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Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club

December 11, 2018/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club: Lying on a tilted slab of ancient volcanic lava in front of the historic Stirling Castle is Stirling Golf Club, one of Scotland’s oldest golf clubs, which is preparing for its 150th anniversary with a helping hand from Toro and its distributor Reesink Turfcare. All eyes are on the club […]

10 Years Of Wildflowers For Hampshire Manor

December 11, 2018/in Parks and Gardens, Press Release/by Michelle Beck

10 Years Of Wildflowers For Hampshire Manor: A Hampshire wildflower meadow, grown and supplied by Wildflower Turf Ltd in 2008, has recently reached the ripe old age of ten. A decade after it was installed at Grade II listed Ashley Manor in the Test Valley, the wildflower meadow continues to thrive and provide a safe haven […]

Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club

December 11, 2018/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

10 Years Of Wildflowers For Hampshire Manor

December 11, 2018/in Parks and Gardens, Press Release/by Michelle Beck

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Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club

December 11, 2018/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club: Lying on a tilted slab of ancient volcanic lava in front of the historic Stirling Castle is Stirling Golf Club, one of Scotland’s oldest golf clubs, which is preparing for its 150^th anniversary with a helping hand from Toro and its distributor Reesink Turfcare.

All eyes are on the club in central Scotland, whose golfing credentials actually stretch back to 1505 when golfing activity involving Monarch King James was first recorded, as it prepares for its anniversary. But with a carefully constructed Toro fleet the pressure to keep the course up to standard is under control, says course manager, James Lindsay.

“It’s an exciting time and everyone is looking forward to it, but it does mean there are a lot of people expecting great things; 150 years is a big deal after all! We’ve been completely redoing the bunkers for the anniversary, working with renowned course architect Howard Swan of Swan Golf Designs repositioning, reshaping and draining them all, which will be finished in time for the celebrations, so members can enjoy a newly refreshed course. It’s important for us to be able to provide the best, especially as there’ll be a full calendar of events over the year with members and dignitaries invited.”

Maintaining such a respected course, James knows having the best turf maintenance equipment is essential. Since his appointment six years ago, he has continually updated the machines at the club and it now boasts a 100 percent Toro fleet.

“I’ve always used Toro, they’re the highest quality and most reliable, so it’s a no-brainer really. Plus, having an all Toro fleet makes it’s easier to train people, which means we can spend more time working on the course. They’re quick to cover the grounds, which saves us fuel, but the speed doesn’t stop them giving a smooth finish. Being 100 percent Toro has improved the club in lots of ways.”

He continues: “The machines themselves are really dependable, but on the rare occasion there’s been an issue it’s been fixed very quickly. It’s comforting to know that if there’s ever a problem, there’s always someone at the end of a phone who can get it sorted.”

With the fleet consisting of a Greensmaster TriFlex hybrid 3420 and two GR3250-D mowers, a Reelmaster 5610-D, RM6500-D and RM3100-D, plus a Groundsmaster 4500-D, Workman MDX-D and Procore 648, the club has built up a comprehensive collection.

“I have to say my favourite to use is the Procore 648,” says James. “Aeration is key and this machine works at a good speed and delivers a tidy finish.”

With the club busier than ever, James and the rest of the greenkeeping team are safe in the knowledge the course is in good hands with Toro – and that’s set to continue as James concludes: “We’re signed on to a five-year exclusivity agreement, I trust the products and service and know what I’m getting. I don’t see us stopping our agreement anytime soon. Toro machines keep this club at the very top of its game, and why would I change that?”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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10 Years Of Wildflowers For Hampshire Manor

December 11, 2018/in Parks and Gardens, Press Release/by Michelle Beck

10 Years Of Wildflowers For Hampshire Manor: A Hampshire wildflower meadow, grown and supplied by Wildflower Turf Ltd in 2008, has recently reached the ripe old age of ten.

A decade after it was installed at Grade II listed Ashley Manor in the Test Valley, the wildflower meadow continues to thrive and provide a safe haven for an abundance of wildlife. Improving long term biodiversity and ensuring a species rich habitat is now an important goal for landscape designers, and Ashley Manor is testament that a well-maintained wildflower meadow offers great longevity and can be relied upon to provide colour and interest year after year.

At the commencement of the original landscaping endeavour in September 2008, Wildflower Turf, a soil-less, pre-grown wildflower mat, was installed across two tiers of the steep south and west facing banks to the rear of Ashley Manor.

In total, 655m² of Wildflower Turf was laid and, despite the challenging profile of the banks and only a thin layer of top soil to work with, the installation of the turf was achieved without the use of pegging. A late-summer installation also meant that the turf did not require any additional watering.

The turf rooted in quickly and established itself well over the winter months, flowering beautifully in the spring and summer of 2009. The perennial Red Campion variety did particularly well on the lower slopes and the turf also acted very successfully as a weed suppressing mat.

The wildflower meadow at Ashley Manor also formed a home for a number of mammals and invertebrates, with voles and slow worms quickly taking up residence.

As well as the obvious aesthetic and wildlife benefits, ten years of meadow management has also given Ashley Manor’s Head Gardener, Olly Samways, ample opportunity to trial and perfect his meadow cutting regime.

Initially, a two-cut approach was used, with the first cut usually undertaken in late June. This regime greatly assisted with the initial establishment of the late season varieties in the turf, as well as allowing for the removal of old growth that would have otherwise started to compost and raise nutrient levels by the autumn. In recent years Olly has swapped to a single-cut regime, with the meadow beneficially requiring less maintenance as it has matured.

Managing Director of Wildflower Turf Ltd, James Hewetson-Brown, said, “We already knew from the 15-year-old Wildflower Turf meadow at our production site that, if properly established, wildflowers offer a long-term solution requiring little maintenance. Olly’s positive feedback over all these years has expanded our knowledge and confidence in our products and we are grateful for his interest and passion.”

Ashley Manor Head Gardener, Olly Samways concurs, “Our experience with our Wildflower Turf over the last decade has been excellent and I have no reservations at all about waxing lyrical about it to anyone who asks about it.” Olly continued, “Whenever I give tours around the garden, the wildflower areas continue to draw the most interest, as they have done every year since the turf was installed.”

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

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club

10 Years Of Wildflowers For Hampshire Manor

Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club

10 Years Of Wildflowers For Hampshire Manor

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club

10 Years Of Wildflowers For Hampshire Manor

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