Sittingbourne and Milton Regis welcomes full fleet of Toro mowers

By Alistair September 23, 2024 09:45

Sittingbourne and Milton Regis Golf Club in Kent is starting afresh to cut grass well, says general manager Steve Bootes, as it welcomes a full fleet of Toro mowers, all supported by Reesink’s ReeAssure Gold machinery maintenance package to safeguard and secure its investment.

Steve says he and head greenkeeper Paul Best, had been considering Toro for several years: “Previously, we’ve leased our machinery but since the COVID price increases we knew we need to change our strategy and purchase our next fleet, but this brings in a new set of factors to consider such as machinery longevity. For that, we knew it had to be Toro.”

Paul picks up the story: “We needed to make the premium choice and speaking with colleagues at other clubs they reassured me from first-hand experience that Toro could be relied on; I had people telling me they have machines 16+ years old and still going strong.”

The machinery choices the club made cover all aspects that mowing the course requires and were made with the simple premise of “cutting well” says Steve: “We’re starting afresh here and the main thing we needed to get right was getting a good, consistent cut across the course – and we knew we could trust Toro to deliver.”

Paul says: “We have seven push up greens, nine old USGA greens with a much older root zone and drainage issues, and then three new free draining bench walled USGA greens; so mowers that can cope with individual challenges on a hole by hole basis and provide a consistency of cut are vital. The Greensmaster 3250 mowers excel in delivering a true cut every time. There are no marks or indentations, and the groomers don’t dig in. Even with growth regulators used and favourable weather for grass growth, the quality is always there.”

Joining two Greensmaster 3250 mowers are two Reelmaster 3575 mowers, two Reelmaster 3100 mowers and a Groundsmaster 4000.

The club expanded its deal to include Reesink’s ReeAssure Gold machinery maintenance package, about which Paul says: “We wanted the back up and support of experts in the field and that’s what Reesink’s technicians are. We’ve spread the cost and planned the monthly fee into our budget to ensure our machinery is always optimised. After five years we will come out of the plan and our fully-owned machines will be in the best possible shape for the future.”

Paul adds: “I’m 42 and have been at the club for 25 years. I know this course like the back of my hand and have built a team that best serves it and brings a positive attitude to getting the job done. The only thing missing was a quality fleet of machinery. I truly believe these machines from Toro will outsee me for retirement!”

Reesink’s Richard Wood says: “I’m delighted to welcome Sittingbourne and Milton Regis Golf Club to Toro and the Reesink support network. When it comes to machinery longevity, you’d be hard pushed to find better than Toro, and similarly when it comes to machinery maintenance there’s nothing to rival the full service, but economical option Reesink provides.”