Tag Archive for: GC

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

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Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann: An Aberdeenshire golf course has added a 4.05 m winged Wiedenmann Terra Brush to its fleet at the same time as updating its Terra Spike GXi8 HD.  Portlethen GC, six miles south of Aberdeen, made the double investment during early summer. Neil Sadler, head greenkeeper since 2009, had no hesitation in opting for both machines.

“Our GXi8 HD was a ‘like for like’ purchase.  We’d got one of the very first at launch ten years ago and it’s literally given hundreds of hours of neat aeration.  We part exchanged and the new one took over from where we left off …  it is superb, so versatile, with many tine choices.   It has considerably improved the surfaces of our tees, greens and approaches. If our fairways weren’t as rocky, it would be used there, too,” said Neil Sadler.

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

Portlethen GC chooses Wiedenmann

Built just over 40 years ago, Portlethen GC, offers golfers two challenging parkland circuits of nine holes and the option of four different courses, all with an abundance of natural features. Course development has seen the planting of around 21,000 carefully selected trees, restoration of a drystone dyke, construction of stone bridges, new tees at several holes and a pond at the short fifth.

Neil leads a team of three, supplemented at times by two seasonal staff. In summer, their day begins at 05.00 am giving them three hours to work on the course ahead of first tee off at 08.00 am.

“The more we do ahead of play the better. Once the golfers catch you up, it can be a dangerous sport,” continued Neil, who unfortunately ended up in A&E twice last year, after being struck by a golf ball.

“Our club is supportive. They appreciate we need kit that helps us do the job efficiently and quickly. The Terra Brush was another easy decision.  I’d seen the Wiedenmann demonstrated and remembered it. Our previous brush had given good service but had only one row of bristles on the wings. The Wiedenmann has four rows of bristles across its entire extended width; the row pattern is a mixture of straights and diagonals.  The bristles, therefore, are more consistent and connect better with the turf, even on undulations, so really stand the grass up or work the top dressing in harder. We chose medium firm bristles.

“September through to October, the brush is out first thing every day, brushing dew from fairways and approaches. A quick pass keeps the fairways clear of debris, the removal of the moisture leaves the grass plant drier and we follow on with a clean cut.  Later on, when not cutting as much, brushing just keeps the presentation levels high. It is fantastic for sward refinement and standing the grass tall.

“We’ve only top dressed a few greens since it arrived, but I know it will work well.”

Neil already has a Wiedenmann Mega Twister blower with a 230° swivel capability and a Wiedenmann 1.7 m Terra Rake in his fleet.

“I’ve not quite got the full Wiedenmann set.  The Super 500 is on my wish list but that will have to come later,” joked Neil. “No surprises, we need a strong blower to manage our leaves. They are quite a job; the Mega Twister is sufficiently powerful and its twisting spout allows the tractor to keep moving, avoiding frequent stops to turn around and re-position.

“We take the Terra Rake through semi rough before we cut it, to clear it out and remove thatch. It gets run through the fairways a couple of times during the season. We rake the leaves as well plus lots of other uses. So far, we’ve neither had opportunity nor time to work our Wiedenmann machines in combination, but once the season quietens it’ s only a matter of time,” concluded Neil.

John Morton, Area Manager at Fairways GM, the Scottish dealer for Wiedenmann UK, and Wiedenmann UK’s Andy Kerr were on hand to install both machines.

Portlethen GC hosts the Scottish Men’s Amateur Championship jointly with Murcar Golf Links from July 25-26 followed by the Scottish Men’s Match Play on July 28-29, 2021.

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Warrington GC continues down electric route

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Warrington GC continues down electric route: Warrington Golf Club in Appleton, Warrington, has re-invested in Toro for another five years and has included more electric options in its new fleet from Cheshire Turf Machinery.

Joining the three Greensmaster eFlex 2100 electric pedestrian mowers from the last order are the all-electric Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 greensmower and two Workman GTXE electric utility vehicles.

Warrington GC continues down electric route

Warrington GC continues down electric route

Ben Goodchild, head greenkeeper, has been at the club for the past four and a half years, and he couldn’t be happier about the recent purchase from a brand he knows very well and trusts implicitly.

“We’re trying to go as ecological as possible,” says Ben. “With Toro’s electric machines, we’re cutting down on petrol and diesel usage. We are also looking at getting solar panels in our shed roof to power all the machines.”

Because the machines are so quiet, Ben’s team has a lot more flexibility to work any time of day on any part of the course, allowing them to get a lot more done and stay ahead of golfers.

“I’m super impressed with Toro,” Ben admitted. “I’ve been in the industry for 15 years now, and I first worked with Toro machines at Stockport Golf Club. I think it’s simple and very user-friendly. I’ve used other brands and nothing has ever come close to Toro. The machines and the parts cost slightly more, but the longevity and productivity are second to none and they don’t break down as much so you’re spending less in the long-run.”

Also included in the order are the Multi Pro 5800 sprayer and two Greensmaster 1026 pedestrian mowers, adding to an already impressive fleet of two Reelmaster 3550-D cylinder mowers, two Greensmaster 1600 mowers, a Reelmaster 3100-D, a Triflex 3420 and the ever-popular Procore 648 aerator.

Warrington Golf Club has kept a strong relationship with Cheshire Turf Machinery for over ten years, crediting their reliability and being a full-service dealer as the major factors behind their choice.

“They’re awfully good to us,” Ben says. “If we need something fixed or if we’ve got a small breakdown, they’ll come to us straight away and make sure we’re looked after. With other dealerships, it’s not always a fast turnaround, so Cheshire Turf are very good at that. You just need to go to one place, which makes it simple, fast and efficient. They’re as good as it gets.”

In the meantime, Warrington Golf Club is slowly trying to filter out existing machines from other brands and replacing them with Toro ones. The reasons for their decision touch upon their commitment to electric power and environmentally friendly options, which have also improved both productivity and convenience.

As for which piece of equipment stood out from the list, Ben has become enamoured with the Multi Pro 5800 sonic boom sprayer.

“It’s probably the best piece of equipment I’ve ever used in greenkeeping and I think that it’ll change the game for greenkeepers in the future. It’s very precise and very easy to use. It’s worry-free. I know there won’t be any leaks or any problems, so we’re not wasting money on chemicals or adding too much to the environment. The hose reel is also really handy for tighter areas – it’s a real game-changer!”

2020 was a strange time for the club. Despite the initial break over the pandemic, golfers promptly returned when the doors opened again and the greenkeeping team was more than pleased to finally have players to appreciate their hard work. Citing no significant struggles, Warrington Golf Club currently has 50 members on its waiting list, buzzing to start playing again.

“I like to think there were some silver linings about the whole situation,” Ben concludes. “People started appreciating the outdoors a lot more – how you’re out there, you’re alive and you’re playing golf. Appreciating the small things in life.”

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Broomieknowe GC secures new kit

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Broomieknowe GC secures new kit: Broomieknowe Golf Club at Bonnyrigg, Mid Lothian, has welcomed a new golf course manager, a host of new members and some top-rated maintenance equipment, all in the space of a few months.

Allan Duncan joined the parkland club in April from Thornton GC, Glenrothes.  BIGGA Scottish student of the year in 2018, he has literally hit the ground running, getting to know the new course intimately as quickly as he can, and launching initiatives on social media to better connect the efforts of the greenkeeping team with club members.

Broomieknowe GC secures new kit

Broomieknowe GC secures new kit

“I’m loving it but there’s so much to get my head round,” he said. “People have been very welcoming. We have a brand-new club house and the club has invested heavily purchasing new equipment, so there’s a lot of momentum.”

First to arrive was a Wiedenmann Terra Spike XP8 deep aerator combined with an ISEKI TG6675 compact tractor.

“The ISEKI tractor was introduced to us by Rob Hogarth from our local dealer, Fairways GM at Kinross.  I’ve never had an ISEKI but I am really impressed.  The aerator is a heavy bit of kit but the TG6675 lift capacity is up to 1,600 kg so has no trouble at all. Together they are quite a combination.”

Their selected Terra Spike, the XP, is Wiedenmann UK’s biggest in fleet, chosen because of its readiness to go 40 cm deep.

“It was all purely about depth,” continued Allan. “We’ve a build-up of organic matter deep down on some greens and a bit of compaction in some of our fairways.  There are actually very good soils below the surface but to tap into these, we need the aerator to get air and water through the profile a lot quicker.

“It had been reasonably dry until I arrived, but once the ground got softer, we went out on the greens with 12 mm tines along with the turf retainers. The greens have reacted well to them.  Water has gone down, not just through the top profile but permeated through the bottom profile, and already I can see a difference.  The plan is to keep that going every month right through the summer as disruption to surface is minimal.”

“The wider programme is to do tees and approaches at the end of the season, so September, and then spike the fairways before winter arrives. The speed of the XP8 is impressive.  I’ve used the GXi8 HD before and everyone says how quick it is, but the XP8 is no slouch. We had no expectation of speed as we were searching for depth … but a hectare of greens took around nine hours, so it’s great to be able to complete all 18 greens in a day.”

Four weeks later, a delivery of the Maredo MT200 Flex-Verticutter arrived for the Lothian club.    Even on the most challenging of fairway undulations they are falter-free thanks to a turn-able ‘A’ frame and pivot point.  Each head measures just over 63 cm giving a total reach of 1.9 m with working to depths of around 25 mm.

“The Maredos were another easy decision,” said Allan. “While relieving compaction with the Terra Spike on the fairways, the next stage is to follow through with scarifying.  The idea is to remove the organic matter, breaking surface tension to help get rid of less desirable broad leaf grasses and encourage the finer ones to flourish. This leaves a better habitat for the finer grasses to grow. I really appreciate the adaptability of the Maredos with their three cassettes lined up in a V-formation, as opposed to a straight unit. They are at one with the tractor and even in just an hour cover large areas. The course is fairly flat, except for a few undulating holes with numerous dips and bumps, yet wherever they are, they hug the course, don’t scalp or pull out too much. One spanner adjustment and away you go.  They will improve the texture and quality significantly.  All main playing surfaces (except greens) will be done twice a year with the Maredos with maybe the approaches getting three hits, depending on the weather.”

“When it comes to choosing machinery, I find you always have a strong idea of what to seek but it’s good when others bring additional knowledge. Both the Fairways GM and Wiedenmann teams support you intuitively and direct you to what will work in your situation and machines that are appropriate. I feel entirely supported throughout.  No stone has been left unturned trying to help us get what we need. Even the BAGMA accredited installation training at handover is a nice touch. My team and I all benefited and not every dealer ensures such good practice.”

Rob Hogarth, Fairways GM’s Regional Manager said:

“The BAGMA Installation Scheme, is developed in conjunction with the Health & Safety Executive.  Everyone in our sales and installer team has been trained to handover using a systematic process.  Our team in turn replicate this initiative to our customers, covering things like site specific risk assessments and working in a safe environment. If clients’ teams attend the session given by one of the Fairways GM team, they receive a record of attendance and so does their employer. Allan and his team have found it very worthwhile.”

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Second Jacobsen Eclipse for Brora GC

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Second Jacobsen Eclipse for Brora GC: Brora GC in Sutherland has had twelve months like no other in its 130-year history. 

In common with many golf clubs, last March, it experienced the lows of the pandemic and the harsh reality of a much-reduced income. “We were flying high with consistently good visitor numbers and then it all stopped dead,” said head greenkeeper, James MacBeath.

Second Jacobsen Eclipse for Brora GC

Second Jacobsen Eclipse for Brora GC

However, what happened next took everyone by surprise.

Resourceful enterprise from within the club, saw Brora launch a local membership campaign which ended up with global interest. Golfers from across the world rallied for the club that has Tom Watson, five  times Open Champion, as an honorary member. Astonishingly, membership climbed from 500 to 700, which took in over £280,000 and the online sales in the shop reeling in over £40,000.

“It was just great that our plea was heard, and we were so grateful for such instant response,” continued James MacBeath.

But more good news was to follow. In March this year, after a four year initiative, the club became the landowner of its own links.  For just the small sum of £70,000, including a £20,000 grant from the Trustees of local Kilbraur Windfarm, it was able to purchase the land on which it stands, from landowners Sutherland Estates.

“It’s all transformed so quickly. We continue to operate with two furloughed staff on rotation until September, so there are just three of us making sure the visitor experience is still as worthwhile.  It’s hard going but we will come through. Once the club can move beyond all restrictions, we will be in good place,” said James MacBeath.

One of the upshots of a little more financial stability and an increased membership, was to bring in some additional equipment. While decisive about the machine required, the financial ups and downs meant it was essential to secure excellent terms. James MacBeath, in conversation with his opposite number, Muir Ross, at neighbouring Golspie GC, found out that both clubs wanted a Jacobsen Eclipse 322 greens mower in the same timescales, from dealer Fairways GM at Inverness.

“Talking it through with Muir, it made sense to buy these together to benefit from economies of scale and look for the best deal long term. John Morton, Area Manager at Fairways was happy to oblige especially as it was a second Eclipse for both clubs and he knew us both well.

“Now it’s here, it’s gone straight into use with the original one, bought in 2011, still going strong. Currently we’re out every morning at 5.30am five days a week and by mid June that will be up to seven days.  Quality is always the determining factor for me when I choose a machine. The units on the Eclipse still beat all others in the market. It’s got to be to the required standard every time. A clean and professional finish is essential.

“However, it says a lot for both our clubs – that they have gone above and beyond to back their greenkeeping teams with machinery investments at the appropriate time. We’ve also been well served by the team at Fairways GM and they always make an effort to attend to us quickly.”

John Morton said: “Brora and Golspie’s arrangement to buy in tandem was a useful way to do business as they are just six miles apart. It’s testimony to the Eclipse’s quality of cut that they both decided to go for the same machine again.  They are not alone choosing to upgrade their Eclipses but still retaining their older ones for the fleet.”

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Club Car & London GC extend relationship

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Club Car & London GC extend relationship: Club Car, the world’s largest manufacturer of small-wheel electric vehicles, has continued its long association with London Golf Club by delivering a new fleet of high-spec golf cars.

The fleet of 50 Tempo cars, famous for their industry-leading durability and premium comfort, feature Club Car’s innovative connected GPS technology which supports the maintenance of the club’s two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses as well as offering players a range of in-car services.

Club Car & London GC extend relationship

Club Car & London GC extend relationship

London Golf Club, a European Tour Destination and the host venue of this summer’s English Open, has chosen Club Car as its supplier for 22 years.

Stephen Follett, CEO of London Golf Club, said: “We decided to renew the fleet towards the end of last year following the huge amount of use the cars had last summer and with another busy season ahead. We viewed the reopening in March as if we were opening a new venue, and that meant reopening with a new fleet of cars. We also carried out renovations in various areas of our clubhouse, made upgrades in our IT and carried out refresher training with our staff.

“We wanted to show our members, guests, and visitors that we are a forward thinking venue that is committed to continuously investing in our product, services and people. This is our second fleet with the connected technology – we love it, our customers love it and it’s synonymous with London Golf Club.”

Kevin Hart, Director of Golf Sales EMEA at Club Car, added: “London Golf Club is one of the most prestigious venues in Europe and we are proud that Club Car has been its chosen supplier for so long.

“The club and its leadership are very much in tune with what the customers want and never fail to deliver an exceptional golfing experience. We look forward to this long relationship continuing in future.”

London Golf Club has hosted the European Open (2008 and 2009) and the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship (2018 and 2019), and will welcome the English Open from August 12-15 this year.

The newly installed fleet of Club Car vehicles marks the sixth that local dealer Bradshaw has delivered to London Golf Club over the duration of the 22-year relationship.

For more information about London Golf Club, visit: https://www.londongolf.co.uk

For more information about Club Car, visit: https://www.clubcar.com

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