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Tehidy Park Golf Club Picks Toro

March 8, 2018/in Machinery, Press Release/by Rosie Duckworth

Tehidy Park Golf Club Picks Toro to enable year-round play: Tehidy Park Golf Club in Cornwall has chosen Toro for the first time as it takes a new approach to its course machinery replacement to ensure a better golfing experience for its members, including year-round open play. Club secretary, Ian Veale, says there were two reasons […]

Fast Greens At Knole Park GC

March 7, 2018/in News, Press Release/by External Source

Fast Greens At Knole Park GC: Located within the boundaries of Knole Estates in 1,000 acres of outstanding Kent parkland and with 600 deer roaming freely around the estate is a club like no other. Knole Park is one of the most unique courses in the country; not only for the aforementioned reasons, but also for the fact that this one […]

Tehidy Park Golf Club Picks Toro

March 8, 2018/in Machinery, Press Release/by Rosie Duckworth

Fast Greens At Knole Park GC

March 7, 2018/in News, Press Release/by External Source

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Tehidy Park Golf Club Picks Toro

March 8, 2018/in Machinery, Press Release/by Rosie Duckworth

Club secretary, Ian Veale, says there were two reasons behind opting for a five-year machinery replacement programme: “In 2017 we received a VAT refund. With the help of that, we decided to invest it into what we believe will bring the most benefit to the club and its members, something everyone will enjoy, and that is new machinery to improve playability and help with the challenging conditions of the course.”

Although only two miles from the North Cornwall coast, the 18-hole par 71 course is very much parkland in nature with heavy clay-based soil, and that was an important factor in the decision-making process of what machinery the fleet should comprise. Ian says: “Because of the clay-based soil, drainage is difficult and the course can become water-logged in inclement weather.”

The popular ProCore 648 and ProPass broadcast-style top dresser forms the club’s new renovation fleet and will be used to increase the frequency of its aeration programme. Traditionally held in March and October, the plan is to be more consistent and regular with the aeration and renovation of the course throughout the year.

“We see the Toro ProCore and ProPass top dresser, and a change in the aeration programme, as the key to alleviating the problems that can occur in bad weather, and we see this as something that can easily be achieved with little to no interruption to play. We literally will be preparing for a rainy day!

“If the machinery fleet does this, then it will have been an investment well made. As with most clubs our priority are our members, and if we can improve the terrain so the course is at its optimum throughout the year that’s better for everyone.”

But the order, through dealer Devon Garden Machinery, doesn’t end there, it also includes mowers. A Groundsmaster 4300-D and a Reelmaster 3100-D with Sidewinder, chosen because the club, which is on the County rota as a tournament venue and regularly hosts the Men’s and Women’s Championships will, for the first time, hold both Championships in its centenary year in 2022.

Ian says: “These machines were considered to be the ones to get the grass in the best possible condition for preparations for the all-important year.”

All the machinery chosen was well considered by Ian and head greenkeeper Andrew Eddison to tackle the terrain and bring a new approach to the club’s course maintenance. Ian continues: “It’s the start of a five-year partnership agreement which was not taken on lightly. Andrew and the team spent many months trialing machines here at the course to test their capabilities on this terrain, and their ability to not only keep on top of the course, but make the big changes we want to see, which is what this investment is all about.

“We’re investing in our main asset, which is the course, and it had to be the right decision. Andrew always said he knew Toro was meant to be the best, but the only way to be sure of that was to see it here in action. Toro proved itself, above and beyond the original order, and we have recently purchased another machine.”

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Fast Greens At Knole Park GC

March 7, 2018/in News, Press Release/by External Source

Fast Greens At Knole Park GC: Located within the boundaries of Knole Estates in 1,000 acres of outstanding Kent parkland and with 600 deer roaming freely around the estate is a club like no other.

Knole Park is one of the most unique courses in the country; not only for the aforementioned reasons, but also for the fact that this one course plays home to two clubs.

Course manager at the club, which is home to Knole Park Golf Club and Sevenoaks Town Golf Club, is Gavin Kyle who has been at the club for 15 years. Gavin keeps a regular annual machinery replacement programme and this year he had a focus on choosing the right machines to create firm, true, fast surfaces, which is where Toro joins the story.

“It is important to consistently maintain a challenge for players,” says Gavin. “It’s for this reason that recent years have seen us extend the course by 200 yards, with further extension planned in the next year. There is a fine balance between offering a good game to all golfers, including those with a five handicap and below. We have players of all abilities across our two-club membership including a lot of scratch players and our greens needed an update this year to offer a consistent challenge to all.

“When choosing our next greens machines we checked out the market, going through rounds of demos from distributors. If I’m honest I haven’t bought Toro since I’ve been at Knole Park, so for 15 years! But Toro is renowned for its greens machines in particular so were naturally included on the demo list. What appealed with the Greensmaster TriFlex 3420-H machines, which we went for, was that they’re hybrids. I sought to reduce the risk of hydraulic leaks on the greens and I wanted the advanced control these machines can offer.”

The TriFlex Hybrid’s electric cylinder circuit is designed to eliminate up to 90 percent of hydraulic leaks, and the Turf Guardian leak detection system provides immediate audio and visual indication of possible leaks. Plus, the electric cylinders have less drag and spin more freely than hydraulic motors providing a sharp cut which leads to firmer and faster greens, exactly what Gavin is after. “Firm, true and fast greens is what we’re all after and the Toro TriFlex is helping us achieve this at Knole Park,” he confirms.

Providing the advanced control Gavin mentioned is the machines’ Info Centre, which has an easily customised clip for different heights of cut as well as other operational settings to give complete machine control on cylinder speed, hours of function, system voltage for cylinders and diagnostic descriptions. It’s this that provides the advanced control that appealed to Gavin in the TriFlexes.

But as Gavin goes on to say, it’s never just as simple as the machines: “A machine is often only as good as the backup that comes with it. We’re dealing direct with Reesink Turfcare for the first time and we’ve found that to be a great experience so far.”

It seems opportune that Toro arrives back at Knole Park for the first time since the 1970s in the year that it hosted the Tillman Trophy, the tournament widely attributed to changing the face of amateur golf. We’re sure with Toro on side, Gavin and his greenkeeping team of six will change the challenge of the course for all its members.

For more information, visit: www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Tehidy Park Golf Club Picks Toro

Fast Greens At Knole Park GC

Tehidy Park Golf Club Picks Toro

Fast Greens At Knole Park GC

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Tehidy Park Golf Club Picks Toro

Fast Greens At Knole Park GC

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