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Toro stands the test of time

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Toro stands the test of time: Toro is well known in the industry for its durability and reliability, and nowhere has Toro’s longevity been put to the test quite like the machines at Westridge Golf Centre in the Isle of Wight. Several machines have been in use for over 20 years – and are still going strong – which is why the club has recently purchased another two Toro machines. 

Course manager Paul Jenkins explains: “Toro machines are so well made and are by far the most durable brand. In our experience with Toro, if you look after it, it will last. That’s why we have our own mechanic and service each machine after every 50 hours of use. In fact, our oldest machine is a Toro Groundsmaster 3000-D which we’ve had for 30 years and is still being used!”

Toro stands the test of time

Toro stands the test of time

But it’s not just the machines themselves that have lasted so long. With 44 years in the industry, Paul’s faith in the brand has also stood the test of time, and continues, as he invests in another two Toro machines.

“The first club I worked at bought one of the first Toro GM3 machines in 1975, and from then I’ve been hooked,” explains Paul. “At every club I’ve worked at, I have always strived to ensure there is at least 70 percent Toro machinery in the fleet to ensure the best possible course maintenance, and Westridge is no different.

“When I joined around 17 years ago there was a limited amount of turfcare equipment,” he continues. “Over the years we’ve invested so that we have a majority of Toro machinery, and that continues with our latest purchase of a Toro Reelmaster 3100-D Sidewinder and Reelmaster 5610-D.”

Having worked at 19 major tournaments around the world including The Open, US Open, US PGA and the Ryder Cup, all of which were Toro venues, Paul knows a thing or two about excellent presentation. And with Westridge Golf Centre in the process of expanding from a 9 hole to an 18 hole course, there was no better time to invest in more Toro to keep standards at the course high. Something which the club’s owner, Mark Wright, fully supports says Paul: “We’re fortunate to have someone like Mark who recognises the value in investing in quality equipment. He’s a pro by trade and he understands that to play on the best surfaces you need the best equipment.”

“We really pride ourselves on our presentation here, so both the new machines will be put to good use on the course, and even more so once it has been extended,” says Paul. “The new Reelmaster 5610-D is great as it’s slightly smaller and provides a finer cut than the Reelmaster 6500-D we had been using for the fairways. Despite the 6500-D being 16 years old, it’s still a good solid machine so we will keep using it on the driving range.

“The Reelmaster 3100-D Sidewinder is also brilliant,” he continues. “Every few years there always comes along an innovation that really stands out, and for me, the Sidewinder technology is one of those innovations. It’s so unique to have a machine that can slide the cutting units from side to side and cut hard to reach areas safely. As a dual purpose machine, it’s also reducing manual labour which is a great bonus.”

As the only pay-as-you-play course available on the island, with a growing membership and an expansion underway, Westridge Golf Centre certainly has an exciting future ahead, with the course set to be enjoyed by the whole community for years to come.

“It’s a very exciting time for Westridge and it’s great to have Toro on board to help with the course maintenance now and in the future,” says Paul. “Put simply, Toro machines are just designed well with durability in mind. I’ve visited the Toro factory in Minneapolis before, and I’ve seen for myself that what Toro is doing is head and shoulders above everyone else.”

To find out more about the Toro range or the finance options available, call Reesink Turfcare on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Kubota is top of the class

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Kubota is top of the class: Taking grasscutting in-house has allowed site manager Ed Crawford to have better control of the mowing cycle at Horncastle Primary School, and a Kubota Z122R is just the machine for the job.

The Lincolnshire school accommodates 580 pupils from nursery-age to year six, and the four-acre site includes grass playing fields and lawns, from small areas around car parks to a one acre field.

Kubota is top of the class

Kubota is top of the class

“We have used a contractor in the past, but last year decided to do the pedestrian mowing ourselves. It then made sense to have a ride-on for larger areas, as we were paying £2500 a year just for grass cutting.”

A discussion with local Kubota dealer Irelands Farm Machinery, which opened its groundcare division last October, suggested that a Z122R zero turn would be the ideal solution.

Powered by a 19hp petrol engine, the mower packs a punch with a 1.07m (42in) cutting deck to tackle larger areas with ease, but features a clever zero turn steering system. This uses a pair of levers for precise control of forward and reverse and steering, allowing it to manoeuvre in its own length for effortless work in tight or tricky areas such as around flowerbeds or street furniture.

“It’s very manoeuvrable,” comments Mr Crawford, who is the main driver, “But can really move on and cover the ground on a longer run. The levers took a little getting used to but I was soon up and running; it’s very easy to operate.”

He notes that the twin blade rotary deck produces a high quality cut, and says: “The grass has always been cut with a cylinder mower, but I actually think the rotary is doing a better job. We’ve also got the flexibility to mow when the grass needs it, rather than on a contractor’s fixed schedule, and at a time and in conditions that suit us.”

Cut height will mainly be kept fairly consistent, but he praises the ease of adjustment allowing a taller sward to be left in spring and autumn.

“The Kubota has a good, comfortable operator platform and there’s a clear view over the deck,” Mr Crawford notes. “The deck lifts up and there’s a hose slot for easy cleaning out, and on our use so far, fuel consumption looks low,” he says.

Irelands Farm Machinery will offer servicing as needed, but Mr Crawford expects the Z122R to have low running costs.

“It’s a really well-built machine, much more robust than others that we looked at, so I think it will stand up well to the work and will last. We’re very pleased with our choice.”

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Changing the Business of Golf with Fame Tate

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Changing the Business of Golf with Fame Tate: A unique new docuseries telling the remarkable story of one woman’s mission to turnaround a rundown golf club and make it a friendly, accessible and inclusive community venue is now streaming on syngentagolf.com

In a first for the golf industry, the fly-on-the-wall documentary, Changing the Business of Golf, follows former Ladies European Tour professional Fame Tate as she breaks with tradition and aims to transform the course and customer experience at Stanedge Golf Club, Derbyshire.

Changing the Business of Golf with Fame Tate

Changing the Business of Golf with Fame Tate

In the first episode, Fame recalls the life-changing decision to acquire the golf course and how she is turning the club into an open, friendly venue at the heart of her local community.

Meanwhile, as the team prepares for a new season, they are faced with the prospect of preparing the golf course for reopening without their head greenkeeper.

“If you’d said to me one day you’ll own a golf club, I’d have probably sat there are laughed,” says Fame, whose playing career was cut short by injury. “My vision from day one was to break away from the traditional golf club model. It’s about making a place that’s welcoming, affordable, accessible, inclusive.”

Working closely with her greenkeeping team – and revealing how she rolled up her sleeves to get stuck in to groundwork – Fame is investing in a major course upgrade to improve playing conditions.

The series documents day-to-day happenings, including course management work led by head greenkeeper Christian ‘CJ’ Johnson.

“It was a tough task for Fame and everybody involved to get the course back to where it was,” says CJ. “But since then we have really tried to improve it as a team and get it moving forwards.”

Just one year after acquiring the club, Fame faced the potentially catastrophic challenge of the Covid pandemic and enforced lockdown, forcing her and the team to call on their inner reserves of strength and resilience to keep the business afloat.

Will she realise her vision and succeed? The series will follow Fame and her team as she reopens Stanedge Golf Club and takes on the business of golf.

Watch the first episode now on Syngenta Golf: https://www.syngentagolf.com/changing-business-golf

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55 years of dedication

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55 years of dedication: Mick Oldfield turned 80 in March and for the last 55 of those years he has been a cornerstone of one cricket club.

Read the full article from The Daily Mail here

55 years of dedication

55 years of dedication

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GGM Group a UK distributor of RoviMo

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GGM Group a UK distributor of RoviMo: The GGM Group is delighted to announce they have signed a new distribution agreement with Swiss manufacturer Ronovatec to promote an innovative new robotic mower for sports grounds maintenance throughout the UK.

GGM Group plan to arrange the first public demonstration of the all new RoviMo, as soon as government restrictions allow. RoiMo’s intelligent design allows for the autonomous mowing of professional Sports turf saving potentially thousands of man hours in the maintenance of sports fields and stadiums.

GGM Group a UK distributor of RoviMo

GGM Group a UK distributor of RoviMo

The RoviMo is the world’s first intelligent electric vehicle capable of mowing patterns autonomously according to the guidelines of national football associations, UEFA, or FIFA, precisely and over the shortest distance, horizontally, vertically and with chessboard pattern, at the touch of a button. Supervision of the mowing process by an employee is not necessary.

Operated simply and efficiently remotely via an app, RoviMo® can also be used for mowing other large green areas, such as company premises or parks, and will be developed to be utilised by golf courses. RoviMo® is a multifunctional equipment carrier, which will be able to carry out other work processes such as maintenance of artificial turf, line marking and various other labour-intensive tasks.

RoviMo is currently in it’s final stages of development and field testing with the first machine installations in July 2021.  GGM are planning to arrange several demonstration events over the coming months, current restrictions permitting.

The GGM Group, based in Colne, Lancashire, has a rich heritage and proactively seeks new solutions on an ongoing basis. The new deal with Ronovatec marries perfectly with its strong values of professionalism, innovation, and providing progressive solutions that support its commitment to work towards cardon neutrality.

GGM Group Managing Director Chris Gibson explains more:

“RoviMo is something completely different, and it’s extremely exciting to be working with Ronovatec on what we believe will be a game changer in professional turfcare. RoviMo adds state of art technology to our portfolio allowing us to offer customers the next generation of intelligent mowers.  We are thrilled to have been involved from the early stages of development of these new innovative machines; they are the perfect addition to our product range as we continue to grow in the sports ground sectors”.

Chris Gibson continued:

“Over recent years there has been a trend for turfcare professionals to increase their green credentials and RoviMo not only offers this but achieves reduced cost and increased efficiency simultaneously. A fully charged RoviMo will mow circa 16’000 m2 in 5-6 hours depending on pattern and terrain, all without employee supervision of the mowing process, saving many man hours and employment costs. In addition, RoviMo® is fully electric, CO2-free, and autonomous with low noise pollution and is therefore ecologically sustainable and economically unbeatable. It’s a win-win for the customer.”

Chris Gibson concluded:

“It’s fantastic to be involved with this innovation at its development stage. While final machinery specifications are yet to be confirmed, we are very much looking forward to arranging the first public showing just as soon as we are allowed. Signing this deal is just the start, forging the path for things to come – the future of sports turf maintenance looks exciting”.

To register your interest and find out how the RoviMo can benefit your operations please register your interest at https://promo.ggmgroundscare.com/RoviMo or contact the project lead at GGM; Andy Melville; Tel: 07973 454001; Email: andy@ggmgroundscare.co.uk

Key benefits of the RoviMo include:

  • Fully Autonomous Intelligent Mowing
  • Fully Electric
  • Zero Co2
  • Reduced labour costs
  • Low noise
  • fuel cost savings
  • No hydraulics
  • Lower weight
  • Lower maintenance costs
  • Optional: Autonomous grass collector/dumper

About GGM

The GGM Group consists of two businesses across two depots. PSD Groundscare is the national distributor of specialist landscaping equipment, including AS Motor, Eliet, Koppl and TS Industries. GGM Groundscare is a specialist supplier of tractors and high-quality professional land-based equipment for commercial and domestic use. Servicing the North West and Yorkshire, it supplies a range of products from leading franchises including Kubota, Baroness and Dennis / Sisis and Amazone.

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