Tag Archive for: Club

Manchester Rugby Club Welcomes New Signings

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Manchester Rugby Club Welcomes New Signings: The team at STIGA is discovering just how remarkable their robot mowers are when it comes to maintaining sports grounds — and rugby pitches are no exception. When the latest recruits, Mow Marler and Cutney Lawns, joined the ranks at Manchester Rugby Club, it was a clean-cut conversion straight between the posts.

Tim Holmes of Manchester Rugby Club shared:

“Mow Marler and Cutney Lawns joined the Manchester Rugby Club Grounds team back in October 2024, having signed from STIGA. As part of the partnership, STIGA provided full training on how to get the most from the mowers — and they made an immediate impact. Their work ethic has been incredible! They operate day and night, seven days a week, and we saw an instant improvement in the quality of the pitches.”

Manchester Rugby Club Welcomes New Signings

Manchester Rugby Club Welcomes New Signings

As a volunteer-run organisation, Manchester Rugby Club relies on a dedicated team of individuals who give their time freely. With four full-size rugby pitches and additional training areas to maintain — serving over 400 members every week — pitch upkeep is a huge task.

“The arrival of Mow Marler and Cutney Lawns has been a game-changer,” added Holmes. “They now manage two of our pitches, including the main stadium and a floodlit training pitch. This has significantly lightened the load on our volunteers while massively improving the quality of the turf. The grass never gets too long, there’s no unsightly clippings, and the lines they mow are incredibly sharp — the pitches look and play better than ever.”

The improvements haven’t gone unnoticed. A recent visit from the local Grounds Management Association advisor brought high praise:
“They told us our stadium pitch is one of the best in the North West — and the condition of the grass is excellent,” said Holmes.

The club couldn’t be happier with the STIGA partnership.
“We can’t thank STIGA enough. Their mowers are outstanding, and the STIGA app is so easy to use — we can always see what the boys are up to. Mow Marler and Cutney Lawns are now firmly part of the Manchester Rugby Club family — and long may that continue.”

In true rugby fashion, Mow Marler and Cutney Lawns even celebrated their arrival at the club with matching tattoos. The STIGA team was delighted — and agreed they’ve never looked more handsome.

You can read more about STIGA’s autonomous robot mowers and other STIGA products here: www.stiga.com/uk/

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Pleasington Golf Club reopens after course upgrade

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Pleasington Golf Club reopens after course upgrade: Pleasington Golf Club will reopen all 18 holes to visitors on April 10 following a £1 million course upgrade.

The venue, rated among Golf Monthly magazine’s Top 200 Courses in the UK & Ireland and the No.1 heathland course in Lancashire, has undergone an extensive five-year renovation.

Pleasington Golf Club reopens after course upgrade

Pleasington Golf Club reopens after course upgrade

General Manager, Mark Bleasdale, commented: “The course has undergone a remarkable transformation and is looking sensational and playing magnificently.

“We’ve enhanced every aspect of the playing experience from tee to green, including the reshaping of every bunker. We look forward to welcoming back visitors from across the North West and further afield, including the many golf travellers who stop off on their way to and from Scotland.”

As a 12-time Open Qualifying venue, Pleasington Golf Club has firmly established itself as one of the country’s top golf destinations.

The high heathland layout offers golfers a rewarding challenge with stunning views to the Pennines, Lakes and Fylde coast, where exceptional golf and breathtaking scenery meet.

Just one hour from Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds, Pleasington Golf Club is easily accessible via the M6 motorway, making it ideally situated for golfers travelling from both near and far.

To book your tee time, please visit: https://www.pleasington-golf.co.uk/visitors/visitors-green-fees/

For more information on Pleasington Golf Club, please view the Digital Brochure

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Orsett Golf Club call up Ventrac

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Orsett Golf Club call up Ventrac: Orsett Golf Club in south Essex has joined the ranks of Ventrac owners, with the recent purchase of a 4520 tractor unit and a selection of attachments. The 18-hole heathland course was designed by James Braid and the club, which has over 700 members and a waiting list, recently celebrated its 125th anniversary.

Perry Lowe is the head greenkeeper and leads a team of seven full-time greenkeeping staff and a dedicated mechanic. He’s been in his current position for almost ten years and previously spent 14 years at Chigwell Golf Club in north east London, initially as deputy course manager and then course manager.

Orsett Golf Club call up Ventrac

Orsett Golf Club call up Ventrac

“We’ve got a huge amount of history in the club and there’s a lot of design history as well, which we try to look after,” he said. “We’re not just about revamping everything; we’re trying to keep the history of the club. Trying to keep the Braid look as best we can for modern golf.

“We do a lot of our work in-house so the versatility of the Ventrac is an added bonus. We had a rotary triple mower and it did a great job, but it was coming to the end of its lease. We’d seen and heard a lot about Ventrac in magazines and on social media, so we thought we’d give it a try. A couple of the guys I work with had spoken to people saying how impressive this machine was, so we decided to take a look at it. And the good thing about the Ventrac is, with all the attachments, it becomes an all-year-round machine.

“While the rotary triple we had did a great job, it actually sat in a corner collecting dust during the winter, whereas the Ventrac can go out in all weather; it’s got a wide footprint so it doesn’t make a mess, it doesn’t get stuck. So, you can get all the cutting done without causing any damage. We removed the Contour deck and put on the Trencher attachment and did a huge amount of irrigation, trenching on one of our tees. And it didn’t miss a beat. Absolutely flew through the job and didn’t make any mess at all.

“We’ve also got the Power Rake attachment. We have a lot of shale paths here, which get quite compacted and rutted, but we can go out at this time of year and grade the paths to remove the potholes. We’ll also be using it to prepare another tee we’re renovating. So, instead of being a machine that just sits in a corner, it’s an all-round machine.

“We bought the three attachments in the initial package with the idea that in the future we can add further implements and the one I have in mind is the stump grinder. The attachments we’ve got so far work really well. Once you get used to how to take them off and the little tricks, it’s a ten second job.

“Servicing is easy; it’s a compact unit, so everything is easily accessible.  We’ve changed all the filters and things like that a few times, but that’s not a complaint, it’s just part of our maintenance regime. It’s smartly laid out. Everything’s been thought through and ticked off.

“There’s been no issue with it at all. I don’t think it’s missed a beat. The operator loves it. We can’t get him off it. It’s his baby. He looks after it, he maintains it. I think the only thing we’ve had to look at replacing is a bearing on a roller. And that’s probably because we’re so dry and they take a battering.

“There’s nowhere on the course it doesn’t go, in fact, we’re pushing it into a lot more areas than we ever thought because of its wide footprint and four-wheel drive. We’ve got a few greens that are set in little gullies and valleys with quite steep banks. The other machine would get around them at certain times of year, but you’d have big wheelspin marks when trying to get around, so that’s why we’ve got the Ventrac; it just chugged around. It’s an absolutely brilliant piece of kit.”

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Royal Ascot Golf Club completes phase three of regeneration

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Royal Ascot Golf Club completes phase three of regeneration: Royal Ascot Golf Club has completed the latest phase of its course regeneration project to fulfil ambitious growth plans to make its playing facilities among the best in the UK.

The club has committed £500,000 to the project which will see each of its 18 holes upgraded by enhancing drainage and irrigation provisions, renovating all bunkers and adding new treelines to the course’s surrounds.

Royal Ascot Golf Club completes phase three of regeneration

Royal Ascot Golf Club completes phase three of regeneration

Phase three saw holes five, six, sixteen and seventeen plus ten bunkers transformed before the beginning of the new season with the project scheduled to be completed this autumn.

Despite one of the wettest winters in recent times, improvements have meant the course has remained open for play through the winter. And Course Manager Ian Hockley is pleased with the outcomes both visually and practically.

“Delivering a quality playing surface on each of our holes in all seasons is a key priority for the club,” said Ian. “This investment coupled with the hard work of our eight-strong grounds team makes that goal possible, and we’re really pleased with the outcomes.

“Visually, our bunkers are now much more visible for players and are positioned appropriately for the modern game.

“We’ve been able to eliminate any risk of cross contamination too by applying clean sand to each of our bunkers and removing any clay which runs the risk of heavier conditions and flooding when the weather turns.

“Feedback from players has been overwhelmingly positive which is great to hear with the new season around the corner.”

The investment forms part of Royal Ascot Golf Club’s long-term strategy to enhance the playing and social experiences of members and visitors alike.

Last year, the club cut the ribbon on its regenerated clubhouse and patio which is now open seven days a week and capable of hosting corporate events and private celebrations while serving food all year round.

Other planned developments at the club include the creation of a new swing studio and an extended pro shop.

Stephen Nicholson, General Manager at Royal Ascot Golf Club, added: “We’re committed to establishing Royal Ascot Golf Club as one of the UK’s best courses.

“With the nights drawing out, the completion of phase three of our course regeneration project is timely as we welcome an increasing number of players to the course as the weeks build up to summer.

“Credit must go to our grounds team who play an essential role in maintaining the highest standards to our course.”

Further information about Royal Ascot Golf Club is available online via www.royalascotgolfclub.co.uk.

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Baroness or nothing for West Essex Golf Club

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Baroness or nothing for West Essex Golf Club: Every blade of grass at West Essex Golf Club is cut by a Baroness mower – the case for the last seven years and one that looks set to stay for the foreseeable future according to Course Manager Paul Kimber.

The fleet currently consists of two LM315 greens mowers, two LM2700 fairways mowers, an LM331 for tees and a GM2810 rotary mower for roughs which the team say demonstrate outstanding reliability and cylinders which deliver an industry-leading quality of cut.

Baroness or nothing for West Essex Golf Club

Baroness or nothing for West Essex Golf Club

Paul has been at the parkland course on the outskirts of Epping Forest for 37 years, and in the top job since 2018. He explains that the origins of the club’s relationship with Baroness was very much a happy accident! “We were welcoming a new Head Greenkeeper who purchased a suite of Baroness machines, and then didn’t end up actually joining – leaving us with these mowers we knew very little about. We started using it and that was it, we were sold straight away and have never looked at anything else since.”

“Our team all have experience with various makes of mower and consider Baroness to not only be superior, but also at a more competitive cost point.”

In particular, Paul notes the quality of the cutting units. “These are just next level. You barely have to touch them to put them on cut, and they then stay on cut forever. They do not wear down easily, robust enough to cut through anything!” The robust theme continues, “The machines as a whole are well built and reliable. We like that everything is mechanical, not electronic, so we can keep on top of routine maintenance ourselves and not end up with graveyards of kit waiting for diagnostic testing or replacement parts.”

The fleet of cylinder and rotary mowers were supplied by dealer George Browns Ltd who, together with Stuart Gray at Baroness, have delivered second-to-none support and service. “They’re all a pleasure to deal with and go the extra mile to get answers or solutions to any questions we have. It’s just another reason why we’d never look anywhere else.”

Complimenting the mowers is a Baroness SP05A bunker rake which Paul admits the club could now not live without. “It’s one of those few machines where, if it broke today, we’d be ordering a new one tomorrow! We use this machine at least three times a week to brush and smooth the bunkers but, in addition, ours has a front blade which acts like a plough so we can use it for moving and spreading path material.”

He concludes, “Anyone who hasn’t thought to try a Baroness mower, get your hands on one and give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!”

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