Tag Archive for: Best

Toro “The Best” At Huntercombe

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Toro “The Best” At Huntercombe: Huntercombe Golf Club, celebrating the recent success of being named the number one course in Oxfordshire by the Top 100 Golf Courses, has switched to Toro for its irrigation system because according to course manager Grant Stewart “it’s the best on the market” for covering compact tees and vast greens.

The historic golf course designer Willie Park Junior designed and owned Huntercombe, and to this day the course continues to be played to the original 1901 layout. With some greens on the 18-hole course near Henley-on-Thames over 1000m2, finding the right sprinklers to guarantee thorough, even coverage was of the utmost importance says Grant:

Toro "The Best" At Huntercombe

“Huntercombe has large greens. Altogether they cover 1.7 hectares, with some up to 1000m2! We chose Flex 55 for the job because of the distance they can cover. We installed a ring main around the larger greens to control the pressure, which allowed us to feed the heads with water to cover two directions. The heads on my fourth green put out 16 litres of water a second, guaranteeing every inch of that big green is well watered.”

Applying equally efficient irrigation to the small tees are the Toro T5 sprinklers. Grant continues: “We have the opposite problem on the tees in that some of them are quite small, so we needed to find a sprinkler that would work well in a much smaller area.”

With an operating area of 6.5-12m, it’s easy to see why the T5s fit the bill. But something all the sprinklers have in common, including the FLEX 35 also used on the greens, is their maintenance and ease of use, as Grant explains: “The best feature of all the sprinklers we’ve chosen are the heads which allow us to change the arcs when they are running with no tools. I can move the heads to water any area and don’t have to be concerned that the gears will be damaged.”

The brains behind this irrigation brawn is the Lynx central control system chosen because trying it at another club showed Grant just how easy it was to use. But surpassing all these reasons for opting for Toro irrigation is the fact that Grant, who has been at the club for two years, with previous deputy roles at Sunningdale in Ascot and Fairmont St Andrews has the support of a greenkeeping team of eight, knows and trusts the brand:

“I looked to Toro irrigation to get the same quality of irrigation product as the machinery we use. I have always used Toro machinery and know it to be reliable, so when the time was right to invest in a new irrigation system there was no question I’d go with Toro, it was more a case of which items in the range would best suit our needs.”

Completing the order with Reesink Turfcare is a selection of Toro machinery including the Groundsmaster 3500-D, two Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 mowers, a Multi Pro 1750 and a Workman MDX-D, all of which will no doubt play some part in helping Grant and the team in their endeavours to reduce thatch in the greens. The aim being to improve the species of grass in the playing surfaces and aid regeneration work over the next couple of years, with Grant concluding: “We’re very proud to now be a ‘Total Solutions’ club.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Toro Best For North Foreland

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Toro Best For North Foreland: Ten new machines are scoring top marks for results on the ‘Long’ and ‘Short’ courses at North Foreland Golf Club, based in Broadstairs, Kent.

The purchase marks a change in strategy by course manager Simon Grand, who joined the club two years ago, and greens chairman Mark Strand as Simon explains: “The frontline machinery was suffering from under investment and the number of breakdowns we were having were coming at a significant cost.”

Toro Best For North Foreland

The order of two Reelmaster 3575-D, four Greensmaster TriFlex 3400, two GreensPro 1260, a Groundsmaster 4700-D and a Workman HDX-D is the first lease deal for North Foreland, and has brought big differences to the courses’ appearance and the club’s maintenance regime.

“This investment, which is spread over five years, has solved all our equipment issues,” says Simon. “It’s made us competitive and efficient, and the change in the presentation of the courses is undeniable – members noticed a difference within weeks.”

And that’s down to the quality of the machines, as Simon explains: “It’s been said many times before, but you really do notice the difference when it comes to Toro. The quality of cut and reliability it offers makes a big difference to the way we do our job; it’s so much easier now. We’ve also been impressed by the increased operator protection provided by the addition of the new Toro golf ball protection cages we have fitted to all the mowing machines, as well as the way using Toro is changing the way we manage the cutting of certain areas. For example, with the Reelmaster 3575-D we can close-cut the run-off areas around the links-style greens because the machines are so lightweight and benefit from ‘no tread’ balloon tyres.”

The deal comes as the club, which is one of only six designed by two of golf’s pre-eminent golf architects, Herbert Fowler and Tom Simpson, enters a period of restoration as Simon tells us: “We’re restoring the course to its original downland design, including the refurbishment of the bunkers. This will be aided greatly by all the Toro machines at some point, but especially the Workman HDX-D for transportation.”

Richard Wood, from Reesink, an official UK distributor of Toro, says this is a classic example of how easy it is to catch up on machinery replacement: “This deal marks North Foreland’s return to machinery leasing and is already making a significant difference. It’s provided a huge boost to the club, the course and the team.”

Simon agrees: “Investment reflects and demonstrates the value placed on the work we do. It’s been great to see the way the team has responded, and how much more enjoyable and less frustrating the work is.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Fresh Is Best In Nematodes’ Battle Against Pests

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Fresh Is Best In Nematodes’ Battle Against Pests: Beneficial nematodes are microscopic worm-like organisms that are found naturally in garden soil. They are nature’s way of controlling slugs and other garden pests and BASF, the EU’s largest specialist nematode producer, has harnessed this natural control process and grows five species that each attack different pests.

Nematodes are grown at BASF’s facility in Littlehampton, Sussex, and can be used to control slugs, vine weevil, leatherjackets, ants, chafer grubs, as well as a product containing a number of different nematode species which will protect against a range of pests that attack various fruit and vegetables.

Fresh Is Best In Nematodes' Battle Against Pests

BASF is passionate about supplying its nematodes fresh, rather than dried, as this ensures the quality of the product remains high and consistently effective.

Gavin Wood, BASF’s European account and sales manager, says “To successfully hunt down their prey, nematodes must be healthy when customers receive them. That is why we do not freeze dry them and they are delivered fresh, with enough food matter in the packet so that they remain alive. It is safe to store them in the refrigerator and use before the date shown on the packaging.”

Watered on to borders, beds, lawns, hanging baskets, houseplants and containers, nematodes are a harmless biological control that do not pose a risk to children, pets or non-target species such as birds and small mammals.

An entire season’s worth of pest control can be purchased via online stockists and delivered straight to your door throughout the season, allowing you to spend more time in the garden and rest assured that your pest control is taken care of for another year.

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Husqvarna Automower Best In Test

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Husqvarna Automower Best In Test: For the third year in a row, Husqvarna Automower® is unchallenged in robotic lawn mower performance after being awarded Best in Test and Best Premium Choice by testing site Price Runner UK.

Husqvarna Automower® 315 received the Best in Test accolade in this year’s assessment. It was praised by an independent panel of testers for its excellent terrain-handling abilities along with its ease of use, intelligent design, low noise level, reliability and its excellent app function.

Husqvarna Automower "Best In Test"

The feedback received stated Husqvarna Automower® 315 as ‘a very good purchase for anyone who wants a reliable and easy to manage robotic lawn mower.’

Husqvarna Automower® 430X, which was also awarded Best Premium Choice, was complimented on its many strengths – excellent terrain-handling abilities, a phenomenal problem-solving capacity and lots of intelligent functions.

Testers commended the robotic lawn mower, stating ‘it’s very easy to install as a result of clear markings and a straightforward connection method. It has no problems with cutting the stated maximum surface area. It doesn’t even need to go out cutting often to achieve an excellent result. And it always finds its way home.’

All robotic lawn mowers were tested over a period of several months on several types of lawns and in different weather to ensure test results were as reliable as possible. The assessment focused on the following characteristics – performance, effectiveness, reliability, ease of use, design, construction quality, functionality and safety.

On Husqvarna’s achievements, Husqvarna UK Sales and Marketing Director Ken Brewster said: “For Husqvarna Automower® to be recognised for its outstanding abilities three years running is fantastic. The feedback received from the test was great to hear. It highlights our commitment to the continued development of Husqvarna Automower® and robotic lawn mower technology to make it much more time efficient and easier for customers to maintain their lawns.”

For the full test results visit www.pricerunner.uk/reviews/robotic-lawn-mower

To learn more about the Husqvarna Automower® range, visit: www.husqvarna.com/uk/products/robotic-lawn-mowers/

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Revenge Is Best Served… Fresh!

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Revenge Is Best Served… Fresh!: Remember last year, when pests decimated your carefully planned and sowed plants and flowers before you even had a chance to enjoy them? This year start plotting your revenge now, by ordering a season’s worth of fresh nematodes, to be delivered straight to your door to provide ongoing protection. 

Nematodes offer a biological solution to pest control, and the various species grown by BASF, in the only specialist nematode production facility in Britain, can protect your plants from a variety of pests.   Nematodes are naturally occurring microscopic animal organisms that act as natural pest controls.

Revenge Is Best Served… Fresh!

BASF grow a range of nematode products including Nemaslug and Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer, Leatherjacket Killer, Vine Weevil Killer and No Ants. There is, even, a nematode product, containing a variety of different nematode species, created specifically for fruit and vegetable pests, making it perfect for gardeners who are passionate about ‘grow your own’.

BASF grows fresh nematodes, rather than dehydrated, and is passionate about doing so as this ensures the quality of the product remains high and consistently effective.

Nematodes attack the pest by entering natural body openings, releasing a bacteria which quickly and safely kills it. The nematodes then reproduce inside the dead pest and release a new generation of hungry nematodes, which disperse and search for further prey.

Unlike alternative pest control solutions, nematodes can be used as a preventative control, so even if you are lucky enough to have not seen any damage yet, treating the garden to a dose of nematodes will keep the critters at bay before they become a real problem.

Simply mix with water and either apply from a watering can with a coarse rose or spray the nematodes onto the foliage and soil, depending on the variety. There is no need to keep children or pets away from treated areas and the whole programme is entirely biological so that all the Nemasys products can be used by organic gardeners.

All Nemasys products can be ordered online, with an entire season’s worth being ordered and sent out as and when needed. This means that all of your planning can be done now, and you can concentrate of planting and growing, safe in the knowledge that your pest control is taken care of.

For more information, visit: www.basf.com

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