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Toro entrusted by Bournemouth for new centre

Toro entrusted by Bournemouth for new centre

Toro entrusted by Bournemouth for new centre

As the first team moves into AFC Bournemouth’s new training complex at Canford Magna, a new fleet of Toro machinery arrives to look after the first four pitches to be built.

Toro entrusted by Bournemouth for new centre

Toro entrusted by Bournemouth for new centre

The machinery choices by Head of Grounds Ian Lucas are strategically made on how to cut more efficiently according to European regulations and meet the Premier League standards in place for all pitches.

Ian explains, “The products we chose come with adjustments to match the width of cut to the pitches exactly. The Toro Reelmaster 3100 with SideWinder, which is usually a mower favoured by golf clubs for cutting around bunkers and obstacles, allows us to mow as efficiently as possible with no overlap.”

It’s a machine also favoured by other premier football clubs, says Ian: “I visited other training centres and saw how other clubs had fitted a wider arm kit on the SideWinder but without the wider front units meaning they could cut 30 inches across instead of 26. That meant they the cutting width worked better with the required striping pattern within the dimensions of the pitch.”

The patented SideWinder technology brings more benefits than that to the football pitch though as Ian continues: “Being able to use the SideWinder cutting unit from left to right brings a more even weight distribution eliminating wear marks.”

Also ably assisting Ian and his team of 11 looking after the 57-acre training grounds are Toro’s Workman HDX utility vehicles with cabs for improved operator comfort and a Toro Reelmaster 3550 for its light footprint and turf-friendly tyres.

Ian says: “The Workmans have a big cargo bed which is perfect for the development stage of the project we’re in – it can easily cope with the amount of grass we need to move and the attachments we load it up with like the tipper trailer.”

This will be followed up with another machinery order in the new year as the next four pitches for the £36 million Performance Centre open. Ian comments: “We’re ready for that. I’ve already chosen the Toro machines I want and submitted the lists. I’ve been using Toro for around 15 years, so I know how good it is, especially with the back-up and support of Reesink, our local dealer D J Scott and our mobile mechanic Lee Read.”

He concludes: “When it comes to the turfcare machinery entrusted to look after this huge investment in sport, it had to be Toro.”

Mark Winder, Area Sales for Reesink, says: “Just as AFC Bournemouth’s ambition and commitment to excellence is shown with its new state of the art training complex, Reesink’s focus is on working with Ian and the team to ensure they have the turfcare equipment they need to maintain all the pitches to the highest of standards.”

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The Drift renews with Toro

The Drift renews with Toro: Over the last five years, The Drift in Surrey has invested over £2 million to bring in new facilities and improve the course in preparation for its 50th anniversary in 2025 and a key element of that process was the signing of a fleet lease deal with Toro and Reesink Turfcare.

Tom Parrish, General Manager at The Drift, provides an update on the works and what’s next for the impressive 18-hole championship course, as the club signs for another five years, in a dual deal with its sister club, Badgemore Park in Oxfordshire,

The Drift renews with Toro

The Drift renews with Toro

“The Drift and Badgemore Park have been in very similar situations in the last five years,” explains Tom. “We’ve both had 50th anniversaries that have been commemorated with extensive improvement and investment plans to the course. While the focus of the work has been different, the requirements for executing them to the best of our ability have been largely down to having the right turfcare equipment.”

When The Drift renewed with Toro last time, the success and results were so immediate and noticeable that its sister club Badgemore Park followed quickly into its own similar deal with Reesink. When renewal time came and with neither club wanting to change the set-up, a dual deal was brokered by Paul Bell at Reesink Turfcare.

“Working with partners who would ensure we had the best possible resources to do the work and complete the projects on time was vital and that’s why we chose Toro and Reesink as our preferred turfcare partners,” confirms Tom.

“It was the right decision. The course presentation continues to improve year on year, and we have more plans to ensure we continue to improve the quality of the golfing experience here at The Drift. We feel that with the improvements we have already seen, having Toro on side once again was the obvious choice.”

Investment at The Drift focused on making improvements to enhance the enjoyment, challenge and conditions for members and guests, Tom says: “In the last five years we’ve re-designed holes five, six and nine, making nine a new signature hole, as well as a complete bunker redevelopment project and the opening of our Top of the Range Academy and Driving Range powered by TrackMan.”

Having made the right machinery selection five years ago, little was changed as the club renewed. Tom says: “The core fleet remains the same, the quality of cut for the greens machines was so good we didn’t need to tweak this, but we have brought in additional equipment to support their good work – the GreensPro roller for example will further push the quality and speed of the putting surfaces, exactly what we’re aiming for.”

The fleet is led by three Toro Greensmaster TriFlex 3400 mowers famed for a precision finish, the lightweight Reelmaster 3575 for the fairways, and the Groundsmaster 3500 triplex rotary mower. There’s a new sprayer – the Multi Pro 1750 – as well as an update to the utility vehicle fleet with the Workman MDX-D. Tom adds: “We took the opportunity to bring on board an AgriMetal blower from Reesink too.”

With the 50-year celebrations underway what’s next for the club? “We feel we’re exactly where we wanted to be,” says Tom. “The clubhouse renovation and expansion are next on our list to ensure the improvements in the golf course are matched with the off-course experience as well. We continue to ensure we’re providing our members with a golf offering befitting a club with our history.”

Discover how choosing Toro could benefit your course by calling distributor Reesink UK on 01480 226800, emailing info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visiting reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Royal Dornoch and its total Toro solution

Royal Dornoch and its total Toro solution: In the highlands of Scotland Royal Dornoch is celebrating the handover of a £1.5 million Toro irrigation system for the Struie Course and the arrival of a fleet of all-electric ride-on Toro Greensmaster mowers and Workman utility vehicles.

Termed a ‘Toro Total Solutions’ customer when both Toro irrigation and machinery are selected for the complete care of the course, Royal Dornoch has been a loyal Toro customer of both for decades.

Royal Dornoch and its total Toro solution

Royal Dornoch and its total Toro solution

Replacing the irrigation on the Struie Course with a future-proof solution had been in discussion for many years. The club had acquired 50 acres of land with plans to build additional holes, including a new par‑3, and needed an irrigation infrastructure capable of supporting an expanded layout.

For this purpose, the club specified Lynx Smart Control System, Infinity 35 Multi Trajectory sprinklers, Infinity 55 Dual and Multi Trajectory sprinklers and 590G sprinklers with Precision Rotating Nozzles for the 18-hole course.

Explaining the reasons behind this decision General Manager Neil Hampton says, “The new system provides a robust and flexible backbone for current maintenance and new turf in future course development. It will be much better on the sustainability front: we won’t be using more water; the system will allow us to target where water is needed and control application from mobile phones and laptops.”

With the system operational since the beginning of 2025, Course Manager Eoin Riddell can confirm: “It’s already saving our greenkeepers a huge amount of time and effort; it makes watering so efficient. The benefits are significant all round – it’s good ecologically, financially and from an agronomy perspective, too.”

Robert Jackson, Division Manager at Reesink Hydro-Scapes, says, “So many people came together to ensure the smooth installation for Royal Dornoch: Adrian Mortram Associates, the installation team from Ocmis, Simon Squires from Toro and us as distributor. It’s credit to all involved that the project was completed on time and on budget.”

Meanwhile, the continuing choice of Toro machinery is down to its reliability, consistency and quality, says Neil: “Toro performs all day, every day for us. It takes a lot of stress away knowing you do not have to worry about that aspect of the business.

“We’ve always been able to trust Toro. There’s reliability in terms of performance as well as Toro always being at the forefront of new machinery research and development. As the expectations of golfers continue to increase, we need to provide the best conditions for play, and we can do that with Toro.”

The most recent machinery delivery includes four of the Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 mowers and eight Workman GTX Lithium-ion utility vehicles.

Eoin says, “We first invested in the electric Greensmaster eTriFlex when it launched in 2020 and they’ve proved year after year to be able to do the job we require with the benefit of being the sustainable option. Same with the utility vehicles. These machines are now a staple in our fleet.

“As well as all the previous reasons stated, the back up from Reesink is a big factor in our continuing loyalty, as is the interest that Toro shows in how we use the equipment.”

Mike Turnbull, Reesink Scotland Branch Manager, concludes: “We’re in a privileged position to understand Royal Dornoch’s requirements having worked with them for so long, and it’s a continuing pleasure to be able to support them as they maintain the high standards and move forward with exciting projects that will benefit the club for years to come.”

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Three deals in for Toro at Little Aston

Three deals in for Toro at Little Aston: Little Aston Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield, one of the highest ranked parkland courses in England, has signed its third five-year agreement with Toro and Reesink Turfcare taking their partnership to 15 years.

Iain Burns, Club Manager, says the enduring relationship is down to trust in the brand:

“We’re delighted to continue our excellent relationship with Toro as we believe they are the best in the business when it comes to the provision of cutting machinery. This marks the beginning of a third five-year term which consolidates our trust and satisfaction in the Toro brand and performance.”

Three deals in for Toro at Little Aston

Three deals in for Toro at Little Aston

In a deal worth roughly half a million pounds, it guarantees the club longevity, reliability, and durability for its turfcare equipment according to Course Manager David Gibbons: “In our opinion, Toro machinery offers the best overall performance for the type of maintenance required at Little Aston Golf Club. With no onsite mechanic, we need hard wearing machinery with a good finish for the level of presentation you’d expect for a top 100 England golf course.

“Our team is familiar with it – how to use and look after it, and it is robust and well made, meaning that after five years the machinery is still in good working order and holding a good price.”

The relationship with Reesink also plays a significant part in the decision and just gets better with time, says David. “While Toro is globally recognised as the leading mower manufacturer, Reesink brings an enormous amount to the table too.

“Financially the club needs to be happy with the price and overall deal. We look for solid warranties, discounts on parts, good support from a machinery point of view and investment in the team with training and greenkeeper education.

“Then we come back to that word trust. We trust Reesink will keep us up to date with alternative or new machinery, we trust we’ll get help with demonstrations as we consider new technology, and we trust they will advise us about any new machines that can do the job better.”

On that note, while the club will “happily replace like for like if it’s the best option, we still always ask if there are any new machines available that can do the job better,” says David.

“For example, we have been building bunkers, and found that the Toro Reelmaster 3100 with the SideWinder technology is the best mower for maintaining bunker banks. It really helps with the undulations and has a patented front unit sliding control for safety when near the edges.”

That’s another advantage with the machinery delivery being spread over the years, “we have time to evaluate the current machine before the next term and adjust accordingly to changing priorities and projects underway,” concludes David.

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Toro UK’s succesful first-ever dealer hub at GroundsFest

Toro UK’s succesful first-ever dealer hub at GroundsFest: The launch of Toro U.K.’s Dealer Hub at GroundsFest 2025 – the UK’s largest groundscare festival – proved a roaring success. Placing groundscare dealers at the centre of their offering for this year’s edition, Toro’s dealer hub offered the opportunity to liaise with the full Toro team, including Sales, Marketing, Product Development and Engineering.

Over dealers from across the country – as well as other end-users and gardening professionals – were given the chance to discuss new product lines, investment and partnership opportunities across the UK. Visitors to the hub also got a first-ever look at the new range of Toro clothing.

Toro UK's succesful first-ever dealer hub at GroundsFest

Toro UK’s succesful first-ever dealer hub at GroundsFest

Craig Hoare, Sales and Marketing Manager at Toro U.K. Limited, had this to say about the event:

“We are immensely proud of all the hard work completed by our Toro U.K. staff, as well as incredibly grateful for another successful event organised by GroundsFest. This was our largest GroundsFest showcase ever, with over 80 products on display and a whole range of new Toro clothing – which was flying off the shelves from the moment the showground opened.”

Hayter®, holder of the Royal Warrant for Horticultural Equipment and brother brand of Toro U.K., saw similar success at the show – where the British legacy brand shared a stage with Toro®.

The latest iteration of their longstanding Harrier® 56 lawnmower was nominated for the Innovation Award, hosted by Technical Editor at Horticulture Week, Sally Drury, where the machine was awarded runner-up.

They also demonstrated upgrades to their rear rollers, their new 56 and 48 Harrier battery lawnmowers and the long-awaited groomer brush and side skirt attachments for their mowers – an accessory which has been in high demand by gardening professionals.

Hoare commented: “The buzz and atmosphere felt by both end-consumers and dealers was palpable and we can’t wait to march full steam ahead with our dealer partners, who we had the pleasure of speaking to at our first-ever Dealer Hub.”

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