Tag Archive for: toro

Toro leads the way

Toro leads the way: With Stage V emissions regulations now in place, finding compliant yet reliable, durable and productive machinery has become a key priority. And when it comes to out-front rotary mowers, the Groundsmaster 3000 series from Toro leads the way.

The Groundsmaster 3000 series is the first wave of new Stage V emissions compliant machines from Toro, in fact both the Groundsmaster 3200 and 3300 were designed with Stage V compliance in mind.

Toro leads the way

Toro leads the way

Alastair Rowell, UK sales manager – turfcare equipment for Reesink Turfcare, says: “Stage V engine legislation is welcome and good, but it brings with it a period of uncertainty as customers assess the way they maintain their grounds and contracts. Is there a different way to compile a fleet or can different purchasing decisions be made that allow customers to remain profitable and productive? It might cost more to buy a specific machine but if you can buy one machine to perform more than one function, or opt for a machine under the 25hp limit that hasn’t incurred the associated Stage V engine cost increase, those factors become more important than ever.”

When it comes to the Groundsmaster 3000 series however customers don’t need to consider how the addition of a Diesel Particulate Filter or a reduction in horsepower will affect the machine’s performance, because the design process considered it for them.

Alastair continues: “Toro benefitted from its experience with the roll-out of Tier IV products in North America. It learned how to design out inefficiencies in systems and looked at whether a product can meet customers’ needs with less horsepower or migrate to alternative fuels. For example, the fact that the Groundsmaster series has a fine-cut flail attachment option means you can cut two ways with one machine.”

Launching on to the market at the beginning of last year, the Groundsmaster 3200 and Groundsmaster 3300 are still relative new-comers, but their ability to deliver year-round productivity and multiple cutting options, cope easily with longer, coarser, dry or wet grass and combat extended mowing cycles immediately caught the market’s attention.

With a 24.7hp Yanmar engine, the Groundsmaster 3200 packs a punch, perfect for applications in smaller estates, schools and colleges. Meanwhile the heavy-duty Groundsmaster 3300 with its powerful 37.4hp engine is a real jungle-buster. Both machines benefit from Toro’s CrossTrax all-wheel drive system, which provides automatic traction control, shifting power to the wheels in slippery conditions for increased control and accuracy even in tough conditions.

Each has the option of 152cm (60ins) or 183cm (72ins) rear and side, or rear-only discharge rotary decks, with or without mulching kits, or a 152cm flail deck. There are three deck options; two rotary options to meet customers’ feature and price requirements – the standard deck has rear and side discharge and replaceable deck bumpers – and the Turbo Force deck has rear discharge and welded deck bumpers.

Another bonus is the durable deck design. With 4.5mm high strength steel decks, rugged spindles, a bullnose bumper and reinforced sideskids, it’s built for longevity and reduced downtime. Plus, the tip-up cutting deck makes servicing even easier, with access to the underside of the deck in under 15 seconds.

When it comes to getting jobs done quickly, the Groundsmaster 3000 series benefits from a transport speed of 22km/h, so you can move between sites efficiently, and its 19.8cm ground clearance means curb climbing is easy and doesn’t break up work. Plus, a large 45.4 litre fuel capacity maximises mowing time between refuelling for even more efficiency.

Alastair concludes: “The Groundsmaster series is the perfect out-front rotary choice in the new Stage V world. They are clean, considered and compliant.”

To discover on the Groundsmaster 3000 series, or to talk to someone about the Toro range and the finance options available, call 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Toro at the fore for two clubs

Toro at the fore for two clubs: Green Circle Leisure is bringing in more Toro to keep standards high as it embarks on the next stage of development across two of its clubs in the North West.  

For five years, Toro machinery has been at the forefront of Green Circle Leisures’ investment in Allerton Manor Golf Club in South Liverpool and Sherdley Park Golf Club in St Helens, Merseyside. Now with both clubs having made great progress, two new Toro Greensmaster 1000 walk behind cylinder mowers have been bought in to provide the best possible maintenance for the new turf across the new greens and tees of Sherdley Park.

Toro at the fore for two clubs

Toro at the fore for two clubs

In 2015, Green Circle Leisure, the official golf operating partner with Liverpool City Council, purchased a fleet of Toro machinery from Cheshire Turf Machinery in Stockport, as part of the reinvention of Allerton Manor Golf Club. The company’s excellent relationship with Cheshire Turf Machinery, and the reliability and quality of Toro machinery, led to Green Circle Leisure purchasing additional Toro machinery for Sherdley Park Golf Club in 2018, after becoming the operating partner of St Helens Council.

Steve Halley, managing director at Cheshire Turf Machinery said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Michael Hanlon, chief executive at Green Circle Leisure, and his team and witness the transformation of the golf courses and facilities in their care. Since 2015, as well as investing in new equipment, Green Circle Leisure has moved to protect that investment by confirming maintenance programmes with us on all their machines, helping to ensure the continued improvement of the golf courses.”

Director of golf, Bryan Joelson-Mulhall explains: “Over the past few years we’ve invested in both Allerton Manor and Sherdley Park, with our goal from the start to provide facilities as good as or better than private members clubs, while staying affordable and accessible to the whole community. In order to continue making improvements to the courses in line with our goals, we need the best machinery. And having the best machinery means Toro.”

A number of improvements have already been made to both clubs, with more on the way as the redevelopment continues, and this led to Green Circle Leisure to add to its Toro fleet with the purchase of two Greensmaster 1000 walk behind cylinder mowers for Sherdley Park.

The Greensmaster 1000 is ideal for greenkeepers needing an efficient and easy to operate walk-behind mower that delivers an excellent quality of cut. The front weight bias offsets the operator’s natural tendency to place weight on the handle, allowing the reel to better follow ground contours for a consistent cutting height, plus it is uniquely weighted, front to rear, providing greater turf penetration.

“We’re working to make Sherdley Park an all weather course, suitable to play year-round,” says Bryan. “So that means new greens, new tees and new bunker systems. We needed high-quality walk behind mowers for the maintenance of new turf as it grows in, and the Greensmaster 1000 is perfect for that.”

And with planning permission approved for the next phase of work at Allerton Manor, it certainly seems like its fleet of Toro machinery, which includes two Greensmaster 1600s, two Greensmaster 1000 pedestrian mowers, a Greensmaster TriFlex 3400, a Reelmaster 5510-D, and two Groundsmaster 4000-D machines among others, will be put to work over the next couple of years.

“We’re going to be turning the course at Allerton Manor from a par 67, to a par 72,” says Bryan. “That’s alongside a brand new golfers pavilion, adventure golf course for families, a driving range, hotel and spa and a new greenkeeper compound.”

Richard Shields, Allerton Manor head greenkeeper said: “We are always looking at how to improve the courses, and Toro does a fantastic job keeping standards high and improving the quality of the course. We don’t hesitate to bring in more Toro when needed as we know the importance of having reliable, quality kit.

“Since 2015, Toro machinery, the after-service care from Cheshire Turf Machinery and Reesink Turfcare and the feedback from the team have all been good, so we’ve no plans to change a winning formula.”

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Another decade with Toro

Another decade with Toro: Trust, support and understanding, three vital qualities for a successful relationship, and in the case of Royal Dornoch, Toro and Reesink, it’s a combination that has worked exceedingly well for 25 years. Now it’s set to last a lot longer too as the club signs an exclusive supplier agreement for another ten years.

In an uncertain climate, one thing general manager Neil Hampton at Royal Dornoch in Scotland knows with certainty in choosing Toro again, is that quality and consistency will continue, which for a Championship course is non-negotiable. He says: “Regardless of what is going on in the world, one thing that has remained the same for 400 years is our dedication to providing our members and players with golfing excellence.

Another decade with Toro

Another decade with Toro

“Toro is tried and tested on the remote links landscape here and we see no reason to change that especially when Toro’s dedication to innovation and technology stills leads the way.”

Neil refers specifically to the four Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 electric greens mowers included in the club’s latest order: “As a club it’s very important for us to be as green as we can as often as we can. The team tried the electric greens mowers in a demo and were unanimously impressed, plus you know with Toro that any new machine has been tested to the nth degree. There were absolutely no negatives in choosing these electric machines to take over the important frontline mowing on our greens.”

Continuing the green theme in the rest of the order are four of the environmentally-friendly hybrid Reelmaster 5010-H fairway mowers and eight electric utility vehicles, the Workman GTXe with lithium-ion battery. Neil says: “Our greens and fairway mowers are used a lot and it is of the utmost importance that they perform to their best at all times. We’ve never noticed a difference between the environmentally-friendly machine option or diesel, apart from the obvious noise and fuel mess.

“We have a fantastic relationship with Reesink in that they understand how we work, what works best for us and what we want out of a deal. For example, we have a great system for the replacement and buy-back of our used machinery. Our used machines have a lot of life left in them and it’s only right that they go on doing a great job somewhere else.”

Heading into 2021 what does Neil see on the horizon? “Looking at the positives from 2020, the year Royal Dornoch got voted as Scotland’s Best Golf Course by the World Golf Awards, the break from play during growing season has given the course an unexpected rest, there’s been little to no wear and tear and it’s looking and playing wonderfully. The team had the chance to undertake jobs such as overseeding that you wouldn’t normally do in the peak season and it means we go into 2021 with the course in the ultimate shape.

“With international travel hopefully opening up earlier than expected perhaps in the spring, it means our 700 overseas members can resume their play here which will be fantastic. In the meantime, we’ve always been proud to be a course accessible for all. For 400 years our doors have been open to everyone and in 2021 that will be hugely important; we all know the huge benefits a round of golf can bring.”

And with Toro aiding the 19-strong greenkeeping team in tending the 36-hole course means it will provide the best possible environment, not just in terms of its beauty and playability, but its carbon footprint too. The future is decidedly green at Royal Dornoch!

To talk to someone about Toro’s electric machinery, packages and payment options available and how the Toro range would suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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Trust Toro genuine parts

Trust Toro genuine parts: Grounds teams across the nation are likely working at a reduced rate due to the focus on essential services, but grass growth stops for no one. When maintenance routines return to normal, make sure your cylinder mowers are ready for the challenge with genuine Toro bottom blades.

Toro parts UK distributor Reesink Turfcare has some advice for grounds teams preparing their machines for work – choose your bottom blades carefully. Michael Hampton, parts manager at Reesink, says: “Bottom blades can be an area where buyers decide to cut corners, choosing an inferior, spurious part in order to save money, but that doesn’t make long-term sense when you have a Toro machine and short-term that could be even worse.

Trust Toro genuine parts

Trust Toro genuine parts

“You need to be sure your machine can go out there and deal with potentially months of uncut grass effectively, with ease, delivering the best possible finish when there’s lots to do and you don’t want to be relying on ‘will fit’ parts for that.”

Well-maintained bottom blades are vital in producing a quality cut and genuine Toro bottom blades are the best there are, outperforming ‘will fit’ inferior quality parts. Research at Toro headquarters in America proves this point. In tests focused on many physical characteristics, in particular the flatness of the blade and positioning of the chamfered mounting holes, results showed that unbranded bottom blades failed in over 50 percent of Toro’s quality specification standards.

Michael continues: “Grounds fleets will be put through their paces when the time comes to start cutting more areas, or more frequently, again. Not only will it be high season but there’s likely a lot of backlog to deal with. The last thing the team needs are delays dealing with worn, damaged or blunted bottom blades or wasted time waiting for replacement parts.”

Reesink is still open for business and teams in our service centres, warehouses and across our supply chain are working tirelessly to deliver parts for our customers.

Drop them a line at info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or call Spare Parts: 01480 226854

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FCC Environment impresses with Toro

FCC Environment impresses with Toro: For several years Toro machinery has been helping FCC Environment’s grounds maintenance department achieve excellent results for its clients, which is why it continues to invest in Toro.

Richard Moss, FCC Environment’s grounds foreman, explains: “We have several clients we work with on a range of projects and across all types of surfaces, from parks and public sports grounds, to highway verges. So it’s very important for us to have reliable machinery that helps us achieve results that keep our clients happy.”

FCC Environment impresses with Toro

FCC Environment impresses with Toro

Making up the bulk of FCC Environment’s maintenance fleet are three LT3340 heavy-duty triple mowers and a T4240 high-output cylinder mower which were purchased four years ago, and most recently a LT-F3000 triple flail mower.

“The T4240 and LT3340 mowers we’ve had for four years and we invested in a LT-F3000 triple flail mower last year,” Richard tells us. “We needed another machine to help with an increase in our workload and it wasn’t really a question that we would look to Toro again and it’s certainly a decision that has paid off! Not only has the LT-F3000 really impressed me thanks to its versatility coping with both long and short grass, leaving an excellent finish every time, but also, despite the wet weather at the start of the year, all the Toro machines have still seen excellent results and really impressed our clients.”

The 21-person-strong grounds team at FCC Environment are out in force every day using Toro machines during peak season, which is why reliable machinery and excellent after sales service make up the vital combination that Richard looks for in a machinery partner, something that together Toro and UK distributor Reesink Turfcare provide.

“We have such a full on schedule that the biggest problem we could face would be machinery downtime,” says Richard. “If our machines were constantly breaking down or it took too long to order parts in for repairs, it would be disastrous. Good reliability is why our frontline grass cutting machines are all Toro. We’ve seen this in action with our T4240 and LT3340, and despite being in use nearly every day for four years, our machinery downtime has stayed at an absolute minimum.

“Not only are Toro machines incredibly reliable, but the after sales service from Reesink is excellent,” Richard concludes.

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Toro give $500,000 to Coronavirus efforts

Toro give $500,000 to Coronavirus efforts: The Toro Company (Parent company of Hayter Limited) yesterday announced that it is giving $500,000 to assist families and communities worldwide that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grant funding from the Toro Foundation will span all regions where The Toro Company operates, and will focus on providing food, health and humanitarian assistance to helping people adversely impacted.

Toro give $500,000 to Coronavirus efforts

Toro give $500,000 to Coronavirus efforts

“Supporting our customers and communities is an important part of our culture and core to who we are as a company,” said Rick Olson, chairman and chief executive officer of The Toro Company. “Now more than ever, it is critical that we come together to respond to the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 and to support those most vulnerable in our communities.”

The contributions include commitments to several global nonprofits that are assisting in the relief efforts. This includes the American Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Feeding America, the World Food Program, the United Way Worldwide, and United Way organizations in communities where The Toro Company’s employees live and work.

An additional element of the global giving effort includes a special program for its employees who wish to personally give to designated COVID-19 relief organizations. Under the program, The Toro Company will match employee contributions to a nonprofit organization of their choice in support of relief efforts.

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Royal Portrush signs Toro agreement

Royal Portrush signs Toro agreement: Fresh off the success of the 2019 Open Championship it hosted, Royal Portrush Golf Club has signed another five-year agreement with Toro, bringing the relationship between the historic club and the brand to 30 years.

When we last spoke to course manager Graeme Beatt The Open had just concluded and recovery of the course was paramount. Now, Graeme can look back at the event and all that came with it.

Royal Portrush signs Toro agreement

Royal Portrush signs Toro agreement

He reflects: “In the four years running up to the competition we made some big changes. This included adding seven new holes, 34 tees and 22 bunkers across both our courses. And the Dunluce links course, which held The Open, had added five new greens, 19 tees and 18 bunkers, plus changes to every hole of some kind. Additionally, two miles of road and 18 miles of pipe and ducting were installed to accommodate new infrastructure for spectators of The Open. Toro machinery and irrigation were integral to our prep, the course maintenance throughout the event and the aftercare. And the whole time we saw excellent results which, with 25 years of experience with Toro at the club, was nothing less than expected!”

It’s this long history of Toro’s excellent performance and reliability that saw the club sign a further five-year agreement at the conclusion of last year, continues Graeme: “I’ve been using Toro for the majority of my career and during that time the machines have proved themselves to be reliable and robust. The finish they provide is second to none. Combined with the excellent service from Reesink Turfcare, there really was no question who we would turn to for our next renewal, especially after the huge success of The Open, which was a real team effort.

“Reesink loaned us 25 Toro machines, joining our 50-strong existing fleet, and we simply wouldn’t have been able to make such a success of hosting the event without that help. With many of the players staying late to get extra practice, we had to get the course – all 7,300 yards of it – ready within a very short time period each morning. And it wasn’t just the increased number of machines that allowed us to do this, but the efficiency and quality of those machines.”

And the quality of Toro machines was further proved after the conclusion of the competition. With so many spectators, a huge 237,750 making it the highest attended championship outside of St Andrews, Toro was needed to help with the recovery of the links course.

“The course was generally in great condition when the competition ended as the maintenance throughout was to such a high standard, from both the machinery and irrigation,” says Graeme. “However the spectator areas had seen a lot of stress, so it was important to have high-quality machinery to aid the turf’s recovery, which of course Toro provided.”

With the course back up to standard and a new agreement in place, Graeme’s thoughts turned to the next five years and he has big plans: “We’re looking at bringing in Infinity sprinklers across the whole course after seeing them in action on the new holes. They perform so well, particularly in windy conditions which we have a lot of here! We’re also considering introducing hybrid mowers to the fleet. Not only are they better for the environment and eliminate any possibility of an oil leak, but they are now tried and tested machines.”

But ultimately, what this latest deal does is “continue to provide golfers with a championship standard experience,” says Graeme.

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First Toro fleet for Cotswold Hills

First Toro fleet for Cotswold Hills: When it comes to golf course machinery, time is money, and as such efficient machines are fast becoming a must have for golf courses across the country. Which is exactly the reason Cotswold Hills opted for the Groundsmaster 5900-D in its first Toro fleet deal.

“We have a team of six here to maintain a 157 acre course,” explains course manager Wayne Vincent. “Plus, with the course draining naturally because of its position on Limestone rock it’s playable year-round, which means there’s no let up on maintenance. That’s why it’s so important to have efficient machines that get the job done quickly to a high standard.”

First Toro fleet for Cotswold Hills

First Toro fleet for Cotswold Hills

The 18-hole, 6,800-yard course at Cotswold Hills is situated at the top a hill 850 feet above sea level. With the club’s impressive views and stunning tree-lined course, it’s attracted a membership of near 1000, with member expectations for the course as high as they are above sea level.

With that in mind, updating the club’s machinery fleet after years of replacing one machine at a time was of the utmost importance. And it’s the Groundsmaster 5900-D, capable of mowing 17 acres an hour, that heads up the new fleet of efficient Toro machinery.

“We have a lot of rough to cover on the course and previously we were spending three days each week cutting it,” says Wayne. “It was obvious we needed a larger machine to get the job done quicker. Although our fleet was already predominantly Toro and had served us well, we looked into other brands for due diligence. But there wasn’t another brand that had the size of machine we wanted available – no one could match the offering that Toro provided not only when it came to the spec of the GM5900-D, but the fleet too.

“The GM5900-D has cut our rough cutting time in half already,” Wayne says. “With the increase in cutting width and speed, alongside its excellent contour following, we can now get the whole course done in a day and a half and the finish of cut is brilliant.”

Joined by a new Reelmaster 3100-D Sidewinder, RM3575-D and a Greensmaster Flex 2120 pedestrian mower, the new Toro fleet has certainly made an impression.

“From experience I know that Toro machines are incredibly durable, which is why we’ve had a fleet of purchased Toro machines for so long. But having these four new machines with the latest upgrades and technological advancements has made a vast difference already.

“The Greensmaster Flex 2120 follows contours really well and is helping us extend the collar cut into the aprons and run offs and the Reelmaster 3100-D Sidewinder is giving us a better, cleaner cut, particularly in wet conditions.”

And going forward, this first lease deal with Toro is just the beginning of a longer term investment in the club’s machinery to help improve the course.

“Continuing an agreement plan with Toro will mean that we can consistently bring to the course the newest technology and upgrades, while simultaneously reducing machinery downtime. We’ve already seen the team’s productivity increase after only having these new machines for a few months, so it’s definitely proven to be the right move for the club” concludes Wayne.

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Rushmere Golf Club’s secretary manager Bob Tawell, centre left, shakes hands with Reesink’s Julian Copping and is joined by greenkeepers Michael Buck, left, and David Driver.

TORO for the trio at Rushmere

TORO for the trio at Rushmere: When you’re part of a small team having a fleet of machinery you can rely on makes all the difference as Rushmere Golf Club can attest to as it signs its third five-year lease deal agreement with Toro and Reesink Turfcare.

TORO for the trio at Rushmere:

With just three greenkeepers at the historic 6200-yard, 18-hole course in Ipswich, Suffolk it is absolutely essential that the machinery brand head greenkeeper Pat Swinn invests in is the most efficient and reliable there is.

TORO for the trio at Rushmere: Rushmere Golf Club’s secretary manager Bob Tawell, centre left, shakes hands with Reesink’s Julian Copping and is joined by greenkeepers Michael Buck, left, and David Driver.

Rushmere Golf Club’s secretary manager Bob Tawell, centre left, shakes hands with Reesink’s Julian Copping and is joined by greenkeepers Michael Buck, left, and David Driver. Photography

He says: “Efficiency and reliability in a machinery partner are often cited as the primary reasons for choice and use, but the importance of those two factors takes on a whole new meaning when you have a small team. For us those two things can equal the productivity of an extra person.”

For Pat who has been at the club for 20 years and his greenkeepers – Michael Buck and David Driver, who have both been at the club for over a decade – there is simply nothing comparable to Toro in this respect, hence why the club is taking its relationship with the brand and its sole UK distributor Reesink Turfcare to 15 years.

Pat says: “Who we choose each time is a joint decision and every time it is unanimous. We stick with what suits us and the course. We stick with what delivers and aids us in our job, allowing us to be the most productive we can. We’re active in our decision-making process and each renewal is competitive and each time Toro outperforms all others.”

The machines that form the club’s third five-year lease deal are two Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 mowers, Groundsmaster 4500-D and two Workman GTX E utility vehicles, among many, which are like-for-like replacements. The Groundsmaster 3500-D Sidewinder however is a new addition to the club and quite the star of the show for Pat and the team.

Pat explains: “We’re in the third stage of renovating all our bunkers and the sidewinder was brought in specifically for creating the perfect finish around the edges. It’s delivering not only on that, but also for how easy it is to use. Adjusting the position of the units is so simple from the seat, it’s really impressive.”

A heathland course set on common land, Pat comments on how even maintenance is more of a challenge at Rushmere: “Course maintenance is constant. As a course on common land we have a lot of walking traffic and dogs coming across the course throughout the day. That can cause a significant amount of damage and requires vigilance to make sure the course presents for our members at all times.

“Toro is instrumental in helping us achieve that. The machines are very rarely on downtime, if parts are ever needed, they arrive promptly thanks to distributor Reesink’s excellent service and the backup from rep Julian Copping is always there whenever we need it.”

It’s quite often thought that bigger is better and quantity over quality, we think the team at Rushmere is single-handedly proving that is not the case. Small but mighty is the name of the game here, made even more effective by the support of Toro.

 

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More Toro for Badgemore Park

More Toro for Badgemore Park: Following on from Toro’s success at The Drift Golf Club in Surrey, Toro arrives at Badgemore Park Golf Club in Henley-on-Thames, its sister club, for the first time.

Since it was founded in 1972, Badgemore Park has operated a like-for-like machinery replacement plan and never benefitted from the advantages of having a comprehensive machinery fleet, until now.

More Toro for Badgemore Park

For the last 20 years course manager Lindsay Anderson has wanted that to change and now’s the time, with the club choosing Toro for its first ever fleet package deal.

“We’ve undergone a lot of development at the club recently,” says Lindsay. “Making changes with new greens and tees and re-developing all the bunkers. Investing in a complete Toro machinery package is part of a massive investment in the club and another step in the right direction to improve the course, completing our five-year plan of course improvements in time for our 50th anniversary in 2022.”

And it was a very thorough process for Lindsay when it came to choosing a new equipment provider. “We had demonstrations from a few brands and asked around other golf courses for recommendations,” he says. “It became clear fairly soon that Toro was the way to go. Toro is renowned in the industry as being the best and the demonstration cemented that.”

The machines entrusted with maintaining the beautiful parkland course include three Toro Greensmaster TriFlex 3400 mowers, two Groundsmaster 4300-D mowers, two Greensmaster 1000 pedestrian mowers, two Workman MDX-D utility vehicles, a Groundsmaster 4000-D and a ProCore 648 with quick tine change collars fitted, which Lindsay says is his favourite.

“It’s just fantastic. We have a massive aeration programme proposed for the next six months so it’s going to get a lot of use and I know it will be up to the task. It’s a real quality piece of engineering built for ease of maintenance and ease of operation. Plus, it’s durable and reliable.

“In fact, all the machines are, which makes my job easier on a daily basis. I’m no longer constantly answering the phone to members of the greenkeeping team and having to run to fix issues with the machines, and that’s had an effect on us all. We’ve all got confidence in the machines and it’s really boosted morale and productivity.”

Of course, committing to one machinery brand usually means a change in dealer with Reesink being keen to demonstrate to Lindsay how it offers its customers more.

Reesink sales manager Robert Rees soon made the introductions for Lindsay with his local Toro service centre, CTH Engineering, which reassured Lindsay about the backup service available. He says: “I was unsure where we would go for our servicing if we switched brands, but Robert was great. He put me in touch with another local dealership that dealt with Toro machines and discussed the whole thing in detail which cleared up the concerns I had. And the backup to date – well there have been no issues.”

But when it comes down to it, what has impressed the team and members of the club alike most are the results seen across the course.

“The quality of cut is incredible,” concludes Lindsay. “Within a month members were commenting on the quality of the playing surfaces having improved.”

This is no surprise considering The Drift experienced a similar improvement in both the aesthetics and quality of the playing surface too!

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