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Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

July 23, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Sofia Martins

Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro: New 10-year Toro agreement deal for Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club in Troon on the west coast of Scotland takes relationship to 50 years. Kilmanock (Barassie) Golf Club has been hosting Championship events since 1936 so knows a few things about what it takes to create the ideal playing […]

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

July 23, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Val Graham

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann: An Aberdeenshire golf course has added a 4.05 m winged Wiedenmann Terra Brush to its fleet at the same time as updating its Terra Spike GXi8 HD. Portlethen GC, six miles south of Aberdeen, made the double investment during early summer. Neil Sadler, head greenkeeper since 2009, had no hesitation in […]

Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

July 23, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Sofia Martins

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

July 23, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Val Graham

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Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

July 23, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Sofia Martins

Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro: New 10-year Toro agreement deal for Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club in Troon on the west coast of Scotland takes relationship to 50 years.

Kilmanock (Barassie) Golf Club has been hosting Championship events since 1936 so knows a few things about what it takes to create the ideal playing surface. That’s why it’s chosen Toro for another 10 years in an exclusive partnership agreement with Reesink Turfcare.

Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

The agreement with distributor Reesink Turfcare will see the whole fleet of machines replaced over two five-year cycles. Course manager Brian Finlayson who has worked at the club for 28 years and manages a team of ten greenkeepers, says Toro has suited the club since the early 1980s: “Barassie has been an all-Toro club for 40 years and the reason for that is it suits our every need. We are a very high-maintenance, championship-standard golf club and reliability and quality from our machinery are essential. Toro has never let us down.”

In the new deal, Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club will upgrade like-for-like on previous models as it has been doing for decades as well as taking on some new technology in an effort to become more eco-friendly and reduce its carbon footprint with electric and hybrid alternatives such as the Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 and the Toro Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420.

The Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 replaces Brian’s favourite mower, the Greensmaster 3250-D, he says: “The Greensmaster 3250-D is a world-renowned greens mower for good reason. The quality of cut is exemplary. We wanted to continue the same quality of cut but with an energy smart focus so the new order will see its hybrid counterpart, the Hybrid 3420, come on board with its electric cylinder drive.”

The club has hosted many championships since 1936 and Brian takes special pride in the Women’s Amateur Championship, held this year, and the Junior Open Championship hosted in 2006, which he considers the highlights of his career. With tournaments being such a large and important part of the club’s calendar, having back up and support Brian can rely on is vital.

This deal, which also includes TYM tractors, is the club’s first done directly with Reesink Turfcare’s Livingstone branch about which Brian says: “Reesink has looked after us fantastically well and offers us first-class support especially during tournaments. That’s a large part of the club’s life and history hosting these big events and knowing we can get first-class support and back up gives us a lot of peace of mind. I’m hoping by the end of summer Reesink will be doing all our servicing and fleet work. I can’t speak highly enough of Reesink.”

Was there any thought of switching brands or going with another distributor? Brian says: “Never, at any stage did we think about going for another manufacturer. When given the choice to go to another competitor, the staff operating the Toro equipment said hands down they wanted to continue with the brand. Plus, we don’t do full mechanics here and knowing we can count on Reesink makes things a lot easier. We’ve stuck with Toro throughout the years and will continue to do so with Reesink.”

With Barassie and Toro’s relationship reaching half a century by the end of this agreement, it’s certainly a future that looks golden!

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Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

July 23, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Val Graham

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann: An Aberdeenshire golf course has added a 4.05 m winged Wiedenmann Terra Brush to its fleet at the same time as updating its Terra Spike GXi8 HD. Portlethen GC, six miles south of Aberdeen, made the double investment during early summer. Neil Sadler, head greenkeeper since 2009, had no hesitation in opting for both machines.

“Our GXi8 HD was a ‘like for like’ purchase. We’d got one of the very first at launch ten years ago and it’s literally given hundreds of hours of neat aeration. We part exchanged and the new one took over from where we left off … it is superb, so versatile, with many tine choices. It has considerably improved the surfaces of our tees, greens and approaches. If our fairways weren’t as rocky, it would be used there, too,” said Neil Sadler.

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

Built just over 40 years ago, Portlethen GC, offers golfers two challenging parkland circuits of nine holes and the option of four different courses, all with an abundance of natural features. Course development has seen the planting of around 21,000 carefully selected trees, restoration of a drystone dyke, construction of stone bridges, new tees at several holes and a pond at the short fifth.

Neil leads a team of three, supplemented at times by two seasonal staff. In summer, their day begins at 05.00 am giving them three hours to work on the course ahead of first tee off at 08.00 am.

“The more we do ahead of play the better. Once the golfers catch you up, it can be a dangerous sport,” continued Neil, who unfortunately ended up in A&E twice last year, after being struck by a golf ball.

“Our club is supportive. They appreciate we need kit that helps us do the job efficiently and quickly. The Terra Brush was another easy decision. I’d seen the Wiedenmann demonstrated and remembered it. Our previous brush had given good service but had only one row of bristles on the wings. The Wiedenmann has four rows of bristles across its entire extended width; the row pattern is a mixture of straights and diagonals. The bristles, therefore, are more consistent and connect better with the turf, even on undulations, so really stand the grass up or work the top dressing in harder. We chose medium firm bristles.

“September through to October, the brush is out first thing every day, brushing dew from fairways and approaches. A quick pass keeps the fairways clear of debris, the removal of the moisture leaves the grass plant drier and we follow on with a clean cut. Later on, when not cutting as much, brushing just keeps the presentation levels high. It is fantastic for sward refinement and standing the grass tall.

“We’ve only top dressed a few greens since it arrived, but I know it will work well.”

Neil already has a Wiedenmann Mega Twister blower with a 230° swivel capability and a Wiedenmann 1.7 m Terra Rake in his fleet.

“I’ve not quite got the full Wiedenmann set. The Super 500 is on my wish list but that will have to come later,” joked Neil. “No surprises, we need a strong blower to manage our leaves. They are quite a job; the Mega Twister is sufficiently powerful and its twisting spout allows the tractor to keep moving, avoiding frequent stops to turn around and re-position.

“We take the Terra Rake through semi rough before we cut it, to clear it out and remove thatch. It gets run through the fairways a couple of times during the season. We rake the leaves as well plus lots of other uses. So far, we’ve neither had opportunity nor time to work our Wiedenmann machines in combination, but once the season quietens it’ s only a matter of time,” concluded Neil.

John Morton, Area Manager at Fairways GM, the Scottish dealer for Wiedenmann UK, and Wiedenmann UK’s Andy Kerr were on hand to install both machines.

Portlethen GC hosts the Scottish Men’s Amateur Championship jointly with Murcar Golf Links from July 25-26 followed by the Scottish Men’s Match Play on July 28-29, 2021.

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Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

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Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro: New 10-year Toro agreement deal for Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club in Troon on the west coast of Scotland takes relationship to 50 years.

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

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