Tag Archive for: golf

Royal Golf Club Bahrain receives Club Car fleet

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Royal Golf Club Bahrain receives Club Car fleet: Club Car®, global industry-leading manufacturer of small-wheel, zero-emissions electric vehicles, has delivered a new fleet of golf vehicles to the prestigious Royal Golf Club in Bahrain.

The world-class venue hosted the Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour in February and welcomes 42,000 rounds a year on its two courses – the magnificent Colin Montgomerie-designed 18-hole championship layout and a 9-hole par-3 course.

Royal Golf Club Bahrain receives Club Car fleet

Royal Golf Club Bahrain receives Club Car fleet

Royal Golf Club chose the market-leading Club Car Tempo golf car in Metallic Blue Onyx complete with premium features including Visage (GPS technology), alloy wheels and comfort seats.

The vehicles were delivered through Luxury Carts, the Club Car distributor in the Middle East, and also have coolers, sand bottles and inbuilt USB ports.

Royal Golf Club General Manager, Juan Manuel Fuentes, said: “Our players use golf cars here because of the high temperatures and course design. That is why we commit to offer our members and guests an exceptional experience during their rounds with us.”

“Club Car has given us just that – the 80 new cars are fantastic.”

The new cars were used to transport VIP guests during the Bahrain Championship earlier this year – the DP World Tour’s first return to the Kingdom since 2011 – held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

“Club Car is an easy choice because the product is superior and the level of service is excellent,” Fuentes added. “The cars were delivered quickly – there was not a long wait after ordering.”

Nicolas Le Glas, Club Car Regional Manager Middle East and Africa, said: “Royal Golf Club Bahrain offers its guests world class service, and we’re proud to play a part in that with these new vehicles.”

“I’d like to express my gratitude to the board of Royal Golf Club Bahrain, Juan Manuel and Troon for continuing the longstanding relationship with Club Car.”

Club Car Tempo has many customisable options including colour, seats, storage, wheels and three programmable drive modes to maximise performance.

For more information on Club Car visit: www.clubcar.com

For more information on Royal Bahrain Golf Club visit: https://www.theroyalgolfclub.com

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Former Leyland Golf Club course manager joins BIGGA team

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Former Leyland Golf Club course manager joins BIGGA team: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has appointed Scott Reeves as Head of Membership, overseeing the development of the association’s membership activities.

Scott, 53, was formerly the course manager at Leyland Golf Club, where he spent 17 years. He began his greenkeeping career at Wycombe Heights Golf Club, Buckinghamshire, followed by spells at Stock Brook Country Club in Essex and Chobham Golf Club in Surrey, before relocating to Lancashire in 2003. He spent three years at Preston Golf Club before a one-year stint with Saxon Industries in a sales role. He then returned to course management at Leyland Golf Club in 2007.

Former Leyland Golf Club course manager joins BIGGA team

Former Leyland Golf Club course manager joins BIGGA team

Scott has volunteered at every level of BIGGA, culminating in his appointment as chairperson of the association in 2019. The COVID pandemic hit during Scott’s term and he worked closely alongside BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton, the BIGGA staff and National Board as the association navigated the turbulence of that period, ensuring BIGGA was well-placed to offer support and guidance wherever required.

Following his term as chairperson, Scott retained an involvement with BIGGA and still lectures on the Golf Club Management Diploma, jointly run by the GCMA, PGA and BIGGA. He was also a part of the Committee for Golf Club Salaries for many years.

Following a recent restructure, the Head of Membership position has been created by BIGGA. Scott will be responsible for ensuring the development and implementation of the association’s membership strategy, as well as taking on a senior leadership role within the organisation. He will work closely with all BIGGA departments to ensure the association is fulfilling its responsibility to members, while seeking to evolve BIGGA’s activities and offering.

Scott said: “What attracted me to this job is it is such a huge opportunity. One of the things I really valued in my time as a greenkeeper volunteer with BIGGA was the chance to make the world a better place for greenkeepers, as we always say. With a little time away, focusing on my own job as a greenkeeper, it’s helped me see just what a valuable resource BIGGA is.

“What I’d say to BIGGA members is that another one of us has joined the association. I’m someone who understands you and understands your challenges as I’ve faced many of them myself. We’re here to help you, to serve you and to make sure that you can access everything BIGGA has to offer, to build a better career for yourself and a stronger industry for everyone.”

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “We worked hard to identify the correct candidate for this position and we put all the applicants through rigorous testing as the Head of Membership will play a key role in shaping the future of the association for years to come.

“We had some outstanding applications but Scott’s passion for greenkeeping and belief in the value BIGGA brings to the industry shone through. He has been involved with committee work at all levels, including chairing the association from 2019 to 2022, a period which included the COVID pandemic and was therefore one of the most challenging of any in our history.

“I’m excited that Scott has joined the Association and look forward to embarking on what I believe is the next chapter in BIGGA’s history.”

A video of Scott discussing his new role and ambitions for the future is available to watch online here.

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Ashbury win golf facility award

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Ashbury win golf facility award: Yamaha Motor Europe (YME) has recognised The Ashbury Golf Resort, as their 2024 Golf Facility of the Year at a short ceremony, which took place recently at their golf and leisure complex, in Fowley Cross near Okehampton in Devon.

The Ashbury Golf Resort is the 9th largest golf complex in the world and owns and operates over 430 premium Yamaha golf cars, which are used across their four 18-hole courses, an 18-hole par-3 course and a 9-hole Academy course.

Ashbury win golf facility award

Ashbury win golf facility award

The Golf Facility of the Year award recognises the provision of an impressive and remarkable golf experience for members and guests, while being regarded as a first-class golf operation. It highlights the connection between Yamaha and its partners and recognises the excellent golfing facilities and the year-round maintenance which goes into making The Ashbury Resort such a leading golfing destination.

Roland-Jan Schippers from YME’s European head office in the Netherlands presented Steve Harris, Operations Director at the resort, with a crystal trophy, a signed certificated from Yamaha’s head office in Japan, champagne and a WaveRunner Safari experience.

The WaveRunner Safari is a marine outdoor adventure, utilising Yamaha Personal Water Craft, which will allow the golf team to spend a day exploring the Cornish coast, in recognition of their excellent efforts.

Commenting on the award, Operations Director Steve Harris said,

“We were delighted when we were recognised with this award; it was a complete surprise and reflects our close working relationship with Yamaha. With the size of our golf car fleet, we have to ensure that they are well presented and functioning as they should, so access to an excellent after sales team and all the various parts required is vital to us. In that respect, we are completely self-sufficient and use an online computer system which links directly to Yamaha’s UK headquarters in Woking for ordering Genuine Parts and Accessories. Our relationship with Yamaha works on every level and we share similar brand values such as integrity and dedication to satisfying the needs of our customers. We are delighted with this recognition.

Roland-Jan Schippers concluded saying,

“The Ashbury Golf Resort is a superb example of the dedication that is required to produce a great golfing experience at a large-scale destination. The partnership between ourselves and Ashbury is very strong and we are delighted that they appreciate the benefits that our golf cars bring to their operations.

“The build quality inherent in Yamaha golf cars is evidenced by the fact that some of Ashbury’s vehicles are over 25-years old and still going strong! This clearly demonstrates that a well-maintained fleet can bring significant benefits, not just to Ashbury, but to any golf operation. The all-round quality of build and components used, results in the lowest cost of ownership of any manufacturer, something the team at Ashbury clearly appreciate.

“The Ashbury Golf Resort provides a superior customer experience; the same ethos that we at Yamaha have at the core of our operations. We appreciate their loyalty, their commitment to the Yamaha brand and our excellent business partnership. They are deserved winners of this award.”

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Productive peace at Hillside Golf Club

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Productive peace at Hillside Golf Club: Having seen improved productivity from all-day course maintenance from using Toro electric machinery, Hillside Golf Club in Southport has subsequently invested in four more Toro all-electric eTriFlex 3370 greensmowers and two Toro Workman GTX-Lithium utility vehicles from distributor Reesink Turfcare.

When the club invested in its first eTriFlex three years ago, the aim was environmental to eliminate the risk of hydraulic leaks on the greens. Having used the machine for three years now there’s an additional benefit: it’s favoured just as much for the lack of operational noise, which has enabled greens staff to mow throughout the day.

Productive peace at Hillside Golf Club

Productive peace at Hillside Golf Club

Links manager Chris Ball explains: “The way golf clubs mow has changed, and it’s not always possible to fit in all the work we need to do before play starts any more. This is due to a post-COVID increase in members and visitors and the commonly held view that rounds played over the same course take longer than they once did.

“Work needs to happen all day – and the solution to that is simple, it’s silent electric power.”

The R&A agrees in its Pace of Play guide, stating that course maintenance during play is necessary and adapting maintenance schedules is vital to have as little negative impact on pace of play and the players’ enjoyment as possible.

“With the electric mowers, we can work around members and guests without disturbing them and gives us the ability to get in right behind tournament play as it happens which is essential in keeping on top of the course throughout an event,” Chris says.

When Chris bought the original mower, total cost of sale was a big factor, yet at the time it was an unknown. Thanks to Toro’s newly developed cost calculator, designed to compare operating expenses of alternative energy-powered machines, it’s now known that using the eTriFlex over five years will save £10,153 compared to its diesel equivalent.

“I can well believe it,” says Chris. “There’s a number crunching exercise to be done but I’d say we’re well on the way to that. It’s the absence of downtime and lack of repairs required that’s particularly noticeable, and how easy and quick maintenance is. And that’s without factoring in reduced running costs and no fuel.”

Seeing how this way of working improved productivity and elevated the condition of the course helped the club make the decision to boost its electric machinery fleet with Toro electric utility vehicles from distributor Reesink Turfcare, too. With the Workman GTX-Lithiums on board bunker work such as raking can also run alongside mowing throughout play.

All of this is part of a wider sustainable picture with Chris and the team working towards being non-reliant on chemicals, carefully choosing the perfect combination of drought-resistant organic feeds and disease-tolerant grasses. The goal is to use less water and fewer inputs and spend less money to get the same results.

“It’s important to make the investment now to reap the benefits in the future,” Chris concludes – and leading the way with electric machinery has been an integral part of that investment in the future.

To find out more about electric or hybrid machinery options, call Reesink Turfcare on 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Pleasington Golf Club’s transformation

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Pleasington Golf Club’s transformation: Pleasington Golf Club, Lancashire, has revealed the latest results of its £1 million course transformation.

Rated the No.1 heathland course in Lancashire, the 12-time Open qualifying venue is upgrading its course as part of a long-term ‘Good to Great’ plan.

Pleasington Golf Club’s transformation

Pleasington Golf Club’s transformation

Just an hour from Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, the club is already a popular destination with players heading to three nearby Open links, as well as golf travellers stopping off on route to and from Scotland via the M6.

Pleasington Golf Club is aiming to secure its position as one of the finest courses in the UK.

“This has been an important and exciting journey for the club,” said General Manager, Mark Bleasdale. “While the course has always been recognised as an outstanding layout, hosting Open qualifying and prestigious amateur events including the Pleasington Putter for elite amateur women, we wanted to restore its natural character and return it to its very best.

“Now, after major works over the past three winters, including the regeneration of heathland, the course has been transformed.”

The course upgrade has included:

  • Making the course visually stronger with new and renovated bunkers
  • Creating firmer, faster greens with enhanced drainage and disease resilience
  • Strategic design changes making the course fairer to higher handicap players and more challenging for low handicappers and elite golfers.

The work has been overseen by respected golf course architect Ken Moodie of Creative Golf Design.

The project is part of the club’s ‘Good to Great’ plan, which aims to make the venue among the best golf courses in the UK, as well as being an inclusive club at the heart of the community, encouraging golf for all and restoring the landscape’s natural environment.

Visitor bookings are now open for the 2024 season, as well as a series of open competitions and a new Sunday Driver stay-and-play golf package, with accommodation at The Dunkenhalgh Hotel & Spa.

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