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How The Vale Resort Achieves Perfection with Baroness

March 26, 2026/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

How The Vale Resort Achieves Perfection with Baroness Maintaining top-flight playing surfaces across a large, multi-use facility demands more than just quality turfcare equipment – it requires absolute reliability, operational efficiency and a consistently high standard of finish. For The Vale Resort, Baroness has become an increasingly important part of that equation, with the recent […]

How Wildwood and Stogger is Lighting Up Brighton

March 26, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

How Wildwood and Stogger is Lighting Up Brighton Winchester-based Wildwood Machinery has partnered with Dutch giant Stogger Turf Care to install and maintain a state-of-the-art grow-light system for Premier League football club Brighton & Hove Albion. Grow-lights are used to optimise germination, root development and shoot growth in grass pitches. Stogger Turf Care’s state-of-the-art LED […]

How The Vale Resort Achieves Perfection with Baroness

March 26, 2026/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

How Wildwood and Stogger is Lighting Up Brighton

March 26, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

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How The Vale Resort Achieves Perfection with Baroness

March 26, 2026/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

How The Vale Resort Achieves Perfection with Baroness

Maintaining top-flight playing surfaces across a large, multi-use facility demands more than just quality turfcare equipment – it requires absolute reliability, operational efficiency and a consistently high standard of finish.

How The Vale Resort Achieves Perfection with Baroness

For The Vale Resort, Baroness has become an increasingly important part of that equation, with the recent delivery of four LM551 fairway mowers adding to the finesse delivered by four LM331 surrounds mowers already at the venue.

Recognised as one of Wales’ most prestigious resorts, the site nestled among the Vale of Glamorgan countryside has undergone significant expansion over the years. Within the 650-acre private estate is a hotel, health and racquets club used by leisure members and six football and rugby pitches, for training by the FAW and WRU. Under the longstanding involvement of Head Greenkeeper Mike Bevan, the golf element has grown from a modest nine-hole layout into two 18-hole championship courses, maintained by a team of 12 greenkeepers.

“We try to limit the sharing of equipment between departments as, when you get a break in the weather, it tends to be the same machines that are in demand site-wide” explains Noel Werner, Golf Manager at the Vale Resort. “This drove a conscious decision to invest in equipment that is dedicated for golf. In exploring the options available in the mower market with the support of Geraint Richards at GJR Machinery, the quality of cut from Baroness stood out immediately.”

“We purchased four LM331 mowers in 2022 which are used daily during the main growing season on banks, tee and green surrounds and other peripheral areas. These mowers tick a lot of boxes – not just the quality of cut they deliver and the fact they stay on cut incredibly well, but from a maintenance and servicing perspective everything is super simple to work on.” Noel adds, “Their reliable performance is invaluable to us as such a busy resort where downtime just isn’t an option.”

Building on the success of the LM331’s, the club expanded its Baroness fleet further in October 2025 with the purchase of four LM551 mowers for the fairways. While winter conditions have limited their usage to date, expectations are high for the season ahead.

“The whole team are really looking forward to getting them out when new season growth arrives. Based on our experience with the surround mowers, we’re confident they’ll deliver the same precision, consistency and reliability on the fairways.”

Support has been another key factor in the relationship – with GJR Machinery and Baroness’s Paul Watson delivering fast, effective back-up when needed. “For a complex of this size, support is critical.” He emphasises, “Knowing there’s a team behind us, that understands our operation and is available to offer help and advice just further reinforces our confidence in the brand. It makes a massive difference.”

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How Wildwood and Stogger is Lighting Up Brighton

March 26, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

How Wildwood and Stogger is Lighting Up Brighton

Winchester-based Wildwood Machinery has partnered with Dutch giant Stogger Turf Care to install and maintain a state-of-the-art grow-light system for Premier League football club Brighton & Hove Albion.

Grow-lights are used to optimise germination, root development and shoot growth in grass pitches.

Stogger Turf Care’s state-of-the-art LED light rigs represent the way forward for elite sports clubs in terms of quality, efficiency and sustainability.

Managing director of Wildwood Machinery, James Bastian, says: “We’re delighted to be working with two major names in elite sport to install and maintain one of the biggest LED grow-light projects in the UK.

“A lot of Premiership and Championship football clubs, and other elite sports clubs will be watching this development with interest, especially with HPS lights likely to be outlawed from 2027 due to their inefficiency.”

Stogger Turf Care LED lights vs competitors

The Stogger Turf Care grow-light system is acknowledged to be the leader in this sector.

With the highest overall light levels in the market, 4-channel dynamic light spectrum, superior glass lens design, upgradeable LED engines, and advanced thermal management there are clear advantages in sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness.

“Wildwood Machinery worked closely with Stogger Turf Care on a lengthy pre-installation trial and due diligence,” says James Bastian.

“We’ll now provide a complete aftercare, backup and support service for the groundcare equipment, as per our exclusive UK partnership with Stogger Turf Care.”

“Brighton FC is widely regarded as one of the best-managed, most sustainable clubs in the Premier League, while Stogger Turf Care technology is the most efficient LED grow-lighting system available.

Supporting Brighton’s Ambitions

We’ll be doing everything we can to support Brighton’s ambitions on the pitch and to help showcase Stogger’s outstanding technology in the UK.”

The installation at Brighton & Hove Albion FC includes: 9 × Booster Carbon 460 units; 2 × Booster 60 units; 4 × Booster Carbon Compact units and 4 x turf fans covering 4,300 square metres of surface area, which makes this one of the three largest LED grow light projects in the UK.

Phil Fifield, Head of Sports Turf Stadia at Brighton FC, said: “We are committed to excellence in all of our operations, and of course the playing surface is a key part of that.

We’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve with Stogger Turf Care and Wildwood Machinery on our side.”

Florian Mans, International Sales Manager at Stogger Turf Care, said: “At Stogger Turf Care, we remain fully committed to working closely with end users across the industry to engineer and develop practical, innovative and forward-thinking solutions.

“We thank Brighton & Hove Albion and their outstanding grounds team for the trust placed in Stogger Turf Care. Together, we are committed to making this an unprecedented success.”

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.

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

How The Vale Resort Achieves Perfection with Baroness

How Wildwood and Stogger is Lighting Up Brighton

How The Vale Resort Achieves Perfection with Baroness

How Wildwood and Stogger is Lighting Up Brighton

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

How The Vale Resort Achieves Perfection with Baroness

How The Vale Resort Achieves Perfection with Baroness

How Wildwood and Stogger is Lighting Up Brighton

How Wildwood and Stogger is Lighting Up Brighton

Winchester-based Wildwood Machinery has partnered with Dutch giant Stogger Turf Care to install and maintain a state-of-the-art grow-light system for Premier League football club Brighton & Hove Albion.

Stogger Turf Care LED lights vs competitors

Supporting Brighton’s Ambitions

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