Tag Archive for: toro

Toro irrigation delivers immediate results

Toro irrigation delivers immediate results: The new Toro irrigation system at Royal St David’s has brought almost immediate changes and noticeable results to the traditional links course on the west coast of North Wales.

The project involving Toro, Reesink Hydro-Scapes, Adrian Mortram Associates and Green Irrigation has increased membership, income and ranking for the club.

Toro irrigation delivers immediate results

Toro irrigation delivers immediate results

Links Manager Rhys Butler says: “The goal was to irrigate just the right amount to keep the grass alive, we wanted to promote the fast-running links game, without overwatering and having soft surfaces.

“We suffered a series of dry springs and droughts, and the fairways especially were struggling for recovery. We needed a system that could give us control of the moisture on all areas to keep good grass coverage and consistency of playing surfaces even in times of drought.”

With an incredible 46 years of service from the club’s previous Toro system, Rhys was impressed with Toro’s performance and longevity and how it had met the course’s needs. He was also impressed with the service from Reesink Hydro-Scapes, which meant he didn’t look anywhere else when the time came to proceed with the full upgrade.

The project commenced in the spring of 2022 and completed in early November of the same year. All new mains and controls were required as was full fairway irrigation for the first time. The club chose the Flex series of sprinklers on greens and fairways, T5 Rapidsets sprinklers on all tee surfaces and 590GF sprinklers for newly installed walkways and the entire system is controlled using Toro’s Lynx Control System with LSM technology.

Robert Jackson, Division Manager for Reesink Hydro-Scapes, explains how the system has provided Rhys and his team with to-the-second runtime accuracy across all newly installed stations via either the central controller or remotely using Toro’s smart app.

He says, “Using the app in the field gave a level of flexibility and control to be able to water dry spots, water in wetting agents and be minimalistic with water application as is natural for a links course. Water is now used wisely, as and when it is needed.”

At conception of the installation the grass was visibly starting to strain and as each hole was turned on the difference was almost immediately noticeable to members thanks to the new irrigation system accuracy and targeted watering.

The result is healthy turfgrasses and maximised efficiency of resources, to which Rhys adds: “The project was a resounding success and has transformed Royal St David’s Golf Club: membership has increased, visitor income has doubled, and our rankings have improved. This is because the irrigation system has given us moisture control on the golf course to produce great playing surfaces.”

Further details on the project can be found at reesink-hydroscapes.co.uk.

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First Toro international master salesperson award

First Toro international master salesperson award: Richard Wood from Reesink South East has been named Toro International Master Salesperson by Toro. This is the first time Toro has presented such an award outside the USA and only three are awarded a year globally.

Amy Dahl, Vice President of International Business at The Toro Company, presented the award to Richard under the guise of a launch event at BTME, with the Reesink UK team and an extensive Toro international team present.

First Toro international master salesperson award

First Toro international master salesperson award

She says: “We looked at all salespeople across the international division. Richard’s passion for the Toro products and his customers have seen him achieve over 50 percent market share in his area. With 30 years’ experience in the industry and 12 years at Reesink, he fits all the criteria for this prestigious award.”

The Toro International Master Salesperson of the Year Award is more than just an acknowledgment of high sales; it is a recognition of the ability to understand and anticipate the needs of customers.

Jon Cole, Divisional Business Manager at Reesink Turfcare, says: “Richard is consistent with his sales and has grown market share in what is a very competitive area. His customers feel he goes the extra mile for them every day. It probably hasn’t sunk in for him yet how much of a big deal this is globally.”

Richard’s three decades of experience prior to Reesink Turfcare come from dealer JSM, four years selling amenity chemicals and fertilisers for Sheriff Amenity, and before that sales jobs for other competitive turfcare machinery manufacturers.

Richard says winning was a huge surprise: “Winning this award really was totally unexpected – I was shocked! It’s done as part of a team with my depot at Sheffield Park and it’s going to be exciting sharing the news with everyone.”

Amy says: “Richard is so humble. I know he says he just goes out and does his job, but he couldn’t be more deserving.”

The last word goes to Alastair Rowell, Managing Director of Reesink UK, who talks about the pride he and the company have in Richard’s achievement.

“Richard has an obvious passion for the Toro products and his customers and makes a valuable contribution to the industry,” he says. “He goes above and beyond in his job and his work and it’s this commitment that has resulted in sales excellence and customer satisfaction for so many years. He’s done himself and the company incredibly proud, and I am proud to be his boss.”

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Toro, the only choice

Toro, the only choice: Dullatur Golf Club is moving towards a more sustainable future for turfcare – and the club, which is situated near Glasgow, saw Toro machinery as the only choice when it came to trusted quality.

At the helm of the move is experienced Course Manager Richard Bell. Richard has worked at Dullatur for 23 years, beginning his career as an apprentice at 16 – and was even a junior member of the club prior. Golf has nearly always been a central part of Richard’s life, and with a team that combined has several decades of experience at the club, their turfcare expertise is second to none. 

Toro, the only choice

Toro, the only choice

Managing an expansive club like Dullatur, with two 18-hole courses, demands a constantly evolving, proactive approach. With a year-round team of seven, supplemented with four seasonals, Richard understands the importance of efficiency – and reliable equipment.

“With a total of 36 holes, the sheer volume of greens, tees, fairways and rough is a lot of ground to cover for the team and the machinery, and we have to maintain the highest standards for our club members,” he says. “We’ve worked predominantly with Toro machinery to deliver the quality of cut we need – I trust Toro equipment to perform at the highest level.”

Richard has added to his fleet three new pieces of equipment: the all-electric Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370, Reelmaster 5010-H hybrid fairway mower and Reelmaster 3100 sidewinder. 

Richard was particularly impressed with the eTriFlex 3370, as his first all-electric mower: “I had read about the 3370, and I had the chance to operate one while volunteering at the British Open at Royal Troon. I spent the entire week cutting greens with it, which was an amazing experience. It gave me the best hands-on demonstration I could ask for.

“The quality of the cut was phenomenal – it rivalled hand-cutting, which is considered the best quality of cut achievable. Even after greens were double-cut by hand, the eTriFlex was still removing clippings. It’s rare to find a machine that delivers results comparable to hand-cutting, but this one did.” 

Richard emphasised the importance of sustainability and local community to Dullatur Golf Club, and how the new machinery benefits both: “We’re looking to be better for the planet. It’s our first all-electric piece of equipment, and we already know how good the hybrid 5010 is, as we have one in our fleet. Now that performance is at such a high level, we see this as a start of the long-term plan. 

“With electric equipment, you’re more sustainable, there’s no need to worry about oil spills, and we aren’t concerned with noise pollution – so we’re not bothering golfers playing or our neighbours in the morning!”

Ross Neil, Area Sales Reesink Scotland West, has supported Dullatur Golf Club with the acquisitions. Richard commented on the service: “They provide a great service; I’m always able to get them on the end of the phone, and they’re happy to answer any questions I’ve got whenever I need it”. 

Ultimately, Richard trusts the future, more sustainable outlook of Dullatur Golf Club with Toro. “For the new electric machinery, I expect we’ll see the same longevity you get with every other Toro mower. It’s just trust in the brand. It’s strongly my belief that Toro is the best – the best longevity, the best value for money. I can’t see us looking at any other brand in future.” 

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The Toro “must have tool”

The Toro “must have tool”: The latest club to invest in a Toro ProCore 648 aerator is Royal Aberdeen Golf Club with Course Manager Richard Johnstone declaring it a must have tool for golf aeration.

Prior to Richard’s arrival a tractor-mounted aerator was being used on the classic Scottish links course but when Richard joined the club 10 months ago it was one of the first things he looked to change.

The Toro "must have tool"

The Toro “must have tool”

Richard explains: “The Balgownie course in particular is known for having undulating greens and surrounds with steep slopes rising to tees situated high up in the dunes. The proximity of the tees and slopes are small and tight making it difficult for the tractor-mounted aerator to access everywhere we needed it to.”

Richard knew there was a solution, that it came from Toro and was called the ProCore 648. He says: “I was at Nairn Dunbar Golf Club for eight years as Course Manager prior to arriving in Aberdeen, where we’d had a ProCore 648 since 2013. It was nimble, manoeuvrable, effective, and easy to use. When you’ve had an experience like that with a piece of machinery you don’t tend to look any further. I did however have a team to persuade, so we enquired about getting a demo model in to ensure it was right for our particular site.

“Everyone on the team got to trial the aerator and evaluate it on a feedback sheet, and it scored very highly. The conclusion was that it was the best pedestrian aerator for our site.”

This probably isn’t too surprising for many to read. The Toro ProCore 648 is, after all, the market-leading, customer-favourite aerator that, no matter your brand preference, there’s no denying is the best in the business. A statement Richard readily agreed with: “Absolutely, it does what it’s supposed to do well.”

The ProCore arrives in time to assist in some course construction, as Richard explains: “We’re hollow coring two hectares of greens and approaches to reduce the organic matter within the profile and the cores will be used to construct a new green and approach within our practice ground. This will provide consistency and a perfect match for the type of grasses maintained across the greens within our site.”

When asked if there was anything else in terms of machine highlights, Richard didn’t hesitate in explaining just how satisfying it is to use: “It’s fast and neat whatever kind of aeration it is doing. We do a variety of solid, pencil, and hollow tine in the main and whichever you’re doing you can use it all day without feeling it. The vibrations are negligible.”

To find out more about the aerator which sets the gold standard for greens aeration, visit Reesink Turfcare at reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Reesink and Toro combined for quick win

Reesink and Toro combined for quick win: There aren’t many quick wins in life, but Reesink and Toro certainly provide one when it comes to winter machinery maintenance.

Getting ready for winter means being prepared. The work is tougher and harder for machines, and that means parts are more likely to wear out, bend, crack or damage more easily and with more frequency. But there’s no need to experience a delay to work or unnecessary downtime. Here’s a genuine take on why.

Reesink and Toro combined for quick win

Reesink and Toro combined for quick win

Having the reliability of Reesink as a distributor means parts delivery within 24 hours to anywhere in the UK. That level of service reduces the amount of downtime incurred, as well as making life easier.

The reassurance of having a genuine service don’t end there. It comes with a comprehensive stock reserve and local support. But significantly, customers can rely on the fact that they’re getting the genuine Toro part – and that’s a big distinction.

Going for the will-fit part means customers are not choosing the parts that are specifically built for the machine. Nor are they choosing the high-quality materials Toro is synonymous with to ensure maximum performance. Or indeed choosing parts that are rigorously tested to make sure they can withstand the daily stress that come with keeping a course or pitch in top condition.

Michael Hampton, Parts Manager at Reesink Turfcare says: “It’s not possible to make winter machinery maintenance any easier than by choosing Reesink and Toro, so while the weather might be unpredictable something you can guarantee won’t be is the quality you get from Toro and the service and support you receive from Reesink.”

But the winter wins don’t stop there. Getting ready is as simple as ordering MVP kits in advance to cover over 100 different maintenance issues such as rebuilding rollers, replacing hydraulic hoses, filter kits or even overhauling cutting units. When packaged up in one handy box customers get all the required parts and save up to 20 percent on the cost of buying the parts individually. And importantly, they are on the shelf ready to use.

And finally, never underestimate the power of simply being organised by planning in winter servicing now. After all, routine checks and preventing rather than curing problems is considerably cheaper than ad-hoc repairs and thanks to Reesink peace of mind this winter is guaranteed with its ReeAssure servicing plans and the option of three types for every budget and requirement level.

To find a Reesink branch or local Toro dealer, visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk or call 01480 226800.

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