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NEWS ARTICLES

Enduring Pays Off

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Enduring Pays Off: A mostly sunny weekend at Champs Park, Kettering on the 12th/13th May saw the start of the Polaris British Enduro Championship, following delays after the bad weather. The track preparation went well and the venue did benefit from a good downpour after the completion of the Youth racing on the Saturday. Specifically aimed at those racers who are still too young to compete in the Short Circuit and Enduro Championships, SXS Racing introduced the Polaris Youth Championship Series in 2017.  And it was the youngsters who stole the show in a good turnout on day one with some new faces around the paddock. Racing Polaris ACE single seat ORVs, names to note for the future were Lewis Scotney and the unknown Rio Longdon, with Scotney throwing down an early marker in qualifying with clear intentions to dominate from the front and never look back. For many this was their first taste of competitive motorsport. In races one, two and three Lewis Scotney again showed his mettle and broke clean away. By Race 3 Rio Longdon in his ACE 570 battled to keep in touch at the front and the result for Round 1 of the British Youth Championship saw him take overall second to Lewis Scotney, who was also Clerks’ Driver of The Day.

The Polaris British Enduro Championship was established in 2016. It was created to meet the demand for a different kind of racing and is open to all manufacturers, with Expert and Rookie classes. These events are always fiercely competitive and Round 1 was no different. Driver Tom Fletcher charged to the front of the field in his Polaris RZR 1000 and once there he set the fastest lap of the day in the 1000 Expert Class. He took first place from Richard Avis whose fastest lap time was only one second apart from Fletcher’s, which shows how close the racing can be. In the Rookie Class picking a winner was never going to be easy and the race saw some near misses and retirements, but Mark Rushton in his RZR 1000 Turbo pumped in consistent lap times and experience helped him secure top spot on the podium. Another exciting weekend in the championships and Polaris and the race organisers, SXS Racing, extend their special thanks to Jamie Courtney from Champs Park. Next in the series is the Polaris British Short Circuit Championship.

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Rain Bird’s New IC Devices

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Rain Bird’s New IC Devices: Rain Bird Golf has introduced two IC CONNECT™ products designed to make its industry-leading IC System even more functional and convenient for Golf Course Managers and their courses. The Rain Bird® IC-IN Integrated Control Sensor Input Device enables users to monitor and respond to on-site sensor information in real-time, using the IC System’s MAXI™ wire path. The Rain Bird® IC-OUT Integrated Control Output Device enables activation of remotely located equipment from the Central Control.

“Since 2009, the IC System has delivered total control and unmatched diagnostics to golf courses in over 40 countries around the world,” said Scott Rottler, Senior Product Manager for Rain Bird Golf’s Central Control systems. “As complementary devices, both the IC-IN and IC-OUT take the IC System to the next level by providing Course Managers with additional functionality that can reduce water use, save time and reduce labour costs.”

Rain Bird's New IC Devices

Both the IC-IN and IC-OUT connect directly to the same IC System wire path as the Integrated Control Modules (IC Modules) used to activate sprinklers. Multiple IC-IN, IC-OUT and IC Modules may be connected to a single wire path, providing flexibility for the varied site conditions found across every golf course.

IC-IN collects and transmits data to the Central Control from sensor devices of various types, including flow, rain, pressure, temperature, wind speed, on/off and reservoir level sensors.

IC-OUT integrates the Rain Bird Central Control with remotely located products such as pumps, fans, gates, fountains, lights, motorised valves, DC latching solenoids and more. Users can now control these products automatically from the Central Control computer or manually via the Rain Bird Mobile Interface (MI Series™) application.

IC System customers can experience optimum control by using these IC CONNECT system components in combination with each other and Rain Bird’s Central Control system. Constant communication between the Central Control and the IC-IN and IC-OUT devices facilitates real-time, automated responses to changing site conditions. Thus, course management is simplified allowing Course Managers and their staff to remotely manage irrigation and a multitude of other products that enhance the player experience.

“By providing simplified installation pinpoint diagnostics and easy expandability, the IC System has permanently changed the way golf course superintendents manage their irrigation systems,” Rottler said. “Now, with the addition of the IC CONNECT devices, the IC System continues to evolve, allowing Course Managers to further fine-tune their watering and increase automation around the course.”

For additional information about Rain Bird’s new IC-IN and IC-OUT devices for the IC CONNECT System, visit  www.rainbird.com/golf/products/field/ICsystem.htm. To learn more about the company’s many other quality products for golf course irrigation, visit rainbird.eu/golf

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Vandals Target Sports Fields

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Vandals Target Sports Fields: Norbridge Park has been targeted once more after two of its fields in North Rockhampton were ripped up overnight.

Devoted groundsman Cec Newman said it was the seventh time in nine months the soccer fields had been damaged.

Tyre tracks were discovered this morning by Mr Newman after being notified by The Morning Bulletin.

Scenes of crime police attended the fields this morning to photograph the damage on field Eight C and field B as a result.

Mr Newman said these incidents affected the soccer players who perform on the fields every weekend.

After taking a trip around the perimeter of the lower fields, no entry point into the fields could be found.

This follows an emergency services alert which was sent out after 1am this morning, which said a road traffic incident had occurred in the area.

Police have been unable to provide details on the incident.

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New Major Equipment Appointment

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New Major Equipment Appointment: Major Equipment has announced the appointment of Keith McCormick as their new Scottish and North of England sales representative, replacing Ivor Dobson who is retiring from the company after 14 years of service.

Keith joins Major Equipment from Walter Watson where he was responsible for sales throughout Ireland and the UK. With an eight-year tenure at Walter Watson, Keith is already a familiar face to the Scottish dealer network.

New Major Equipment Appointment

“We’re delighted Keith has joined the Major team,” says Eoin Murphy, Major UK General Manager, “he brings a wealth of technical and industry knowledge and we’re very much looking forward to working with him.”

“The Major product range is impressive with a great reputation for clever design and product reliability,” says Keith. “I’m really excited to be a part of the Major team.”

Major Equipment Ltd is a designer and manufacturer of a comprehensive range of tractor mounted park and turf mowers for the UK municipal market.

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Boughton GC Lease With Reesink

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Boughton GC Lease With Reesink: Boughton Golf Club in the Kentish North Downs, has become the most recent in a long line of clubs to see the value of a five-year lease deal with Reesink Turfcare and Toro.

Joining the 27-hole club is a fleet of Toro greens, tees, surrounds, fairways and rough mowers, a comprehensive selection to accommodate the club as it enters a period of expansion.

Boughton GC Lease With Reesink

Gary Debenham, course manager at Boughton for almost 25 years, says: “Investment from the owners Johnathan Callister, CEO, and James Tory is being made in the club that not only brings in the machinery, but expansion to the club and its offering.

“It made economic sense to go for a lease deal, the terms are better and it’s affordable. With that decided it only left which brand and distributor to go for, and that was an easy decision to make. Toro is the market leader, we’ve used them for years and have always been impressed with their value, longevity and reliability. I knew they were a safe bet.”

With these factors in mind, Gary opted for three Reelmaster 3100-D ride-ons to replace three older Toro models. Richard Wood, Reesink sales manager, says: “The three new Reelmasters replace three older Toros which were between 14 and 21 years old, and had accumulated 5000-6000 hours work. They were consistently reliable in front-line use, particularly because of the constant power to at least two wheels at all times providing unbeatable traction for the rolling countryside the club inhabits. There was no question of a different mower when you’ve experienced this level of reliability and longevity.”

Gary also chose two Reelmaster 5510-D fairway mowers for the first time. He was impressed with the way the machine performed in the demo: “The RM5510-D came with groomers attached. They’re something we haven’t had before at the club and they did so well on the finish, we didn’t hesitate to order them too.”

Gary is right about that. Groomers lift the turf and reduce the grain, help to knock off dew, disperse grass clippings and integrate clippings into the grass canopy to produce an improved quality of cut.

Completing the order for Boughton is a powerful Groundsmaster 4000-D, but also included for Boughton’s ‘sister’ club, Etchinghill Golf Club, part of Pentland Golf Group alongside Boughton, are another two Reelmaster 3100-D mowers and a TriFlex 3400-D greensmower.

Set amid 167 acres of rolling countryside in the Kentish North Downs, Boughton Golf Club is in the perfect scenic spot for weddings and events. Gary tells us a 40-bedroom boutique hotel is under construction. Due for completion in 2019, the hotel brings a pool, spa facilities, restaurants and a new outside area along with water features and fire pits to the club, and will surely see increased footfall and even more eyes on the grounds.

Gary says: “Every aspect of the course and grounds will need to be at their best, all the time,” says Gary. “Footfall will increase as hotel residents use the course and as the hotel hosts weddings and events. I have no doubt that Toro is the perfect partner for us to achieve the best with.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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