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Avant 225 is the Perfect Workhorse

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Avant 225 is the Perfect Workhorse: For Jeff Clark, maintaining his acre-and-a-half property in rural North Wales has become significantly easier thanks to the Avant 225 compact loader.

Jeff, who has some woodland, and a main field to maintain, has found the perfect solution in this versatile machine.

Jeff has extensive experience with various types of equipment, often testing new machinery for manufacturers. Initially, he sought a ride-on mower but soon realised he needed something more versatile. “I went to Clwyd Agricultural looking for a flail mower to attach to my ride-on, but I saw the Avant and thought it looked interesting,” Jeff says. After some consideration and a test drive, Jeff traded his ride-on mower for the Avant 225, along with various attachments for it.

“I needed a machine that could mow, tow a trailer, and help me move things around the garden,” Jeff explains. “I’m 76, not getting any younger, and not as strong as I used to be. The Avant seemed to be the perfect machine to help me. It’s invaluable and well worth the money we invested. The bucket on the front is large and versatile; you can even mix cement in it, which I’ve found very useful.”

One of the standout features for Jeff is the quick-release coupling for changing attachments. “The changeover of attachments is very quick. A quick flick of a lever and there’s no effort involved,” he says.

The Avant 225’s versatility shines through in various tasks. “I’ve planted apple trees with the mini digger attachment. Rather than spending hours digging a hole, it’s done in five minutes,” Jeff explains. “The 1500 out-front mower attachment does an extremely good job, and the adjustable height of cut is perfect for the different areas we have here.”

Jeff also utilised the Avant 225 for a significant project on his driveway. “The front drive was covered in pebbles, and I didn’t want to lose them when I had it tarmacked. The Avant picked up 8 tonnes of pebbles, which I’ve since used around raised beds and paths. The machine has probably paid for itself already.”

For Jeff, the best feature of the Avant 225 is its versatility. “It does everything I want – it carries weights, pulls the trailer, and carries most things in the bucket up and down the garden. I even use it to pull trees from the woodland area with a rope. It’s a muscle saver and works really well. I don’t think I could do without it.”

“The joystick is easy to use, and the seat warmer is fantastic in the winter,” he adds.

The Avant 225’s impressive capabilities include a 1.4m lift height, 350kg lift capacity, 10 km/h speed, and 42 L/min auxiliary hydraulics. Easy to transport with a car trailer, it’s a powerful and versatile compact loader despite its small size. The articulated design and hydraulic 4×4 transmission are similar to larger Avant models, ensuring efficient operation with excellent visibility and easy-to-use controls.

As well as being impressed with the machine Jeff praised Clwyd Agricultural, the local dealer, for their excellent service and support. “They are lovely people, easy to deal with, and very helpful,” he notes.

Overall, the Avant 225 compact loader has proven to be the ideal workhorse for Jeff Clark, providing the versatility and efficiency needed to maintain his land with ease.

For more information, please visit www.avant.co.uk

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Data Access is Just a Click Away with Turfkeeper

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Data Access is Just a Click Away with Turfkeeper: For the last 18 years Course Manager Geoff Smith has been spending hours meticulously setting up and inputting into an array of spreadsheets to help him manage the greenkeeping staff and grounds at the beautiful Abridge Golf Club in Romford, Essex.

‘All my spreadsheets were stored on a USB stick which I guarded with my life. It recorded everything I needed to manage all areas of the golf course including budgets and provided the necessary evidence and reports to justify everything we did. It didn’t bear thinking about if it was to ever get lost!”

Data Access is Just a Click Away with Turfkeeper

Data Access is Just a Click Away with Turfkeeper

Geoff joined the Abridge 18-hole, par 72 Championship golf course in 1996 and knows the greens better than anyone. He was a customer of Rigby Taylor, Headland Amenity and Symbio for around 12 years before they merged in 2021 to form Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS). “I love working with Origin, it’s been around 15 years now, and can’t praise them highly enough. They have great reps and some fantastic products. I put nearly all of my business through them.”

The course was first designed, in 1962 by renowned maestro of English Golf, Henry Cotton, whose outstanding feature was that both loops of nine holes started and finished at the clubhouse. It is considered one of the finest in the county and is an Open Regional Qualifying Course. It has held various Essex tournaments and was host to the PDC EuroPro Tour event in 2022. Geoff uses a combination of non-biological and biological products as part of an Integrated Turf Management programme. “The OAS reps work with me to choose products that complement each other well and ensure the very best outcome.  We have around 750 members and our course and greens are expected to be in the best possible condition free of disease”, adds Geoff.

In 2023 Geoff was persuaded to trial the OAS TurfKeeper web-based digital platform which is designed to replace all manual spreadsheets and ledgers. He had a demonstration from Kevin Scarce, Turf Keepers Product Manager and whilst impressed was reluctant to move away from his trusted spreadsheets.

With greenkeepers and turf professionals facing mounting pressure to justify every decision they make, from equipment purchases to project proposals, and with costs soaring and resources dwindling, the need for data-driven insights is critical. TurfKeeper is being used in many golf and sports clubs across the UK and is equipping turf managers and greenkeepers with the tools they need to maximise resources, streamline decision-making, and manage turf maintenance.

Geoff implemented Turfkeeper in July 2023 and after a couple of hours of training set about entering his information into the system. Geoff considers himself “Old school” and wanted to try it alongside his existing spreadsheets. “I shouldn’t have worried, it’s such a user-friendly system and works brilliantly. I love it and dropped my spreadsheets at the end of 2023. I now use Turfkeeper exclusively for all my data.”

At the heart of TurfKeeper lies a robust suite, from staff management to inventory control, task planning to budgeting. TurfKeeper provides greenkeepers with a central hub to oversee every aspect of their operations. “I use it for everything”, adds Geoff, “It’s only as good as the information you put into it though, so I spent a few days inputting – staff wages, hours, stock information, budgets, maintenance programme, etc and now it’s so easy to pull off the information I want.  That’s the beauty of Turfkeeper. It gives you graphics and pie charts to show to management or the Greens Committee – everyone loves a picture – it’s so easy to understand and takes no time to produce.”

Abridge Golf Club is set in 240 acres of beautiful parkland with some of the finest views over the Essex countryside. It’s a close-knit club and its members and a Greens Committee are encouraged to interact, question, and offer their suggestions. Geoff has a wealth of knowledge and is held in high esteem, but he does enjoy knowing he has data at his fingertips that he can show to back up his decisions or support his capital requests. His members requested the tees be cut by hand for a better finish. In seconds Geoff had a report that showed the extra labour required to achieve this and the associated cost that management needed to sign off on additional staff recruitment.

Geoff is supported by a team of nine, there are currently 2 other people in his team with access permissions to the system, his deputy Ben Scrivener and first assistant Jamie Blagdon. They both assist Geoff with stock control, applications and help assist with planning tasks in Geoff’s absence. Geoff now spends 30-45 minutes to plan for the week and month ahead, rather than the couple of hours previously.  “I use TurfKeeper for everything but primarily organising tasks for the greenkeeping team, stock control, and budget control.”

One of the most significant benefits of TurfKeeper is its ability to save time and resources. By automating repetitive tasks and eliminating manual paperwork, Geoff can focus his efforts on strategic decision-making and turf maintenance. “I am delighted with TurfKeeper, it has saved me hours of labour and I only have one platform to enter information into and extract data from. The team likes it because they can view the full picture, they know what is planned for everyone for the weeks and months ahead. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”

If you would like a free no-obligation 30-minute demonstration, call 07850 638 508 or visit www.turfkeeper.com

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Kubota fleet is key to maintenance operations

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Kubota fleet is key to maintenance operations: A fleet of equipment from Kubota is being entrusted with ambitious improvement plans across the surfaces at Hertfordshire’s Aldenham School.

With the assistance of a pair of RTV Utility vehicles, two ride-on mowers and three tractors from Kubota’s L-Series, Grounds & Gardens Supervisor Danny Wells is well-placed to continue the development of the highly historic sports facilities across the 110-acre site.

Kubota fleet is key to maintenance operations

Kubota fleet is key to maintenance operations

Regarded in the Good Schools Guide as ‘seriously sporty’, Aldenham School boasts the title of the earliest organised football club in the history of the game with records dating back to 1825. The game has come along way since then, as to have the facilities which Danny only recently took charge of in June 2024, though he’s certainly no stranger to Aldenham. “I worked here previously before taking up a ‘dream role’ at Arsenal FC’s Colney training complex for three and a half years. When an opportunity arose to bring everything I learned there back to Aldenham, it was one I couldn’t turn down” he explains.

Much of the Kubota equipment was already working hard at the school during Danny’s previous stint, and it’s this reliability and versatility – together with the fantastic back up support from local dealer George Browns Ltd – that sees the fleet expanding more in recent months. “Our tractors are the workhorses for the vast majority of operations we do here – whether that’s spraying feeds on the cricket outfields or hitched up with our scarifier, aerator or top dresser for mechanical maintenance on the fifteen winter sports pitches.”

Recently joining two Kubota L2-452 compact tractors in the shed is a cabless L1-382 fitted with flotation tyres. “While we’ve only had it a matter of weeks, this has already proven to be a great bit of kit!” Danny continues, “Our pitches are mainly clay-based so can lay very wet over winter. This capable yet lightweight tractor will enable us to still get implements on the ground without causing damage.”

“Everything we have from Kubota is well-built, intuitive to operate and versatile for all the various applications and environments we manage. Our RTV’s for example, one RTV-X1140 and one RTV-X1110, are reliable people and equipment movers. We can use these to tow hand tools and machines such as our woodchipper around, getting things exactly where they’re needed quickly and safely.”

Danny and his team of six also rely on their Kubota ride-on mowers for the upkeep and presentation of lawned areas. “Our F3890 from the Kubota F-Series of out-front rotary mowers is fantastic for cutting the banks around the site, as well as some of our more natively-managed areas which might only get one or two cuts a year. It poses no match for this machine!”

“I also have to mention the Kubota G21 mower, which has clocked up some serious hours. This is our go-to machine for mowing large areas such as the prep school lawn and the grass around our on-site chapel. Because of its manoeuvrability, this machine is also great for getting where our cylinder mowers can’t on the sports pitches. Because it collects, we’ll also use it in the autumn to remove not just grass clippings but leaves and other debris.”

He concludes, “My predecessor did a fantastic job at bringing the surfaces on and with the Kubota equipment at my disposal, I am confident I can continue this great work and lift the bar even higher.”

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International Thank A Greenkeeper Day is coming

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International Thank A Greenkeeper Day is coming: The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), in conjunction with other global greenkeeping associations, is recognising those who are essential to golf’s success with the return of the popular Thank A Greenkeeper Day.

On Tuesday 10 September, all golfers, those who are in the golf business or anyone who benefits from the game is encouraged to thank greenkeepers and other turf technicians for their hard work and dedication to creating the playing surfaces enjoyed by millions around the globe.

International Thank A Greenkeeper Day is coming

International Thank A Greenkeeper Day is coming

In addition to BIGGA, other groups taking part in the global event include:

  • Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
  • Australian Sports Turf Managers Association
  • Canadian Golf Superintendents Association
  • Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations

Together the groups represent more than 31,000 golf course management professionals in 78 countries around the world.

The celebration will include commercials that will appear on the Golf Channel, print advertisements and social media messages, all sharing the many ways that greenkeepers benefit the game and their communities. Golfers and others are encouraged to join in the conversation on social media using the hashtags #ThankAGreenkeeper (in the UK) or #ThankASuper (United States and elsewhere).

Celebrities to already record messages of support include Jimmy Bullard, Peter Crouch and Joe Cole, as well as reality TV star Mark Wright, social media influencers Mia Baker and Gaz Beadle and Sky Sports personalities Kirsty Gallagher and Trey Niven. But it’s not just about celebrities or professional golfers and everyone associated with golf is encouraged to get involved.

Golf courses and other groups are encouraged to provide special recognition for their greenkeeping team. In previous years this has included providing a clubhouse meal or a token of gratitude for the team or just sharing a message of support across club newsletters and websites.

During the 2023 Thank A Greenkeeper Day, social media messages reached more than 14.7 million followers around the world, while broadcast media reached an additional 18 million people.

A social media tool kit will be made available in early August with materials to aid in the celebration and this will be shared on the BIGGA website.

More information about Thank A Greenkeeper Day is available on the BIGGA website, where you can view some of the amazing messages of support that have already been received, as well as reflect on the success of the 2023 instalment.

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Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last

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Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last: With Reesink Turfcare’s Ree.Own scheme, Braehead Golf Club located in Alloa Scotland has taken ownership of two new – or rather used – Toro machines as a cost-effective solution to updating machinery.

Harvey Harrower, the club’s head greenkeeper who has been at the club for 38 years, says when it comes to Toro, going second-hand isn’t a worry: “One of the things we like about using Toro is that they’re built to last.

Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last

Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last

“Like most other clubs, we look at buying new machines every five years, but unlike the bigger clubs we tend to look in the second-hand market. The fact that the new ones could already be six or seven years old doesn’t concern us. The machines we’re replacing are 15 years old, and we have other Toro machines that have been going for over 20 years.”

The machines – a Groundsmaster 4300 and hybrid Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 – came to the club via Reesink’s Ree.Own scheme, a dealer network that provides access to all the best quality, Toro turfcare machinery in the UK and Ireland.

Machines rehomed with Ree.Own are guaranteed to have less than 3500 hours use on the clock, used for less than seven years and been through a rigorous multipoint check by Reesink’s expert turfcare technicians.

The scheme is one that works well for the club. “This isn’t the first time we’ve sourced second-hand machines and it certainly won’t be the last,” says Harvey. “Because of the club’s finances, it’s the option that works best for us, and the machines still perform at a really high level. They go through the workshop and are refurbished before they get to us – ours also came with a 12-month warranty.”

Both machines were replacements for mowers the club had used before, but the Greensmaster has one key difference.

“We decided to go with the hybrid model of the Greensmaster 3420. You can slow the speed down and it just gives a better finish,” says Harvey. Something that can be appreciated by the very youngest of the club’s members.

“We have a very active junior section that has taken off recently. The club has put a lot of effort into that, building new tees and reserving tee times every Sunday throughout the year allowing them to play. Being able to play on a course maintained by Toro machinery means they’re able to play and learn on the best quality surfaces from the outset.”

The club’s new-used machinery came through Reesink’s Scottish branch in Livingston, who according to Harvey, made the whole process easy. “Working with Reesink has been great, they were really good at keeping me informed throughout. I just told them what machines I was after and when the machines became available they emailed me pictures with their age and condition, etc.”

Discover more about how your course can benefit from the UK’s only used Toro professional turf machinery network by visiting reeown.co.uk or contact Reesink Scotland by calling 01480 226800 or by email at info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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