Tag Archive for: Driving

Echo RP-1250 proves the perfect driving range partner

/in , , /by

Echo RP-1250 proves the perfect driving range partner: In just a few short weeks, an Echo RP-1250 from GroundTech has successfully streamlined the driving range operation at Kingsway Royston’s Golf Centre.

Operations Director James Watts explains how their new autonomous range-picker is working seamlessly with the club’s existing washer set-up and has resulted in up to 20 hours of labour being reallocated around the course every week!

Echo RP-1250 proves the perfect driving range partner

Echo RP-1250 proves the perfect driving range partner

Located on the outskirts of Cambridge, Kingsway Royston is a family-focused golfing destination offering a 9-hole golf course and Toptracer driving range alongside foot golf, pitch and putt, 18 holes of Jurassic Links Adventure Golf, Jamaica Blue café and AF Golf store. Like many, Kingsway has enjoyed a major boost in footfall post-COVID – good for business, but placing additional strain on their maintenance partners of nearly three decades, Turf Care Leisure.

To address the challenge, James engaged with GroundTech’s Marcus Glover to explore options. “I’ve been in the industry for many years and it’s been really interesting to watch the developments and refinements within the robotic arena” he explains. “Echo is well-established and well-proven so I had no doubt the technology, paired with the expert support and service from GroundTech, was going to be the perfect partner for our 30-bay driving range.”

The RP-1250 is capable of collecting up to 20,000 golf balls per day, silently and in all weathers. Optimised via GPS to target high density areas, balls are safely and efficiently collected and returned to a designated drop-off point – in this instance, a custom-fabricated holding tank designed and supplied by GroundTech. “It’s fitted seamlessly into our existing washer and Range Servant automated management system, and has reduced the time taken to clear the driving range from three or four hours every day to just one.”

James emphasises, “The time-saving is massive for us. Being able to redistribute close to 20 hours of labour every week enables us to focus our efforts on other projects and course improvements which has obviously been very well received by our customers.” He adds, “The service we’ve had from Marcus and GroundTech has been excellent throughout – everything from helping us provide a business case for the purchase, through to installation in early August and supporting us and our team through the initial set-up and induction period.”

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.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Driving Change with GALMOBILE™ in Israel

/in , /by

Driving Change with GALMOBILE™ in Israel: Polaris Off Road continues its Ranger Stories video series in a new light with the introduction of the ‘Ranger Stories: Driving Change’ initiative.

Polaris is a firm believer that a product comes to life through its applications, partnerships but most importantly, via the people who use it; which is why once again, Polaris has embarked on a journey across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to discover and capture how its customers are driving change alongside the Polaris Ranger. Dedicated to the good that Polaris customers do, Ranger Stories: Driving Change is inspired by the many Polaris customers working hard to positively impact the world.

Driving Change with GALMOBILE™ in Israel

Driving Change with GALMOBILE™ in Israel

Episode 3 – GALMOBILE™, Israel

GALMOBILE™ is a simple, effective solution to a fundamental human need: A highly capable and mobile water purification and desalination vehicle that can produce high-quality drinking water from any possible water source.

The first of its kind in the world, the GALMOBILE™ vehicle provides safe drinking water to remote islands, disaster-stricken areas, villages and towns impacted by severe drought and even for military operations – not only improving people’s lives but in a lot of cases, saving lives too.

“Drinking water is a basic human need, and we’re passionate about making it accessible for everyone, worldwide”, said Rami Aflalo, GALMOBILE™ CEO and Founder. “We saw an opportunity to innovate with the Polaris Ranger as it’s so versatile and capable off-road; it is the ideal base for our technology, enabling us to go beyond what we thought was possible. We’re incredibly proud of what the Galmobile unit is capable of, and the positive impact it’s already had on a number of communities. We will continue to innovate, and continue to grow the possibilities of this solution to help as many people as we can with efficiency and ease.”

The inventors and engineers behind GALMOBILE™ chose the Ranger Diesel as its base thanks to its reliability and durability to keep going all day long, its large 720kg payload capacity to handle the load of specialist equipment, and its powerful, economical diesel engine. What’s more, any driver around the world can easily operate the Ranger with its automatic gearbox, comfortable cab and easy driveability. Being a lightweight vehicle with small dimensions, the complete unit can be easily transported on land, by air or by sea – meaning no territories are unreachable.

A key element of the Ranger Diesel is its advanced off-road capabilities to reach difficult areas where water sources may be found. On-demand all-wheel drive (AWD) paired with 33cm ground clearance means that the team can reach areas that typically would be inaccessible, and electric power steering (EPS) allows for all-day riding without causing fatigue. It also features Polaris-installed technology like the Engine Braking System (EBS) with Active Descent Control (ADC) that controls downhill braking for smooth, controlled descents on steep declines, even when loaded with heavy equipment.

Backed by 27 years of experience in supplying water treatment and wastewater solutions, GALMOBILE™ currently operates in districts across Israel and India, but has applications worldwide. The equipment that is fitted to the Polaris Ranger features all the elements needed to provide safe drinking water: input tubes for the water source, treatment technology, storage facilities and distribution taps. It takes just 30 minutes to complete the process from input to output, and one unit can purify up to 140,000 litres a day.

CATCH THE GALMOBILE™ EPISODE OF RANGER STORIES: DRIVING CHANGE HERE

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.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Driving Change at Lac Blanc

/in , /by

Driving Change at Lac Blanc: Polaris Off Road continues its Ranger Stories video series in a new light with the introduction of the ‘Ranger Stories: Driving Change’ initiative.

Polaris is a firm believer that a product comes to life through its applications, partnerships but most importantly, via the people who use it; which is why once again, Polaris has embarked on a journey across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to discover and capture how its customers are driving change alongside the Polaris RANGER. Dedicated to the good that Polaris customers do, Ranger Stories: Driving Change is inspired by the many Polaris customers that are working hard to make a positive impact on the world.

Driving Change at Lac Blanc

Driving Change at Lac Blanc

Episode 2 – Lac Blanc Bike Park in Alsace, France

As a popular ski resort for over 50 years, Lac Blanc came alive during the winter time, welcoming skiers and snowboarders from all over the world. In the summer, however, the snow had cleared and all that was left were hikers to explore the natural surroundings that Lac Blanc had to offer. So, in 2007, Lac Blanc opened its Bike Park to make the most of the quiet summer months and welcome a new audience to the area. Downhill mountain biking is rapidly growing in popularity – giving riders a fast-paced, adrenaline-filled challenge with a backdrop of beautiful, natural landscapes – so it’s no surprise that the summer months at Lac Blanc Bike Park are now as busy as the winter months.

Carved out of the mountains in Alsace, France, the bike park offers downhill mountain bike riders nine different route options ranging in difficulty and technicality. From families with young children, to serious World Cup competitors that train on the black line, Lac Blanc Bike Park welcomes all skill levels.

Joining the ‘Driving Change’ spin-off series, Polaris joins the Lac Blanc Bike Park Site Development Director, Michael Barthelme, to see and hear how the Polaris Ranger helps to manage a resort of this size, juggling trail maintenance, rider safety and the extreme terrain that comes with this mountainous setting.

Lac Blanc’s intricate trails snake through 170 acres of land, in and out of forests and over extreme gradients. Whilst the riders and their bikes can navigate thanks to the chair lift, the safety team need to be able to access all areas of the site – every trail, tree and corner – to ensure they can keep every inch of the trail clear and reach injured riders.

The Ranger XP 1000 not only gives the Lac Blanc team the power and stability needed to combat these gradients quickly, but is also equipped with on-demand all-wheel drive, meaning that all four wheels engage automatically when the vehicle needs more traction.

For situations involving a rider accident, the team can navigate tight trails within the forest thanks to the Ranger’s tight turning radius and 33cm ground clearance to navigate over rocks and tree roots. The cab comfortably seats up to three people in case the rider needs to be transported to a safer or more comfortable location, whilst the 27.9cm front and rear suspension travel ensures the ride is as smooth as possible. The 454kg cargo bed capacity can easily take the weight and size of a mountain bike, if it needs to be transported with the rider, alongside the safety team’s essential equipment including medical bags and maintenance tools.

When Lac Blanc Bike Park closes for the winter, Lac Blanc Ski Resort opens; and there’s no shortage of use for the Ranger XP 1000 in the winter months either. The team swap out the tyres for tyre tracks, and the Ranger becomes the ultimate snow vehicle, servicing the ski resort throughout the snowy months.

The Lac Blanc Bike Park team also chose to add extra accessories to its Ranger XP 1000 for added comfort and convenience, including a full cab kit – including full doors, windshield, rear panel and roof – with an in-cab heater to manage extreme temperatures in the winter. There’s also a LED light bar when daylight hours are reduced, a winch for helping to move fallen trees or assist with extreme hill climbs, and not forgetting the Polaris Lock&Ride tip-down headache rack fitted to the cargo bed for carrying their equipment securely.

For more information on Lac Blanc Bike Park, please visit their website here.

CATCH THE SECOND EPISODE OF RANGER STORIES: DRIVING CHANGE HERE.

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.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Foamstream driving the rise in Councils going chemical-free

/in , /by

Foamstream driving the rise in Councils going chemical-free: As tighter controls come into force on the use of Glyphosate-based products around Europe, it is perhaps unsurprising that a recent study has found increasing numbers of councils in the UK have voluntarily turned to chemical-free weed control solutions.

One of the driving factors for this could be the improvement in the effectiveness of non-herbicidal methods available, with Foamstream from Weedingtech proven to deliver vegetation control comparable to that of Glyphosate in independent trials.

Foamstream driving the rise in Councils going chemical-free

Foamstream driving the rise in Councils going chemical-free

Effective from 1st July, rules regarding the application of Glyphosate have been extended in France – banning its use not just in municipality settings, but now in all public and private areas including residential properties. However, despite its known toxicity and negative impact on both the operator and environment, its use is still permitted in all situations in the UK.

The good news is that recent reports published in The Guardian demonstrate that the number of councils, from parish to county level, turning to natural alternatives is on the rise – with an estimated 80 councils around the UK now proudly chemical-free. “This rise is brilliant news and indicates the increasing concern that councils and the wider public now have about Glyphosate” comments Thomas Hamilton, Co-Founder of Weedingtech. “But for this positive growth to continue, Councils needs to be assured that the non-chemical alternatives available are effective and viable – from both a commercial and financial perspective.”

Since its launch in 2011, Foamstream has proved a successful solution to users from all corners of grounds and green space management. The active ingredient is hot water, insulated by a biodegradable, organic foam derived from natural plant oils and sugars which keeps the water in the ‘kill zone’ of 57oC and above for longer. As well as killing the plant, Foamstream also sterilises surrounding seeds and spores, preventing future weed growth and resulting in half the number of treatment cycles required when compared to other non-chemical options.

In four separate trials conducted by the University of Athens, the overall efficacy of hot foam used to treat a wide range of broadleaf weeds – including species that can be difficult to control by conventional methods – was found to be comparable to that of glyphosate. It was concluded that Foamstream provided an environmentally friendly and effective alternative, outperforming other non-chemical methods which only provided a moderate level of weed control.

One of the many councils now using Foamstream is Glastonbury Town Council, having previously used traditional herbicides to treat spaces in the town centre, residential areas and school perimeters. “A lot of our residents, myself included, are concerned at the use of chemical herbicides around the places where our children play” explains Councillor Emma George. “One of the greatest things about Foamstream is its complete non-toxicity, backed up by its Soil Association stamp of approval, and its viability on all types of weeds and all types of surfaces.”

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.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Driving change at Les 3 Dindes

/in , /by

Driving change at Les 3 Dindes: Polaris Off Road continues its Ranger Stories video series in a new light with the introduction of the ‘Ranger Stories: Driving Change’ initiative.

Polaris is a firm believer that a product comes to life through its applications, partnerships but most importantly, via the people who use it; which is why once again, Polaris has embarked on a journey across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to discover and capture how its customers are driving change alongside the Polaris RANGER. Dedicated to the good that Polaris customers do, Ranger Stories: Driving Change is inspired by the many Polaris customers that are working hard to make a positive impact on the world.

Driving change at Les 3 Dindes

Driving change at Les 3 Dindes

Episode 1 – Les 3 Dindes, Animal Refuge in Southern France

Les 3 Dindes is built on the firm foundation that every animal – from the noble horse to the overlooked turkey –  should be treated with love, care and respect, making no distinction between species.

Welcoming animals that have been abandoned, mistreated or rescued from cases of neglect, factory farming and laboratories, Les 3 Dindes is a non-profit association dedicated to the animal cause, currently home to 145 animals that can now experience life to its fullest. The refuge has been built to give the animals a forever home that mimics their natural environment as closely as possible, with the room to enjoy the beautiful french countryside. The impact is visible; every animal has an obvious bond with the team at Les 3 Dindes, regaining their trust in humans, rediscovering their instincts amongst other animal friends, and learning that they no longer need to live in fear.

Kicking off the ‘Driving Change’ spin-off series, Polaris joins Les 3 Dindes owner and president Lisa Fernandez to see what a huge difference care, love and attention can make to the animals’ lives. A longstanding friend of the Polaris brand and an avid driver herself, Lisa uses the Polaris Ranger XP 1000 to help manage the 30-hectare farm – not only with the day-to-day feeding, medicine administration and grounds maintenance for the animals already in the refuge, but also with expansion and building for new rescues in the future.

Much like Lisa and her team, the Ranger XP 1000 is ready to work hard, every day. With its dependable Prostar® DOHC engine, the Ranger XP 1000 is not only Polaris’ most capable and comfortable Ranger yet, but it also delivers excellent reliability and versatility. Set in the rolling hills of Southern France’s countryside, Les 3 Dindes needs a capable off-road vehicle to reach all corners of the refuge. From steep inclines and narrow trails to forest areas and wide-open fields, the Ranger takes the team all over with its 33cm ground clearance, 27.9cm suspension travel and huge 27-inch Maxxis tyres. Not only that, the 1134kg towing capacity is put to use with trailers to carry large bales of hay, and the many, heavy buckets of feed and the large, 454kg-capacity cargo bed not only gives the team enough space for maintenance and fencing supplies but comes in handy to take along the many rescue dogs that like to ride alongside Lisa too.

Les 3 Dindes relies upon its volunteers, sponsors and contributors to continue its care, treatment and rescue missions. Please visit www.les3dindes.org, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram to find out more.

Catch the first episode of Ranger Stories: Driving Change here:  https://youtu.be/lo_Guyda4fo

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.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.