Tag Archive for: Opts

Penwortham GC opts for Wiedenmann GXi8 HD

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Penwortham GC opts for Wiedenmann GXi8 HD: A busy Lancashire Golf Club which wants to target excess thatch on fairways and rough has chosen a Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi8 HD deep aerator.

Preston’s Penwortham GC is a fine parkland course, situated on the banks of the River Ribble. The northwest club is part of the prestigious Classic Lancashire Tour. It has an active year-round membership and a full-time greenkeeping team of five.

Penwortham GC opts for Wiedenmann GXi8 HD

Penwortham GC opts for Wiedenmann GXi8 HD

Head Greenkeeper, Steve Hemsley, has been in post since June 2021, and already is starting to tick off key projects on his list.

“Ours is quite a clay-based site, relatively flat and reasonably wet.  The recently established USGA greens are doing well. Elsewhere, fairways and roughs are just a little too thatchy, so we needed to develop a regular aeration programme. We brought contractors in last winter, but it made sense to have a machine of our own,” said Steve Hemsley

Following a successful demo with local Wiedenmann UK dealer, Balmers GM at Burnley, the club’s machine arrived at the end of April.  Wiedemann’s lead demonstrator, Andy Kerr, along with Balmers’ salesperson, Ben Cooke, returned to give a thorough session of induction training.

“Its first task, early May was to spike the fairways and some choice areas of rough with 20 mm diameter tines,” continued Steve.  “Our fairways aren’t huge but with a 1.8 m wide machine we easily got finished in around 2 ½ days. When the contractor did the fairways, they went to 150 mm without issue, so with the new machine we targeted around 175 mm, getting more air into the profile and decompacting the surface underneath.  Ideally, we’ll go again in September and, conditions allowing, during the winter again, so three times yearly.

“I had the GXi8 at my previous club, Bolton Old Links GC, so was aware how much time we would save compared to the long-serving machine we retired. The shock absorption and the speed set it apart. The spring systems mean no shock is delivered to the tractor or the operator, so it is an entirely smooth operation. Speed for me though is the biggest thing. It’s just easy to set up and go, just much less time out on the course interrupting play.”

Penwortham’s greens also had deep aeration in May to encourage deeper rooting. “After the fairways, we switched to 8 mm needle tines to do all greens. I’ve renovations booked in for mid-August so they will be done again then, but the priority is elsewhere in the course.

“During Autumn, with 20 mm tines we’ll get back to the spiking the fairways to break up the surface underneath. Then we’ll target the roughs and finally the fairways again in winter when conditions allow.”

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Royal Burgess opts for ISEKI TH5420

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Royal Burgess opts for ISEKI TH5420: With over 280 years of history and curated by design greats such as ‘Old’ Tom Morris, Willie Park Jnr and James Braid, The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh continues to seek challenge and reward for its members.

Since the Millennium, one of the club’s focuses has been tree planting to create further visual interest and a healthier environment.  GEO certified since April 2018, the parkland course, at Barnton, is only a few miles from Edinburgh’s city centre.

Royal Burgess opts for ISEKI TH5420

Royal Burgess opts for ISEKI TH5420

In his 12th year as Course Manager, Chris Yeaman, and his team of seven, witness first-hand an abundance of nature, while they go about their business of achieving smooth greens, lush fairways and well cared bunkers.

This spring, Chris Yeaman had requirement for a new compact tractor, and with the guidance of Rob Hogarth, Regional Sales Manager at local dealer, Fairways GM at Kinross, he headed straight to the Iseki TH5420.

“All our tractors are Iseki; I’ve been a fan for almost two decades. Our most recent, the TG6490, is a fine machine, but we had a gap for one to take over greens. The new Stage V compliance came into it as we are in the process of trying to extend our GEO certification for another three years, also high on our list was versatility.

“Everything we wanted in a tractor, this one does. We were fortunate enough to be the first in Scotland to take delivery.  It’s small enough for greens and tees, handles smoothly, and an adjustable driving position works for everyone.  In time, we’ll get a mid mounted deck giving flexibility for mowing areas. Last year, also from Fairways, we got the Iseki zero-turn SZ330 mower for grass cutting between the trees; so, together with the TH5420, we can get these areas cut even quicker.

Rob Hogarth from Fairways GM said: “The TH5420 has a 40 hp Stage V compliant, 3-cylinder turbo diesel engine that also comes with a mid PTO as standard, so it accommodates a variety of implements. The 3 speed hydrostat makes for easy control.  It’s a compact and high torque, powerful tractor, perfect for turf maintenance applications.”

For further information on the full ISEKI range of mowers and tractors please visit www.iseki.co.uk or call 01473 599266.

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Felixstowe Ferry Opts For Toro

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Felixstowe Ferry Opts For Toro: Suffolk-based Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club has once again opted for Toro as it scales up its fairway aeration programme. The Toro ProCore SR72 has been purchased through UK distributor Reesink Turfcare alongside a TYM T603 tractor to pull it.

The SR72 aerator joins the smaller Toro ProCore SR48, as course manager Glenn Rayfield explains: “We were already operating a SR48 aerator on smaller areas of approaches and fairways. After hosting the Ladies National County Finals, we decided to embark on a fairway aeration programme to keep the standard of the course up, and the SR72 is ideal for that.”

Felixstowe Ferry Opts For Toro

With a working width of 72 inches, the SR72 is a good choice for large scale aeration. This tough machine is able to puncture up to 40cm of the most compacted soil, while being light enough to work on greens and fairways. Depth control is made while the machine is in operation by using the hydraulic top link from the tractor. This one-of-a-kind feature means the operator can apply the ideal tine position for every soil type and condition without leaving the tractor’s seat.

Purchased to tow the SR72 is the 60hp T603 tractor, which enables the club to scale up its tractor tasks, bringing the power to do all the jobs the club previously couldn’t. Glenn explains: “We chose the T603 because it can handle large volume equipment and the club didn’t have another tractor like it.

“Aeration is just one of many tasks it will be performing around the club. With it we can also tow flail mowers, hedge trimmers and larger trailers for construction. Plus it is installed with a front bucket which is used for loading and moving tasks.”

Both machines are a hit with Felixstowe’s greenkeeping team: “The guys were fully onboard with the choices as they played a large part in the selection process. After trying a range of machines, their feedback cemented the order,” Glenn says.

Another factor in the decision was Glenn’s previous experience with Toro and Reesink, having most recently purchased two Toro Triflex 3400 mowers in 2016: “Reesink distributes reliable equipment and is all about customer service. The two Toro mowers we purchased from them in 2016 are superb and they provide cut perfection!”

He continues: “Whenever I’ve had a query, Reesink has been on the case straightway. Over the years I’ve secured a friendship with our local representative Julian Copping, who provides good service, knowledge and can’t help enough.”

It all means exciting times are ahead for one of the oldest and finest links courses in the country, as the addition of the Toro ProCore SR72 and TYM T603 allows all sorts of new tasks for the greenstaff to keep the course in excellent condition.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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