Tag Archive for: toro

Bury St Edmunds on course with Toro

Bury St Edmunds on course with Toro: Bury St Edmunds Golf Club in Suffolk is approaching its centenary and has enlisted the help of Toro and Reesink Turfcare to ensure the courses are in an immaculate condition in time for the celebrations.

Both the 18-hole championship course, host to many prestigious events over the decades, and the nine-hole Pay-and-Play course needed to be kept in the highest standard all-year round, but special care was required now for such a notable occasion.

Bury St Edmunds on course with Toro

Bury St Edmunds on course with Toro

Course manager Tom Smart, who manages the nine-strong greenkeeping team on site, was already familiar with Toro and knew only it could do the job he required.

“It has always been my preferred manufacturer and given the choice, I’d always go for Toro,” he explains. “I’ve used many Toro machines in the past and was never let down. The ones we got from Reesink were all bought for specific purposes, and each has a role to play in producing the highest standards possible on the courses. Everyone can already see the difference these machines have made on the course, and we couldn’t be more pleased.”

Having been let down by previous manufacturers and with such an important date coming up, no risks could be taken. So, the club opted for Reesink’s five-year finance package deal, and invested in four Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 riding greensmowers, two Reelmaster 3575-D fairway mowers, a Groundsmaster 3500-D rotary mower, a Groundsmaster 4500-D rotary mower, a Multi Pro 5800-D sprayer and a ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator for the ultimate peace of mind.

“I find Toro machines are more reliable than others in the market and have better build quality,” Tom continues. “We had a lot of issues with bits of kit from other brands, even with new machines, which weren’t quite right in the first place. This pushed us away from our previous manufacturers and made us turn to Toro and Reesink.

“Reesink has been very good during the whole process,” he says. “They are just down the road from us, so it makes it quite easy. When we had some very minor settling in issues with a couple of the machines, which was nothing out of the ordinary, Reesink East Anglia were quick to come as soon as we called them and it was all covered under the Toro comprehensive warranty.”

Not only was it important to have the best performing machines to withstand the pressure and demands of such a vital job under deadline, but also to make sure the team was happy while operating and maintaining them.

“The comfort Toro provides was a massive factor for us as well,” Tom explains. “When you’re using a machine for up to eight hours a day, operator comfort is vital. And the usability is just unbeatable – they are very user-friendly. Having an almost all-Toro fleet now has greatly helped our mechanic too, as parts can be interchanged and the machines are much easier to service and maintain.”

To talk to someone about how the Toro range could suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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Toro winners selected as volunteers

Toro winners selected as volunteers: To be selected is a honour like no other and two previous winners of the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards have been successful in gaining a place as a volunteer at the 150th Open at St Andrew’s in July.

The 2018 winner Daniel Ashelby from Reddish Vale Golf Club and last year’s winner Matthew Milligan from Rudding Park will help prepare the Old Course’s famous fairways for the international event at the home of golf.

Toro winners selected as volunteers

Toro winners selected as volunteers

When it comes to the opportunities that come with winning the decades old competition – and to shine a light on the fact that there is still time to make nominations into the 2022 event – we talk to Daniel Ashelby about what’s happened to him since being crowned champion four years ago.

“Since winning I’ve gone onto be head man at Hartford Golf Club in Cheshire and now I’m working at my dream club. Both roles have given me some absolutely fantastic experiences. At Hartford, during the pandemic, I was running the course by myself and that taught me to trust my instincts and put so much of what I’d learnt over the years into practice.”

Attending Massachusetts Winter School for Turf Managers as part of his prize for winning the Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award set off a passion for education and Daniel is now in his final year of his degree in golf course management.

With educational, international, all-expenses-paid prizes for the winners, runners up and nominators, there’s nothing to lose by nominating your best candidates into the 2022 competition.

And of course the future opportunities for the winners are endless, as Daniel says: “All the networking, learning experiences and personal development that transpire from winning the award have contributed greatly to me being in this position now.

“Being selected as a volunteer for The Open is literally a dream come true. Only those who have the right attitude, skills, ambition and qualifications succeed, and I do think winning the award had a role to play in this. There’s a correlation to the type of people I’ve met on the journey and the paths I’ve been put on that have led here. They go hand in hand.”

So what about those lecturers and employers who think they have a shining star in their midst? What would Daniel say to those those people who have the power to change one of their students or employees lives?

“Just do it. Putting that person’s name in the hat is the first step to opening up a world of possibilities and opportunities,” he says. “And if you’re thinking about nominating somone you’ve nominated before, do that too! Don’t let them feel knocked back if it didn’t work out the first time. Since then that person has grown up, evolved and has a better chance than ever before.”

Nominations into the 2022 Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards can be made now until 31 May online at BIGGA. This year’s finals will be held on 5-6 September.

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Toro to Support The R&A Women

Toro to Support The R&A Women: The Toro Company announces its support of The R&A Women in Golf Charter by becoming a signatory of the industry-wide initiative. According to The R&A, the Women in Golf Charter aims to create a more inclusive golf culture by enabling more women and girls to realise their potential at all levels of the sport.

To achieve this, the Charter requires the support and participation of other national golf federations, businesses and organisations, like Toro — who is a trusted leader in golf grounds maintenance equipment and irrigation solutions with a global presence in more than 125 countries.

Toro to Support The R&A Women

Toro to Support The R&A Women

As a proud supporter of the Women in Golf Charter and also a founding partner of The R&A’s new community golf facility at Lethamhill in Glasgow, Scotland, Toro will be providing annual apprenticeships to women and minorities to encourage further career development and diversity in the golf industry.

“We have built a legacy of giving back by actively leveraging our expertise, resources and business partnerships to increase interest and engagement in the golf industry, specifically among women and girls,” stated Judson McNeil, President, The Toro Company Foundation. “Furthering our efforts through official support of The R&A Women in Golf Charter reinforces the ongoing commitment to bringing more diversity to the game of golf.”

Toro’s commitment to the Women in Golf Charter isn’t its only inclusion initiative. Toro has served as preferred supplier and partner to First Tee since 1998. During the 24-year partnership, Toro has supported girls’ access to careers in the golf industry, STEM educational programs and Grow the Game Grants focused on expanding diversity in the game of golf by the inclusion of more girls. And as the official partner of the ANNIKA Foundation’s “Share My Passion” golf clinic, Toro is helping to introduce young girls to the game of golf and support the Foundation’s goal of developing women’s golf around the world.

Additionally, the Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award — hosted in partnership with Reesink Turfcare, sole Toro distributor in the UK for golf and sports fields equipment, and the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) — celebrates the next generation of talented and dedicated greenskeepers. In 2021, Toro was excited to recognise Rhian Barton of The Wisley Golf Club. She was the first woman to win the prestigious award.

Beyond external initiatives, Toro has also established the Women’s Initiative Network to create, promote and support a culture of equality and inclusiveness for women across all business functions within the company.

For more information on Toro equipment and irrigation products for the golf industry worldwide, please visit toro.com/golf.

About The Toro Company

With roots dating back to 1914, Toro is a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment, including turf and landscape maintenance, snow management, rental and construction equipment, and irrigation solutions. Through a strong network of distributors, dealers, retailers and rental stores in more than 125 countries, Toro helps customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties, construction sites and agricultural operations. More at: www.toro.com.

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Cricket club wins Toro Greensmaster 800

Cricket club wins Toro Greensmaster 800: Westgate-on-Sea Cricket Club is the lucky winner of a Toro Greensmaster 800 pedestrian mower after entering distributor Reesink Turfcare’s competition at SALTEX. 

Raif Kelly, who has been at the club for 35 years having worn many hats along the way from president to secretary to community manager and finally, as head groundsman, is “incredibly pleased” with the result from the prize draw and can’t wait to put the Greensmaster 800 to work.

Cricket club wins Toro Greensmaster 800

Cricket club wins Toro Greensmaster 800

Overseeing three groundskeeping teams that work diligently on the square every weekend, Raif explains: “The Greensmaster 800 will come very in handy to cut the cricket strips to the standards to which we have accustomed our members. This is our first Toro machine so we’re very excited to try it and see what it can do.

“We make sure the square is always in good condition. A lot of work goes into it over the year, starting in May and finishing in September, at which point we put it to bed during the winter. There’s only two months in the whole year where we don’t do any work so the Toro mower will be put to a lot of good use!”

The Greensmaster 800 is built upon Toro’s legendary reputation of the Greensmaster 1000, with a cutting width range of 18 inches, heavy-duty 4.3hp Subaru Industrial engine, narrow mowing swath for narrow striping and a standard 14-blade cylinder. This walk-behind mower excels on the cricket square, providing a superior precision of cut and straight-line tracking for the perfect finish.

Raif continues: “We welcome this new greensmower and the technology it brings, it’s a great opportunity to try new things and new techniques and see where that takes us.”

Reesink’s South East branch will be delivering the machine to the club and branch manager Jon Cole says of the win: “Congratulations to the team at Westgate-On-Sea Cricket Club. We hope the Toro Greensmaster will help maintain your pitch to the highest level for this season and many more to come.”

To talk to someone about Toro technology and how the Toro range would suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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Sentosa GC’s partnership with Toro

Sentosa GC’s partnership with Toro: Singapore’s world-renowned Sentosa Golf Club has announced a 10-year partnership with The Toro Company and local Toro distributor, Jebsen & Jessen. The formal agreement includes a complete fleet of Toro® golf course maintenance equipment and irrigation products, as well as landscaping tools, training, and on-site service and support.

This announcement marks the latest development in a long-standing relationship between Sentosa Golf Club and Toro. The club has utilized Toro’s proven technology for more than two decades, including support during globally televised events like the SMBC Singapore Open and HSBC Women’s World Championship.

Sentosa GC's partnership with Toro

Sentosa GC’s partnership with Toro

As part of the agreement, Toro will provide a total package of equipment and irrigation solutions to support all areas of maintenance at the club. The package includes a range of hybrid and electric equipment, as well as battery-powered landscape tools — all focused on reducing engine exhaust emissions and promoting overall sustainability.

Sentosa Golf Club also has 36 holes of Toro irrigation, including Toro INFINITY® Sprinklers and a Lynx® System including satellite technology, in addition to Toro Turf Guard® wireless soil monitoring to provide in-field data. The Lynx system provides precision water management with features designed to help reduce water usage.

Toro’s hybrid and electric equipment and water-saving irrigation systems align with the club’s dedication to sustainability. Named ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ for the second consecutive year in 2021, Sentosa Golf Club is recognized worldwide for its commitment to the environment. The club pledged to become the world’s first carbon-neutral golf club by 2022 through initiatives to manage its carbon, water and waste footprint.

“We’re looking forward to bringing our fleet into the future with Toro and Jebsen & Jessen,” said Andrew Johnston, General Manager and Director of Agronomy at Sentosa Golf Club. “It’s important to us to work with partners who not only share our commitment to the environment, but also support our mission to consistently deliver a world-class playing experience. We treat every day like a tournament day, and we know we can expect that level of excellence from Toro.”

Beyond a new fleet of irrigation and course maintenance equipment, the partnership agreement includes support from the technical service team at Jebsen & Jessen and regional support from The Toro Company. An on-site Toro service manager will be based at the club, establishing a state-of-the-art workshop that will serve as a model for Toro.

Toro also plans to base a centre of excellence at Sentosa Golf Club to support and educate regional clients and staff on the latest products, technology and service developments. With this initiative, Toro joins The R&A and the Asian Tour in making Sentosa a key base in the region. Both The R&A and the Asian Tour have offices at the club.

The partnership agreement with Sentosa Golf Club comes as Toro begins its 108th year in the golf industry, bringing more than a century of expertise and innovative solutions to the partnership. “This is an historic opportunity for The Toro Company to partner with one of the most respected clubs in Asia and support their mission of carbon neutrality,” said Richard Olson, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Toro Company. “I’ve witnessed Sentosa Golf Club’s passion for the environment first-hand, and it’s an exciting time to work them on implementing the latest Toro innovations and technology.”

“Sustainability is not a new concept for The Toro Company,” Olson continued. “It’s deeply rooted in our purpose to provide customers with real solutions that are both environmentally responsible and operationally sustainable.”

“As the first industrial conglomerate in Southeast Asia to achieve full carbon neutrality, we take great pride in the fact that we share a common mission with Sentosa and Toro in reducing our impact on the environment,” added Philipp Hoffmann, Regional Director of Jebsen & Jessen Technology Turf & Irrigation. “We look forward to supporting the club as they provide world-class golfing experiences, as well as in their sustainability efforts.”

For more information about Toro’s complete portfolio of golf course maintenance equipment and irrigation products, please visit www.toro.com.

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