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PM36 serves up competition-ready courts

May 7, 2020/in News, Press Release, Sport/by Louise Challiss

PM36 serves up competition-ready courts: As a sole Groundsman, Robin Wilcox has his work cut out looking after the 19 courts and 5 croquet lawns that make up East Dorset Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (EDLTCC). On the sites nine grass courts, DLF’s ProMaster 36, and its tolerance of low cutting heights, has given Robin […]

Vintage Toro cuts like a dream

May 7, 2020/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Rosie Duckworth

Vintage Toro cuts like a dream: Some eBay finds are just pure gold. In this case, a vintage circa. 1971, unused and undoubtably collectable Toro 21” Greensmaster pedestrian mower, which cuts like a dream. The listing was won by Toro’s Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award 2018 winner Dan Ashelby’s dad, Mark from Mark Ashelby […]

PM36 serves up competition-ready courts

May 7, 2020/in News, Press Release, Sport/by Louise Challiss

Vintage Toro cuts like a dream

May 7, 2020/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Rosie Duckworth

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

PM36 serves up competition-ready courts

May 7, 2020/in News, Press Release, Sport/by Louise Challiss

PM36 serves up competition-ready courts: As a sole Groundsman, Robin Wilcox has his work cut out looking after the 19 courts and 5 croquet lawns that make up East Dorset Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (EDLTCC).

On the sites nine grass courts, DLF’s ProMaster 36, and its tolerance of low cutting heights, has given Robin the advantage – freeing up time for the other tasks which keep the courts and lawns competition ready.

PM36 serves up competition-ready courts

One of Robin’s key goals when he joined EDLTCC two years ago was to bring the grass courts up to standard required to be selected, once again, as a host for the qualifying stages of The County Cup. “Over the years the courts had accumulated layers of thatch, so we could have gone down the road of scarifying and adding additional loam, but we decided to go for a full renovation.” During his first year at the club, Robin skimmed off the top layer, cultivated, levelled and seeded with Masterline PM36 perennial ryegrass mix.

“A great combination of warmth and rain in the late summer/early autumn of 2018 meant the courts were green in under three weeks and I carried out the first cut at six weeks – everybody at the club was amazed at the germination. Our artificial and clay courts took the strain while the grass courts were under renovation but when they re-opened for play in 2019, there was a new wave of members wanting to play on the grass and they coped, and recovered, from the high levels of wear very well.”

The decision to go for a pure-rye mix gives Robin the playing and resistance characteristics he requires, even under close mown conditions. “Because of my workload, I have to split my time between the artificial courts, grass courts and lawns so this means I am limited to mowing just twice a week. With the PM36 mix, it is hardy enough to cope with going as low as 5mm without any detrimental impact on turf quality.”

While a final decision by the LTA is expected at the end of May, at the time of writing the County Cup remains in the tournament calendar and the improvements Robin has achieved sees EDLTCC chosen as a host venue, after a few years absence. “It’s fantastic news for the club.” Robin concludes, “Everybody is delighted with the results of the renovations – the PM36 has delivered great quality courts fit for top level play once again.”

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Vintage Toro cuts like a dream

May 7, 2020/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Rosie Duckworth

Vintage Toro cuts like a dream: Some eBay finds are just pure gold. In this case, a vintage circa. 1971, unused and undoubtably collectable Toro 21” Greensmaster pedestrian mower, which cuts like a dream.

The listing was won by Toro’s Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award 2018 winner Dan Ashelby’s dad, Mark from Mark Ashelby Grounds who has spent 25 years in sports turf management and knows a good deal when he sees one.

Vintage Toro cuts like a dream

One of the precursors to the hugely successful and enduring Toro Greensmaster 1000 greens mowers range, Dan says of his Dad’s win: “We couldn’t believe it when we saw the listing. The machine was bought new by a cricket club in the early 1970s but never used. It’s in mint condition with no wear anywhere. It came with the original user manual and the original stickers on the engine. The red paint is still freshly painted like new on the cutting reels!

“It was bought as a collectible and is too good to use, but we couldn’t resist setting it up and giving it a quick one-off outing on a bowling green. And she cut like a dream.”

Greenkeeping is in the Ashelbys’ blood with Dan’s greenkeeping education beginning at a young age. His father was head greenkeeper at Gatley Golf Club and Dan has been helping out around the course since he was eight years old. Since winning the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award in 2018 and benefitting from a once-in-a-lifetime six-week worldclass certificate programme at the University of Massachusetts Winter School for Turf Managers prize, Dan has achieved head greenkeeper position at Hartford Golf Club in Cheshire.

He says: “Greenkeeping is definitely a shared interest Dad and I have. Things like this recent eBay find are good fun and it’s great to bring a bit of its history into the family. I’m a big Toro fan and love using the new machines at work, so it’s been great to have the opportunity to see and use one of the very first Toro machines to arrive in the UK, which was well before I eventually did!”

So, what’s next for this rare vintage find? Dan says: “The rest of its life will be much like that of a classic car, enjoying the occasional run out on a nice sunny day!”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

PM36 serves up competition-ready courts

Vintage Toro cuts like a dream

PM36 serves up competition-ready courts

Vintage Toro cuts like a dream

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

PM36 serves up competition-ready courts

PM36 serves up competition-ready courts: As a sole Groundsman, Robin Wilcox has his work cut out looking after the 19 courts and 5 croquet lawns that make up East Dorset Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (EDLTCC).

Vintage Toro cuts like a dream

Vintage Toro cuts like a dream: Some eBay finds are just pure gold. In this case, a vintage circa. 1971, unused and undoubtably collectable Toro 21” Greensmaster pedestrian mower, which cuts like a dream.

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