The Carnegie Club, located at the Skibo Castle estate on the shores of the Dornoch Firth in Scotland, have continued their partnership with Jacobsen, the distributor of E-Z-GO® golf cars and Cushman® utility vehicles, having recently purchased a new fleet of vehicles for the estate.
Gary Gruber has been the Estate Manager at the club for three years, having previously held the position of Course Manager on the estate’s 18-hole golf course for 11 years. Gary was responsible for the agreement reached with Jacobsen, where his main concern was to procure the highest quality utility vehicles on the market for the 7,500-acre estate, along with professional service and after sales support.
The vehicles included in the package are 18 E-Z-GO RXV 2+2 people carriers, 11 Cushman Hauler Pro X light utility vehicles, five E-Z-GO RXV Electric golf cars, three Cushman Hauler 1200X petrol-powered light utility vehicles, a Cushman 1600 XD-R 4×4 utility vehicle, a Cushman Shuttle six-people carrier and a Cushman Refresher FS2 vehicle, for the food and beverage team.
“In my previous role as Course Manager, I had chosen Jacobsen to supply the club with E-Z-GO golf cars and utility vehicles, so I already knew that I would be getting good quality products, with excellent support from Fairways GM, our local dealer. One thing that particularly caught my attention about E-Z-GO and Cushman are the diversity and range of vehicles available; there is always a product to match our requirements.”
The 40 vehicles included in the package will be used for a variety of applications across the estate at the Carnegie Club. Amongst the activities available are trap and pheasant shooting, fishing, horse-riding, cycling, quad-biking and falconry. One of the main attractions at the club is the 6,833-yard championship links course, which is available for the exclusive use of members and selected guest parties.
“We have such a broad range of activities on offer at the Carnegie Club, that we need a comprehensive range of vehicles. An example of this is the Refresher FS2 and the Hauler Pro X vehicles. The Refresher FS2 is excellent for providing unprecedented hospitality to the members of our club. We are able to keep hot food warmer for longer, and the extra storage capacity means that we can offer guests a wider range of refreshments whilst they enjoy a round of golf or participate in one of the many other activities. I am also very impressed with the Cushman Hauler Pro X utility vehicle; it has vastly improved range and longevity which is exactly what is needed for an estate the size of Skibo Castle.
“We went through a rigorous decision making process where we compared pricing, environmental impact and vehicle performance, before deciding which company to buy from. Jacobsen, with its E-Z-GO and Cushman product range, came out on top, and we felt confident that we would receive the best products and service available, which is certainly proving to be the case.
“The Carnegie Club has developed a strong business relationship with Textron over the years due to its professional service and outstanding company representatives, who really make a difference. Nick Brown, Corporate Accounts International for Jacobsen, has been excellent; he is always going above and beyond to make sure we’re happy with every aspect of our package.”
Skibo Castle, in the Highland county of Sutherland, Scotland, was the summer home of industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who purchased the estate in 1898. It is now operated as The Carnegie Club, a members-only residential club, with an international membership. The Carnegie Club has hosted many high-profile events, and the Skibo estate is listed on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the list of nationally significant designed landscapes.
Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd www.ransomesjacobsen.com