Tag Archive for: toro

Toro At Blairgowrie Golf Club

/in , , /by

Toro At Blairgowrie Golf Club: Managing secretary Steven Morgan says every day is tournament day at Blairgowrie Golf Club, and for that reason the club has invested in a partnership agreement with Toro.

As the latest Toro machinery delivery arrives at the club in Perthshire in Scotland, Steven explains: “We decided to invest in Toro to ensure we constantly improve the playability of our courses. We believe that every day at Blairgowrie Golf Club is a tournament day and the time, effort and attention to detail when setting up the courses reflects this belief, as do the machinery choices we make.”

Toro At Blairgowrie Golf Club

Three Greensmaster 1000 pedestrian mowers, two Reelmaster 5410-D ride-on mowers, a Greensmaster TriFlex 3400 and a Multi Pro 5800-D sprayer join the fleet, which Steven calls “very good and very versatile”, and which the team of 16 say they “love, because it is easy to set, maintain and use, and leaves a fine finish to give great job satisfaction.”

The new additions join a fleet which already includes three Toro Groundsmaster 3500-D mowers and ProCore 648 aerator, and the performance of these machines is yet another reason as to why Blairgowrie continues to choose Toro. Steven says the ProCore in particular is “flawless”: “The design of the ProCore allows us to aerate any part of the course in a clean and tidy manner with ease no matter the terrain. We’ve had it for a long time, and it still performs flawlessly.”

Blairgowrie hosts a large number events and in 2018 sees the Scottish Amateur Championship, European Amateur Golf Tour and the PGA Lombard Pro Am arrive at the three course, 45-hole club.

Steven says: “We’ve a lot of golfers and competitors who expect the highest of standards. We knew that by choosing Toro and Reesink, we were ensuring a proactive relationship to consistently provide great course conditions while managing costs at all times.

“Plus, it was the right time to invest. We have recently spent a great deal of money on our greenkeeping sheds to allow us to maintain our assets much more professionally, making sure we get the best from them for longer.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.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 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.

Waveney Norse Goes Toro

/in , , /by

Waveney Norse Goes Toro: Waveney Norse have made their first investment in Toro as part of a new grounds strategy to better meet the requirements of its core partner Waveney District Council and its growing customer base.

Operating as part of Norse Commercial Services, a major national supplier of facilities management services to the public and private sector, Waveney Norse previously used a tractor-drawn gang mower to maintain all sports fields and open spaces across the Waveney District in the East of England.

Waveney Norse Goes Toro

As Waveney Norse maintains a host of sites across the district’s 370.4km sq area, and with a wider area to cover thanks to their growing private customer-base, it was a good time to rethink the company’s grounds strategy. Central to this was changing from mowing with a tractor to a dedicated ride-on Toro T4240 cylinder mower.

Grounds operations manager, Richard Hackney, explains: “We have been lucky enough to win new work over a wide geographic area and driving a tractor long distances is inefficient in both manpower and fuel. The Toro mower solves this problem because we can simply fold up its wings and put it on a trailer. This will enable us to deliver best value even when our customers are further afield.”

Richard isn’t alone in his praise for the T4240, he says: “Our operator is very positive about the Toro’s manoeuvrability around obstacles, as the cutting units can be lifted and it has a smaller turning circle than the tractor.”

He adds: “Overall it’s a quick, efficient machine that provides a good quality cut. Downsizing to a ride-on mower also gives us flexibility for who can operate it. We have a 48-strong team and any of them could be easily trained to use it.”

The purchase was delivered with good service from Reesink sales representative Danny Lake who, Richard says, was very helpful in organising a demonstration at local Normanston Park.

Richard explains: “We haven’t traditionally used Toro, so wanted a demonstration to make sure it was right for us. We did consider an alternative supplier for this type of machine but had feedback from another company that, although their competitor machine was fit for purpose, they found it overdesigned, which led to more opportunities for issues to take place.

“This prompted us to review the market thoroughly and choose a robust, simple-to-use Toro mower that will deliver on our requirements. We are very pleased with our decision: the machine will enable us to continue to deliver highly professional, reliable grounds services to our customers at a best value price, no matter where they are based.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.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 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.

The ‘Point’ Picks Toro

/in , /by

The ‘Point’ Picks Toro: It’s out with the old and in with the new for the Old Loop, New Loop and Front Loop courses at Nefyn Golf Club. Toro was chosen for its power and green credentials by a course which bases its machinery choices solely on individual merit.

Bringing in a Toro Reelmaster 5010-H, a Groundmaster 4500-D and two Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 mowers, head greenkeeper Richard Lloyd Jones explains what it is about these mowers that secured their place at the Championship club near Pwllheli in Wales.

The 'Point' Picks Toro

“We’re making a concerted effort to be more green. We’ve been running the risk of hydraulic leaks with the old machines, having had four or five over the last couple of years. Repairing the turf after one of those is time consuming and negates all the hard work that was put in to getting it to the standard it was. So, we’re eliminating that risk with Toro.

“We’ve got both ends of the spectrum covered with these two machines. The TriFlexes bring green precision to our greens mowing, while we can rely on the RM5010-H to deliver up to 40hp of green power to the fairways. We’re very pleased with the performance of these mowers so far, they’re coping with the size of the course and the demands we place on them with ease.”

The demands Richard refers to come from the course inhabiting over 200 acres and being exposed to the elements on the Welsh peninsular. This is a particular issue for the Old Loop course, the world-famous ‘Point’, so named for its situation on top of a high point of land jutting out into sea on which its nine holes are situated.

Frequent waves hit the rocks, splash the greens and the salt water scorches the grass. “The weather is definitely our biggest challenge,” says Richard. “We’re prone to being windswept and water damaged. In fact, this winter we had four greens lost due to sea water damage, so renovation takes up a lot of our time.”

It’s important then to have machines that can deal with the challenges, and as well as choosing Toro for its green credentials, Richard has also chosen the brand for its unadulterated power. As Richard says the Groundsmaster 4500-D is a ”big old beast of a machine! 200 acres doesn’t faze it.”

This is far from the first time Toro has been at Nefyn, but a five-year lease deal with another brand has come to an end meaning the club is making its machinery replacement choices on a case-by-case basis, each decision made purely on performance and merit.

Richard says: “Working with our local dealer, Major Owen, we make our choices based on what will bring the best results to the course, and we’re delighted to have Toro back at Nefyn.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.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 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.

Goodwood Returns To Toro

/in , /by

Goodwood Returns To Toro: Goodwood has returned to Toro as it continues in its ambition to develop a ‘super fleet’ for its 12,000-acre estate based in Sussex.

The last time we caught up with Phil Helmn, general manager of sports turf and grounds at the all-encompassing Goodwood, he had taken delivery of a fleet of Toro fine turf machinery for The Downs and The Park golf courses in 2015 and said it signalled the start of a more structured approach to machinery operation.

Goodwood Returns To Toro

True to his word, we’re back in touch with Phil as he receives his six latest Toro purchases, all grounds machines to take care of the estate gardens, grassed lawn areas, the motor circuit, airfield and horse race course.

Phil says: “Since I joined Goodwood four years ago, it has been my intention to make the estate 100 percent Toro. It made good business sense to follow up from our fine turf machinery deal and develop the relationship with the brand. It’s far easier to deal with one supplier and share resources.”

Such a large enterprise as Goodwood comes with a wide set of challenges and having a Toro ‘super fleet’ enables three mechanics to become Toro-trained to a high standard to limit sub-contracting and out-sourcing. The estate will also now carry a range of parts for the equipment it operates to “drive efficiency”, says Phil, and allow for an instant response to any issues.

It makes sense then that included in the order of three Groundsmaster 3500-D mowers, a Groundsmaster 4300-D, two Groundsmaster 5910 mowers, and two UTVs – the GTX and MDX-D, is the new MyTurf servicing system.

The Pro fleet management program, myTurf, operates by automatically recording how long the machines have been in operation and how many hours they have accrued when they re-enter the maintenance facility and pass a sensor at the door. This allows the mechanics to calculate preventative maintenance and replacement parts needed, and machine history can be accessed by simply logging in to the system on a computer.

Phil says: “Fleet maintenance is crucial to the performance of the machines, and this is a much slicker way of keeping on top of that.”

Phil says the demonstrations required to make sure the machines he chose were relevant for the different areas, complementing wide ranging criteria, wasn’t actually as complicated a process as one may expect. “We performed due diligence with demos, but the process of deciding which grounds machines to get was actually pretty straightforward. When you know and trust a brand the decision-making becomes easy. For this recent order we opted for rotary mowers. The floating decks eliminate scalping and the rear rollers provides a really good striping effect. The finish is excellent.”

This latest Toro order is the culmination of a few years work for Phil, assessing how best to manage such a large estate and team. He says: “Having one big fleet has brought our four teams of 35 gardeners, groundsmen and greenkeepers together, to share techniques and skills according to the different environments they are using the machines on.

“Back in 2015, when the fine turf fleet arrived, my priority was to ensure the entire Goodwood enterprise was maintained to the same exacting standards. I have used Toro for most of my career and personal experience tells me it’s a quality product and will not let me down. The fact that I can now extend the same standards to the grounds here at Goodwood means we can deliver the best results possible across the entire 12,000 acres.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.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 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.

Toro MVP Kits Increase Uptime

/in , /by

Toro MVP Kits Increase Uptime: Greenkeepers, workshop technicians and mechanics can prevent maintenance headaches in the season ahead with Toro’s MVP kits.

 As the grass growing season gets into full swing and your fleet’s workload increases, the last thing needed is extended machinery downtime and unexpected maintenance costs. This is a situation that can be avoided with Toro’s MVP (maintenance value performance) kits.

Toro MVP kits Increase Uptime

With an individual kit for blades, roller rebuilding, cutting unit overhauling, seals, and blades and belts, whichever kit you go for, one thing guaranteed is that you will have all the genuine Toro parts needed to quickly get your turfcare machinery working again.

So, instead of spending valuable time sourcing individual parts as issues arise, greenkeepers can purchase Toro MVP kits in one convenient box that comes with the added benefit of saving up to 20 percent in repair expenses.

Michael Hampton, Reesink Turfcare parts manager, comments: “As we all know, time is of the essence for greenkeeping teams in the summer and machines are worked hard to keep turf in play and in immaculate condition. Owning an MVP kit means no longer being caught out by a machine in need of care, as you will be prepared with every part needed to quickly get your turfcare machinery back into action.”

Instructions give advice on when to perform specific maintenance tasks depending on the model and the number of hours of use, helping prevent running machines into the ground and incurring unnecessary costs to repair them.

Michael continues: “Keeping turf in premium condition is rightly at the forefront of greenkeepers’ minds, with constantly high-performing machines being the means of achieving this and downtime being a possible obstacle. Toro’s MVP kits enable you to react and resolve maintenance or repair issues immediately, keeping uptime at an all-time high.”

Added to this, if used to perform regular maintenance, MVP kits keep cost of ownership low and allow for more accurate forecasting when setting budget aside for parts and servicing.

Investing in Toro MVP kits is, says Reesink Turfcare, a wise decision.

For more information contact distributor Reesink’s Toro parts department on 01480 226800, go to reesinkturfcare.co.uk, or visit your local dealer.

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 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.