Toro’s Sidewinder tech for Ratho Park

By Alistair October 1, 2022 06:42

Ratho Park Golf Club in Edinburgh, Scotland, has a long history with Toro and has recently acquired one of the brand’s bestsellers: the Reelmaster 3100-D cylinder mower featuring its innovative Sidewinder technology.

Craig McCrorie, head greenkeeper for over three years, and his team of five have been busy this year rebuilding 12 greens on the 18-hole tree-lined parkland course with plans to remodel the bunkers in the next few years, so the need for a machine to make the work easier, faster and with better results became a priority. The Reelmaster 3100-D was, thus, selected for the job.

“The Sidewinder technology is brilliant,” Craig comments. “The fact that all three cutting units can move 12 inches right or left from the centre position for a full 24 inches of travel allows you to cut the grass exactly how you want it even when in tricky positions. Not having to put so much weight on the bunkers as we drive around them is perfect as we still get that close cut, but the tyres are kept back from the edges.”

The ride-on mower is also being used on the semi roughs, as Craig comments: “We’re cutting those to around 20mm in height and it hasn’t posed a problem for the Reelmaster. It goes through it like butter. It’s a huge step up – a night and day difference – between this and the mower we were using before. Toro really is unique in the technology it delivers.”

Toro’s renowned Dual Precision Adjustment (DPA) cutting units feature a one-click dial for quick adjustment of the bedknife in exact increments for a clean and consistent cut of each blade of grass, which helps keep the sward green and healthy. That, paired with a patented three-wheel drive system that provides an impressive traction in both hilly and wet conditions, with minimal wheel slip that’s gentle on the turf, makes the Reelmaster 3100-D a great addition to any golf club.

Not only can it get under and around trees and other hard-to-reach places while bringing precise control to delicate jobs such as trimming around bunkers, water features, tee boxes and greens edges on the golf course but it also means that more junior members of staff can perform expert edging, as well as trimming neatly and closely around sensitive areas while keeping the mower’s wheels a safe distance away.

“The quality of these machines is unbeatable: the finish, the usability, the longevity, it’s a whole package,” Craig continues. “Everyone agrees. Using them is saving us a huge amount of time as we don’t have to go through the hassle of setting them up. Plus, we’ve had far fewer breakdowns. The frequency of breakdowns of our previous machine is what put us off buying them again. But with Toro, we’ve had a break down this week for the first time since we bought them from distributor Reesink two years ago.

“They were minor issues and solved quickly by Reesink as they were still under warranty. The chances of Toro machines breaking down are very slim – it does happen, obviously, but it’s not common – that’s the difference. And that puts us at ease since downtime is not an option.

“Toro just seems to work on our golf course,” Craig concludes. “Especially the Sidewinder. Its performance has exceeded expectations and we hope to benefit from more of Toro’s technology in the future.”