The Environmental Golf Course of the Year, Greetham Valley Golf Club, gained its title at the national Golf Environment Awards 2017 for its extensive efforts to increase biodiversity and reduce its carbon footprint. The club’s conscientious environmental attitude is also evident in its recent decision to purchase the Toro Reelmaster 5010-H hybrid mower, known for its ability to cut fuel consumption by up to 20 percent.
Ecological best practice is important to all staff at Greetham but none more so than course manager Adrian Porter who, among many other ecological projects, has implemented iniatives ranging from reducing chemical usage and controlling pests, disease and weeds using holistic methods, to creating wildflower meadows and constructing 17 new ponds.
Adrian says: “The environment and sustainability is at the forefront of the club’s mind in every decision it makes. As an industry-leading innovator with greener mowing options, Toro matches our forward-thinking approach.
“We invested in the Reelmaster 5010-H as its PowerMatch technology greatly reduces fuel consumption and therefore our impact on the environment. We really value biodiversity, so the fact that the more fuel-efficient electric cylinder drive reduces exhaust pollution and removes oil leaks are bonuses that won’t upset wildlife or players.”
The 5010-H boasts environmental benefits without sacrificing results: “The after-cut appearance remains superb because the cutting decks follow the undulations of the course. Plus the lightness of the machine means no turf damage and reduced soil compaction,” says Adrian.
Greetham Valley Golf Club has been a Toro customer for 23 years and Adrian says he’s “always been able to rely on Reesink’s customer service”: “Any issues or queries are resolved quickly and our relationship with Reesink representative Andy Humble is great. He often pops in to make sure we’re happy and is always on hand to answer any questions.
“We remain exclusively loyal to Toro thanks to this service and the machines’ reliability. The machines are always of great build quality and the investment is worth every penny – especially as Toro’s reputation means they will have a great resale value in years to come.”
In addition to the Reelmaster 5010-H the club purchased a Groundsmaster 4500-D, Workman HDX, ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator and a Greensmaster TriFlex 3400 to join its existing Toro fleet.
Adrian speaks of the latter: “We bought another 3400 because we were so impressed with the versatility of the two we already had. Together, the three machines do the job of five thanks to interchangeable cutting heads that can be swapped quickly to a series of different groomers, verticutting or tees units.
“It’s made a big difference to our day-to-day productivity: we go out in the morning using 11-blade units on the greens and swap them later in the morning to 8-blade units for the tees, surrounds and approaches.”
He continues: “We invested in all the machines because we have a replacement period of five to eight years to ensure reliability and keep downtime at a minimum. We have a small fleet and Greetham’s 276 acres to maintain, so we can’t afford for machines to be off-duty!”
Adrian heads up a team of nine greenkeepers, one gardener and one mechanic. On top of maintaining 45 holes, Greetham’s greenkeeping team use their skills and Toro machinery to tackle sports pitch maintenance and landscaping jobs in the surrounding area.
According to Adrian: “Our Toro [MultiPro 5800-D] sprayer is an old favourite that’s been invaluable for this side of the business. Its accuracy is excellent as the machine’s Pro Control calibrates everything on the move. The team and I have our hands full, but the extra work is possible thanks to great people and reliable, innovative Toro machines.”
Reesink Turfcare is the exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland for Toro professional turfcare machinery and irrigation products for the golf, sport and amenity sectors. It is based at 1 Station Road, St Neots PE19 1QH. Call 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk
Greetham Valley GC http://www.greethamvalley.co.uk