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Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

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Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro: New 10-year Toro agreement deal for Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club in Troon on the west coast of Scotland takes relationship to 50 years.

Kilmanock (Barassie) Golf Club has been hosting Championship events since 1936 so knows a few things about what it takes to create the ideal playing surface. That’s why it’s chosen Toro for another 10 years in an exclusive partnership agreement with Reesink Turfcare.

Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

Golden future for Kilmarnock Barassie & Toro

The agreement with distributor Reesink Turfcare will see the whole fleet of machines replaced over two five-year cycles. Course manager Brian Finlayson who has worked at the club for 28 years and manages a team of ten greenkeepers, says Toro has suited the club since the early 1980s: “Barassie has been an all-Toro club for 40 years and the reason for that is it suits our every need. We are a very high-maintenance, championship-standard golf club and reliability and quality from our machinery are essential. Toro has never let us down.”

In the new deal, Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club will upgrade like-for-like on previous models as it has been doing for decades as well as taking on some new technology in an effort to become more eco-friendly and reduce its carbon footprint with electric and hybrid alternatives such as the Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 and the Toro Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420.

The Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 replaces Brian’s favourite mower, the Greensmaster 3250-D, he says: “The Greensmaster 3250-D is a world-renowned greens mower for good reason. The quality of cut is exemplary. We wanted to continue the same quality of cut but with an energy smart focus so the new order will see its hybrid counterpart, the Hybrid 3420, come on board with its electric cylinder drive.”

The club has hosted many championships since 1936 and Brian takes special pride in the Women’s Amateur Championship, held this year, and the Junior Open Championship hosted in 2006, which he considers the highlights of his career. With tournaments being such a large and important part of the club’s calendar, having back up and support Brian can rely on is vital.

This deal, which also includes TYM tractors, is the club’s first done directly with Reesink Turfcare’s Livingstone branch about which Brian says: “Reesink has looked after us fantastically well and offers us first-class support especially during tournaments. That’s a large part of the club’s life and history hosting these big events and knowing we can get first-class support and back up gives us a lot of peace of mind. I’m hoping by the end of summer Reesink will be doing all our servicing and fleet work. I can’t speak highly enough of Reesink.”

Was there any thought of switching brands or going with another distributor? Brian says: “Never, at any stage did we think about going for another manufacturer. When given the choice to go to another competitor, the staff operating the Toro equipment said hands down they wanted to continue with the brand. Plus, we don’t do full mechanics here and knowing we can count on Reesink makes things a lot easier. We’ve stuck with Toro throughout the years and will continue to do so with Reesink.”

With Barassie and Toro’s relationship reaching half a century by the end of this agreement, it’s certainly a future that looks golden!

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Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s

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Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s: Royal St George’s has undergone months of preparations to welcome players, spectators and members of the media for The 149th Open and ably assisting the talented greenkeeping team create optimal course conditions are Toro machinery and irrigation.

Back on the course in Kent from 11–18 July 2021 for the 15th time, the rescheduled Championship was originally planned for July 2020 and cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as Reesink Turfcare managing director David Cole says, ‘good things come to those who wait’.

Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s

Toro & Reesink provide support for Royal St George’s

“They say that good things come to those who wait and that certainly characterises the journey Paul and his team have been on through the preparation for The 149th Open Championship that was postponed,” says David. “The highs and lows must have been challenging during their protracted journey to showcase the golf course at last. The results of their presentation is testament to their focus and resilience, and we and Toro are pleased to have supported Paul and his team along the way with both their irrigation systems and machinery.”

The 18-hole course is using Toro Reelmaster fairway mowers, Groundsmaster rough mowers, Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid riding greensmowers and Greensmaster Flex walk-behind greensmowers to create a first-class finish for the event which is expected to draw crowds of up to 32,000 a day. Reesink will also be loaning the club additional machines to keep up with maintenance demands.

The world-famous golf course began its long relationship with Toro with a fleet deal in 2013, and that relationship has continued with the installation of new irrigation in 2018 and the lease of additional equipment in 2019.

After installing the Toro Lynx Central Control System and over a thousand sprinklers across the greens, tees and fairways in 2018, course manager Paul Larsen and his team have been able to target irrigation to the areas that needed it most — conserving water through a series of very dry and hot summers. According to Larsen, the system has been instrumental in helping to maintain the highest standards leading up to The Open.

Peter Moeller, vice president at The Toro Company, says: “Royal St George’s is considered one of the world’s best golf courses, and we are thrilled that they have chosen Toro equipment to create optimal playing conditions on their course. We’re proud to be a part of it by supporting the greenkeepers at Royal St George’s throughout the Championship as well as in the future.”

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RainBird promotion for Alastair Higgs

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RainBird promotion for Alastair Higgs: Alastair Higgs has been promoted to the role of Europe Service Manager. In this new position, working from Rain Bird Europe’s office in France, Alastair’s responsibilities will include developing and driving forward service activities for Rain Bird across Europe.

Beginning his career as a greenkeeper at Calcot Park in 2000, Alastair joined American Golf UK in 2004, before becoming Head Greenkeeper at Donnington Valley Golf Club, and then Course Manager at Windlesham Golf Club. Joining Rain Bird in 2016 as a Golf Sales Specialist, he became Golf District Manager for the UK, Ireland and Iceland in 2018, managing and promoting the distribution of Rain Bird Golf products and services through trusted partners, providing support and guidance about best practice to end users.

RainBird promotion for Alastair Higgs

RainBird promotion for Alastair Higgs

Alastair comments:

“My new role widens my remit significantly and covers the full spectrum of Rain Bird products over a much larger geographical territory. Having been involved with golf throughout my career to date, it’s a welcome change to be dealing with a range of new sectors from agriculture to residential. It also allows me to manage and guide our team of talented service engineers and support the network of approved service providers to deliver after sale Global Service Plans, installation start-up, training, software and on-site services.

As our focus is increasingly software-centric, remote and on-site support is becoming much more important, not only for new installations but also throughout the lifetime of Rain Bird systems. An enhanced service offering puts customers in full control and gives them complete peace of mind, enabling them to maximise efficiency of central control and cloud-based technologies and gain all the benefits that these offer.”

“I am delighted to announce Alastair’s promotion” says Richard Nelson, Global Sales and Service Manager. “Alastair has in-depth knowledge of our irrigation technologies and with his vision and drive, will take us forward in this exciting new period for the Rain Bird European service team.”

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Two new dealers for Corvus 4×4

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Two new dealers for Corvus 4×4: Corvus 4×4 off-road utility vehicle specialists BOSS ORV have announced the appointment of two new dealers. Laird Grass Machinery has become the first Corvus dealer for Northern Ireland and Brassington Agri, near Bridgenorth, is the new dealer for the Shropshire area.

Laird, which is situated in Ballycarry, Carrickfergus, contacted Corvus following a conversation with Scottish dealers, Ravenhill, and were sent a Terrain Diesel 4×4 utility as a trial vehicle. No sooner had it arrived than a customer wanted to buy it. Laird chose the Terrain for being rugged and well-built for agricultural use with good ground clearance. It also benefits from being classed as a Stage V emission compliant homologated Diesel tractor, and therefore suitable for on-road use. It is ideally suited as well, say Laird, to their public authorities and council market. Phil Everett, Managing Director at Boss, who made the announcement on LinkedIn, said,

Two new dealers for Corvus 4x4

Two new dealers for Corvus 4×4

“A big Corvus welcome to David Laird and the team. With their vast experience in the UTV market, combined with the exceptional all-round ability of the latest Corvus Terrain range of UTVs, it’s bound to be a winning combination.”

Duncan Brassington Agri Sales and Service was established in 2014 in the heart of Shropshire by Duncan Brassington, who has over thirty years’ experience of all aspects of agricultural machinery. Brassingtons provide servicing and repair for tractors and agricultural machinery together with sales of new and good quality tractors, farm machinery and equipment. They will be selling and supporting the TerrainDX4 EPS, TerrainDX4 PRO EPS and TerrainDX4 CAB EPS.

“A big welcome to Duncan and the team,” says Phil, “they base their business on 100% commitment to their customers’ needs and are therefore an ideal fit as a Corvus dealer. Welcome to both dealers to the Corvus family”

All the above mentioned Terrain models are homologated as a T1a and T1b diesel tractor and have a top speed of 40mph/65kp/h. Corvus is building the Terrain for work primarily in agriculture, livestock, forestry, turf care and construction but they are highly adaptable vehicles ready for any demanding off-road workout.

For more information about the Corvus Terrain range you can call 01597 810188; www.bossorv.co.uk E-mail: sales@bossorv.co.uk  

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Toro fleet expansion for CGM Group

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Toro fleet expansion for CGM Group: One of the largest grounds maintenance and landscaping firms in the East of England, CGM Group based in Downham Market, Norfolk, has purchased four Toro LT3340 triple flail mowers to aid the 150-strong grounds team operating across East Anglia and the East Midlands for eight months of the year.

The company started its journey with Toro machines in January 2020. Marcus Glover, operations director at CGM Group, explains: “Our teams are working solidly for two thirds of the year cutting sports pitches and maintaining school sites and commercial grounds.

Toro fleet expansion for CGM Group

Toro fleet expansion for CGM Group

“We need machinery we can rely on, machinery that is flexible and adaptable. We are not only faced with a wide range of landscapes and environments, but the weather can apply added pressure to our work, particularly in 2021 when we’ve seen extraordinarily fast grass growth due to the wet and warm weather.

“The performance of the Toro mowers is excellent. We can expect fine finishes on cricket outfields to reliable, neat trimming for clients who require general monthly cuts throughout the season. The flexibility of the range of machines is superb.”

The four new mowers join five existing Toro machines, taking the overall fleet to nine. Famed for perfecting light trimming through to dealing with dense overgrowth, these mowers also come with kerb-climbing ability, making them particularly well suited to municipal sites.

Yet for Marcus, performance was just part of the equation. Marcus continues: “It’s also all about the support and back-up care. Although we’ve had no problems with use, the response time of the workshop is phenomenal. Replacement parts are sourced overnight so I know I’ll have machines back out on the ground the following day. It means that, from an operational perspective, we are working as efficiently as we can.”

Marcus’ experience with the team at Reesink Turfcare, the exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland for Toro groundscare machinery, is testament to the importance of a good working relationship and he credits Danny Lake with being “excellent” to deal with.

Danny Lake, area sales rep at Reesink Turfcare, comments: “CGM is one of the biggest grounds contractors in the region so performance and reliability are key. We understand the seasonality of their business and work to support them as best we can with fast-response after-care.”

Marcus concludes by reflecting on the challenges presented by 2021’s unseasonably wet weather: “Now is the optimum time for us. Our busy teams are cutting more than normal due to faster-than-average grass growth and the Toro mowers have supported us brilliantly, performing well in all conditions. It’s that adaptability and reliability that means they are machines we can trust.”

Reesink Turfcare is the exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland for Toro groundscare machinery. For further information on the range call 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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