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Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6

October 3, 2018/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Val Graham

Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6: Throughout his 26 years of service at Ashley Wood GC in Blandford Forum, head greenkeeper, Mark Sherwood, can count the snow days there on the fingers of both hands. With high elevation and fast draining chalk soil, extreme weather rarely halts play at the Dorset club. Indeed during winter, […]

Reesink & Toro At Ham Manor GC

October 3, 2018/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Rosie Duckworth

Reesink & Toro At Ham Manor GC: A five year commitment is a big thing, and is not something that should be taken lightly. Trust and confidence are key components, and Ham Manor Golf Club is convinced it has the best combination in Reesink Turfcare and Toro. Paul Brown, who has been course manager at the […]

Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6

October 3, 2018/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Val Graham

Reesink & Toro At Ham Manor GC

October 3, 2018/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Rosie Duckworth

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Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6

October 3, 2018/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Val Graham

So in March, when Andy Frost from local Wiedenmann UK dealer, EG Coles of Shaftesbury and Chas Ayres, Wiedenmann UK Sales Manager, pitched up to install a Terra Spike GXi 6 aerator, everyone was hugely surprised by a 3 inch snowfall.

“The snow was gone in no time but it put a stop to the handover run,” recalls Mark Sherwood. “However, that was the Monday, by the Wednesday we got on so well we were even hollow coring. It was an instant success.”

Ashley Wood’s GXi 6 was specifically chosen to deliver a clean finish to the greens, tees and aprons. Being busy with member and society golf leaves little down time and aeration can’t be allowed to cause disruption.

“We pushed it to see what it could achieve so we double hollow cored some greens,” continued Mark Sherwood. “First pass, we used a two by one hole pattern. We then cleared all cores. Next for the second pass, we slowed right down for maximum accuracy. Once we’d sanded the greens our golfers were straight back on without any issues. Afterwards we got an endorsement I wasn’t expecting. For the first time ever, several members came up to say they couldn’t believe the great finish the new machine had left, even with twice the number of holes we’d usually create! Crucially, approval from our members, so we were as pleased as they were…”

Mark and his team of four have kept to their planned programme and been out every three to four weeks, varying heave and depth as appropriate.

“Mostly we’ve been out with solids although at the end of August we went back for few single passes with hollow coring tines. We’ve lots of undulation, with several of the greens particularly full of humps and bumps. The Wiedenmann follows these with no issues at all. The solid three part rear roller is a real benefit. There’s a good weight on it that puts the turf back ‘down’. Previously we had to keep a very close eye with our last machine where we’d have had a few ripples in the ground where the tines enter and leave the ground but now it’s as smooth as silk. Once it’s set it’s set.”

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.com

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Reesink & Toro At Ham Manor GC

October 3, 2018/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Rosie Duckworth

Paul Brown, who has been course manager at the West Sussex club for two years, says it was the right time to commit, but the big decision was to whom? “You place a lot of trust in your package partner and ask a lot from them so it’s important to feel comfortable they can deliver. I’ve previously used Toro equipment and I had no doubt that Toro would deliver for us here at Ham Manor, but the primary drivers behind this decision were the trust and confidence we have in Reesink’s area retail sales manager Jon Cole and Toro’s unequivocal reliability.

“You put your reputation on the line when you embark on this sort of package deal. It’s a massive financial commitment over a long period of time, and you’ve got to be sure you’re not going to be let down. I hadn’t felt the time was right to make that sort of commitment, until now.”

In the order are a Reelmaster 3575-D, TriFlex 3400, two Workman MDX-D and one Workman HDX utility vehicles, the Multi Pro Workman sprayer and ProPass 200 topdresser. These machines add to the Reelmaster 3100-D and two Groundmaster 360 Quad Steers acquired over the last 18 months.

Positioned where it is nestled between the coast and the South Downs, Ham Manor is a parkland course a mile away from the sea, which Paul says: “has its own microclimate. Out of ten we’re an 11 when it comes to how much grass growth there is here. We could easily cut the fairways five days a week and still have work to do!”

Add to that the general trend of wetter winter months and it’s clear to see why Paul has opted for the combination of Toro’s Reelmaster 3575-D and TriFlex 3400: “We can struggle to get equipment on the course, but the RM3575-D is light with a larger footprint, and its three-wheel design and turf-friendly tyres mean we can rely on it to not damage the ground. Both machines make light work of the amount of grass.”

“When I started here there was a ‘mix and match’ range of kit, and this batch of machines are like-for-like replacements of those while we begin the process of investing in one manufacturer for the majority of our equipment. When our existing lease arrangements have run their course, the intention is to renew the entire fleet in one package. I feel this is the most cost-effective way to bring reliable machinery management to the club.”

Complementing the machinery lease deal, Ham Manor has completed phase one of its irrigation installation. This is a three-phase process to renew the entire system. Back to back Toro Infinity sprinklers have already been installed on the club’s new academy area and brand new 18^th hole and up next is a Toro Lynx central control system and then Infinity sprinklers, back-to-back on the greens, tees, aprons and partial fairways of the 18-hole course.

Paul says: “Replacing our irrigation system is the biggest single investment the club will make in the next 30-40 years. Due diligence was essential in the evaluation process and we were thorough in our research. We viewed all the major brands and even travelled overseas visiting factories to see how sprinklers are made, but when it came down to it, Toro had everything we needed, including first class support from Reesink’s Rob Jackson which of course, is an essential component of the whole process.”

It’s common sense that when making an irrigation decision to consider sustainability too. With that in mind a new irrigation lake has been built and a borehole installed and Paul is actively investigating running grey (roof) water into the lake to further enhance the club’s ability to be less dependent on a mains water supply. That, however, is a story for another day and we look forward to bringing you the latest at Ham Manor when phase two of the irrigation installation commences!

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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.

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)

Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6

Reesink & Toro At Ham Manor GC

Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6

Reesink & Toro At Ham Manor GC

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Perfect Start For Terra Spike GXi 6

Reesink & Toro At Ham Manor GC

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