Worcester Golf Club sticks with Toro

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Worcester Golf and Country Club, which is only a few minutes from Worcester city centre, has stuck with Toro in a bid to resolve some noise issues the club was experiencing cutting certain greens.

When course manager Karl Williams joined in at the beginning of April this year to oversee the nine-strong greenkeeping team, he knew from previous experience working with the brand that Toro was the right fit for the job and had the right range of machines to make a difference.

The new deal includes two Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360 hybrid riding greens mowers and four Greensmaster 1021 fixed-head greens mowers – keeping it an all-Toro club when it comes to frontline mowing equipment – as well as a GreensPro 1260 riding greens roller.

These machines were carefully selected to help solve some issues the club was experiencing by being in an urban location. The eTriFlex 3360 hybrid greensmowers were particularly important to appease noise complaints the club had received over the years when cutting certain greens at certain times. This model utilises all-electric components so it’s so much quieter and more efficient than its petrol predecessor. And with no hydraulic fluid, leaks are minimised, making it a greener option for any turfcare maintenance business.

Karl explains: “These hybrid models sound like a golf buggy when in stealth-mode travel. This keeps our residential neighbours happy and means the team can now start work earlier on the course and get the job done ahead of golfers, all the while being the environmentally-friendly option.

“It’s so efficient too; not only can the lads get out earlier, but they are done quicker. We’re a very busy club – we have around 700 golf members and 300 tennis members – so we need to stay productive and efficient, and these machines allow us to do just that.”

In addition, the GreensPro 1260 roller is the first roller the club has had the pleasure of using and leaves a smooth and precise finish for the ultimate playing surface. Karl explains: “I can cut the greens at a higher height of cut, which is heathier for the grass plant and also still achieves the greens’ speed the golfers require”.

With the new fleet getting the seal of approval from the greenkeeping team, the course neighbours and the golfers, Karl has a few more plans in store that involve future purchases of Toro machinery: alongside some general course improvements is a three-to-four-year plan for a full bunker renovation and a seven-to-10-year plan of tree layout redesign.

He says: “I think the clubs that invest, like Worcester Golf and Country Club with the course improvements and new kit, are the ones that are going to thrive,” he says. “Members just want to see value for their money and I think the phrase ‘you must spend money to make money’ is true – clubs that can afford to invest will be the ones that profit.”

Choosing Toro was, for Karl, the natural option: “I’ve always favoured Toro, for me it is an all-round package. The quality is there so it was something that we wanted to continue with. Longevity was also a factor; I’ve had mowers still mowing in their 20^th year. Toro machines hold their value when it comes to trade ins. We don’t have much trouble with them, we mainly only require spare parts from general wear and tear. So, Toro is still very much the market leader for me.

“During my time in the industry, it’s been my preferred manufacturing brand and yes, the club will be staying that way going forward, with a fleet refresh over the next four to five years.”

Karl also credits the positive relationship with Reesink and area service centre Redtech Machinery Ltd. for the seamless purchasing process and ongoing support.

“At previous clubs where I was course manager, we had good relationships with Reesink (way back when it was Lely) and also with the Toro service centre Redtech,” Karl explains. “I’ve dealt with them for the past 20 years I‘ve been greenkeeping and I can’t speak highly enough of them. Their service is second to none and I think that’s 50 percent of what’s important when you buy a machine – you need to know that backup and support are there, reliable and ready to serve your needs.”