Royal Dornoch picks STAR EV for its buggies

By Alistair June 29, 2023 07:50

Royal Dornoch Golf Club is thought to be the first golf club in the world to fit defibrillators to all its buggies. The buggies chosen to carry this potentially life-saving device are STAR EV’s Capellas from Reesink Scotland.

Royal Dornoch already had defibrillators in the clubhouse and halfway house, but this concept goes one step further to ensure they can be accessed while out on the course and provide treatment more quickly.

The initiative and decision to put the devices on STAR buggies came about by coincidence, as Royal Dornoch general manager, Neil Hampton explains: “The arrival of the buggies coincided with David Sullivan, a Surrey businessman and ex-military trainer, visiting the course on his ten-week challenge putting a golf ball from John O’Groats to Land’s End, stopping along the way to teach 30,000 people CPR.

“We got talking about how we could support David’s mission to promote widespread access to the lifesaving devices and it seemed logical to install them on the buggies that are hired out to golfers with medical conditions. In fact, it almost seemed unbelievable that it hadn’t been done before.”

So, why was STAR EV chosen for this pioneering project? Neil says: “It was time to replace our fleet of buggies and while I don’t find the architecture of golf buggies to change much from brand to brand, STAR EV came top for price and support in our research – we’ve worked with Reesink Scotland for years for our Toro turfcare machinery and know how good they are when it comes to providing support.”

It seems the partnership has started a trend and the club has already had enquiries about the project from other clubs as Neil tells us: “There’s been some promising interest. Defibs are so easy to use, training isn’t even needed.

“They talk you through the process and alert you if treatment isn’t needed. There’s nothing to fear about putting them on your buggy fleet, they can even be insured.”

The award-winning brand STAR EV is much trusted for its battery-powered reliability and its ambulance vehicles are in a range of UK venues including Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

To see this trust extended to the Capella buggy as home to defibrillators is something Mike Murray, Northern Sales for Reesink Scotland, Scottish retailer of STAR EV, is incredibly proud of: “I’d like to thank Royal Dornoch Golf Club for having faith that the STAR brand and Reesink can support such a worthy project. Our ‘larger than most’ lithium batteries, combined with a reliable vehicle, will hopefully go a long way to helping if ever they are called into action.”