Tag Archive for: toro

Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year finals line-up

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Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year finals line-up: A former IT recruiter, a hotel doorman, a county cricketer and a heavy metal guitarist are just some of the finalists of the most prestigious awards event in the student greenkeeping calendar.

The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and co-founders and sponsors Toro and Reesink UK have revealed the line-up for the 2024 Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards. Now in its 35th year, the awards have helped unearth some of the brightest talents within the turf management industry and laid the foundations for decades of professional success.

Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year finals line-up

Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year finals line-up

Held at Oulton Hall in Leeds on 2-4 September, the finalists will compete in a series of challenges that are designed to test their technical knowledge and passion for the greenkeeping profession. Winners will then be crowned in the categories of Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year and Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year.

BIGGA Learning and Development Manager Deb Burnett said: “Whether joining the industry fresh from full-time education or opting to switch after a career elsewhere, our finalists are a diverse group, but they demonstrate the extraordinary talent that is present in today’s golf greenkeeping industry. The degree of knowledge they possess is testament to the quality of training they receive, both at work and with their training providers, and we’re looking forward to welcoming them all to the finals in Leeds in September for what stands to be an exciting couple of days.”

David Timms, National Accounts Manager at Reesink UK and Young award category judge, said: “We are very much looking forward to again welcoming this year’s finalists to the long list of student greenkeepers who have made it to this stage previously. The interviews this year were all of a high calibre and showcased how positive the future of the industry is. On behalf of everyone at Reesink UK and Toro, we wish all the finalists good look and will see them in September for the next part of their journey.”

The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists are:

  1. Patrick Brown, greenkeeper at Wentworth Club and student at Berkshire College of Agriculture
  2. Jack Chapman, apprentice greenkeeper at The Grove and student at Capel Manor College
  3. Matt McCreadie, greenkeeper at Tadmarton Heath Golf Club and student at Myerscough College
  4. Jack Vowell, greenkeeper at Farrington Park Golf Club and student at Bridgwater & Taunton College
  5. Jack Wellings, greenkeeper at JCB Golf & Country Club and student at Myerscough College

The Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year finalists are:

  1. Morgan Bowen, greenkeeper at Nevill Golf Club and student at North Kent College
  2. Alex Fox, apprentice greenkeeper at Woodhall Spa Golf Club and student at Bishop Burton College
  3. William Moore, apprentice greenkeeper at Kilworth Springs Golf Club and student at Myerscough College
  4. Daniel Parker, greenkeeper at Knighton Heath Golf Club and Sparsholt College
  5. Cameron Redden, apprentice greenkeeper at Strathmore Golf Centre and SRUC Elmwood College

To be eligible for the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year category, candidates must have been a greenkeeper for a minimum of 12 months and be studying towards the Level 2 Golf Greenkeeper or Level 3 Advanced Golf Greenkeeper qualifications.

To be eligible for the Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year category, candidates must be aged 21 or under and studying towards the Level 2 award at the time of application.

More information about the finalists can be found on the BIGGA website, where you can also find information about the incredible prizes on offer for the awards winners and their endorsers and the runners-up in each category, including a 10-week placement on one of the industry’s most influential training courses.

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Boost your game with Toro at the Game Fair

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Boost your game with Toro at the Game Fair: Machinery distributor Reesink UK is bringing a selection of revolutionary Toro machinery to The Game Fair for the first time.

One thing Reesink knows for sure is that landowners need machinery they can rely on to make their workload easier and more efficient.

Boost your game with Toro at the Game Fair

Boost your game with Toro at the Game Fair

That’s why Reesink is bringing a choice of versatile, convenient machinery including the Workman UTX utility vehicles and a powerful, multi-purpose Groundsmaster 3300 mower, all from Toro.

David Timms, Reesink’s National Accounts Manager, says: “Decent machinery that is formulated to handle those heavy-duty tasks effectively, can help landowners to keep on top of estate maintenance with ease, while cutting costs.

“It is important to have the right equipment for the job, and just as quality is a consideration when choosing a car, it’s equally as important when it comes to the machinery used to sustain and upkeep grounds. It’s with good reason that Toro is widely known for their quality when it comes to machinery.”

The Toro Workman UTX 4×4 utility vehicle – available in both two and four seat options – is built to tackle all terrains and with 25 percent more cargo capacity than that of others in its class and a towing capacity of up to 2000lbs, it delivers the ultimate productivity.

It guarantees the right speed and power for the job in hand, meaning customers can choose between lower RPMs for lower fuel consumption and sound near the house, or higher RPMs for more power to transport a heavier load up any inclines.

The Toro Groundsmaster 3300 and its innovative flail attachment delivers year-round productivity and multiple cutting options. It copes easily with longer, coarser, dry or wet grass, and when paired with the fine-cut flail attachment option, cuts two ways. It’s this sort of innovation from Toro that guarantees the kind of productivity customers today demand.

Toro is a firm favourite with National Trust properties, private schools, colleges and universities and sports venues, but that doesn’t price it out of the market for today’s homeowner. Come and see at The Game Fair on 26–28 July on stand FBJ.

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Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last

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Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last: With Reesink Turfcare’s Ree.Own scheme, Braehead Golf Club located in Alloa Scotland has taken ownership of two new – or rather used – Toro machines as a cost-effective solution to updating machinery.

Harvey Harrower, the club’s head greenkeeper who has been at the club for 38 years, says when it comes to Toro, going second-hand isn’t a worry: “One of the things we like about using Toro is that they’re built to last.

Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last

Braehead’s new mowers proves Toro is built to last

“Like most other clubs, we look at buying new machines every five years, but unlike the bigger clubs we tend to look in the second-hand market. The fact that the new ones could already be six or seven years old doesn’t concern us. The machines we’re replacing are 15 years old, and we have other Toro machines that have been going for over 20 years.”

The machines – a Groundsmaster 4300 and hybrid Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 – came to the club via Reesink’s Ree.Own scheme, a dealer network that provides access to all the best quality, Toro turfcare machinery in the UK and Ireland.

Machines rehomed with Ree.Own are guaranteed to have less than 3500 hours use on the clock, used for less than seven years and been through a rigorous multipoint check by Reesink’s expert turfcare technicians.

The scheme is one that works well for the club. “This isn’t the first time we’ve sourced second-hand machines and it certainly won’t be the last,” says Harvey. “Because of the club’s finances, it’s the option that works best for us, and the machines still perform at a really high level. They go through the workshop and are refurbished before they get to us – ours also came with a 12-month warranty.”

Both machines were replacements for mowers the club had used before, but the Greensmaster has one key difference.

“We decided to go with the hybrid model of the Greensmaster 3420. You can slow the speed down and it just gives a better finish,” says Harvey. Something that can be appreciated by the very youngest of the club’s members.

“We have a very active junior section that has taken off recently. The club has put a lot of effort into that, building new tees and reserving tee times every Sunday throughout the year allowing them to play. Being able to play on a course maintained by Toro machinery means they’re able to play and learn on the best quality surfaces from the outset.”

The club’s new-used machinery came through Reesink’s Scottish branch in Livingston, who according to Harvey, made the whole process easy. “Working with Reesink has been great, they were really good at keeping me informed throughout. I just told them what machines I was after and when the machines became available they emailed me pictures with their age and condition, etc.”

Discover more about how your course can benefit from the UK’s only used Toro professional turf machinery network by visiting reeown.co.uk or contact Reesink Scotland by calling 01480 226800 or by email at info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Toro and Reesink working with the R&A

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Toro and Reesink working with the R&A: The idea behind the R&A’s Golf It! initiative was to create a space that introduces people to and promotes the game of golf while proactively giving back to the local community through an apprenticeship programme sponsored by The Toro Foundation.

“The R&A’s original idea was to provide a facility where people in inner city Glasgow could play golf,” says Andy Brown, senior manager of global business development and relationships at The Toro Company. “But we realised there was also the opportunity to introduce the concept of greenkeeping as a possible career choice via an apprenticeship scheme, too.”

Toro and Reesink working with the R&A

Toro and Reesink working with the R&A

Developed by the R&A in 2020 to make golf as welcoming and affordable as possible, the facility has grown into a multi-layered experience for all the family with pitch and putt, adventure golf, putting greens and a driving range, and a greenkeeping team was needed to upkeep the venue to the highest of standards.

Andy continues: “Toro was approached to become a founding partner which we agreed to in conjunction with Reesink UK. Toro provides the turfcare machinery and irrigation system required to maintain the playing surfaces at the facility and Reesink provides the support and training via its Livingston branch in Scotland.

“But taking our involvement one step further, we are now sponsoring two apprentices every year for five years. There are currently four apprentices in place and they’re doing very well in their education and getting lots of experience. They’ve had the opportunity to go to America and were on the tournament team for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Florida this March.”

Russell Smith, general manager of Golf It!, says: “Community is everything at Golf It! and we’re incredibly proud of our two first recruits Anton Sheilds and Lucy Millar. They see this as the life-changing career opportunity it is and have grabbed hold of it, embraced everything we are trying to achieve and surpassed every goal and expectation.

“It’s has been the same with Toro, they bought into the concept of Golf It! immediately and their support in delivering our goals has been invaluable. We’re thrilled they partnered with us on our apprenticeship scheme, actively funding two roles a year for five years.

“Toro machines keep our course and range pristine, and they are helping us create a bright future for young people in our immediate area. This is what partnerships SHOULD be about – teaming up to make the world a better place for those who may face limited opportunities otherwise.”

Bordering the Seven Loch Wetland Park, Scotland’s largest urban heritage and nature park, the initiative is keen to promote sustainability, making Toro a natural partner.

Andy says: “The R&A, like Toro, is extremely focused on sustainability, so part of our commitment was to get as many hybrid and electric machinery options onto the site to reduce its carbon footprint print and provide an irrigation system that would manage its water effectively.”

This is just the start for the Golf It! initiative, as those involved consider how it can be rolled out across the country to benefit more local communities.

To find out more about Golf It! and Reesink and Toro’s involvement visit https://www.golf-it.com/ or to discover more about how sustainable machinery options might benefit your club contact Reesink Turfcare on 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Toro irrigation leads longevity

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Toro irrigation leads longevity: Longevity has been key to Toro’s irrigation strategy since its early development and it’s certainly something Reesink Hydro-Scapes can attest to seeing ‘on the ground’ in the UK.

As the sole Toro distributor in the UK for golf and sports fields irrigation products, Robert Jackson, manager of Reesink Hydro-Scapes, the distributor’s water division, is only now, after 30 years working in the business, needing to help the clubs he worked with in the early days of his career to update their Toro systems.

Toro irrigation leads longevity

Toro irrigation leads longevity

“Looking back through the orders books and from experience we can attest to Toro’s longevity and length of performance the systems get at UK golf clubs,” he says. “For us to see Toro giving up to 30 years of service is testament to the quality, technology, craftmanship and construction of the products.”

But it’s more than that, it’s as much to do with the design, installation, maintenance, and servicing of the system too, and that’s where Reesink Hydro-Scapes and its network of irrigation contractors step in to create the perfect partnership with Toro.

Rob continues: “There’s a reason it takes time to fit a brand-new irrigation system, and that’s because it’s being done properly. The phrase Rome wasn’t built in a day couldn’t ring more true than when it comes to this – it takes time to create great things – and if it doesn’t, it usually means corners have been cut.

“Replacing or updating an irrigation system is a big job, it’s timely and disruptive work and could mean months of delays to play,” Robert says. “There’s no escaping it but the point is that when you do it you want to know that the system you choose has got the best shelf life possible and proven longevity. And that’s never in doubt with Toro. Do it properly now and don’t think about it for another two to three decades.”

Plus, with Reesink’s irrigation finance options clubs don’t even need to pay now. Reesink can spread the cost of new irrigation systems over tailored plans to give better control over operational budgets and stabilise costs in the face of fluctuating market conditions.

“We understand the outlay of a new irrigation system is significant and we don’t believe that should stop anyone accessing the best options available,” Robert concludes. “Irrigation finance does just that and includes not just the products but the installation too.”

To find out more about how the longevity of Toro and service from Reesink unite to bring the best value irrigation solutions, call Reesink Hydro-Scapes on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkhydro-scapes.co.uk.

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