Tag Archive for: Key

Confidence is the key

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Confidence is the key: Bruce Elliot, Crystal Palace FC’s Head of Grounds and Estates, claims that his overall confidence in the Dennis brand was a major factor in the club’s decision to purchase six PRO 34R rotary mowers.

After using smaller rotary mowers for several years, Bruce decided that it was time to start exploring larger machines. The aim was to speed up the task of cleaning pitches after games and training sessions. However, his first experience of larger rotary mowers was not quite what he was expecting.

Confidence is the key

Confidence is the key

“The smaller rotaries were good but time consuming, so this was the reason we wanted larger rotaries,” said Bruce. “The Dennis rotary mowers hadn’t been launched at that moment in time, so we went with an alternative machine which unfortunately didn’t work out as we had expected.

“Therefore, when the Dennis PRO 34R’s were launched, it was something we seriously looked at because we place great trust in the reliability and the quality of the rest of the Dennis machinery. We had the confidence to just go and get the units and we purchased six – four for the first team training ground and two for Selhurst Park.”

Bruce may well have had to wait a while for the release of the PRO 34R but no stone was left unturned in its creation. Following the original prototype, the mower was refined and developed over a period of 12 months based on the input from the groundsmen who would eventually be using it.

Designed to help groundsmen achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface the Dennis PRO 34R is a 34” (860mm) rotary mower ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently.

The angle of the cutting deck and twin blades can be easily adjusted using a single ‘click adjuster’ ensuring the mower is suitable for changing conditions and meeting groundsmen’s requirements.

It wasn’t long before the Dennis PRO 34R’s were performing in exactly the way Bruce wanted them to.

“With the smaller rotary mowers, we used to be able to do one pitch with four members of staff and it would take an hour. With the PRO 34R’s we can still do a pitch in an hour but only with two people – which is a huge benefit and is exactly what we wanted to achieve.

“Freeing up two members of staff, who can then tend to other tasks such as spraying, verticutting, or whatever it may be, is brilliant for us. We can either put all the staff on the rotaries and get the job done even more quickly or we can divide the workload – it’s nice to have that flexibility.”

Bruce further explained just how effective the PRO 34R’s are:

“The mowers are set to pick debris up and they do a fantastic job because the brush unit at the front flicks all the grass up as well,” he said. “In fact, I think this was part of the reason why we were so successful on the stadium pitch last season because we were constantly cleaning out the debris with the PRO 34R’s.

“They are used predominately to clean the debris up but we do use them to cut when the grass is actively growing well – the presentation from the machines is of such a high quality that I am confident to present pitches with them.

“We are now looking to buy four more for the academy ground so that would give us ten PRO 34R’s in total,” continued Bruce. “I think this shows just how confident we are in these mowers – the grounds team enjoy using them; they are robust, and they are efficient.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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MM the key to course improvements

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MM the key to course improvements: Visitors to the Limagrain UK stand (162), located in the Blue Zone at BTME 2020, can expect a range of market leading products that can significantly improve both the quality and aesthetics of a golf course.

For 2020 there will be two new exciting MM mixtures which will offer turf managers new grass seed solutions for golf and general sports turf.

MM the key to course improvements

As the demand and pressure placed on the modern-day greenkeeper to produce a consistent playing surface continually grows, seed quality, purity and vigour are the essential ingredients for a first-class golf course and Limagrain’s MM range of seed mixture provides exactly these.

For over 30 years, greenkeepers and course managers have been enjoying the benefits by choosing the MM brand and the high-quality varieties used in MM mixtures. All varieties are thoroughly tested at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) – ensuring that the finished product will meet your requirements for play, appearance and maintenance.

For golf greens MM9 – a three-way Browntop bent mixture continues to be a leading mixture for renovations and species exchange. For links style courses and sustainable golf, MM8 offers a great option – a three-way fescue mix with excellent disease resistance, drought tolerance and minimal fertiliser requirements gives course managers a fine, dense sward. MM8 contains varieties such as Nikky and Aporina which have proved to be successful in coastal conditions.

If you are looking for a mixture ideal for tees and fairways, then the 100% ryegrass MM50 should be considered. It is capable of rapid establishment and fast recovery from divot scarring plus high wear tolerance and has extremely fine appearance

For links style golf where damage and wear are lower, MM12 or MM13, are both well suited to this challenging environment as they are drought tolerant and have low maintenance requirements.

Visitors to the stand can also find out how Limagrain’s Wildflower and Colour Splash mixtures have been benefiting countless golf courses throughout the UK and beyond. The mixtures are ideal for those wanting to bring a splash of colour to their golf course as well as attracting some fantastic wildlife.

With a wide range of mixtures available, both the Wildflower and Colour Splash mixtures are extremely easy to sow and the resulting flowers are vigorous plants which are more than capable of competing with weeds. Their vigour is equally matched by robustness; resisting long periods of drought. They are also fast flowering and cost effective.

Limagrain’s amenity seed specialists will all be on hand at BTME to discuss the products in more detail and will also be available to offer their expertise on any queries you may have.

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/amenity – you can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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Graden CSI Key At Bransford GC

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Graden CSI Key At Bransford GC: With changes in pesticide legislation having an ever-deepening effect on Sportsturf quality, the drive for turf managers to shift their nutritional and mechanical maintenance to a proactive approach has never been more important. Graham Wallace, Golf Course Manager at the Bank House Hotel’s Bransford Golf Club, is doing just that and has recently invested in a Graden CSI from Charterhouse Turf Machinery to help them produce strong greens.

“The course has sand-based greens but, due to the poor quality of sand used during construction, are unfortunately susceptible to holding water” explains Graham, who is supported by a greenkeeping team of five. “With the upcoming changes in fungicide regulations it is becoming essential to keep the surfaces dry, and the plant healthy, as much as possible to prevent disease from taking hold.” To help improve drainage, Graham has conducted in-house drill ‘n’ fill across the 18 greens for many years, followed by passes with the Graden CSI to keep channels open.

Graden CSI Key At Bransford GC

“We were lucky enough to borrow a CSI from another course, but last year this was not possible, and we noticed a real difference on how wet the greens were compared to previous years.” Graham put a case to the owner and was successful in purchasing his own unit, from dealer Tallis Amos in February 2019. “Now we have our own machine, we can look to get out with the machine more frequently and can trial various depths and settings to achieve maximum impact with minimal surface disruption.”

Graham is hoping to employ the CSI at least twice a year, working at depths of up to 40mm to simultaneously scarify and backfill the grooves with better quality sand. “I made the decision last year to not spray any fungicides, with mixed results. I was hugely thankful that the members and club management understood it could be a challenging time to keep surfaces first-rate. These last few months certainly haven’t been easy however, by using our CSI in conjunction with overseeding and the correct fertiliser programme, we are in a great place to push ahead with our proactive approach and produce a strong plant in the on-going fight against disease.”

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INFINICUT Key For Duncan Toon

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INFINICUT Key For Duncan Toon: As part of an on-going investment programme, Warwick Independent Schools Foundation have purchased two Cub Cadet INFINICUT® mowers, as well as a selection of TMSystem™ cassettes.  In a very short time Grounds Manager Duncan Toon says the vast improvement in the condition of the natural grass surfaces is down to these newest additions to his machinery fleet.

Four schools occupy the 8 hectare site of natural turf and sports facilities – Warwick School, Warwick Junior School, King’s High School and Warwick Preparatory School. Duncan and his grounds team of 6 are required to deliver top-quality surfaces for all. “I joined the school in June 2018 whilst it was in the midst of a significant investment programme and started sourcing machinery to help improve the quality of the grounds. I’d had a demonstration of the INFINI’s in my previous role at Birmingham FC and they’d been on my
wish-list ever since. I knew these would be key to achieving the quality we were striving for.”

INFINICUT Key For Duncan Toon

Duncan took delivery of an INFINICUT® 34” Fixed Head and an INFINICUT® 26” Floating Head mower, in quick succession. “Alongside the superior quality of cut, and striping ability, another big selling point for us working in a school environment is health and safety. With the INFINI’s being battery powered, we no longer have to spend time and money sourcing and safely storing fuel – and the noise emitted is all but eliminated meaning we can mow anytime including through the exam season. They’re also incredibly comfortable to operate, which is much more enjoyable for my guys while mowing large areas such as rugby pitches. In fact, they’re fighting to use them!”

The 34” unit, equipped with a 7 blade SmartCut reel, is predominately for use on the rugby pitch and cricket square, while the 26” floating head model will become their wicket mower. Duncan is also impressed with the cassettes from the TMSystem™ range that came with the machines – the PowerBrush™ and UltraGroomer™. “We’ve put the UltraGroomer™ across our cricket surface to thin out the sward and remove any unwanted Poa ingress and lateral growth. Compared to other
verti-cutters, this cassette is head and shoulders above anything I’ve ever used. When you think you’ve taken everything out, you go over again and it’s amazing how much more you get.”

“These machines have already made a noticeable difference to the health, presentation and quality of the swards” explains a delighted Duncan, who is looking forward to adding further units to his fleet in the not-too-distant future.

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Toro Key At Royal Cinque Ports

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Toro Key At Royal Cinque Ports: Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club course manager James Bledge is on a mission to make the club a “bucket list destination”, choosing to invest in the complete Toro Total Solutions package to help it get there.

Regarded as one of the finest links courses in England, Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club in Kent has been impressing members and tournament players for 126 years and key to that longevity is the club’s determination for continuous improvement and investment. Most recently that has involved the club signing its second five-year machinery agreement plan with Toro, as well as installing a new Toro irrigation system.

Toro Key At Royal Cinque Ports

James explains: “Royal Cinque Ports has a lot of history and has been at the top of its game for over a century. Next we want to make this course a bucket list destination for golfers and to do that investing in our course maintenance is vital.”

This is the second Toro machinery package the club has invested in says James and when it came to investing again Toro easily came out on top in a series of demonstrations.

“With our first Toro fleet we saw a real improvement and you wonder if that could happen again. But it has,” says James. “Toro is an innovator and that never changes, the product just keeps getting better.”

Once the decision to go with Toro again had been made, the greenkeeping team and James put together their ‘dream package’ which includes four Greensmaster Flex 2120 pedestrian mowers, a Reelmaster 3100-D Sidewinder and three Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 mowers to name just a few, in addition to three Greensmaster 1000 pedestrian mowers and a Groundsmaster 4500-D purchased from the club’s previous fleet.

“In particular the new Greensmaster Flex 2120s have been great. The course seems flat from afar but is incredibly undulating, especially the greens, which can be tricky to work with. But that’s not a problem for the Flex 2120 – the head of the mower follows the green closely and contours seamlessly, so we don’t get any scalping which is pretty special. We have seen instant improvements in appearance and so have the golfers which is even more important”

With the decision made on machinery next up was who to trust with irrigating the course. “The quality of the machines is fantastic, and we saw the same with the irrigation system,” says James. “It became clear that the Total Solutions package was the best way to get our course to where we want it to be. Plus, we’ve got a great relationship with Toro distributor Reesink and sales rep Richard Wood, which made the decision a lot easier. Whatever we need they’re always there, whether that’s backup service or general advice – Reesink really feel like a part of the team.

“There are some incredible courses nearby doing amazing work and we want to be at that level. Places like Royal St Georges and further afield at St Andrews Links who also use Toro, they invest a lot in their maintenance, and it shows.”

With Toro on board, the future is looking bright for the club, but when asked which machine is James’ favourite, the answer is unexpected: “To be honest, I like to take out the Multi Pro 5800-D sprayer, not only is it highly accurate in its application and easy to use, but best of all, it has room for my dog Stevie to come out for a ride!”

With the new Toro machines and the new Toro Irrigation system just installed, James is confident they’re on track to turn the club into a top golfing destination.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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