Ask the Course Manager at Knock Golf Club for his thoughts on their Baroness equipment and the response is just one word – faultless! The venue located on the outskirts of Belfast was one of the first in Northern Ireland to adopt the brand, and close to a decade on from the purchase of their LM2700 and LM315, they now run a fleet of six mowers which executes the majority of their cutting operation.
Lee Eager has been Course Manager for the last 18 years and maintains the challenging 18-hole parkland course with the assistance of a team of five. “We’ve been Baroness users since 2015 and were one of the first here in Northern Ireland to take the plunge – but from the purchase of those first two machines, we’ve never looked back” he emphasises. In the years that have followed, Lee has added a second LM315 triple greens mower, along with a GM2800 and GM2810 five-deck rotary mower and LM331 surrounds and trim mower to his armoury.
“Theres two main reasons we remain loyal to Baroness – the first of which is the outstanding service and support we received from our local dealer, Cyril Johnston, and in particular Ian Ellis. Secondly, it’s the performance and quality of the cutting cylinders which, in my opinion, are the best on the market.”
He continues, “All of our mowers deliver pinpoint precision and a sharp cut which is critical for retaining the aesthetics and health of our playing surfaces. They also stay on cut better than any alternative we’ve previously used and weather the challenges of course life – with bedknives lasting as long as four years, and some of our older models delivering day-in, day-out despite having over 2900 hours on the clock.”
Running alongside the mowers is a SP05A bunker rake and RR1000 greens roller, also from Baroness. “The bunker rake is a vital part of our arsenal and is out five days a week during the summertime. We can also equip this with a dozer blade which has been incredibly useful on construction jobs. Whether it’s elevating bunker presentation or helping us out on larger projects, this machine has been faultless.”
“The RR1000 greens roller gives us that little bit of extra pace in the greens, and that’s been faultless too!” he exclaims. “We couldn’t be happier with the performance and the support we receive with Baroness, it’s the full package for us.”
