Tag Archive for: last

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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Retiring Ronnie makes two last purchases

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Retiring Ronnie makes two last purchases: Buchanan Castle GC’s course manager, Ronnie Myles, retires on May 29 after 50 years’ greenkeeping, the last 15 years as head greenkeeper at the Drymen club.

In a busy career, Ronnie has also worked at clubs in East Kilbride, Erskine, Scarcroft, Cathkin and Helensburgh. At least 12 of the staff he has trained have gone on to become head greenkeepers themselves.

Retiring Ronnie makes two last purchases

Retiring Ronnie makes two last purchases

Ronnie’s last two purchases have been from dealer Fairways GM at Inchinnan, to help the team at Buchanan Castle maintain quality of presentation.

First to arrive, at the start of the year, was a Wiedenmann Super 500, four-in-one collector, sweeper scarifier, and its versatility has been a revelation at the James Braid-designed course.

“It was still winter and the difference it made was unbelievable,” said Ronnie. “Working in tandem with our blower, it cleared and collected leaves and other debris in one pass. We had so many stormy days, so it was busy up and down the course, back and forth. Our golfers were cock-a-hoop because it instantly presented the playing areas to the best standard.

“In the spring, we switched the flail paddles to scarifying blades and it scarified all the fairways with minimal disruption. A good, neat job. We just haven’t had a chance to get it onto rough management duties, but that will happen in time.”

In April, Ronnie’s team took delivery of a Jacobsen TR320, high traction contour trim mower. Highly manoeuvrable, it is a reel mower which works equally efficiently on flat or sloped, and, on wet or dry turf. Purchased to bring added quality to bankings and surrounds across the parkland course, it too, is an instant hit.

“I’m so impressed,” continued Ronnie. “It has transformed the areas we got it for. Before, we couldn’t get too near the bunker edges.   However, the TR 320 allows you to get up close, right to the edge. It has eliminated 80-90% of our need to use a hover mower. Previously, the hover mower would take one person the best part of a day to go around.  With the Jake we are done in a couple of hours. The finish is far neater and someone is free to do other duties.”

Ronnie says that while it is imperative to buy the right machines for purpose, reliable service and back up from a dealer also plays a significant role in the purchase. “I’ve known the Rae family for a very long time, so I know with Fairways we are in good hands.”

Taking over from Ronnie will be his two deputies, Chris Prior and James Macdonald, who both become joint course managers.

“I wish them all the best for the future, they both absolutely deserve the opportunity. They will be ably supported by John Steel, and our newly recruited 16-year-old apprentice, Tom Bruce. I know they will all do well.”

While Ronnie is happy to be standing down knowing the course is in capable hands, his days won’t be too quiet.

“I’m not completely retiring,” said Ronnie who is moving to Stirling to be nearer family. “When you work 50 years it would be impossible to sit back and do nothing. I’m taking on a part time role with a club in Stirling which will keep me busy at least 20 hours a week.”

In April, Ronnie was elected Regional President of BIGGA for Scotland & N Ireland, and in July, he is one of the greenkeepers selected who will support the R&A during The 150th Open at St Andrews.

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Air2G2 336 last piece in aeration puzzle

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Air2G2 336 last piece in aeration puzzle: England’s finest links, Royal Cinque Ports, has found the final piece of their aeration puzzle by using the Air2G2 336 on their greens and fairways.

Course Manager, James Bledge, has been in charge of the Kent based links for nine years, and for a majority of that time, has hired an Air2G2 for use on the club’s large greens. Brilliant results over that time and a desire to work freely between tournaments and trial ideas led the club to purchase their own machine in August 2021, from Campey Turf Care Systems and put it straight to work to do what it does best.

Air2G2 336 last piece in aeration puzzle

Air2G2 336 last piece in aeration puzzle

James explains: “It’s one of these machines that’s hard to quantify because you don’t see instant results, but it’s part of the jigsaw puzzle that comes together with everything else. We maintain really nice surfaces here, and I believe that to be part of it – we’ve had far less disease than we’ve ever had, and our greens have been firmer than ever.

“We had four big back to back competitions in this last month. First, we’ve had the Boys Amateur Championship, which is one of the biggest R&A events, then we had a week off before Deal Week, the South East Links Championship and the Halford Hewitt, which is the world’s largest amateur golf competition at the end of that with 640 competitors. So this week, we managed to get out and aerate everything, and it’s been well-timed because we got heavy rain at the end of that week, which could have seen the greens puddle up, but instead, they were fine.

“Not one single person could tell we’d been out with the Air2G2 the Monday following the Boys Amateur, and that’s a seven-day competition with all your practice days and qualifying. These greens were cut and rolled every single day, which could potentially bake them or form a hardpan near the top because it’s such intensive work, but the Air2G2 after that was the ideal thing to do, and they haven’t seemed stressed out since.”

With their own Air2G2, James can now deploy it as and when needed, which includes working on fairways. In the past, the club hired the smaller model, but with the 336, they are able to cover all of their greens in less than three days and build in time to aerate the new 0.8 hectares of fairway extensions.

“We’ve got it back out this morning on fairways which is probably a first, and I don’t think many people would do that, but with the crane fly and leather jacket activity high just now, and it probably will be for the rest of the year, I’m intent I want to watch when putting holes in the ground. The Air2G2 is a fantastic tool for that if you can explain to your team when they’re being sent out to do bits of fairways here and there.

“Our two new fairways are a lot firmer than the rest so you really need to get that into it to break up the soil, create some air and pore space and get the roots and moisture going through it. You can see there are some places where it’s pulling up a little bit, but I’m trying to explain to the staff that this will only be for a certain amount of time. The more we can get the Air2G2 into it, the more space there will be for the roots to dive down, and the fairway will get better.”

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