“This machine is the course stalwart”

By Alistair November 22, 2023 08:10

Ian Brawn, course manager at Worsley Park Golf and Country Club, part of Delta Hotels by Marriott, has been with Marriott for 18 years – but the club’s trusty Toro Groundsmaster 3500-D has been there even longer.

For the last 21 years, it’s been used to maintain the Manchester club’s picturesque 18-hole PGA Championship golf course. Impressed by the mower’s longevity, Ian recently acquired another Groundsmaster 3500 with Sidewinder shifting decks to help ease the burden on its older sibling.

Ian comments: “We chose to go with another 3500 because we wanted a like-for-like model to go alongside our existing Toro machine – just obviously a lot newer! We began to call the existing Groundsmaster the older sibling but, really, we should call it the grandfather!”

Despite the older mower’s age, Ian’s in no hurry to retire what he dubs ‘the course stalwart’ just yet. “If it’s looked after and well-loved, Toro kit can go on and on,” he says. “The original 3500 still does the job, but it’s obviously not as effective as the new one.

“However, for lighter duties it’s fantastic. We’ve always kept it maintained, so it’s the perfect backup should the new mower be unavailable for whatever reason. As a club, it gives us more versatility. The new 3500, though, is without a doubt a huge game changer for us.”

One reason Ian decided to update his Toro fleet with Reesink is because Worsley Park Golf and Country Club, which will soon be celebrating its 25th birthday, is currently in the process of changing the aesthetics of its course.

“We get a huge amount of golfers here at Worsley,” he explains. “So, naturally, we’ve been using the 3500 duo, but particularly the new mower, quite often.

“We’re currently looking at how we present our course: adapting the presentation, improving our consistency of cut, bringing on a new patterning and new look.

“The 3500’s adjustable head, allowing side-to-side movement means we can get a closer cut around bunkers and sloping greens, improving presentation.”

With Toro’s unique Series/Parallel traction drive system and Contour Plus cutting technology, the Groundsmaster 3500 effortlessly navigates undulating and wet terrain while maintaining a high consistency of cut.

“In addition, we’re also adding an intermediate rough, which requires us to use both mowers side-by-side, which has been nice to see,” Ian says. “Since we’re quite a big site, having two great Toro machines at our disposal really improves the club’s greenkeeping efficiency.

“For all this, of course, we have to extend a huge thanks to Steve Halley from Cheshire Turf Machinery and Reesink, who’ve been really supportive. We have a good working relationship, and Steve and the team have always been there whenever we have issues, especially while Paul, our resident mechanic, is finishing off his training.”