Tag Archive for: powers

Kubota Powers Guards Polo Club with Reliable Fleet

/in , , /by

Kubota Powers Guards Polo Club with Reliable Fleet: One of the world’s most prestigious polo venues has revealed how it relies on a versatile fleet of M4, M5 and M6 tractors, alongside four RTV-X1110 utility vehicles from Kubota.

Based in Windsor Great Park, Guards Polo Club hosted more than 750 games in its 2025 season which was only possible thanks to a monumental team effort and the Kubota equipment which is at the heart of every element of polo field preparation.

Kubota Powers Guards Polo Club with Reliable Fleet

Kubota Powers Guards Polo Club with Reliable Fleet

Guards Polo is comprised of three sites and ten full-size polo fields, playing host to some of the highest levels of polo including frequent high goal tournaments. Regularly welcoming distinguished and royal players, the packed calendar from mid-April to mid-September places immense pressure on both the equipment and team of ten. Leading that team since March, is Grounds Manager Paul Brown.

“Our Kubota tractors are the heartbeat of our operations” Paul explains. “Whether we’re mowing, verti-draining or moving irrigation from field to field, we depend on these tractors.”

Paul was pleased to see a new suite of tractors, installed and supported by local dealers Lister Wilder on his arrival at Guards – put straight to work on one of the busiest seasons in the club’s history. “The two M4-073’s and two M5-112’s are the perfect blend of power and manoeuvrability, while our M6-142 picks up where the others finish, handling the heavier implements and largest-scale tasks across the farm and polo grounds.”

“They’ve stood up to every test, providing comfort and simplicity of operation for the team which is crucial given the intensity of our schedule” he adds.

With three separate sites and distances of several mile between them, the road-registered RTV-X1110s have also become indispensable – relied upon daily for transport, movement of tools and materials and general ground support. “The safety, speed and versatility of these four RTV’s is invaluable.”

Kubota’s reputation for reliability and durability was central to the club’s decision to renew its fleet earlier this year. Paul says, “Many of the machines these replaced had clocked up more than 15 years and thousands of hours of service. For us, Kubota strikes the perfect balance of dependability, performance and cost-effectiveness.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters

Bernhard Academy powers ongoing growth

/in , /by

Bernhard Academy powers ongoing growth: The Bernhard Academy, a leading centre of expertise for turf care education, has reinforced its reputation with two highly successful training events welcoming turf professionals from across the country.

Established to advance both technical and management skills, the Academy plays a pivotal role in supporting the industry’s workforce and strengthening standards across all areas of golf and sports turf management.

Bernhard Academy powers ongoing growth

Bernhard Academy powers ongoing growth

On 23 September, the Academy hosted its flagship Turf Equipment Technicians Conference, endorsed by the Turf Equipment Technicians Organisation (TETO). 23 technicians gathered for a full day of focused training and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Bernhard Company factory, gaining a unique insight into precision engineering in practice. The conference concluded with an inspiring session from James Breeze, who was recently selected to represent the Bernhard Academy as a volunteer technician at the 2025 US Open at Oakmont Country Club, sharing his experience of international collaboration in elite tournament preparation.

The following day saw the return of the popular Cutting Unit Set-Up and Sharpening Techniques course. The sold-out programme provided hands-on learning in one of the most critical aspects of turf maintenance, giving participants practical takeaways to apply immediately within their roles.

Sami Strutt, Education Director for the Bernhard Academy, commented: “The Bernhard Academy is about more than sharpening skills. It’s about preparing people at every level of the turf industry to meet the challenges of modern turf management. Whether it’s hands-on technical training or leadership development in operations and management, we want every delegate to leave us with knowledge they can put into practice right away.”

While the Bernhard Academy is renowned for its technical training, it also delivers a wide range of management programmes covering areas such as personnel, operations, and budgeting. These courses are designed not only for technicians and greenkeepers, but also for club managers and key stakeholders within golf businesses who want to strengthen leadership, improve decision-making, and maximise the long-term success of their venues.

Following the overwhelming demand for the latest technical course, turf professionals and club leaders alike are encouraged to secure their places early on upcoming Academy programmes to avoid missing out. For more information on future courses and events, visit: www.bernhardacademy.co.uk/courses.

The Bernhard Academy’s Education Director, Sami Strutt, also featured as a panellist at the 2025 Golf Business Expo. Strutt delivered a seminar for delegates about the challenges of attracting talented people to work in the golf industry, while also discussing the evolution of the Bernhard Academy.

To find out more about the Bernhard Academy, visit www.bernhardacademy.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Cleaner fuel powers healthier operation

/in , /by

Cleaner fuel powers healthier operation: The switch to Aspen Fuel has transformed operations for the Cowdray Estate forestry team– delivering significant health, safety and efficiency benefits to maintenance works across the 6,800 acres of managed woodland.

Cowdray’s decision to start using Aspen two years ago has brought tangible benefits to both daily working conditions and long-term equipment performance.

Cleaner fuel powers healthier operation

Cleaner fuel powers healthier operation

Assistant Forestry Manager Kris Gillespie has worked at Cowdray for the last seven years and is part of an 11-strong team looking after the maintenance of the conifers, broadleaf high forest and chestnut coppice that make up 36% of the total footprint of the estate. “Anyone who works with petrol-powered equipment will know that one of the major downsides is the fumes, and the implications this has for operator health and safety” Kris explains. “Even if you’re not actually using the tools, simply transporting cans from one place to another is enough to notice the smell.”

“As soon as we started using Aspen, this all changed. The fact that it’s odourless in operation not only brings real health benefits for the team, it is also really beneficial for the visitors who regularly use the 100 miles of footpaths that run through our woodlands.”

Aspen is an alkylate petrol, available for two and four stroke engines. Aspen 2 is pre-mixed with a fully synthetic, biodegradable oil removing the need to manual mixing and improving consistency and engine performance.

Kris continues, “Not only has Aspen presented us with a cleaner, safer alternative, it’s also brought us efficiency savings by having Aspen delivered to site by the pallet – eliminating trips to the petrol station.” The absence of ethanol and other hazardous hydrocarbons has also been a gamechanger. “With a range of tools of all shapes and sizes, it’s not unusual for some machines to sit unused for a year or two at a time. Because Aspen is ethanol-free it doesn’t degrade like traditional petrol which means we can take a saw that hasn’t been used for a while, start it up and get straight to work.” He adds, “Before, we’d be spending money on repairs to machines which had barely clocked up any hours, just because of rotten fuel lines. That hasn’t happened since we started using Aspen fuel.”

The Cowdray team has also adopted Aspen’s Fillpartner Combihandle, bringing further practicality and safety into practice. “With this, we can ensure no spills and quickly and easy swap out the Aspen can with a spare when required to get through a full day’s work with ease.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

PSD Groundscare Powers Ahead with Groundsfest Success

/in , /by

PSD Groundscare Powers Ahead with Groundsfest Success: PSD are proud to announce a hugely successful appearance at Groundsfest 2025, where the stand attracted exceptional visitor footfall and generated widespread interest across the full machinery range on display.

Supported by our valued manufacturers, we were delighted to showcase an extensive portfolio of professional groundcare and landscaping solutions, highlighting both innovation and reliability. Visitors were able to explore the breadth of our established product line as well as experience exciting new product launches, including:

PSD Groundscare Powers Ahead with Groundsfest Success

PSD Groundscare Powers Ahead with Groundsfest Success

  • EcoTech Hornet – A state-of-the-art, front-mounted flail remote-controlled tracked mower, purpose-built for high grass and the toughest terrain. With an adjustable track width and robust engineering for extreme mowing conditions, the Hornet delivers outstanding performance in overgrown vegetation and demanding environments.
  • ELIET EcoCure Topdresser – An advanced topdressing solution engineered to improve soil health and elevate turf quality, all while minimizing the workload for grounds teams. With a material spread of up to 8 metres, it allows for fast and efficient coverage of extensive areas.
  • SABO Professional Roller Mowers – Available in petrol and battery-powered models, these mowers deliver the premium striped finish contractors and groundskeepers expect, backed by durability and precision engineering. The battery model is ideal for stadiums and sports facilities while the petrol model is perfect for professional landscapers and contractors. There is also a universal lawn brush which features front mounted tines which loosen thatch, moss and organic matter, while the plastic brush bar lifts the grass blades which is perfect for sports stadium mowing.

Also making its UK debut, the SABO MowIt – a battery-powered large-area mower – wowed visitors with its versatility, featuring remote-control, semi-autonomous, and fully autonomous operation. Perfect for public parks, sports and recreation grounds, golf courses, and solar parks.

The response from both new and long-standing customers was overwhelmingly positive, with widespread recognition for the variety, build quality, and innovation across the PSD product range.

Stuart Mercer, Sales Director at PSD Groundscare, commented:
“Groundsfest 2025 has been a fantastic platform to engage with professionals across the industry. The level of interest in our machinery – particularly the EcoTech Hornet, the expanding SABO range, and our growing portfolio of battery-powered solutions – highlights the increasing demand for reliable and sustainable equipment. We are delighted with the feedback and look forward to supporting our customers as they take these innovations into the field.”

PSD Groundscare thanks all visitors, manufacturers, and partners for their support in making Groundsfest 2025 such a success. The event reinforces our ongoing commitment to delivering innovative, high-performance solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of grounds maintenance professionals.

For more information about the full PSD product range, please visit: www.psdgroundscare.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance

/in , , /by

Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance: With a demanding sports schedule and a heavy clay soil profile, aeration at Bedford School is not a luxury – it’s a necessity. That’s why Head Groundsman George Mills wasted no time in bringing in a Redexim Verti-Drain® 2519 when he joined the team just over a year ago.

“The pitches hadn’t been aerated a great deal over recent years,” George explains. “There was an old machine on site, but it was out of action. On this type of ground, with the usage our pitches get, that just wasn’t sustainable.”

Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance

Redexim Verti-Drain® Powers Performance

The Verti-Drain 2519 has quickly become one of the most relied-upon machines in the school’s fleet. It’s now in near-constant use throughout the winter season – from October through to March – helping to relieve compaction, encourage drainage, and support healthier root growth across the school’s extensive grounds.

“It’s an absolutely essential part of our maintenance programme,” George says. “The biggest difference is how much ground we can now cover in such a short space of time. With the 2519’s speed, in theory we could aerate the entire site in under a week. Of course, in practice we’ve got plenty of other work going on, but that capability makes a huge difference to us.”

Built for performance without compromising on manoeuvrability, the Verti-Drain 2519 is ideally suited to sensitive areas such as sports pitches, tees, and greens. Despite its compact design, it offers deep aeration down to 10 inches (25 cm) and can be run on lower horsepower tractors – an advantage George is keen to highlight.

“We’re using it on a 66hp tractor,” he says. “It’s 1.8m wide and it works so efficiently on that size of tractor. It doesn’t struggle – even when we’re going in 9 inches deep with ¾-inch tines. It flies through it.”

What also sets the Verti-Drain 2519 apart is its working speed. “With the larger tines, we run at around 3.2 km/h, and with the smaller ones around 2.8 km/h,” George explains. “That might not sound fast, but for us it’s huge. It means we can get onto pitches in the morning and have them fully aerated, marked and ready to play on in the afternoon – it’s even helped save fixtures.”

The build quality and user experience have also impressed. “It’s really solid and smooth to use,” George continues. “There’s no bouncing around like you’d expect with some machines. You drop it into the ground, and you barely feel it – it’s like going through butter.”

The machine also accepts a wide variety of tine options, giving George the flexibility to adapt throughout the season. “We mix up the size of the tines and the depth we’re going, to get different results each time. The adjustment side is simple and it’s all easy to manage, which helps when you’re trying to move quickly between jobs.”

At Bedford School, the demands on the grounds are intense. Rugby is played six days a week, with pitches often hosting both prep school and senior matches on the same day. On such a high-use site, aeration is not just part of the routine – it’s at the core of everything the grounds team does.

For George, turf care is more than a profession – it’s in his blood. “I grew up doing this with my dad and my brother,” he says. “It’s all we’ve ever known. I rolled my first cricket wicket when I was eight and I’ve been working in turf ever since.”

That experience means he knows quality when he sees it – and for George, the Redexim Verti-Drain 2519 delivers on every level. “It’s a seriously impressive bit of kit,” he concludes.

“We’re pushing it hard, and it just gets the job done. You want to be confident that you’re making the right investment – and with this, we absolutely have. The whole grounds team are seeing and enjoying the benefits of the machine as well.”

For more information, visit https://www.redexim.com/uk/

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.