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Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award

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Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award: The best in brand new grounds care technology was celebrated in the very first SALTEX Innovation Award at the NEC, Birmingham on 1 and 2 November 2017.

Making its debut, the Innovation Award attracted a number of high-quality entries from various exhibitors from across the globe. There were 24 entries in total spanning a wide variety of products, services and equipment.

Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award

The entries were judged by an independent panel of industry experts who based their decisions on a number of factors including what the entry offers the industry and how it makes life easier for the person using it.

The standard was incredibly high, resulting in a tie for first place.

Backed by unanimous support by all judges, during the first day of the exhibition, Rigby Taylor’s Intelligent One autonomous robotic line marker and Fleet Line Markers’ MAQA line marking machine were announced as joint winners of the SALTEX Innovation Award 2017.

The Intelligent One (iO) is said to be the world’s first fully autonomous robotic line marker. It can mark out a standard sized football pitch in 35 minutes, using just 3.3 litres of ready to use Impact XP paint. The iO eliminates the task of stringing out for the first markings and operates hands-free. Once the pitch template has been entered into the supplied tablet, the iO is placed at the corner of the pitch and will mark out all the outside and inside straight lines, the ‘D’, centre circle, corner angles and penalty spot without any direct operator involvement.

The MAQA line marking machine uses GNSS technology to reduce the time it takes to mark by a massive 75 per cent. Initial marking that might have taken two men up to four hours can now be completed by one person in 20 minutes.

Winners Of SALTEX Innovation Award

The standard of all Innovation Award entries were of such high calibre that the judges chose to award second and third place awards as well.

Second place went to Oregon’s Gator Speedload, which judges said was a quick and simple device which negated the need to dismantle the head each time to re-load/wrap new strimmer cord. Third place went to the Etesia Hydro 80 MKHP4 E-Connect, due to its ability to set up multiple users and record data – allowing organisations or clubs to monitor the amount of use and user’s ability.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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PING partners John Deere

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PING partners John Deere: PING, a brand with a strong heritage and one that is synonymous with performance and innovation, is a family-owned business founded in 1959 by Karsten Solheim. The company, renowned for its innovative golf equipment, is also involved in golf course ownership at Gainsborough Golf Club, which is just a short drive from its European headquarters in Lincolnshire.

As part of a three-year plan that will see the club’s entire course maintenance equipment fleet updated to John Deere, Gainsborough recently took delivery of several new machines from area sales manager Steve Blanchard of local dealer F G Adamson & Son at Langworth, Lincolnshire.

PING partners John Deere

PING and John Deere have more than a local connection. The biennial Solheim Cup match between the best women golfers from Europe and the USA was founded by the Solheim family, and John Deere is a Patron of and machinery supplier to this prestigious event. “PING prides itself on the quality of its products and service,” says Gainsborough’s course manager Greg Skinner. “John Deere and F G Adamson & Son are built on the same ethos, so we are delighted to be working together.”

Greg and his greenkeeping team are responsible for two courses, the 123-year old Thonock Park and Karsten Lakes, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2017. “We needed to renew our ageing equipment fleet to improve the overall presentation of both courses and bring them up to the standard golfers expect from a PING-owned property,” says Greg. “Presentation and quality are very important to our members and for attracting more visitors to all of the club’s activities.

“F G Adamson & Son showed exceptional understanding of our requirements and their knowledge provided a huge amount of in-depth information that guided us through the machinery selection process. In addition, they provided several demonstration machines for us to test, which proved crucial in our final choices.”

Gainsborough’s general manager Ben Hatch adds: “Overall, the package is a huge investment and F G Adamson & Son showed us how quickly they could get parts from John Deere’s UK premises at Langar, Nottingham, its distribution centre in Germany and even the USA, if required. This level of after sales service and support gave us great confidence we were making the right decision.”

The latest additions to the fleet include a 9009A rough mower, 7700A 4WD fairway mower, two 2500E hybrid electric mowers for use on the greens and tees, two HPX Gator utility vehicles and a 1200A bunker rake. These have joined machines from the deal’s first phase in 2016, including a 7400A semi-rough mower and a 1600T wide area rotary mower, plus additional hybrid greens and tees mowers, Gators, bunker rakes and two rotary walk-behind mowers for use on the amenity grass areas.

“The club has ISO 14001 environmental accreditation and we want to be as green as we can,” says Greg. “The 2500E mowers are not just quiet, there is also less chance of hydraulic leaks. They produce a nice stripe and on the greens their offset cylinders eliminate the triplex ring effect on the clear-up lap, which minimises compaction.

“These go out most days and they run at lower revs, which we estimate saves us approximately 1250 litres of fuel a year. In addition, the brush tender conditioners are kinder on the grass, resulting in less disease. If we can cut out even one fungicide application a year, that’s a saving of £2000.

“When Steve Blanchard demonstrated the 9009A rough mower, it just blew the competition away for quality of cut, speed and presentation,” Greg adds. “It’s really changed the way we cut the Karsten Lakes fairways, as we’ve widened the semi-rough from one to four bands because of how well this machines performs. It’s made the whole course a much better experience for the golfer.

“The 7400A TerrainCut mower goes places its predecessor wouldn’t and has the traction to handle the banks on the courses and those around the clubhouse. I also believe nothing touches the HPX Gator for ride comfort, carrying capacity and towing ability – it’s a very, very good utility vehicle.

“It was a long process selecting the equipment and negotiating the overall package but that was a good thing, as we made better decisions and ensured we got exactly the right machines for our needs.”

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Jacobsen At BTME

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Jacobsen At BTME: The Ipswich-based manufacturer of Jacobsen commercial mowing equipment, Textron Golf, will be showcasing the new AR series and TR series at the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) in Harrogate in January.

The new Jacobsen AR and TR series replaces the existing AR-3, TR-3 and Tri-King machines. Created with usability in mind, the new machines are built on a common platform, and are offered as standard or premium models.

Jacobsen At BTME

The AR321 (standard model) and AR331 (premium model) are 3WD rotary triple mowers featuring 24.8hp Kubota diesel engines. The AR321 is fitted with relay control and analogue gauges as standard, for ease of use and serviceability. Brand new cutting decks offer a quick height-of-cut adjustment system and eliminate the need for castor wheels. The AR331 has additional features such as a digital information display, a joy stick control for lifting and lowering decks, and a superior comfort suspension seat. The AR331 also features AdaptiShift technology, allowing the decks to glide effortlessly side-to side to mow those hard-to-reach areas.

The TR320 (standard model) and the TR330 (premium model) are triplex cylinder mowers. The TR320 has many great features including the ability to raise the cutting units to a vertical position, reducing the width of the mower to a minimum of 1.55m, making transportation, access and storage a breeze. The TR330 also features the additional benefit of AdaptiShift technology, a superior comfort suspension seat and intuitive digital controls.

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

About Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc.

Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of golf cars, utility and personal transportation vehicles, snowmobiles, side-by-sides, all-terrain vehicles, professional turf-care equipment, and ground support equipment. Textron Specialized Vehicles markets products under the E-Z-GO®, Cushman®, Arctic Cat®, Textron Off Road™, Jacobsen®, Dixie Chopper®, Ransomes®, TUG™, Douglas™, Premier™ and Safeaero™ brands. Its vehicles are found in environments ranging from golf courses to factories, airports to planned communities, and theme parks to hunting preserves.

About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Textron Off Road, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training.

For more information, visit: www.textron.com

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Troon Appointed By Gold Creek

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Troon Appointed By Gold Creek: Troon International presence expanded in Australia as Gold Creek becomes the latest addition to portfolio.

Troon International, the leader in upscale golf course management, development and marketing is pleased to announce its latest appointment; to provide full golf course management services to the semi-private Gold Creek Country Club, Canberra. Utilising Troon and its industry-leading expertise, the venue is set on increasing the quality of its offering, on and off course, to members and visitors.

Troon Appointed By Gold Creek

The 18 Hole Championship Course, designed by Australian legend Bruce Devlin, is ranked amongst the top five courses in the Canberra area – the most liveable city in the world. Renowned as one of the finest courses in inland Australia, Gold Creek continues to evolve, under the leadership of Course Superintendent, Simon Snedden with some of the best greens in the country.

Boasting some of the most premium facilities in the region, the championship course is complemented by a driving range and clubhouse with extensive catering facilities, swimming pool, tennis courts, gymnasium and a child day care centre.

“This appointment presents an exciting opportunity for us to partner with an established club in a thriving region of the world,” commented Mark Chapleski, President – Troon International. “We are delighted to be working with the team at Gold Creek and to marry our expertise with the team’s knowledge and experience to enhance the development here in Canberra and offer new and existing members as well as visitors, an experience to rival the very best.”

Troon’s involvement will ensure the property delivers on its potential, in its offerings both on and off the golf course.

Mr John Konstantinou, Director and owner of Gold Creek has been vocal in his support of the Troon appointment. He said: “I believe Troon Golf can provide Gold Creek, together with its members, a golf facility that will further establish us as one of the best in the ACT, offering club members not only quality playing surfaces and superb course conditions but also the plethora of benefits that come with having Troon Golf on board.”

For more information, visit http://www.goldccc.com.au/

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New John Deere Gator debuts at BTME 2018

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New John Deere Gator debuts at BTME 2018: John Deere’s new HPX 815E Gator utility vehicle will be making its public show debut at BTME 2018 in Harrogate next January. This latest diesel powered Gator shares its new styling with the XUV 855M model, which replaces the 855D.

New John Deere Gator debuts at BTME 2018

The HPX 815E is ruggedly designed for a range of transporting and general materials handling duties in any outdoor environment. Powered by an 18hp 854cc engine working through a two-speed high-low continuously variable transmission, this two-seater vehicle is available with true on-demand four wheel drive and is capable of travelling at speeds of up to 25mph.

A simple dash-mounted electronic rocker switch controls an auto-locking front differential for extra traction when needed in challenging conditions, or to maintain two-wheel drive for lighter turf operations, for example. Additional standard features include a 12V DC outlet, all-wheel suspension and steering, front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, a rear diff lock and an integrated four post ROPS canopy with door nets.

Based on a heavy duty hydroformed steel frame for increased durability, the HPX 815E provides an increased payload of 635kg and a towing capacity of 590kg, while the updated cargo box has a load capacity of 454kg. Both the sides and the tailgate, which has a pick-up style one-handed latch, can be easily removed to provide a flatbed-style load bay if required. The durable composite construction of this industry leading cargo box makes it dent, rattle and rust-resistant.

Additional changes to this model for 2018 include a new digital dashboard, powerful LED headlights and a restyled front bumper, to improve handling and operation particularly in challenging terrain. Optional attachments for the new HPX 815E Gator utility vehicle include a road homologation kit, rear hitch, front and rear blades, a winch and a heavy-duty front suspension kit.

For more information, visit: www.deere.co.uk/en/

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