Greensward supporting local clubs

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Greensward supporting local clubs: A southwest contractor is doing his part to help clubs at all levels come through turbulent times

Andy Boyce, Director of Greensward sports consultancy, based in Bath, says if pitches are playable for whatever part of the season that remains, then officials can more easily focus on business matters and financial survival.

Greensward supporting local clubs

Greensward supporting local clubs

“Every effort must be taken to ensure surfaces are optimal prior to Christmas. Effective deep aeration and recovery time will rejuvenate turf in preparation for the coldest and wettest part of winter that lies ahead.

“We’re keeping our rates as keen as we can and supporting existing customers who are having it tough. When halted matches are able to resume we want everyone to get back into their sport and start enjoying life again,” he said.

A former greenkeeper for 15 years, nine of those as Course Manager at The Bath GC, Andy set up Greensward in 2008.

“A background in golf genuinely does prepare you for most turfing matters; all the H&S protocols transfer across and experience of dealing with committees comes in handy. I just fancied steering my career in a slightly different direction with more renovation and construction projects.  Gradually we’ve built to a team of eight and we have a lot of repeat business.

“Aeration is probably the most significant intervention you can make to a turf surface to keep it healthy.  I’ve been in the industry 30 years and I don’t think anything has come along to surpass the effect of deep aeration.  In the early days, as an apprentice greenkeeper, the contractor would come in once a year and spike your greens but gradually more and more golf courses have access to their own machine.

“Regular aeration is vital for rugby, football and cricket outfields. Much of our work is for local clubs, we’ve probably aerated nearly 30 different sites across October, then there are maintenance contracts for schools and for Parish Councils.

“We use a Wiedenmann Terra Spike XF8 paired to New Holland T495 tractor which covers it out perfectly and has the right amount of power. We spike a full size pitch to a depth of 220 mm in less than three hours, which suits us fine as much of the ground is bult on stone with fairly  shallow rootzone.

“Across 2019 there was huge amounts of rainfall and lying water; when the rain started it never seemed to stop.  But in this part of the world, the weather here has been kinder, so this season’s winter maintenance on a firmer footing. But it’s still a bit of a patience game doing spiking in the right conditions. When the prevailing conditions are right you need to take full advantage.” said Andy Boyce.

GreenSward can be contacted on 07972 630518 info@greenswardsports.co.uk

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New way to find best pre-owned Toro machines

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New way to find best pre-owned Toro machines: Reesink Turfcare has created an online nationwide network providing access to the best used Toro machinery available in the UK.

Ree.Own, the newly launched service accessible online at reeown.co.uk gives customers the chance to browse, compare prices and match budgets on a range of machines that are guaranteed to have less than 3000 hours use on the clock, have been used for less than seven years and been through a multipoint check by trained technicians.

New way to find best pre-owned Toro machines

New way to find best pre-owned Toro machines

Alastair Rowell, UK sales manager – turfcare equipment at Reesink, says the team has been working towards a single point of call for all the best used machinery for some time and this is the culmination of that work: “For some time we’ve wanted to be able to provide customers with a single source for all used machinery within our dealer network and now we can.

“Now more than ever, there are so many reasons to buy used machinery and this type of machinery access in this sector has been all but unobtainable. We have hundreds of used machines a year that qualify, to sell, coming in, through dealers and off lease programmes. We have a team dedicated to the servicing and preparation of these machines to ensure they are customer-ready and the distribution network to do that now.”

Every machine receives a rigorous multipoint inspection by a team of trained technicians, looking at everything from the engine and cooling system, hydraulics and electrical system, steering and brakes, chassis, fuel system, transmission and final drives, wheels and tyres, cutting units (cylinder or rotary) and the operator’s platform and control. This is as well as regrinding and cleaning.

Alastair continues: “By the time we have finished, the machines are mechanically sound and ready to perform. Our branch locations and authorised dealers have years of training and experience working specifically with Toro machines and this gives customers peace of mind, especially when they know back-up is there should it be required.”

All machines are provided with a minimum 90 day warranty and longer in many cases, and as well as back-up, replacement parts aren’t a problem either. Reesink holds 15,000 genuine Toro parts, all of which are available for delivery at 24 hours’ notice anywhere in the UK, just as if you had a new Toro machine. Plus, a further 12,000 fast-moving lines are housed at the European distribution centre with 48-hour delivery and all other parts are available from Toro HQ in Minneapolis within 72-hours, ensuring minimum downtime.

Alastair concludes: “We wanted to create a place where customers could buy used Toro machines with the utmost confidence, and there’s no better place for that than with Ree.Own, through UK and Ireland’s exclusive Toro distribution network. This set-up means more customers can benefit from the quality of cut, precision engineering and innovation that comes with a Toro and that is hugely important to us.”

Visit reeown.co.uk, the UK’s only used Toro professional turf machinery network.

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Zero deposit and nothing to pay until March 2021 on Pellenc

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Zero deposit and nothing to pay until March 2021 on Pellenc: Pellenc, distributed in the UK and Ireland by Etesia UK, is taking flexible finance to a new level by offering zero deposit and nothing to pay until March 2021.

From 1 November 2020, customers purchasing the Pellenc Landscape Pack, which consists of three market leading ULiB 1200 batteries, Excelion 2000 cow handle brushcutter, Rasion Easy pedestrian mower, Helion 2 Compact hedge strimmer and Airion 3 leaf blower, can take advantage of delivery now and not paying anything until March 2021, with weekly payments at just £66.51 and a competitive APR of just 5.95% over three years.

Zero deposit and nothing to pay until March 2021 on Pellenc

Zero deposit and nothing to pay until March 2021 on Pellenc

Over the three-year finance period it is also estimated that users could save over £10,000 compared to the use of petrol-powered equivalent tools.

Les Malin, Etesia UK’s managing director, says: “At Etesia, we have always aimed to offer customers the best tools for the job, and as such we’ve worked hard to bring to market this new competitive finance option on a range of Pellenc batteries and tools. Customers can take advantage of purchasing their tools now and have nothing to pay until March 2021. When you take into consideration all of the health and environmental benefits of using commercial battery-powered tools, with over £10,000 cost-savings, there has not been a better time to go green.

“This finance option has been designed to help customers buy the tools they need now without compromising cash flow, in a way that suits their current financial situation.”

All Pellenc batteries come complete with a comprehensive market leading four-year warranty and all tools with a commercial three-year warranty.

The new Pellenc finance option is available until 28 February 2021, subject to status and only available in the UK and Ireland through Etesia UK’s finance partner Golf Finance.

Zero deposit and nothing to pay until March 2021 on Pellenc

Zero deposit and nothing to pay until March 2021 on Pellenc

For more details on these and other finance options, customers should contact Etesia UK on 01295 680 120 or email sales@etesia.co.uk

Pellenc is distributed in the UK and Ireland by Etesia UK.

For more information, please visit www.pellencuk.com

You can also follow Pellenc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @PellencUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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GreenMech rationalise dealer coverage in the South

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GreenMech rationalise dealer coverage in the South: GreenMech Ltd have announced a rationalisation of their dealer network in the South and South East, which will see an expansion in coverage area for existing dealer GA Groundcare Ltd, with effect from 1st January 2021.

Operating from their purpose-built depot in Poulshot, Wiltshire, GA Groundcare Ltd will become exclusive to the GreenMech franchise, offering supply and support across the full pedestrian, road-tow and tracked chipper portfolio – together with stocking a comprehensive range of GreenMech replacement parts. Having originally been appointed in 2017 for the counties of Berkshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, the success of the partnership sees their territory extended to cover Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

GreenMech rationalise dealer coverage in the South

GreenMech rationalise dealer coverage in the South

Commenting on the expanded area, GA Groundcare Ltd Director Ashley Stevens said, “With over 9 years of experience working with the GreenMech product line, I am delighted to be offered the opportunity to develop this further across a broader territory. We will be increasing our sales and aftermarket resources to ensure we can deliver advice and support to customers, both existing and new.”

GreenMech Sales Director Martin Lucas added, “Having seen how well GA Groundcare Ltd have performed with our range, we are confident that they will make a success of raising the level of both sales and aftermarket support in this key territory.”

All existing warranties relating to GreenMech chippers, sold by Hunt Forest Group and Burden Bros Agri, will continue to be supported by GA Groundcare Ltd.

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Outstanding service brings Jacobsen to Thorpeness

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Outstanding service brings Jacobsen to Thorpeness: Outstanding after sales and back-up service from two Jacobsen dealers were the clinching factors behind Thorpeness Golf Club and Hotel purchasing a new Jacobsen fleet.

Course Manager, Wallace Wilson, has been plying his trade on the Suffolk coast for eight months having previously been in charge at Milngavie Golf Club in Scotland where he worked closely with Jacobsen dealer, Fairways.

Outstanding service brings Jacobsen to Thorpeness

Outstanding service brings Jacobsen to Thorpeness

An ageing fleet which required a lot of maintenance was due to be replaced at Thorpeness, and Wallace’s experience with Fairways and the reliability of the mowers meant Jacobsen was the preferred option.

“Back-up service is off the charts in terms of importance for us,” Wallace explains. “It makes a huge difference to what we’re doing. We’re under pressure all the time, especially early mornings, to get stuff done and we need to have that confidence that’s going to take place.

“Reliability and back-up from Fairways was absolutely impeccable, I can’t say that enough, I’ve said that to everyone down here, and it was such a big factor. Ernest Doe so far has been fantastic with us through the lockdown period, and they helped us out with loads of bits and pieces before the deal was done. So I’m grateful to them for that and that really shaped where we were looking towards.

“The machines also proved themselves to be really capable of what we want to be doing, so it was certainly a big factor and looking towards that here and what Ernest Doe have come up with is a really good package.

“In terms of features, Jacobsen greens-wise for the GP400 in-particular is renowned in terms of quality of cut, so that is obviously a massive factor for us when we’re looking at anything. And having used the GPs before I’ve had great reliability overall, certainly over a five-year period, so that really shaped where we were looking to go with the GPs. In terms of the TR330, it was a newer machine to me, so once we’d had a look at that and demoed it, again it was perfectly suitable for what we are using it for here. The guys absolutely love using that, and it’s one of the most comfortable machines they’ve used.

“Both those points, the quality of cut and comfort of the machine are majorly important, and sometimes people overlook the comfort side. But the guys are sitting there from early freezing cold mornings quite often right throughout the day. So they need to be comfortable, and they work a lot better when they’re comfortable. Again, the ease of set-up in terms of the cutting units is really simple and efficient. You hardly have to set them really, they stay on cut so well, and the quality of cut you get, particularly from the GP400 is second to none in my opinion.”

Thorpeness are one of many clubs who have opted for set monthly payments that include servicing and maintenance from Ernest Doe since the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect businesses in the United Kingdom. By having fixed costs, clubs are avoiding any unexpected payments throughout the year and can operate their course maintenance with confidence.

For more information on the Jacobsen range of machines, visit www.jacobsenbuilt.com or contact your local dealer.

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