Veemo hits the spot at Stourbridge

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Veemo hits the spot at Stourbridge: After trialling various tractor mounted scarifiers, Steven Harvey, Head Greenkeeper at Stourbridge Golf Course, concluded that the SISIS Veemo MK 2 was by far the most suitable for his fairways.

Stourbridge Golf Club in the West Midlands was formed in 1892 progressing from the original 9 holes laid out on the former Pedmore racecourse to 18 holes in 1909. The basic outline of that course remains today, and marks somewhat of a divide according to Steven.

Veemo hits the spot at Stourbridge

Veemo hits the spot at Stourbridge

“There are essentially two halves to the course,” he said. “The old common ground at the bottom where the racecourse used to be and then you have more of a parkland course at the top. It really is chalk and cheese.

“It is also a small course; in fact, it was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as being the course with the ‘longest yardage over the smallest acreage’. Being a small plot of land to look after, it comes with both positives and benefits.”

Steve oversees a team of four members of staff and full credit must be given to the team for achieving a course which is highly praised by members and visitors alike.

With a humble budget and unfavourable weather conditions to work with, Steve claims that he is always looking at new methods to achieve best results and over recent years, he has largely focussed on the fairways.

“Historically our non-irrigated surfaces such as the fairways do tend to struggle and fail to hold on to moisture. No work has ever really taken place on the fairways other than slitting so they are heavy on organic matter. When it is hot, they really do bake and we have lost a lot of grasses, particularly the fescues.

“A couple of years ago, knowing that we wanted to scarify the fairways, we begged, and borrowed machines just to get the ball rolling,” he continued. “However, the problem always came on the undulating common land and whichever machine we used, it basically scalped them, didn’t hit the low spots and was very hit and miss. But we knew that if we had the right one then it would help us achieve exactly what we wanted to.

“Then we came across the SISIS Veemo.”

The SISIS Veemo MK 2 is a tractor-mounted scarifier used for removing thatch from large areas of turf, such as golf course fairways. The Veemo’s strong cutting blades are designed for minimum surface disturbance and maximum thatch removal via three floating heads which are independent from the main frame. The heads each move in all degrees of motion and follow any undulations of the ground on a fairway without any danger of damaging / scalping the turf, whilst the tungsten tipped hook blades with variable spacing cut effectively through the thatch layer.

Veemo hits the spot at Stourbridge

Veemo hits the spot at Stourbridge

“The Veemo simply stood out from all the others – mainly for its durability and the way it hugs the ground, particularly on the fairways on the bottom half of the course.” said Steve. “It is fantastic the way it hits every part of the surface we want it to hit, due to the floating heads. The way it connects to the back of the tractor is also so simple.

“It is well built, and I can’t envisage any issues with damage or maintenance. The Veemo basically does everything we want it to do.

“We use the Veemo anytime between March and November, and the beauty of it is that not only can I use it on the fairways, but I can get it onto our tees and the approaches as well. I’m also going to be looking to use it on the greens very soon, and I think it will do a great job. I want to use it to its maximum capability.

“Overall, I’m very impressed with the Veemo and we are seeing the improvements from using it already.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter and Instagram @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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Lantra and Hozelock-Exel to promote best practice

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Lantra and Hozelock-Exel to promote best practice: A new initiative between leading land-based training body Lantra and sprayer specialists Hozelock-Exel aims to raise operator awareness of the mechanics of knapsack sprayers to improve performance and longevity of equipment.

Raising operator awareness of the importance of sprayer maintenance is a key priority for both Lantra and Hozelock-Exel in what is a drive to reverse the throwaway culture endemic in the industry.

Lantra and Hozelock-Exel to promote best practice

Lantra and Hozelock-Exel to promote best practice

Units available to trainers include the Berthoud 16l capacity Vermorel 2000 Comfort, the 20l Cooper Pegler CP3 Evolution and giant telescopic lances, particularly helpful for arb applications.

David Fisher, Lantra Head of Industry Partnerships, says: “It’s only by working closely with industry experts, including manufacturers like Hozelock, that Lantra is able keep in touch with current industry requirements and trends and tailor our training appropriately.

“Our Instructors, who are key in ensuring relevant industry comment is fed into our development process, are particularly impressed with the Hozelock cutaway units that help demonstrate functionality so comprehensively, and discussions have also highlighted an opportunity for potentially including a maintenance module to some of sprayer courses – a great example of effective partnership in practice”

Continuing the theme, Hozelock UK National Account Manager Allan Wainwright said: “Sprayer lifetimes can be considerably extended by operators ensuring they complete checks regularly, especially before storing sprayers for winter and preparing them for work in spring.

“Contractors should avoid viewing professional sprayers as items disposable as soon as there’s a hitch. The more operators know about how sprayers work, the more likely they are to be able to diagnose and rectify any functionality issues.”

Hozelock-Exel is committed to a programme of product support for trainers and instructors nationwide to extend knowledge of knapsack and compression sprayers.

Lantra instructor Doug Price commented: “As a freelance instructor, constantly moving from place to place, I can feel a bit isolated. But the background support I receive by being part of the Lantra team makes me feel less of a `lone wolf`.

“Their industry links are invaluable,” he added, “and this latest initiative with Hozelock-Exel is a prime example of the backing Lantra provide and the mutual respect both have for each other’s brand.”

Allan concluded: “I believe that Lantra’s network of fully qualified trainers will be able to inject know-how of sprayer function in a way that will allow students to engage more completely with what are vital products in the groundscare sector.”

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Ravens rave about the Dennis G860

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Ravens rave about the Dennis G860: Sean Kauffman, Head Groundskeeper for National Football League (NFL) side Baltimore Ravens has revealed how two Dennis G860 cylinder mowers have significantly helped the grounds crew to improve the standards of the pitch at the M&T Bank Stadium.

M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL, and Sean has been working for the organisation for seventeen years.

Ravens rave about the Dennis G860

Ravens rave about the Dennis G860

After originally starting as a First Assistant, Sean finds himself in the top position overseeing a busy schedule.

“In the average season we generally have twelve NFL games and training sessions,” he said. “On top of that we put on concerts, events, soccer games, NCAA college football, lacrosse and monster truck shows.”

It is safe to say that Sean and his two members of staff have their work cut out and so therefore he admits to always being on the lookout for equipment that can make his maintenance programme easier and better.

“We were previously using a ride-on mower on the stadium pitch, but I felt this was certainly one area where we could upgrade.

“I first saw Dennis Mowers at the Golf Industry Show (GIS), and we got a good look at the machines. We felt the G860 cylinder mowers would be a better option than what we had and knew that it would certainly help to keep some weight off the pitch.

“A demonstration was arranged, and we really liked what we saw. I also spoke to some people who had worked with the G860’s and they encouraged the purchase. We ended up purchasing two.”

Sports turf managers have relied on the G860 to provide the perfect cut; and the popularity of the machines in the States is growing all the time. Lightweight at just 166kg; it is easy to manoeuvre and comfortable to operate. The handlebar console houses the controls for – throttle, parking brake, roller drive and cutting cylinder drive.

The mower features a large diameter front roller with an adjustable scraper which has been designed for a precise height of cut control, giving an excellent finish on every occasion. The Dennis G860 also features an interchangeable cassette system to assist with a wide range of tasks such as including cutting, de-thatching, verticutting, brushing, spiking, and slitting.

Sean revealed that the spring tine cassette and the 8 bladed cutting cassette are the two that he most relies on.

“As one game ends, preparation for the next one begins immediately and this is where the G860 comes in,” he said. “Following games, both of the Dennis mowers will give the pitch a sweep to clean the debris off and then we will repeat the process a couple of days later.

Then we’ll use the 8 bladed cutting cassette to mow the pitch to prepare for matchday. We absolutely love the quality of cut and the presentation it offers. I also like how easy they are to manoeuvre; and it is very easy to switch the cassettes around.

“Our pitch has been better since using them,” continued Sean. “Everything has been great; the machines have been running brilliantly and hopefully that continues for a long time.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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New sales operation for EcoBunker

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New sales operation for EcoBunker: Leading creator of synthetic bunker edging technology, EcoBunker Ltd, is reinforcing its commitment to the North American market by creating a directly owned subsidiary to support customers across the continent.

Inventor and CEO Richard Allen was the first to install synthetic bunker walls on US soil and his company, EcoBunker Ltd, has been delivering highly successful projects across the continent consistently since 2014.

New sales operation for EcoBunker

New sales operation for EcoBunker

After a short period trading under a different brand name through a distributor, Allen recognised that a better operating model was needed. EcoBunker Ltd has consequently removed its support for the alternative brand and withdrawn the privileges associated with its patented and solely owned patent pending construction methods.

The new approach will to be sell directly to market. This is being done through a new American company, EcoBunker USA LLC, which will be headed by Jay Morgan, (who until now has been running EcoBunker’s Canadian operation), and a commitment to hold stock of the EcoBunker product at several strategically selected locations across North America, ensuring that clients can be serviced as quickly as possible. Another benefit is that trading will be in dollars, making the purchase of EcoBunker as simple as possible for clubs right across the North American continent.

Allen says: “Obviously North America is the biggest golf market in the world, and figuring out how best to support that market has been an important question for us to answer throughout our history. We have developed very successful relationships with distributors across the world, but we have learned over the years that America really needs a different approach and more commitment. Setting up our own operation is a massive investment for us – the largest in the company’s history – but we have done some fantastic projects that provide a strong foundation and the potential for us to grow our business in America is huge. I know that when people think about a synthetic bunker edge, they think first about revetted pots on links courses, but when I first conceived the concept, I was thinking primarily about setting a firm, low edge for bunkers on parkland courses. With our own network of technical experts on hand, we are well placed to solve bunker edging problems for courses across North America.”

The LLC of EcoBunker USA will be established within the next week.

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Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking

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Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking: Over the years, Highlands Polaris dealer, McLaren Tractors, has made various modifications to Polaris’ range of off-road vehicles to make them more suitable for specialised customer requirements; including a recent Sportsman 6×6 570 EPS build for their customer Alba Deer Stalking.

Alba Deer Stalking has been a long time user of Polaris vehicles due to their off-road capabilities and dependability year-round.

Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking

Customised Polaris Sportsman for Alba Deer Stalking

George McLaren, owner of McLaren Tractors said: “In 2015, Robert HcHardy of Alba Deer Stalking came to us looking for a budget side by side ORV, and bought his first Polaris Ranger – a Ranger ETX with a basic semi-cab. He then upgraded in 2017 to the Ranger XP 900 with full cab heater, Polaris multi-mount winch system and shooting lamp on the roof.”

In 2020, Alba Deer Stalking realised it also required a sit-on off-road ATV. The Polaris Sportsman was the obvious solution for Alba Deer Stalking thanks to its reliability, as they knew the machine was going to have to take on treacherous terrain with heavy loads.

“We supplied Alba Deer Stalking with a Polaris Big Boss 570 6×6 as they needed a sit-on machine with additional capacity and for carrying the stalker & a guest. As it was to be working in felled forestry areas, we fitted this machine up with a full aluminium belly, an A-arm skid pan and fabricated a front hitch receiver for mounting a multi-mount winch system.”

The vehicle boasts the powerful ProStar 567cc engine as well as technology like all-wheel drive for more forward traction when it is needed most.

By the end of last year, Alba Deer Stalking has purchased two specialised Sportsman 6×6 570 EPS machines from McLaren Tractors; further-developing the winch system to enable the multi-mount winch to load the rear box.

“This has proved a game changer in allowing one person loading of carcasses. We are now fitting Alba’s 2020 machine with the same capability.”

McLaren Tractors are now developing a similar system for the Polaris Ranger to help future customers with similar needs.

For information on the Sportsman and Ranger, please visit www.polarisbritain.com

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