Tag Archive for: Fleet

Mar Hall elevates course standards with Toro fleet

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Mar Hall elevates course standards with Toro fleet: Mar Hall Golf and Spa Resort near Glasgow is continuing its investment in its 18-hole championship golf course with a significant fleet update from Toro and Reesink Scotland.

Head Greenkeeper Andrew Eckford, who joined the club last year in a senior management recruitment drive alongside a new Head of Golf, had a focus on multi-functional machinery as he planned the new additions to join in the multi-million-pound course renovation.

Mar Hall elevates course standards with Toro fleet

Mar Hall elevates course standards with Toro fleet

Bringing with him 13 years’ experience and countless tournament credentials to the job, the initial projects requiring focus were building back grass coverage on the greens and repairs to all bunkers with a total sand replacement.

Andrew explains: “When I first started, nearly half of the greens were covered in moss. We’ve been steadily reducing that and implementing a structured maintenance plan with regular aeration, seeding, and top-dressing to restore both the greens and fairways to their former glory.”

The Toro ProCore 648s aerator, Workman HDX utility vehicle with ProPass topdresser and sprayer and a selection of trusted greens mowers will be instrumental in this recovery work.

“Efficiency is key,” says Andrew. “I wanted a versatile utility vehicle that could handle multiple turf maintenance jobs throughout the month, rather than investing in a separate Multi Pro sprayer or a top dresser that would only be used occasionally. This solution delivers exceptional value and ensures our greens are maintained to the highest standard.”

The same thought process applied to his decision to bring in the Toro Outcross. This powerhouse of a product also does the work of a tractor, and its functionality and versatility give it the ability to replace two or three pieces of equipment and is what most appealed to Andrew.

“The Outcross will be at the heart of our day-to-day operations and ensures we’re future-proofing essential tasks,” Andrew explains. “Its programmable attachment parameters mean we can add blowers and verti-drainers, yet our seasonal staff only need to be trained on one machine rather than multiple pieces of equipment. It’s a smarter, more efficient way of working.”

Also, part of the investment is the Sand Pro bunker rake, a game-changer for bunker maintenance. “I wanted to bring the same high standards we had at The Carrick, where we raked bunkers daily, something I believe should be the norm,” says Andrew. “But with the scale of our course, hand-raking would take six of us an entire day. With the Sand Pro, one operator can get the job done efficiently, even after adding 1,400 tons of new sand.”

When it came to who to partner with was it always going to be Toro? “Always,” confirms Andrew. “We’re focused on elevating Mar Hall’s golf course and putting it back on the Scottish golfing map. That means using the best equipment available. Most greenkeepers have a go-to brand, and for me, that’s always been Toro, it’s simply a step above. I’m fortunate to have the full support of the management and owners in selecting what we need to do the job right, and with Toro, we also have the added benefit of working with Reesink Scotland.”

Discover how choosing Toro could benefit your course by calling distributor Reesink Turfcare at 01480 226800, emailing info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visiting reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Fleet of Kubota RTV’s prove pivotal to operations

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Fleet of Kubota RTV’s prove pivotal to operations: A fleet of nine Kubota RTV’s have been described as ‘pivotal’ to the maintenance operations at Berkshire’s Bearwood Lakes Golf Club. Supplied in 2023 by local dealer Lister Wilder, the fleet are delivering the versatility and scope to cover all course tasks – from the transportation of people, equipment and materials, to being utilised as a ball picker on the driving range!

Regularly ranked in the Top 100 Golf Courses, the venue has undergone major redevelopment over the last eight years under the guidance of course manager Andrew Whittaker. Testament to the improvements made, Bearwood Lakes has been the host to a number of high-profile events over the past few years including the Justin Rose Ladies series, Senior Open Qualifiers and the Regional Open Qualifiers.

Fleet of Kubota RTV’s prove pivotal to operations

Fleet of Kubota RTV’s prove pivotal to operations

“We demonstrated various makes and models when we were looking to upgrade our utility vehicles, and the liking for the Kubota RTV’s was pretty unanimous among the team” Andrew explains. “For the rigours of the golf course both during summer and winter time, along with the additional demands of winter projects which we mostly undertake in-house, the RTV’s give us the versatility and power needed, as well as outstanding off-road capabilities.”

The fleet of nine is comprised of four RTV-X1110’s and five RTV-520’s, in a mixture of ROPS and cabbed specification. “The ability to have a closed cab is something the team really liked and will be popular when the weather turns! The 4-wheel drive and hydraulic tip are other notable features which helps us to maximise operator safety and productivity.”

Together with user-friendly operation, comfort and efficiency, Andrew also notes the back up from the local Kubota dealer, to ensure maintenance operations are kept on track. “We are fortunate to have an excellent workshop manager in Bruce, who cares for all our equipment and maintains this to high standards each day. But we also have Lister Wilder within a 15-minute drive of the club and had the fantastic support of David Gray guiding us through the installation of our Kubota fleet, who made the process seamless for the team.”

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Large Kubota fleet exceeds even larger expectations

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Large Kubota fleet exceeds even larger expectations: Looking after one football pitch can be tough! Managing a multi-sport site poses a few additional challenges… now imagine a remit consisting of 38 winter sports pitches, 11 grass cricket squares, a nine-hole golf course and various artificial and athletics surfaces to boot!

It’s therefore no surprise that the grounds operation at the world-renowned Eton College is a sizeable one and, at its heart, is an equally sizeable fleet of equipment from Kubota.

Large Kubota fleet exceeds even larger expectations

Large Kubota fleet exceeds even larger expectations

Eton College is a leading educational provider for boys, with a number of notable public figures proudly within Eton’s long and illustrious catalogue of alumni. A platform for success, even the staff are receiving accolades, with the school’s grounds department securing the title of ‘Best Independent School Grounds Team of the Year’ at the 2023 Grounds Management Association (GMA) Awards. In addition, Grounds Manager Lee Marshallsay also scooped the top individual honour of the night.

Sport is a central pillar of the Eton curriculum, with almost 1500 acres of sport surfaces and landscaped areas around the campus – all of which have been under Lee’s expert guidance for the last four and a half years. “I’ve personally been a longstanding Kubota user, having run a fleet at both Charterhouse School and during my time at Harrow School before that. I was therefore pretty pleased to see Kubota equipment in use at Eton when I joined, and it’s only grown from there” he explains.

“We have 10 Kubota RTV’s which are the main method of transport for the team, as well as getting smaller equipment and materials around the site. We then have tractors ranging from 23hp up to 99hp for complete versatility and capability when powering our implements of all shapes and sizes.”

Their most recent delivery, a Kubota M4-073 75hp tractor, was made by Lister Wilder and Lee emphasises the importance of a strong dealer relationship in their procurement process. “We need good, reliable product that is supported by fantastic back-up service if it’s needed. We’ve always had that from the team at Lister’s.”

The M4-073 joins other tractors from Kubota’s M Series, together with three L-Series compact tractors, which Lee says are the most frequently used. “These are the power houses for our operation, incredibly reliable and versatile.” He continues, “We conduct a lot of renovation work at various times of the year and it’s our tractors, particularly those with higher horsepower and those equipped with the loaders or other attachments that really help to get the projects complete on specification and on time.”

“Interestingly, most of the other powered equipment we run here at Eton is also equipped with Kubota engines, which gives us the peace of mind and quality we’re looking to achieve across the board.”

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South Staffs build ‘fleet for the future’

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South Staffs build ‘fleet for the future’: South Staffordshire Golf Club are busy equipping themselves with a machinery fleet that’s fit for the challenges of the future – and for that, they’ve chosen Redexim.

Whether it’s managing increased rainfall, or disease and pest control in an era with fewer chemical treatments, the greenkeeping team are well placed to tackle the issues head on with a range of machines from across Redexim’s aeration, overseeding, scarification and brushing portfolio.

South Staffs build ‘fleet for the future'

South Staffs build ‘fleet for the future’

While Paul Law has been at the club for the last eight years, and Course Manager for the last four, the club’s history with Redexim dates back much further! “We’ve got Verti-Drains in the shed which are close to 30 years old, that are still playing an active role in our annual maintenance” Paul says. No strangers to the Redexim build quality and in-field performance, he says they’ve been the first port of call now that maintenance requirements are changing.

“This year has been incredibly wet, so drainage works have been top of the priority list.” Complementing the Verti-Drains, Pauls most recent purchase is a linear aerator in the form of the Redexim Verti-Quake® 2516. “We tried one of these on demonstration last year, on a particularly compacted area where we had no drainage whatsoever. It was incredible! It’s no exaggeration to say that this machine is set to transform our drainage.”

“At the opposite end of the spectrum, when we’ve had periods of drought, it’s again been Redexim that has come to the rescue. We’ve been employing the services of our Overseeder 1275 to incorporate more tolerant species into our surfaces, and maintaining presentation during those really high-pressure periods with the Redexim Top-Brush.”

Paul continues, “The 6m Top-Brush has become one of our most important pieces of equipment. We’ve had it since 2022 and it’s blown us away with how many applications we’ve found for it. We’ve been removing organic matter from the fairways, delivering incredible presentation through the winter with it, as well as clearing dew and dispersing worm casts to improve plant health and playability.”

Further work to remove organic matter has been conducted using the Redexim Verti-Cut, which was delivered in early 2024. “We’ve worked hard to reduce OM over the last four years, and with the Verti-Cut bringing new speed and efficiency to the task, we’ll be able to continue this on the greens and other areas of the course.”

The loyalty to Redexim and belief in the product, is equalled by the trust and quality of partnership established with local dealers Charlies Ag & Turf. “I’ve known Matt Lewis from Charlies for a long time and he and the whole team have always gone above and beyond to support us over the years.” He adds, “It’s great to know we have both the equipment and the advice to help us face whatever challenges lay ahead!”

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Expansion of INFINICUT® mower fleet

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Expansion of INFINICUT® mower fleet: It’s an exciting and busy time for the team at Cabot Highlands, as work is well underway on the construction of a second 18-hole course to complement the renowned and outstandingly picturesque Castle Stuart Golf Links.

Investment from the new ownership has also extended to the electrification of the club’s mower fleet, with eight FL22 pedestrian mowers from INFINICUT® handling the undulating greens to deliver a best-in-class cut.

Expansion of INFINICUT® mower fleet

Expansion of INFINICUT® mower fleet

Tasked with the construction of Old Petty – set to open fully in 2026 – is Course Manager James Hutchison, who is assisted by a team of 16 on the daily maintenance of the Castle Stuart course. “We were keen to explore electric options so had demonstrations of the INFINICUT® along with other electric hand mowers” James explains. “There were a few things that the team and I liked about the INFINICUT® – it felt lighter and followed the contours of our greens to deliver a really consistent cut. The range of the INFINICUT® battery was also far better. It ticked a lot of boxes.”

Following the successful demonstration, the club purchased eight FL22 mowers from the INFINICUT® golf range, which were installed by local dealers Fairways GM. “The support from Fairways GM is fantastic and this goes a long way when you’re running a pay and play – we need the peace of mind that back-up is swift and professional should we ever need to call on it.” He adds, “We’ve also developed a great relationship with Alan Jack at INFINICUT® which, together with the performance of the machines, is another reason we’ll be adding more units to our fleet in the not-too-distant future.”

The INFINICUT® FL22 offers industry-leading cut quality, contour-following ability and unbeatable precision for the preparation of fine turf surfaces. James and the team are using the mowers on the greens and tees daily throughout the summer, and when conditions demand during the cooler months. “We like to keep the height of cut relatively high year-round to reduce stress of the turf. The finesse and cleanliness of cut and finish delivered by the INFINICUT® allows us to do that without detriment to pace or presentation.”

“We host a number of amateur events throughout the year which the mower fleet are imperative to in terms of preparations. Moving forwards, we’ll be adding more INFINICUT®’s to our fleet as we prepare to open the new course and potentially welcome more, bigger and even better events into our calendar.”

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