for Professional division UK, Husqvarna, said: “Royal Lytham is one of the most recognisable venues in the sport. When a club of that calibre commits to autonomous mowing – particularly in the context of hosting such a prestigious event, it says something meaningful about where the technology stands and a clear signal of where autonomous turf management is heading.”

The CEORA 546 EPOS is Husqvarna’s commercial-scale robotic mower, built for large surface areas and designed to deliver consistent results without continuous operator input. The Automower 580L EPOS brings the same autonomous capability to more varied terrain, with GPS-assisted precision guiding both units across their designated zones.

Andrew Meeks, Group Sales Manager, Balmers GM Ltd, said: “Royal Lytham adopting autonomous mowing is a significant moment for the industry. It’s the kind of decision that reflects just how much confidence there now is in this technology at the very highest level of the sport.”

Paul Smith, Course Manager, Royal Lytham & St Annes, said: “Investment in Husqvarna robotic mowers has helped the Club to deliver optimum mowing year round, elevating turf health, easing workshop pressures and is having a real benefit in re deploying our resources in other areas of course maintenance.  We have developed a hybrid maintenance program that enables us to have the benefits of both conventional cylinder and robotic mowing”

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Kress UK & Ireland partners with Wentworth Golf Club

Kress UK & Ireland partners with Wentworth Golf Club

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Kress UK & Ireland partners with Wentworth Golf Club

Under this collaboration, Wentworth has integrated 16 Kress Commercial RTKn autonomous mowers across the famous West Course as well as the driving and academy ranges. The Kress team alongside Winchester Garden Machine have provided comprehensive on-site training, joint performance evaluation, and close technical collaboration with Wentworth’s expert greenkeeping team to ensure optimal results.

Kress UK & Ireland partners with Wentworth Golf Club

Kress UK & Ireland partners with Wentworth Golf Club

Transformative Benefits for Wentworth

The implementation of Kress technology delivers substantial operational and environmental advantages:

Environmental Impact

  • Zero direct on-site emissions with significant overall CO₂ reduction
  • Reduced fuel consumption
  • Quieter operations protecting wildlife habitats and minimising disruption to members and properties on the estate

Agronomic Excellence

  • Consistent micro-mulching returning nutrients to the soil, reducing fertiliser requirements
  • Reduced ground compaction from lightweight electric units, supporting long-term turf health
  • Enhanced playing surfaces through precision cutting technology

Operational Efficiency

  • Cleaner, safer working conditions with no fumes, leaks, or fuel handling
  • Lower operational costs and reduced storage of hazardous materials
  • Optimised energy use through high-density battery technology and intelligent charging cycles
  • Freeing up staff from manual mowing to concentrate on other skilled tasks

Strategic Alignment

  • Clear support for Wentworth’s long-term sustainability and ESG commitments
  • Demonstration of innovation leadership in professional turf management

“Since installing the Kress autonomous mowers in October 2025, we’ve seen a noticeable uplift in the consistency and overall presentation of the West Course rough and our academy outfield and fairways, something our members have clearly recognised,” said Daniel Clarke,  Director of Greenkeeping & Estate.

Kress UK & Ireland partners with Wentworth Golf Club

Kress UK & Ireland partners with Wentworth Golf Club

“Winter conditions can make traditional rough cutting challenging, particularly on softer ground. The frequency of cut combined with the light footprint of the Kress units has removed that issue entirely, allowing us to maintain standards without compromising the turf. Consistency is a key focus for us, and the ability to deliver uniform, high-quality surfaces across the courses has been a significant step forward. The installation of the Kress mowers has been a valuable addition to our operation and has genuinely enhanced how we manage presentation.”

Strategic Value for Kress

For Kress, this partnership establishes a flagship national reference site, providing high-quality performance data and a world-renowned platform to demonstrate next-generation autonomous turf-maintenance technology to the professional green-space industry.

“This partnership reinforces Kress’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and supporting professional green-space teams with world-class solutions,” said Tony Macer, Sales Director at Kress. “Working alongside Wentworth’s renowned greenkeeping team allows us to demonstrate the real-world performance and environmental benefits of autonomous electric technology at the highest level.”

Looking Forward

Both organisations view this partnership as a long-term collaboration that will help define best practices for sustainable turf management across the golf and sports-turf sectors.

For more information, please visit https://www.kress.com/en-gb/

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Toro expands autonomous mowing range

Toro expands autonomous mowing range

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Toro expands autonomous mowing range

Toro has expanded its autonomous mowing range with the introduction of the Turf Pro 200.

Toro expands autonomous mowing range

Toro expands autonomous mowing range

Designed for smaller, more confined areas of the course, including areas around the clubhouse, tighter landscaped spaces and other sections of turf that require regular maintenance, the Turf Pro 200 provides an autonomous mowing option for areas where larger machines may be unnecessary.

It is suitable for sports and training environments too where consistent cutting is required with limited daily input.

The launch comes as many greenskeeping teams continue to manage labour pressures alongside increasing expectations around presentation standards and site maintenance.

In response, Toro has expanded its autonomous mowing portfolio with the Turf Pro 200, delivering a new option where consistency and efficiency are key considerations.

Andrew Ihrke, Senior International Marketing Manager at The Toro Company, said: “The Turf Pro 200 delivers consistent performance in tighter spaces where maintaining presentation standards can be more labour-intensive. It is designed to integrate into existing maintenance programmes, giving greenskeeping teams a practical, autonomous option that complements their wider mowing operations.

“Combined with the wider Turf Pro range, Range Pro 100 and Greensmaster eTriflex with GeoLink Mow, it gives operators more flexibility when building an autonomous mowing approach that reflects the needs of their individual site.”

The Turf Pro 200 joins the Turf Pro 300 and Turf Pro 500 as part of Toro’s autonomous mowing range. With the 300 and 500 models addressing larger open turf areas, course managers now have the ability to match the right unit to specific site requirements and mowing frequencies.

Alongside the Turf Pro range, Toro’s GeoLink Mow system supports autonomous mowing across larger, high-use turf areas such as fairways. Together, the systems provide autonomous mowing coverage across a range of site conditions and maintenance requirements.

For operators managing ongoing staffing pressures or looking to improve maintenance efficiency, autonomous mowing can also support the redistribution of labour towards other operational tasks.

The Turf Pro range is available in the UK through distributor Reesink Turfcare. Reesink has a dedicated resource for customers adopting autonomous mowing providing support on installation, training, maintenance and parts.

To learn more about the Turf Pro 200 or discuss autonomous mowing solutions for your site, contact vour local Toro distributor or visit www.toro.com.

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Craigielaw's commitment to championship standards continues

Craigielaw’s commitment to championship standards continues

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Craigielaw’s commitment to championship standards continues

Craigielaw Golf Club has underlined its long-term commitment to delivering championship-quality playing conditions with a significant new investment in Toro turfcare equipment and the support services of distributor Reesink Turfcare’s ReeAssure Gold package.

Craigielaw's commitment to championship standards continues

Craigielaw’s commitment to championship standards continues

The East Lothian links venue has moved to an exclusively Toro fleet following a detailed 16-month review process, with course quality, reliability and long-term support being the focus of the process.

For Course Manager Paul Hay, the move reflects the club’s ambition to continually raise standards as demands on the course increase through growing visitor play and a busy tournament calendar.

“After extensive demonstrations and discussions with suppliers, Toro and Reesink emerged as the standout choice,” Paul says. “This investment shows the club’s commitment to improving course standards and our confidence in adopting a new supplier.”

Craigielaw is hosting a number of high-profile events in 2026, including Open Regional Qualifying and the R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship, placing pressure on the team to maintain consistent presentation and performance throughout the season.

“As the demands on the course increase and the number of rounds grows each year, we need machinery we can trust to deliver.

“I’ve used Toro over my 31-year career and I always found the machines to be exceptionally well made,” he continues. “In the demonstrations that formed part of the process I was reminded of the benefits of the clever design and technology the brand offers. Things like the manoeuvrability provided by the three-wheel design of the Reelmaster 3575-D and the flexible cutting units of the Reelmaster 3100-D with Sidewinder really impressed us.”

The introduction of the SideWinder is one that delivers a significantly improved course aesthetic, says Paul: “The biggest difference is on the bunker cutting – now we can get in even closer to the bunkers and keep the tops tighter, which significantly enhances the course’s overall presentation.”

The new fleet also includes a selection of mid and heavy duty utility vehicles as well as the Greensmaster 3420 for the greens.

Alongside the machinery itself, Paul highlighted the role Reesink Turfcare played throughout the process and the reasons why he opted for the brand’s most comprehensive maintenance and servicing package.

“Reesink has provided first-class service from the outset, with excellent communication throughout,” he said. “The Gold service package we chose gives me peace of mind during one of the busiest periods in the club’s history. With fixed-cost servicing, proactive maintenance and rapid support built into the agreement, the uncertainty of unexpected repair bills and downtime during key tournament windows is removed – that reassurance is invaluable.”

Paul and the greenkeeping team also received on-site training covering both machine operation and day-to-day maintenance from Reesink’s specialists in order to maximise machine performance.

“The staff have responded very positively to the new equipment,” says Paul. “Everyone was pleased to see the fleet arrive and the benefits are already visible on the course.”

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