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NEWS ARTICLES

Trilo S3 takes command of leaf clearance

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Trilo S3 takes command of leaf clearance: The 18 holes at Hertfordshire’s prestigious Centurion Club explore pine-lined fairways and woodland that pose a challenge to players and greenkeepers alike.

One of the biggest problems for Course Manager Andy Garland and his team was, as the parkland course matured, so did the task of autumn leaf-clearance. That was until the club purchased a Trilo S3 vacuum sweeper from Vanmac two years ago, which has since been described as ‘fundamental’ in retaining the presentation, playability and health of the course.

Trilo S3 takes command of leaf clearance

Trilo S3 takes command of leaf clearance

Established in 2013 and renowned for its immaculate course condition, the Centurion Club has proudly played host to a number of high-profile tour events, most recently the first round of the inaugural Aramco Team Series in July. “The summer is all about presentation and tournament preparations and then we we’d get to the autumn and find ourselves faced with an ever-growing problem with leaves” explains Andy, who has been at the club for the last 15 years. “When the laborious task was becoming unsustainable by hand, we looked at the Trilo.”

“Having heard good things, we had a demonstration of the S3, fitted with the brush shaft, and it was evident straight away how it was going to absolutely transform the task for us.” Working at a convenient 1.5m wide, the Trilo S3 weighs in at only 1200kg making it suitable for compact tractors of 35HP+.  The full-floating brush head and low ground pressure, allows the machine to work under the heaviest of conditions, with hard-to-reach areas – in and around trees for example – cleared with convenience and ease thanks to the 6m wander hose.

“The S3 is in action every day during leaf-fall season, picking up leaves – both wet and dry – cleanly in one pass and collecting them in the large capacity hopper which we can then dispose of elsewhere around the course.” To convert the S3 into a year-round tool, Andy also has his sights set on the optional Verticut shaft which can be mounted to the unit in a matter of minutes, converting it into a quick and effective method of scarifying large areas such as the fairways.

He concludes, “From an agronomic perspective, the benefits of keeping the surface clear to allow for maximum airflow, sunlight and moisture movement are well documented. But, back to basics, there’s no question that the S3 has been fundamental in keeping certain areas of the course playable, and that in itself is invaluable.”

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Hayter Ltd to change name to Toro U.K. Limited

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Hayter Ltd to change name to Toro U.K. Limited: Hayter Ltd, which is part of The Toro Company, will be changing its name to Toro U.K. Limited on 3rd August 2021.

The name change to Toro U.K. Limited will align the UK operation with the rest of Toro’s subsidiaries outside of the United States, and the strategic focus to grow the Toro® brand in the consumer, light construction, landscape contractor and arboricultural markets.

Hayter Ltd to change name to Toro U.K. Limited

Hayter Ltd to change name to Toro U.K. Limited

Toro U.K. Limited remains committed to the Hayter® brand, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary. The brand will continue to be a significant part of the Toro U.K. Limited portfolio with manufacturing and selling of the Hayter range of premium quality lawn care products continuing from its Spellbrook factory in the UK.

The Hayter brand will retain the Royal Warrant, with which it has been proudly associated since the 1960s and Toro U.K. Limited will continue to invest and develop new Hayter products, including the new 60v Hawk range, which comes to market this autumn.

The Toro Company, a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment, acquired Hayter Ltd in 2005 and continues to invest in the UK manufacturing plant.

The new company name will not change the nature of business, nor will it have any effect on existing relations with customers, partners, suppliers, contracts or personnel.
Craig Hoare, Sales and Marketing Manager Toro U.K. Limited commented, “The change is in name only and everything else is business as usual. The new name will help us to layout our strategy for the Toro & Hayter brands in the UK market and grow with our existing retailers.”

The business is keen to invite anyone who has any questions about the change in name to contact their territory manager.

For more information please visit www.toro.com/en-gb and www.hayter.co.uk

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Grass is greener on the other side

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Grass is greener on the other side: Hillside Golf Club on ‘England’s Golf Coast’ in Southport knows only too well the importance of its biggest asset: its greens. As host to many tournaments including the British Masters, they are what’s most judged and why the club opted for Toro’s Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 all-electric riding greensmower to lead its frontline mowing fleet.

The R&A, which together with the USGA governs the sport of golf worldwide, provides best practice guidelines on all aspects of golf course management to help grow golf in an environmentally sustainable way. And this was one of the facts that contributed to Chris Ball’s decision-making process when choosing the club’s new greens mower this year.

Grass is greener on the other side

Grass is greener on the other side

Chris, the club’s links manager has been in the industry for 31 years and has been associated with Hillside Golf Club for over 20 of those years; he says: “The R&A is rightly pushing clubs to make the correct environmentally-friendly choices wherever possible so when we had a hydraulic leak earlier this season, the club asked can this truly be avoided in the future? The answer was yes and that led us to consider the all-electric option.”

Of course, this option has been provided to the industry by Toro in the form of the Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 and despite reservations Chris couldn’t be more glad he decided to look at the all-electric mower.

“My reservations were based on this being a bit of an unknown quantity in terms of costs,” says Chris. “But Steve Halley from Cheshire Turf Machinery who sold us the machine and our club secretary/manager Chris Williams did some number crunching and presented the costs over three years and it alleviated my concerns on that count. What the process concluded was that you can’t base your decision on the purchase price, total cost of ownership plays a huge part here.”

So, what of the machine and it’s performance? Chris says the clubs along the coast don’t have much Toro equipment, but what they all have is the impressive technology of the ever-popular ProCore aerators and the Sidewinder machines for mowing round bunker tops and fairway gathers, but could the performance of the electric greensmower be the next piece of Toro they all have?

Chris says: “I can’t find fault with it. And the more we use it the more positives we find. But first and foremost is the members’ feedback. They love the idea of the all-electric mower on their course, and all take great interest in it when it’s out on the course. Quality of cut is excellent and specifically highlighted by many golfers was that the ball roll appears far superior, even though we are now mowing at 5mm through the summer which is higher than previous years. It’s great for the club as they are doing all they can to see the return of the desirable grass species on the greens and at this height its very achievable.

“It’s incredibly user-friendly and definitely my preferred option for mowing the greens on a daily basis. The quietness and not needing ear defenders means you notice everything the mower is doing; it provides a totally different mowing experience and of course you can work quietly around the golfers.

“Maintenance is really easy – there are no grease points and the bearings are sealed for life, there’s nothing for us to do – apart from keeping the cutting units sharp by regular grinding. There is a small service at 800 hours and even then, that’s just topping up the coolant. And in terms of productivity, it can easily do all our 20 greens before we charge overnight but during our first weeks with the mower, we thought we’d see how far the mower could go and we managed to get 39 greens out of it before charging, which in a linear straight line is some distance for a mower.”

Chris confirms: “It seems to be the way of the future and I genuinely believe it won’t be long before the switch over to electric is more commonplace.”

A true Championship Links course and host to many events in the past, Hillside continues to invest in its primary asset and has recently completed two major phases of course improvements. Chris concludes: “The time was right to invite Toro to bring their electric technology to the course. I feel it matches our ambitions as a club going forward, giving us that extra something on the greens.”

Steve Halley, managing director at Cheshire Turf Machinery, comments: “Jeff Jago from our sales team has worked hard to make the breakthrough at Hillside where Chris and his team have really bought in the many features and benefits of the eTriFlex. Their enthusiasm for the machine has been really satisfying and is sure to be noted by other potential users.”

To talk to someone about Toro’s electric and hybrid technology and how the Toro range would suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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Training Committee releases revised learning materials

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Training Committee releases revised learning materials: The Advanced Golf Greenkeeper Learning Materials, developed for the Level 3 Apprenticeship, are now available for golf clubs and individuals to purchase from the Greenkeepers Training Committee (GTC).

These best practice learning materials, compiled by industry specialists, are based upon principles and practices for advanced golf course maintenance and management.

Training Committee releases revised learning materials

Training Committee releases revised learning materials

Originally compiled to provide the underpinning knowledge for the Level 3 qualification, the GTC Board of Directors and the Employer Group have championed the revision of the copyright Learning Materials. Divided into 10 chapters, they cover best practices including health and safety, advanced golf course preparation and maintenance, construction of golf course features, environmental management, finance and project management.

All GTC–BIGGA Approved Training Providers will receive a copy of the Learning Materials, for use with all greenkeeping students on the advanced greenkeeping courses.

The 392-page publication is now available in digital format from the GTC shop. Visit: www.the-gtc.co.uk/shop/

GTC Learning and Development Executive, Fiona Lyttle, said: “We are incredibly proud to present the revised Level 3 Learning Materials. After recently reviewing and updating the Level 2 Learning Materials, it became necessary to develop materials appropriate for students learning at the higher level. The Level 3 qualification now incorporates more knowledge and skills that are required at a supervisory level. These materials home in on the knowledge required and how to deliver those skills. The GTC has ensured the Learning Materials are suitable for everyone, from apprentices to golf course managers, with all subjects comprehensively covered.”

The GTC is supported by England Golf, Scottish Golf, Wales Golf, The PGA and BIGGA.

For further information on the GTC’s Learning Materials, contact Fiona Lyttle on 01347 838 640 or fiona@the-gtc.co.uk

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Kubota makes significant donation

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Kubota makes significant donation: Leading construction machinery manufacturer Kubota is donating €200,000 to the flood-stricken Rhineland-Palatinate region in western Germany.

The area was subject to devastating flashfloods in July, after unprecedented levels of rainfall caused the Rhine to burst its banks. The flooding claimed more than 100 lives and causes millions of Euros worth of damage to towns and cities throughout the state.

Kubota makes significant donation

Kubota makes significant donation

Kubota employs more than 600 people in the region via its facility in the town of Zweibrücken, with company president Mikio Taguchi compelled to action after seeing images of the flooding online.

Having witnessed the impact of natural disasters in his home country of Japan, Taguchi spearheaded the donation of €200,000 to the region’s state treasury, saying: “Because I am a neighbour, I have to help.”

The donation will go towards those impacted by the flooding, with clear-up and rebuilding efforts currently underway throughout the region.

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