Sale secured at Trevalgan Touring Park

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Sale secured at Trevalgan Touring Park: When Neil Osborne, a partner of the family-owned caravan touring park in St Ives, Cornwall completed his research into the Ventrac package he was considering, it didn’t take long for the local dealer, Devon Garden Machinery (DGM) and the UK distributor, Price Turfcare, to spring into action.

Rob Read of DGM takes up the story,

“It all started with a call from Neil: he had already completed some in-depth research on-line and was looking for prices for a Ventrac tractor unit and a range of attachments. We had a short timescale in which to organise a demo as the end of the financial year was fast approaching.

Sale secured at Trevalgan Touring Park

Sale secured at Trevalgan Touring Park

“I put in an urgent call to Rupert Price, the UK distributor, and a demo was scheduled for the following Thursday. Rupert, his sales demonstrator Tony Doe and myself arrived at Trevalgan with Ventrac’s 4500 tractor unit, an Aera-vator with overseeder, a Finishing mowing deck, Power Broom and Front Loader and put each attachment through its paces. This enabled Neil to see the versatility, safety and efficiency of the machine.

“Within a couple of days, we had refined the package and secured the deal, with all the equipment delivered within 10 days of the demonstration.”

Neil Osborne added,

“The main reason I was interested in the Ventrac package was because of the ease of changing the implements safely and quickly on my own. The compact size and manoeuvrability of the machine is ideal for our busy campsite and enables me to get in to all the tight spaces.

“The overall quality of the machine and implements are excellent. I have been very impressed by the Area-vator as this helps to relieve the compaction of the pitches caused by a five-month season of continual use by tents, caravans and motorhomes. At the end of the season, this versatile implement can also re-seed the pitch at the same time, which makes the Ventrac very time efficient and I have been more than pleased with the end result.

“It also works really well to fluff the bark around the play equipment. The mower and broom attachments are regularly used and perform their tasks well. I would not hesitate in recommending Rob from DGM and Price Turfcare and look forward to dealing with them again in the future.”

About Trevalgan Touring Park

Trevalgan is an award-winning, luxury, five-star, family camping and touring park with stunning coastal and countryside views, just two miles from St Ives. The Park, which is owned and run by Neil and Annette Osborne, is surrounded by open farmland, with gorse and heather covered hills behind, and is within walking distance of the rugged and beautiful South West Coast Path.

The latest recognition for the stunning facility was made at the Cornwall Tourism Awards 2021/22, when the park was awarded Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year – Gold.

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Kubota celebrates 25 years as mini excavator manufacturer

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Kubota celebrates 25 years as mini excavator manufacturer: Kubota UK is celebrating 25-years as The UK & Republic of Ireland’s number one supplier of mini-excavators to the construction industry. The famous eye-catching orange livery brand has announced a 12-month activity campaign throughout 2022 to celebrate the milestone.

“It’s an honour to celebrate any milestone, but 25-years as a leader in The UK & Republic of Ireland’s construction industry, which is a vitally important sector of UK & ROI’s overall economy is especially rewarding,” says, Geoff Smith, Dealer Manager, Construction Department, Kubota UK. “A lot of hard work has gone in to securing this position and success wouldn’t be possible without four vital components; the excellent and tireless Kubota UK team, our vital dealership network, who are the lifeblood of the industry, our incredibly loyal customer base and of course, the innovative and unique Kubota engine technologies and machinery.”

Kubota celebrates 25 years as mini excavator manufacturer

Kubota celebrates 25 years as mini excavator manufacturer

A host of activities are already planned to take place throughout the year, including a ‘Kubota Challenge’, that will see Kubota operators show off their skills and showcase the abilities of both driver and machine.

Kubota is also utilising its strong supply network to run charity events throughout the year that will see multiple local communities benefit from the funds raised. The excavator supplier has also agreed to match a percentage of the total funds raised to help the industry charity, The Lighthouse Club. Industry roundtables, testimonials from the Kubota network and customers, and a kids design competition, are just a few of the activities it has planned during the year-long campaign.

“We would like all of our activity this year to reflect on just how grateful we are to be in this position as the construction industry’s trusted, go-to supplier for mini-excavators. It’s not just a celebration about our accolade, it’s a celebration of the industry as a whole and how integral it is to the country, from every local community project, to large infrastructure works.” Continued Geoff.

Further details of Kubota’s 25-year celebratory plans can be found on its newly launched information page, here: https://bit.ly/Kubota-25YearsInfo.

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A gentle touch from TYM

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A gentle touch from TYM: The Ashley Wood Golf Club in Dorset has returned to Reesink Turfcare and TYM after experiencing what its compact utility tractor line has to offer in terms of gentle and productive operation for its historically significant and environmentally protected site.

Open all year round, the 18-hole course was built in 1896, right over the Iron Age hillfort Buzbury Rings, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, which has part of the course protected under Historic England regulations. All of this means extreme care is required with day-to-day maintenance as well as the machines used in the process.

A gentle touch from TYM

A gentle touch from TYM

This important job falls upon the greenkeeping team, comprised of five members including head greenkeeper Mark Sherwood, who has been at the club since 1992 and thus has amassed an incredible amount of knowledge, vital for the protection of the site.

“Because The Ashley Wood Golf Club sits in a protected zone, we need light machines that don’t compact the ground or cause any damage with the tyres,” Mark explains. “It’s a woodland area on top of the hills so it’s always windy, cold and dry, and requires quite a bit of aeration work. We use the tractors for this and they’re really productive and have been very handy cutting down some of the work for us.

“However, two years ago, we had an issue with the tractors we had at the time from a different brand – the lift capacity just wasn’t enough and the machines were straining under the weight of the aerator. This was, of course, very worrying from a safety and efficiency point of view, so we decided we needed to upgrade.

“We made contact with people with experience of using TYM and who were happy with their performance,” he recalls. “We had a demo with the T433, a 43hp machine with a loader, and it impressed us. The performance and reliability were unbeatable and made such a difference when compared to our old tractors; the hydraulic lift was remarkable for such a small machine and made quick work around the course.”

Mark was so pleased with his purchase that he recently went back to TYM distributor Reesink for another order: this time not only acquiring a second tractor, the T395, but also a TYM BY85 backhoe for use on the T433 helping with construction and maintenance work around the club, while the T395 is now being used primarily for greens aeration.

“Both the T433 and the T395 are very uncomplicated and easy to use,” he says. “Nothing much ever goes wrong with them and if and when it does, the servicing is very straight-forward. With four to five different operators, some of them not fully experienced at driving a tractor, knowing they wouldn’t struggle with operating the machines and could get them on the course and running quickly was a big selling point for us.

“Due to the weather, we also required cabbed tractors that would protect us from the elements and provide enough comfort for the six to seven hours we spend outside,” Mark continues. “TYM accomplishes that – we even got ourselves a heater to help keep us warm while we ride, and it’s made the lads want to use the machines all the time now!”

As for his experience with Reesink, Mark has only good things to say: “The fact that there were major supply delays going around due to the pandemic still, yet we were able to receive our order within three months of buying even though the models weren’t even in the country at the time, was amazing,” Mark points out. “We’re very happy with our dealer; they’re there when we need them and their products are exactly as described. I’m over the moon with the service and cannot praise them enough.”

To find out more about the TYM range and the tractor attachments available from Reesink call 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk, or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Headland’s New-Way Weedspray

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Headland’s New-Way Weedspray: Based on naturally occurring ingredients, Headland Amenity’s New-Way Weedspray provides a fast-acting alternative to glyphosate when it comes to grass, broad-leaved weed and moss control.

Ideal for use on hard surfaces and artificial sports pitches, its non-selective formulation provides total control against most soft-tissue it encounters, negating the need for separate applications when spraying for weeds and moss.

Headland’s New-Way Weedspray

Headland’s New-Way Weedspray

The active ingredient in New-Way Weedspray (MAPP No. 15319) – acetic acid – is formulated from high food-grade product and is developed with a naturally occurring protein ingredient. This combination doubles the herbicidal properties of acetic acid compared to standard products. As one of only two foliar acting herbicides approved for the control of moss on hard ground in the UK, New-Way Weedspray can be used in a variety of amenity situations such as footpaths and pavements, parks, and in industrial areas such as railways and fence lines etc. In addition to hard surfaces, New-Way Weedspray can also be used to control moss on synthetic sports turf.

Unlike many moss treatments, New-Way Weedspray will also control a range of weeds and grasses. While perennial weeds may require more than a single application for total control, annual weeds can usually be controlled in a single application – with browning of foliage occurring within a few hours of treatment and death of the weed in one to two days depending on weather conditions. As there are no residual effects with the product in the soil, new sowing and planting may then be undertaken as soon as the weeds have died.

Headland Amenity also have a comprehensive range of selective herbicides, offering the safe, efficient and targeted control of weeds in grassed areas. For more information, visit www.headlandamenity.com

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New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club

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New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club: Chorley Golf Club has got its 125-year anniversary off to a good start by updating its machinery fleet.

The course sits in 127 acres between Bolton and Preston, drawing players out of both major conurbations to be challenged while taking in prime views that extend as far as the Lake District and North Wales.

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club

New lease of life for machinery fleet at Chorley Golf Club

With both healthy membership numbers and a high number of visiting players, Head Greenkeeper Tony Grayson and his team of four – deputy John Cottam, Chris Riley, Stuart Angus, and Daniel Woan – are working to meet expectations every day.

“I try to produce the best course I can every day, as we have so many competitions”, he says. “It’s all about the presentation and of course – people want what they see on TV.”

Living up to the manicured greens and fairways seen on televised competitions is no mean feat in the north west of England, where consistent rainfall and clay soils present major challenges.

“The ground is very quick to get wet but also quick to dry as we are on a couple inches of topsoil and thatch on the fairways,” Tony said. “The Bunkers are really difficult to maintain in bad weather because the clay contaminates the sand and, although others might put in liners nowadays, on a limited resource it costs a fortune.”

Pests and diseases, particularly fusarium, anthracnose, worm casts and leatherjackets are an increasing challenge too, with many chemicals being taken off the market. Frequently warm and wet conditions make this pressure relentless.

Keeping the course in top condition takes attention to detail, and the team can afford little  machinery downtime. A breakdown can threaten to overwhelm the team so when they were handed the keys to a brand-new shed just before the first covid lockdown in March 2020, the impetus was there to invest in new machinery.

Tony said: “It had been difficult to invest in machinery because of the previous sheds in terms of their security and the environment – you don’t want to be keeping machines in damp conditions.

“We had an ageing fleet and the reliability, particularly of our previous rough mower, was going down. When you’ve got the grass growing like mad and a rough mower down, it’s difficult to manage.”

The team’s new shed now stores a John Deere 7500 fairway mower, a 9009A TerrainCut rough mower, an 8000A E E-Cut Hybrid fairway mower, a XUV86SM Gator, three 220SL SL PrecisionCut walk-behind greens mower and two 2500 greens mowers.

Tony said: “Looking at other brands, I found that John Deere, as well as being at the top, was offering value for money as well. Once I demoed everything, it was obvious what I was looking for. The machines are now specific to our course and environment so we can go out with more confidence, getting a nicer cut.

“The 8000AE is so versatile and it can even act as a backup fairways mower by quickly raising the height of cut. It is our key machine and the one that will make people notice in terms of the appearance of the surrounds and approaches. Now, the green-side bunkers are part of the surround and we’re able to cut around this area with the new machine, making the presentation so much better.”

For the majority of the new machines, Tony opted to use John Deere Finance. And with a strong relationship with John Deere’s specialist servicing dealer Balmers GM spanning  20 years, the team at Chorley has direct access to support to maintain the machines. For its flagship machine, the 9009A, Tony reasoned that an operating lease, whereby the team would only pay for the use of the machine, would be the best option.

“The club looked at the hours our machines were doing – and with the rough mower doing the most hours, we took it out on an operational lease as we have a lot of semi-rough, and will look to change after five years.”

Following a successful 2021 with summer on the greenkeepers’ side and armed with a new machinery fleet, Tony’s sights are now set firmly on future proofing the course – and the reliability of the new machines will be crucial to ensure this work can happen.

“Our aim now is to make the course longer by building a few more tee zones set right back onto the course’s boundaries to cater for an increasing number of golfers hitting the ball further. All this has to be done without disrupting golfers’ experience or making a mess with the heavier equipment required.

“Our industry isn’t without its challenges but investing in the machines has really given our greenkeepers more pride in their work, and the machines are doing a fantastic job at presenting the course in the best light.”

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