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a new view of st andrewsWhen the founders of Château Élan Hotels

and Resorts, discovered a breathtaking cliff-top location overlooking St Andrews Bay they

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April 2004www.portman.uk.com

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Contents

Paul Baxter, secretary of the English Golf Union, is of the opinion that half-priced golf vouchers are bad for the game. He believes such schemes affectadversely the finances of clubs and jeopardise future development.

He would surely not say that without evidence to back it up, but the prolif-eration of such schemes tends to suggest the punters approve.

Golf, like any other competitive market, is all about supply and demand.If golfers want 2-for-1 schemes then surely clubs must look into thefeasibility of accommodating them.

A good comparison is with the airline industry. Many of the largeairlines had been charging what they wanted for seats for manyyears. As a consequence many people who might choose to fly,either stayed at home or went via alternative transport.

After a while we saw the bucket-seat merchants and then anexplosion of low-cost, no-frills airlines. And we don’t needSue Barker to ask us ‘what happened next?’Airlines adopted a fresh approach. Initially it came down tothe acceptance that the plane would be flying anyway, sowhat was the point of holding out for £300 a ticket when50 per cent of the seats were empty?

Much better in the long term to sell the remaining seatsat a cheaper rate. At least they got something per seat.This analogy is converted to golf simply. The coursedoes not pack up and fly off to warmer climes whenthe green fees become scarcer in the winter. It is stillthere, under-used. Better to have people on thecourse paying half the normal amount than none atall.

A manager of an up-market club admitted to usrecently he was desperate to see more golfers onhis course, even if it wasn’t at the full rate. Doesthat sound like somebody concerned about theadverse effect of half-price golf?It doesn’t take a degree in applied economics tosee the benefits of 20 people paying £10 asopposed to five people paying £20.

And it can not be denied that such offers doencourage more people to play at off-peak times.As a wise old man once said: ‘It’s better to havehalf a loaf, than no loaf at all.’

What do you think? Is your club benefiting fromvoucher schemes? Or are you suffering financially?

Get in contact with us at [email protected] write to us at the address opposite.

Half price golfall too importantthese days

issue 36credits;editorJohn Vinicombe

contributorsDavid BowersNeville JohnsonRob Wright

publisherMichael Lenihan

administrationSharon O’Connell

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cover story 7

slovakian golf 20

golf cars 15

john reynolds 32

Golf Management Europe April 2004

News

April 2004 Golf Management Europe

Lead StoryGolfers at Mitcham Golf Club may beforced to pack up after a mystery buyerpaid almost three times more thanexpected to outbid the club members andbuy the land from underneath their club-house.

The two-and-a-quarter acre site, whichhas housed the club’s facilities, as wellas parking for 150 cars, for the past 100years, was sold for an incredible£820,000.

Railtrack, which owned the land, hadexpected the sale to raise just £250,000.Worried members of Mitcham Golf Clubare now concerned the whole future oftheir club is in jeopardy.

Committee member Liam O’Neill said:“We are very concerned. We are not themost affluent of golf clubs but the factthat someone was prepared to pay somuch for the land doesn’t bode well forour future.”

Golf has been played on MitchamCommon since 1882 and the club hasalways operated on common land so thecourse itself is unaffected. The club,however, has only four years left on thelease for the clubhouse, with a rentreview due in April.

“Everyone is very down,” admittedO’Neill.

“The new owners will either look todevelop the land or leave us as a tenantbut vastly increase the rent. Either way itwill sound a death knell to the club.”

The members were so determined toprotect their club that they tried to buythe land themselves, raising almost£750,000 to try to outbid the mysteryphone buyer. They even made a bid, inexcess of the list price, before theauction, when they discovered thatRailtrack was to sell the land.

“We hoped Railtrack would considerthe needs of the local community as thisclub has been an important part ofMitcham life for over 100 years,” he said.

“But they are a massive company who,unfortunately, looked to their pocketsfirst.”

A spokesman for Railtrack defended thecompany’s position.

“Any profit from the sale of railwayland is reinvested in rebuilding Britain’srailway. Network Rail has a duty tosecure the best possible price for landsales to reinvest in improving the railwayfor our passengers.”

Railtrack sale placesMitcham club in jeopardy

The McNicholas Group has taken a 30 per cent shareholding in the Ring of KerryGolf and Country club in Ireland. Under the ownership of McNicholas, together withthe 70 per cent founder shareholders, Dominic Reid and Tommy McNicholas, thecourse is currently undergoing a major expansion programme.

The major investment underlines McNicholas’s confidence in the future of the Irishclub, which is located near Templenoe in County Kerry.

McNicholas backs Ring ofKerry Golf and Country Club

Ted Awcock of Artington Golf, will takeover as chairman of the BritishAssociation of Golf Course Constructorswith effect from January 2005.

The current chairman Nigel Ely, willremain as treasurer.

Father Ted’sthe new man

HSBC backsWee Wonders

The most talented young golfers in theUK will be returning to St Andrews Linksin September 2004 for the grand final ofthe HSBC Wee Wonders Open GolfChampionships.

The brainchild of Alasdair Good, headpro at Gullane Golf Club, the WeeWonders Open Golf Championship coversthe whole of Great Britain and Ireland.

It provides a national avenue for boysand girls aged 5 to 12 to progress fromcoaching programmes into the challengeand fun of competitive golf.

Competitors have 36 shots and placetheir flag where their final shot finishes.Developed in 1995, the tournament hasgrown every year, and now has almost3,000 competitors at 81 Qualifyingevents and regional finals across GreatBritain and Ireland.

HSBC’s new association is part of abroader commitment to golf, from thegrassroots level to its title sponsorshipof golf’s premier match play event - theHSBC World Match Play, and will furtherenable Wee Wonders to grow fromstrength to strength.

This new sponsorship with HSBC isinitially a one-year deal but one that allparties hope continues well into thefuture.

William Parry, head of sponsorship atHSBC, said: “In addition to our sponsor-ship of the HSBC World Match Play, wehave made a commitment to support golfat all levels from the grassroots up.”


The Professional Golfers’ Association is off to a flying start for 2004 with theannouncement of a six-figure deal with Europe’s newest airline. Duo has signed a

three year contract with the PGA to become its official Regional Airline Partner.The deal provides the PGA with a ‘flights bank’ and cash benefits, which will

greatly enhance communication links between its Midlands and Scottish basedoffices and other PGA’s throughout Europe.

Duo in partnership with PGA

Numbers onthe increaseat Fairway

Fairway 2004, which took place for the10th time at the MOC in Munich at theend of February, recorded an enthusiasticresponse by visitors and received espe-cially high marks from exhibitors.

A total of 2,363 visitors were recorded,523 of them from outside Germany,which is an increase of over ten per centcompared to the previous year.

Trade visitors came from 28 countries,with participation from the easternEuropean countries particularly strong.

The 120 exhibitors presented a widespectrum of equipment and service inno-vations from the realm of golf courseplanning, construction and maintenance,including equipment for driving ranges,clubhouses, and maintenance buildings.

Architect Götz Mecklenburg said:“Visitor numbers have risen significantly,the fair is very lively, and visitor interestis very high.”

Marriott re-sign with ToroToro has been voted the best by course managers at Marriott Hotel and Country

Club's 11 UK sites. Commenting on the renewal of a nine-year partnership agreementfor another three years, Marriott Group senior course manager Kenny MacKay said: “Weare delighted to have re-signed the deal with Toro and to continue our long associa-tion. All our course managers agree that Toro equipment is the best overall, and thatthe service and support is superb.”

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News


Ransomes Jacobsen, the Ipswich-basedmanufacturer and distributor of turfmaintenance equipment, has appointedTijardim SA as their exclusive distributorin Portugal.

Tijardim are a trading division ofFatomipe SA, an established companywith over 45 years experience as a manu-facturer of products for the turf industryand who are also the distributor forKubota engines throughout Portugal.

With offices, workshops and warehous-ing facilities in Vilamoura and Aveiro

stocked with new products and a compre-hensive range of genuine spare parts,Tijardim are ideally located to provide acomplete sales and support service acrossPortugal.

Conor O’Neill, Ransomes Jacobsen’ssales manager for Southern Europe said:“We are obviously delighted to welcomeTijardim into the Ransomes Jacobsendistributor network.

“They have an excellent pedigree andyears of experience of the industry intheir region.”

New Portuguese outlet forRansomes Jacobsen

St Andrews Links Trust has appointedEuan Grant as head greenkeeper in chargeof the Old Course, following the recently-announced departure of Eddie Adams to aposition with The European Tour.

Since joining the Links in June 2002,Euan Grant has been head greenkeeper incharge of the New Course. He previouslyworked as head greenkeeper at MarriottForest of Arden Golf and Country Club inWarwickshire where he was involved incourse set up for two English Opens.

He also worked on the constructionand subsequent management of two 18-hole courses in Surrey.

Highly qualified, Grant received theToro/PGA Tour Student Greenkeeper ofthe Year Award in 1994.

In his two years at the Links he hasmade a number of improvements to theNew Course including the creation of newchampionship tees to bring the course toover 6,700 yards.

“Euan has impressed us with hismanagement skills and dedication,” saidGordon Moir, Links Superintendent at theLinks Trust. “We have every confidencethat under his management the OldCourse will continue to be presented inthe traditional way.”

Grant approved at Old CourseThe joy of txtPentland Golf, owners and operators of

four golf clubs in Kent have chosenGolfSmart SMS as their preferred textmessage service.

The service will be used to inform bothclub members and pay and play golfersabout promotions and social eventsacross the Pentland group of clubs.

Johnathan Callister, chief executive ofPentland Golf, said: “The attraction ofthe GolfSmart SMS text service is that itwill enable us to target our promotionsto very specific groups of golfers and asa result give us a higher return on ourmarketing spend.”

Spey Bay setto go back tothe future

Shortly after setting up Golf DesignScotland, Richard Le Sueur is picking upsome prestigious design work for anumber of clients including a recentcommission to carry out the restorationof Spey Bay Golf Course, acquired by TheHobday Golf Company early this year.

Neil Hobday, managing director, said:“We have employed Richard’s services ona number of our projects because hebrings a wealth of knowledge and experi-ence in the key areas of construction,maintenance and design.

“It is rare to find one individual soknowledgeable in all three areas.”

Spey Bay is a classic links layout inMoray, Scotland, and is one of the fewremaining courses designed by thelegendary Ben Sayers.

“We’re still in the early stages, but itlooks likely that we will be returning thecourse to the original layout, with thereintroduction of a number of Ben Sayersgolf holes and hazards which have beenlost over time,” said Le Sueur.

“We’ll also be carrying out a restora-tion programme of bunkers and otherimportant course features, as well asintroducing an irrigation system andgenerally upgrading the maintenancefacilities.”


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Cover StoryClub Car has announced the launch oftheir first new golf car since the popularDS model was introduced in 1980.

From concept to launch, thePrecedent has been in development for5 years and comes as a direct responseto the needs of industry professionalsand golfers worldwide.

During development the project wasknown as �Cleansheet� and reflects theopen-minded attitude Club Car took tore-evaluating the golf car business.

�Every advancement to the golf carto this point has been evolutionary.Precedent is revolutionary,� explainsPhil Trailes president of Club Car Inc.

�We believe this car will be thestandard for excellence that all futurecars will be judged by. That is why it iscalled Precedent.�

The immediate visible differencebetween Precedent and other golf cars isthe styling. The rounded front gives thecar a contemporary look, but the differ-ences go far beyond mere aesthetics.

Precedent is stronger and moredurable, easier to service, more agileand comfortable than any golf carbefore. Emphasis at design stage wasplaced on reducing the cost of owner-ship, which has been achieved throughthe introduction of vast improvementsto the Precedent�s build and structure.

Club Cars industry renownedAlumiCore� chassis is attached to areinforced, friction-bonded underbody,which provides added torsion rigidityand enhanced protection for brakes,wiring and pedals reducing the potentialfor damage to these components.

Robert Drewery, marketing directorof Club Car Europe believes that thePrecedent will make a great impact onthe golf courses in the UK and Europe.

�We are really excited by Precedent.It has an elegant, modern look thatappeals to golfers, and at the same timegolf industry professionals are drawn toit because it is an incredibly easy, costeffective machine to maintain.�

Club Car’s new Precedentis a real show stopper!


News

Angling is worth more to the Scottisheconomy than golf, generating an addi-tional £8m every year, new figuressuggested in March.

The finding could result in VisitScotlandreconsidering its marketing budgets -£700,000 a year in the UK to promotegolf, but only £90,000 for fishing.

Research commissioned by the ScottishExecutive showed game and coarse fish-ing was now worth £112.5m a year,

supports 2,800 jobs, and generates nearly£50m in wages.

The report, by Glasgow CaledonianUniversity and Cogentsi ResearchInternational, a Dumfries-based consul-tancy, also claimed more than half themoney - about £58.9m - comes fromforeign visitors.

VisitScotland said golf generated£105m annually, with about £72mcoming from UK visitors.

One of the most ambitious projectsever undertaken by the R&A got under-way with the launch of the websitewww.bestcourseforgolf.org, the benefitsof which will be felt throughout theworld of golf.

Now, for the first time, while clubs canaccess free information, the worldwidedevelopment of golf at club level can bemonitored by the R&A from its headquar-ters in St Andrews.

This has resulted from the introductionof the website that gives all clubs in the127 affiliated Federations and Unions,the opportunity of drawing on theresources of the Golf Course Committeeand its database of expert advice.

The site was planned in conjunctionwith the European Golf Association andprovides Best Practice Guidelines forcourse management, fulfilling the visionof chief executive Peter Dawson(pictured) who said: “The challenge forgolf is to maintain course quality andplayability while respecting and positive-ly contributing to the social and naturalenvironment.

“We are in no doubt the site will be aninvaluable tool for clubs that are seekingto develop and operate to currentlyaccepted best practice standards.”

The website was inspired by a meetingof European Golf Association leaders inPortugal who called on the R&A to give alead in teaching and encouraging bestmanagement practices on golf courses.

The remit of the new website includespromoting environmental and ecologicalcare; co-ordinating research into reduc-ing chemical use; adapting to climatechange; conserving water, and placingthe game of golf in the forefront ofexemplary community planning.

The meeting also called on the R&A tosupport and influence EC legislation.

The first step was the formation of theR&A Golf Course Committee, which imme-diately set about producing the newwebsite.

It is hoped the project will eventuallylead to a universal accreditation schemerecognising the achievements of clubswhich are seen to fulfil the requirementsof course management excellence.

New website encouragesbest management practice

Bigger fish to fry in Scotland?The English Golf Union and English

Ladies’ Golf Association have distributedthe biennial Golf Club Membership ques-tionnaire to all 1,913 affiliated golfclubs.

As part of their ongoing research strat-egy, this latest survey will question golfclubs on a variety of topics related tojunior and adult issues, includingmemberships, fees, vacancies and wait-ing lists.

EGU Survey

One of Ireland’s top golf courses isdiscriminating against women by refus-ing to let them join the club, a Dublincourt has ruled in a judgment hailed as alandmark by equality campaigners.

Mary Collins, a district court judge,ruled in favour of the government’sEquality Authority, which argued thatPortmarnock Golf Club was breaching a2000 anti-discrimination law.

The Equal Status Act permits privateclubs to restrict membership only if theclub promotes an activity specific to aparticular group. Collins ruled that thegame is played equally by men andwomen, so no golf club in Ireland shouldbe allowed to bar women.

But the judge declined to specify anypunishment for the club pending theoutcome of another case in the HighCourt, Ireland’s second-highest court,which is weighing whether the 2000 actis constitutional.

Lawyers for the Portmarnock clubargue it isn’t. That case could take sever-al months to be decided and could, inturn, be appealed by either side.

Portmarnock had argued previouslythat the club doesn’t discriminatebecause it permits women and othernon-member visitors to play at specifictimes during the week. It said membershad overwhelmingly opposed givingmembership rights to women duringthree debates on the subject since 2000.

Case setsnew landmark


Ransomes Jacobsen France SAS, the French subsidiary of Ipswich-based RansomesJacobsen, has moved to new premises in Toulouse. The company was formerly located

in Cugnaux and shared facilities with another member of the Textron group, GranjaSA. The new 1200 m² facility is ideally located on the outskirts of Toulouse with easy

access to the main motorway network and has sufficient space for increased partsstorage, which will allow greater stock levels and faster order processing.

Ransomes France on the move

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A Johannesburg widow has been giventhe go-ahead to sue the JohannesburgCountry Club after her husband died whenhe was struck by lightning on the golfcourse.

The Supreme Court of Appeal said clubrules which forbid lawsuits under somecircumstances do not apply to the case ofEleanor Stott.

The judgment made it clear that a hugeshowdown is looming over contractstaking away legal responsibility for thenegligent causing of death, with twojudges saying it might well be unconsti-tutional.

Eleanor Stott sued the JohannesburgCountry Club after her husband died inhospital after he was struck by lightningwhile playing a round of golf with friendson March 4, 2000.

He and friends were on the sixth fair-way when a thunderstorm broke. Stottand other players rushed to a shelter, butlightning struck either the shelter or a

tree next to it. Several golfers were seri-ously injured.

Mrs Stott sued the club for loss ofsupport following her husband’s death. Inher particulars of claim she said thatthere were no emergency medical facili-ties available at the club.

The club should have taken steps toensure that the shelter was safe in theevent of an electrical storm, she argued.

The club asked the court to dismiss herplea, saying there was an exemptionclause in its rules that barred her fromsuing it.

Stott replied that the exemption clausedid not indemnify the club and she wasnot bound by the exemption clausebecause she had not been aware of it.

Judge Frank Kirk-Cohen, in the PretoriaHigh Court, agreed with Mrs Stott’slawyers and dismissed the special plea bythe Johannesburg Country Club. Theyappealed. And in March the SupremeCourt of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

Golf and Country club liablefor lightning death

Ashworth gobehind theIron Curtain

Ashworth has become the first globalgolf apparel brand to make a move intothe new, but fast growing, Russianmarket, by becoming the official clothingsupplier to the various teams represent-ing the Russian Golf Federation during2004.

In addition, Ashworth will providecrested garments to the Moscow CityClub, a nine-hole course situated in theheart of the foreign embassy district ofMoscow.

News


Plans for new facilities costing £1m atShrewsbury’s municipal golf course are intatters after developers pulled out of adeal with the borough council.

After demanding the council reducethe lease fee by £150,000, the company,which has been in talks with the councilsince last July, withdrew from negotia-tions.

Robin Hooper, chief executive of theborough council, said: “The contractorwithdrew. There were issues about pricethat they wanted to seek reductions inand we felt we needed to go back to themarket and find the best price we could.”

Scottish soccer boss David Murray haswon a ten-year battle to open a £5m golfcourse.

The metals tycoon, who is honorarychairman of Glasgow Rangers, hadthreatened to pull the plug on thecourse before a single round had beenplayed. But council officials have cavedin to his plans for luxury homes next tothe course.

The £5m Torrance Park course inNewhouse, is owned by Murray and wasdesigned and named after Ryder Cup-winning captain Sam Torrance.

The former Rangers chairman’s devel-opment company, New Brannock, origi-nally applied for planning permission in

1994 and the course was completedthree years ago - but has never beenused.

Building work, however, never got offthe ground because he wanted the go-ahead for the residential development.

Now, despite furious opposition fromanimal welfare groups and archaeolo-gists, he has been allowed to build 180homes on the former open cast mine.

The West of Scotland ArchaeologyService objected to the plans because itsaid the land contained “a range of sitesof archeological significance.”

The plan will now be referred to theScottish Executive, because it is contraryto greenbelt policy.

Murray wins battle overTorrance Park developement

Plans on holdfor council

A Suffolk dog walker received £500compensation after being hit in the eyeby a flying golf ball - but the real cost tothe golf club is nearer £200,000.

For that’s the amount which FelixstoweFerry Golf Club is understood to havebeen forced to shell out to make itscourse safer.

The club is altering three holes so thatin future people walking on the sea wallwill not be in danger from sliced teeshots.

Solicitor Mike Kent, from Felixstowe,said he would be giving his £500 person-al injury compensation to charity.

“I had never intended this caseagainst the golf club to produce anymoney - the idea was simply to get themto take the safety of this issue serious-ly,” he said.

“I merely wanted to have this area ofthe course made safer and now that theground works to realign the 15th fairwayare almost complete, it seems a goodtime to draw a line under the matter.”

Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club, whichexpects the work on the changes to thelinks course, one of England’s oldest, tobe completed this year, said that it hadbeen considering the work for some time.

Felixstowe Ferry in pay-outto dog walker

Gibbons pairsup with globalgolf event

The co-founder of the Auto Tradergroup, Paul Gibbons, has joined the glob-al expansion of the International Pairsgolf tournament.

Gibbons is pairing up withInternational Pairs founder Ross Honeyto help take the tournament to newmarkets and develop the tournament as aglobal brand.

Gibbons, whose company owns TheOxfordshire Golf Club, Chart Hills GC, DaleHill GC and Sandford Springs GC, said: “Ilove playing golf and being involved withthe sport and that is why I got involvedwith Leaderboard Golf Limited.

“Owning golf courses has given me amuch better insight into the golf marketin the UK and one of the most dynamicenterprises I have come across is theInternational Pairs.

“What I particularly like about it is thesimplicity of concept and its globalappeal. From there spring a range ofopportunities that I am looking forwardto exploring with Ross and his team,” heconcluded.


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News


GME featurecreates a ‘Big Impact’

Following the special report into theimpact of new European groundwaterregulations in the last issue of GME, TimEarley, managing director of Waste2WaterEurope has been amazed with the feed-back that his company has received.

“The feature last issue has made a bigimpact on golf clubs throughoutEurope,” said Earley.

“We have been literally inundated withphone calls from concerned clubs - overforty at the last count - all of whom areunderstandably worried about the impactof this legislation on their club.”

Although the only club so far to beprosecuted is Warringah Golf Club inAustralia, the impact of theirAUS$600,000 fine has reverberatedaround Europe, causing clubs to seek anenvironmentally-friendly alternative towaster water control.

Waste2Waters Closed Loop BiologicalRecycling Wash-Off System for vehiclesand equipment removes any risk ofpotential pollution arising from thenormal day-to-day activities of the main-tenance facility.

This includes the whole range of activ-ities, such as diesel refuelling, chemicalmixing, loading, sprayer washing, andeven maintenance degreasing, in addi-tion to equipment washing.

“Installing a Closed Loop RecyclingSystem is the answer as being self-suffi-cient it removes any concerns regardinggroundwater pollution and complies fullywith all current and foreseeable futurelegislation,” said Earley.

Toro has secured a £1.2 million, five-year deal to supply turf machinery andirrigation products to St Andrews Golfand Resort Management, which managesand advises golf clubs and resortsthroughout Europe.

These include the Old Course Hotel GolfResort & Spa, at St Andrews.

Under the agreement a comprehensiverange of equipment will be supplied toseven courses, including The Duke’sCourse, at St Andrews; The GoodwoodClub, Chichester and Les Bordes, in theLoire Valley, France, ranked as secondbest golf course in Europe by Golf World.

Bill Reid, director of golf, strategy andplanning at St Andrews Golf and ResortManagement, said: “We’re very pleased tohave negotiated this deal with Toro.

“It’s enabled us to secure a fixed coston course equipment for our clients. Ourclients receive an exceptional level ofquality and service from us, and we choseToro because it offers the same highstandards.”

Toro’s European director of sales, BobBuckingham, commented: “It’s very satis-fying to have finally secured a long-termpartnership with St Andrews Golf andResort Management.

“The deal was agreed on the back ofseveral rounds of tough negotiations, butfinally won because of Toro’s ability to bea ‘Total Solutions’ provider.”

David Whitaker, formerly course manag-er at Wisely Golf Club, in Surrey, will soonbe joining St Andrews Golf and ResortManagement as a course consultant.

Toro wins £1.2million withmajor resort company

St Andrews Links Trust has receivedpermission from the planning authoritiesto create a new golf course on the edgeof the town.

The new 18-hole course will be joiningthe Trust’s portfolio of six courses, whichincludes the Old Course, venue for theOpen Championship in 2005.

It will be a public course, open all yearround and affordable. Work will start onsite this summer and while progress isdependent on weather conditions, it ishoped the course will be open for play in2006.

Following the coastline east of StAndrews, the seventh course will beexposed to sea breezes.

The designer, David McLay Kidd, creatorof Bandon Dunes on the West Coast ofAmerica, and Queenwood in the heart ofSurrey, intends to create a typicalScottish golf experience.

“This is good news for the tens ofthousands of golfers making theirpilgrimages to St Andrews,” said AlanMcGregor, general manager of the LinksTrust.

“Our courses are just about at capacitywhich is putting both golfers’ access tothe courses and their enjoyment at risk.The seventh course will ease this unre-lenting pressure and ensure that thequality of the golfing experience is main-tained.”

Go ahead for seventh courseLater this spring the English Golf

Union will be inviting greens chairmenand golf course owners and managers toa seminar covering aspects of course andgeneral management.

The new event organised by GolfServices, will be held at the National GolfCentre, Woodhall Spa on May 27 and 28.

The programme will follow a similarformat to the successful GreenkeepingMasterclass Series with a host of expertspeakers presenting on their specialistsubjects.

Among the well known names takingpart are golf course architect SimonGidman, chairman of BIGGA AndyCampbell and Agronomist Andy Cole.

EGU Seminar

“The best yet” was the overwhelming verdict of David Withers, Ransomes Jacobsen’ssales and marketing director as 200 guests including greenkeeping staff and distribu-

tor personnel from around the globe returned from a four-day visit to the GCSAA Showin San Diego. Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Holland,Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and

Wales were all countries represented at the show, courtesy of Ransomes Jacobsen.

San Diego: “The best yet!”


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CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATIONOF GOLF COURSES, BOWLING

GREENS, CRICKET SQUARES TENNIS COURTS AND

SPORTS PITCHES

Golf Course and Sports GroundConstruction Specialist

Vertidrain Hire Gravel Binding

BAGCC

John Pierson(Specialist Maintenance) Ltd

HAWTREEGOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS

Since 1912

5 OXFORD STREET, WOODSTOCK,OXFORD OX20 1TQ

TEL: (01993) 811976 FAX: (01993) 812448E-Mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.hawtree.co.uk

Martin HawtreeFellow of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects

Radissontargets golf inBudapest

The Radisson SAS Birdland Resort andSpa in Bad Buk, Hungary opened itsdoors on March 4.

The first Radisson SAS Resort Hotel inHungary, it is situated in the lush greenof the Birdland Golf and Country Cluband offers over 200 rooms.

The Birdland Golf and Country Cluboffers a challenging 18-hole, 72-par golfcourse and is currently being expandedto include a nine-hole facility, an 18-hole putting green and an academy.

Heimo Leitgeb, general manager of theRadisson SAS Palais Hotel Vienna andregional director for the southern part ofEastern Europe said: “I am delightedthat this unique wellness and golf resortnow complements our portfolio.

“We can offer our guests an additionalattraction and for example, one that isideal for conferences not far from Viennaand Bratislava.”

Rose backs Macmillan DayJustin Rose has lent his support to Macmillan Cancer Relief’s Longest Day Challenge

to encourage golfers all over the UK to play 72-holes in one day on or around June21, and help raise over £140,000 for the charity.

For particiapnts entering a team of three golfers, there is also the chance of winninga trip to St Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa, where the three top scoring teams willcompete on the Torrance course for the Longest Day Challenge Champion team.


WHAT�S ON YOUR COURSE?

Yamaha golf cars are recognised as market leaders in the

industry for their build quality and reliability, and to this day

still remains the only golf car in the market that is designed

specifically for the golf course.

To back that up we have a specialist direct UK sales and service

network, offering petrol and electric options and an LPG dual

fuel conversion.

For further assistance in choosing the best golf car package

to suit your golf course requirements please contact the sales

team at Yamaha Motor (UK) Ltd.

For more information or a free demo or no

obligation quotation contact Hilary Betts on

01932 358096

YAMAHA MOTOR (UK) LTD, SOPWITH DRIVE, BROOKLANDS, WEYBRIDGE, SURREY KT13 0UZ.

www.golfcars.co.uk

Construction Remodelling Water Features

Tel: 01604 468908Fax: 01604 474853www.deltagolf2000.co.uk

180 Ruskin Road, Kingsthorpe Northampton NN2 7TA

BAGCC

Cash Rich


The message does appear to be slowly getting through, but golf cars are big business, anda considerable amount of vital income can be derived from their usage. As David Bowersreports, there can be a lot more to the average buggy than meets the eye.

Many people still view thegolf buggy as the unac-ceptable face of late-20thcentury golf. Those

people may prefer to look away now,because in the 21st century, the golf carmarket is becoming increasingly compet-itive and technologically advanced.

Golf cars are available in all shapesand sizes - with even mainstream auto-motive manufacturers like Ford tryingto muscle in on the market.

Expressions such as �environmental-ly-friendly� and �cost-effective� are deriguer for marketing literature.BaffledAnd the average course manager needsto understand turning circles, weightratios and rental income. A degree inengineering is fast becoming desirable.In order not to be baffled by science, itpays to know your requirements inadvance and speak to a specialist manu-facturer or dealer.

They will advise on what suits yourterrain, facility and budget - and willoften be in a position to suggest a morecost-effective - see, there it is again -solution. You never know, your budgetmay even stretch to a few luxuries.

Immobilisers for example. Yes,immobolisers. Sure, most people whohire a golf car will return it to the proshop forecourt, but there are always afew who think it would be fun to take itout on to the main road.

Indeed, only a week before I pennedthis article I espied a golf cart plungedinto the flowerbeds in the roundaboutnear the local school.

If it came from the nearest course ithad traversed a few decent-sized roadsand a couple of miles. If it came fromfurther away, heaven knows whatdamage it could have done to the body-work - or worse still to passers-by.

Immobilisers can at least put yourmind at rest on that score.

After a set time they will just closethe vehicle down. Simple, but effective.And as a bonus it discourages slow play- nobody would want the humiliation oftheir golf buggy shutting down on themas they attempt to depart the 18th tee.

The Keyonix System is a patentedsystem to ensure the accountability ofgolf cars at the point of sale. Thesystem works on a similar basis to hotelkey cards, in as much as the smart card,which is programmed at the point of

sale, will activate the golf car once the�smart key� is inserted. The originalignition switch is replaced with an elec-tronic card reader ensuring that everygolf round is recorded.

Keys can be programmed to specifya certain amount of time, in 15-minuteincrements, to allow access for nine or18 holes. Once the time has expired, thecar will stop, although an alarm willsound 15 minutes before the allocatedtime is due to expire, warning the driverthe car will soon deactivate.

Immobilisers may be a practicaladdition to your fleet of cars, but thereare extras that enhance the golfingexperience for the golfer - and don�tforget, if the customer knows there�ssomething onboard to help his or hergame, they�re more likely to hire.

It�s a long-term investment. Whatare we talking about? GPS systems,that�s what. Or to give it it�s full name,global positioning systems.

Ronald Reagan may have upset theRussians when he first mooted the StarWars defence system but the develop-ment of cheaper satellite technology hasreaped enormous benefits for manyother industries down the line. "


Golf is just one of the latest to takeadvantage. And whisper it quietly, but itcan benefit club security as well asaugment the game of golf.

For many of us, GPS is nothingnew, and the past few years have seenthe emergence of GPS applications forfishing, in-car satellite navigation,surveying and of course on the golfcourse.

Initially, golf course GPS applica-tions were largely American productsand were complex radio frequency (RF)systems, but Eastbourne-basedGolfLogix Europe have risen to promi-nence in the European marketplace.

Director Ben Porter explained: �TheNorthern European climate and ourlimited summer season do not warrantexpensive cart-based systems. Instead,GolfLogix has focused on ensuring itssystem is portable and can be usedacross carts, power caddies and pulltrolleys.�ProfitWhether mounted to the dashboard of acart or available to walking golfers torent when winter weather does notpermit carts on the course, theGolfLogix system is capable of notonly paying for itself year round, butalso of realising a healthy profit too.

David Koller, golf services managerat the London Golf Club, in Kent,explained his reasons for choosingGolfLogix.

�As well as taking delivery of a newcart fleet we have also invested in 30new power caddies,� he said.

�For us, the key to making a returnon this investment was to increase theappeal of both our carts and our trolleysto our golfers. The addition of GPSaddressed this for us, but we needed thesecurity of knowing we could realise areturn on our rental costs year roundand not just during the summer months.

�The portability of the GolfLogixhandsets and the simplicity of the tech-nology design has now allowed us tointroduce a reliable and accurate systemto our members and visitors.�

While initial installations were athigh-profile clubs in Spain and Portugal- such as Valderrama, San Roque, Valedo Lobo, La Cala, Carvoeiro and Quintado Lago - the focus of GolfLogix is nowfirmly on the UK market.

High Wycombe-based GolfPlus hasalso designed, developed and manufac-tured a range of technology productsspecifically for the UK and Europeangolf market.

The company has experienced arapid expansion in the last 18 months,with offices now in China, Dubai andthe USA to satisfy worldwide demandfor their range of GPS and radio-basedtechnology products.

The company�s product line nowincludes the original RangerPlus GPSdistance-measurement system; nowinstalled in over 60 clubs worldwide,and RemotePlus, a remote-control fleetmanagement system.

By harnessing GPS technology theRangerPlus system provides golferswith a consistently accurate distancemeasurement from their ball to hazardsand the green centre.

Consisting only of an easy-to-usemonitor mounted on the golf buggy, thesystem displays information on a colourlayout of the hole with continuallyupdated yardage. Additionally, advertis-ing pages, warnings and messages aredisplayed to assist players and enhancetheir enjoyment.

Simplicity is the key, and the GPSunit is completely self contained, withno radio, satellite, computers or otherhardware required.

The RangerPlus system is designedand operated via easy-to-use software,enabling adverts to be uploaded foreither a fixed duration or as a defaultadvertisement running on the GPS units.

The latest product to be launched bythe company is the Remoteplus fleetmanagement system. This consists of apassword-operated, remote-control unit,and a small receiving unit installedunder the seat of the buggy and wiredinto the ignition.

Buggies can be activated or deacti-vated either by individual buggy numberor by the whole fleet. Alternatively atime can be preset for all buggies to beswitched off - for example, at 8pm afterthe pro shop has closed.

The RemotePlus system can be usedon electric or petrol buggies, and hasalso been used by clubs to enhance secu-rity on some green keeping machinery.

The mention of the choice of elec-tric or petrol, is a convenient juncture tointroduce mention of a third motivepower available for use with buggies.

Not content with taking a monopolyon barbecues in all suburban gardenswithin a par five of the home counties,Calor is making impressive inroads intothe UK golf car market.

The latest club to benefit from aLPG-powered fleet is Beamish ParkGolf Club, in County Durham.

The entire site spans 50 acres and isrenowned for its hilly terrain. And witha significant proportion of the 600-strong membership being on the �moremature� side, the introduction of a fleetof buggies was deemed essential.

The committee wanted a productwith a low-capital outlay, which waseconomical to use, was environmental-ly friendly - it had to crop up some-where - was easy to use but still met allthe health and safety guidelines. "

Drive it once and you�ll kknow.

STRENGTH 360 degree impact resistant bumpers. Golf ball hard Surlyn body panels.Powershield battery enclosure. Alumicore aluminum frame. (4) 12-volt batteries for increasedrange and life.

SERVICEABIL ITY IQDM handheld diagnostic tool. Drivetrain service through a single access panel. Introduction of automotive-style, maintenance-free, sealed components. Reduced part count for greater reliability and reduced maintenance.

CONFIDENCE Best-in-class electric or petrol transmissions with industry leading warranty. 4-year, 1000 round battery warranty. Lifetime chassis warranty. 4-year steering & suspensionwarranty.

We�ve improved the world�s best golf car. It�s stronger and more durable with improved serviceability and superior warranties. We’ve set a precedent.

Club Car, Inc. Paragon Business Park, Chorley New Road, Horwich, Bolton BL6 6JN


LPG-powered buggies were chosenbecause, as greens chairman DaveGreener explained, they matched close-ly the selection criteria.

He said: �It was the natural choicefor us. It�s clean, economical and does-n�t give you any health and safetyheadaches.

�If you forget to refuel an LPGbuggy it�s no major problem, as you canquickly re-fuel a whole tank in aboutfive minutes. This is the peace of mindwe needed.�

A fleet of six EZGO buggies werechosen for the course on a three-yearlease. On average, the buggies complete38 rounds of golf per week using just42 litres of fuel.

Calor make weekly deliveries to theclub at a predetermined early-morningslot to avoid any inconvenience to themembers. This ensures the re-fuellingprocess is hassle free and unnecessarycongestion is avoided.

Nigel Ward, commercial bulk sales-man with Calor, said: �We have thecustomer-focused approach andresource to make deliveries exactlywhen the customer wants.

�If they want Calor to deliver at6am then we will. It avoids a logisticalnightmare and ensures the members arenot inconvenienced.�

The choices are becoming enor-mous. Not just on power and manufac-turer, but on the supplementary itemswhich may just give your club the edgeover your neighbour.

And don�t forget, there�s more thanone way to invest in a fleet. It certainly

pays to investigate all the financingpossibilities.

MOX is still a new name to many inthe UK but it is well known in conti-nental Europe, particularly in Franceand Spain where they are the marketleaders in the supply of golf cars andlight industrial vehicles. EnviableIn these countries alone the companyoperates over 7,000 golf cars. In Francethey also have an enviable share of theturf machinery market.The number ofgolf cars operated in the UK is alreadyover 3,000 .

What separates MOX from othercompanies in the industry is the way itoperates. It doesn�t sell machines; itsupplies them through a finance schemeknown as an operating lease.

MOX is not an appointed dealer forany range of products but the companyis able to negotiate supply agreementswith all the major manufacturers, eitherdirectly or through the appointed dealer.

This enables them to recommendthe best product for the particular appli-cation or to satisfy a customer�s particu-lar preference. Once the product hasbeen specified, MOX - a subsidiary of amajor European bank - can then supplythe finance for the lease.

Whether it is training, maintenance,the supply of a loan vehicle, help inmarketing, for example ways toincrease the number of hires on golfcars, MOX staff are always prepared tosupport the customer.

Club Car �s new buggy - thePrecedent - has been in development forfive years.

The immediate visible differencebetween Precedent and other golf carsis the styling. The rounded front givesthe car a contemporary, sleek look, butthe differences go far beyond mereaesthetics. Precedent is claimed to bestronger, more durable, easier to serv-ice, more agile and comfortable thanany golf car before.

One further change that contributesto improved performance and efficien-cy, as well as simplifying maintenanceis the use of 4 12v batteries as opposedto the standard 6 8v batteries. Thebattery is lighter and more powerfulthan before, which results in morerounds of golf per charge.

The electric Precedent modelsfeature Club Cars advanced IQ system.The IQ system monitors key systemcomponents and conditions via acomputerised control system thatensures optimal performance. ImpactRobert Drewery, the marketing directorof Club Car Europe, believes thePrecedent will make a great impact onthe golf courses in the UK and Europe.

He said: �We are really excited byPrecedent. It has an elegant, modernlook that appeals to golfers, and at thesame time golf industry professionalsare drawn to it because it is an incredi-bly easy, cost-effective machine tomaintain.�

Trials carried out at courses in theUS in 2003 were extremely successfuland have contributed to the final design,which was formally launched at the2004 PGA Merchandise Show inJanuary and at BTME in the UK.

�WE ARE REALLY EXCITED BY PRECEDENT. IT HAS AN ELEGANT, MODERN LOOK THAT APPEALS

TO GOLFERS, AND AT THE SAME TIME GOLF INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS ARE DRAWN TO IT

BECAUSE IT IS AN INCREDIBLY EASY, COST-EFFECTIVE MACHINE TO MAINTAIN.�

Count on it.

© 2

004

The

Toro

Com

pany

To some, golf is a religion.We�ll help you renovate their place of worship

Irrigation renovation that respects its surroundings. Golfers are passionateabout their game. Which can put a lot of stress on a superintendent when it’stime to renovate an irrigation system. Your Toro distributor will work withyou every step of the way, to ensure you get the best possible system with theleast disruption to your course. We have the industry’s largest selection ofquality products, and the most comprehensive after-sale support. What’smore, we offer total solutions for your turf maintenance needs. Contact yourToro distributor or visit toro.com for more information.

Shaping Slovakia


The sport of snobs or every-one�s game? As golfingculture begins to put downroots in Slovakia, those with

a hand in the sport will decide what itwill look like.

One of those people is BrandenWilburn (pictured above), a golf courseand landscape architect from the UnitedStates with strong feelings about thegame and its future in Slovakia.

Real excitement fills his voice whenhe talks about designing, building, andthen playing a course: �How manypeople get to design a game?� InSlovakia he has the chance to helpdesign the whole industry.

Raised in Florida, a golfing statewhere, he says, everybody has a course,Wilburn began playing at the age of 11and has designed and overseen thecreation of golf courses for 11 years.

After he married a woman fromSlovakia, he moved to the country,planning to use the opportunity toexpand the practice of his firm, GolfDesign Studio.

�It�s an emerging market and it�sexciting to see that. It�s exciting to seethe people that are just learning to pickit up and really have a love for thegame,� he said.

Because golf is still small inSlovakia, he says, education must be themain focus of projects in the country.

Practice facilities and smaller cours-es nurture a growing golfing communi-ty because they are cheap - and there-fore accessible - and allow fresh golfersto practice their swings.AidingIncorporating such teaching centres alsodevelops future clients: �You�re aidingthe golfing public and you�re develop-ing future clients for your projects.�

The country�s golfing historyextends back to the first course inTatranská Lomnica in 1908. But sincethen developments have come slowly,and in 1991 there were no courses to befound.

Slovakia now has one 18-holecourse: the Tále Gray Bear course in thecountry�s centre, in the shadow if theLow Tatras mountains.

There are also four nine-hole cours-es in Bernolákovo outside of Bratislava,and in the central-eastern towns ofVelká Lomnica, Tatranská Lomnica,and Ko�ice. The Ko�ice course, howev-er, was out of commission last year.

Some new spots are also in themaking. This spring a nine-hole coursewill open in Pie�tany, in the High Tatrasconstruction has begun on the first nineholes of a project that will graduallyexpand to 27, and an enlargement proj-ect at Bernolákovo will soon begin.

In addition, about a dozen clubs arescattered around the country, some of

which are connected with a course,driving range, or practice facility.

Augustín Hauskrecht, general secre-tary of the Slovak Golf Union, whichhad 2,116 members last year, and theemerging Slovak Golf Association,agrees that the primary thing Slovakianeeds is more courses.

�The system of many clubs withouttechnical facilities satisfied the timewhen golf needed a quantity ofmembers. Now has come a time when aquantity of courses and training groundsalso needs to be obtained,� he said.

�There is much to be done here,�Wilburn agreed. �There are a few golfcourses around and a few drivingranges. But one, they don�t advertiseand if they do it�s a sign alongside theroad; so that�s a major thing, you haveto advertise. Expensive�Two, it is expensive. These golf cours-es around here are not that cheap, andthey don�t offer that much for themoney.�

An 18-hole round at Bernolákovo islisted at Sk750 or Sk1,100 (�19 or �27)depending on the day of the week,while a bucket of balls at a practicecourse would cost about Sk150 (�4).

Founded as a division of anotherlandscape firm about three years ago,Wilburn�s Golf Design Studio eventual-ly became its own company.

Attendance at the recent Fairway 2004 exhibition in Munich recorded a high level ofinterest in golf from the emerging eastern European countries, countries such as Slovakiawhere golf is starting to take shape. Article by Eric Smillie.

SPECIAL REPORT


With two other partners in the US,one in Finland, and an employee inScotland, the firm aims for an interna-tional field of operation.

Case in point, it is currently in themiddle of a project in Cyprus. In addi-tion to Slovakia, Wilburn wants tofocus on the whole eastern Europeanregion.

�If you do something like thesesmaller facilities for new players youcan get more local golfers involved.Eventually they�ll start playing on thepractice holes that you have and thengo to the nine and 18-hole courses.

�This is a necessity if you want toever develop the golf population here.If you do one or two of these justoutside of Bratislava, you�ve got a hugepopulation that you can start gettinginvolved,� Wilburn said.

�Unfortunately, big 18-hole facili-ties are what most developers seem tohave in mind. Right now in Slovakia,that just won�t work. You don�t haveenough of a golfing population inSlovakia to support that type of facility.

�And you have to ask yourself: Arethere enough tourists coming in andwhere are they coming from, and arethey coming here to play golf when youhave places like Spain, Portugal, Italy?

�It�s tricky because a lot of develop-ing golf communities are starting to fallinto the ways of the older golf, whereit�s more high society, and very expen-sive, and an elite club - and that�s notwhat golf really is.

�Golf is for everybody. If you stickwith the large, 18-hole facility, only thepeople who can afford it will play it;you never really develop new clients.�

�UNFORTUNATELY, BIG 18-HOLE FACILITIES ARE WHAT MOST

DEVELOPERS SEEM TO HAVE IN MIND. RIGHT NOW IN SLOVAKIA,

THAT JUST WON�T WORK. YOU DON�T HAVE ENOUGH OF A GOLFING

POPULATION IN SLOVAKIA TO SUPPORT THAT TYPE OF FACILITY.�

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Mixed Blessings


Seldom in the staid old worldof golf has there been such adichotomy of opinion over agolf course.

Some say it is a white elephant;others claim it�s a top-quality additionto a classic golfing region. There is nodefinitive answer, save to say that loveit or hate it, St Andrews Bay Resort ishere to stay - or there to stay at least.

American-born entrepreneur DonPanoz - founder of nicotine patchcompany Elan - built the £58m golf andhotel complex. Panoz, 69, likes to beknown as �Dr P�, though he nevergraduated from Duquesne University,Pittsburgh, where he studied pharmacy.

Much later, however, he was award-ed an honorary doctorate by TrinityCollege, Dublin after successfullyfounding Elan Corporation, the Irishdrug delivery company.

There he was best known for devel-oping the nicotine patch, though ironi-cally Panoz - still a smoker - is allergicto it. And many St Andrews locals feelthe same about Panoz and his StAndrews Bay resort.

A local councillor called it an alba-tross and there is an element of localgolfers who aren�t exactly reticentwhen it comes to expressing dissatis-faction.Battle And it was always thus. When planningpermission was granted, conservation-ists protested and the ensuing battlewas regarded as one of �conservationversus employment�.

A spokesman for the council at thetime of the initial protests was unrepen-tant. He said: �People have to under-stand that, because of golf, St Andrewsis an internationally recognised name. "

St Andrews is renowned the world over as the home of golf, but the latest newcomer to thearea has received its fair share of negative views from locals. David Bowers takes a closerlook at St Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa.


�Therefore development of newerand better facilities is important if thetown isn�t to lag behind.

�At the moment, many Americanscome because St Andrews is the birth-place of golf but while that mystiquewill always attract people, without theright facilities some people will stopcoming. St Andrews cannot rely entire-ly on the tourist trade - private invest-ment is needed.�

But, if Panoz and the directors of theChateau Elan Group - of which the StAndrews Bay Hotel is a part - werecompletely honest, they�d probablyadmit the local pound was not really ontheir agenda - it�s the American dollarthey�ve set their eyes on.

After all the courses loop back tothe clubhouse after nine holes - andthat�s what the American marketexpects.

But 9/11 put the brakes on the USpilgrimage to the home of golf and whilethe American market is picking up,many are still reluctant to travel too farfrom the protective arm of Uncle Sam.

Hence, locals point out that�Stansted Airport� - they awarded thehotel the touching moniker after decid-ing it resembled an airport terminal - isunderused; particularly in comparisonwith the original St Andrews.

The resort�s brochure calls StAndrews Bay �Scotland�s premierconference and incentive destination�where �all guests enjoy the same exact-ing standards of luxury and refinement.�

It adds: �The subtle difference ofexcellence - the Chateau Elan statementof service and quality, is embodied ineverything we do.�

At the time of construction, directorof golf John Kelly boasted: �The resortis the best of both worlds. You get thetradition of St. Andrews combined withthe service you would get in the UnitedStates or at resorts around the world.

�The full service clubhouse, theaccommodating staff, and the golfconcierges put St Andrews Bay a stepahead of other resorts in the UnitedKingdom.�ConfidenceLike the man who came up with thefunds to have it built, St Andrews Baylacks nothing in confidence. After all ittakes a special somebody to build anAmerican-style resort within sight ofgolf�s most revered old town.

In a recent interview with The DailyTelegraph, the elusive Panoz said:�When I first saw it (the land), I thought�what a shame it isn�t a golf course�.

�How many people get the opportu-nity to do this - and in this, the home ofgolf. �A golf course is like a beautifulwoman. You can drape her in beautifulclothes.

�I didn�t really appreciate thecreativity that went into a golf course,until I spent a lot of time with GeneSarazen.�

The legendary Sarazen - who wrotehis name in the history books bywinning both the US Open and the USPGA in 1922 at the age of 20 - helpeddesign the courses, though he never gotto see them before he died.

Sarazen visited the site with Panozand provided preliminary sketches. Hewas a consultant to the US-based firmof Denis Griffiths and Associates, whoworked in tandem with former Ryder

Cup captain - Sam Torrance - althoughat that stage his immortality in thatarena was yet to be achieved - andrenowned Australian designer BruceDevlin.

The result was the Torrance Courseand the Devlin Course - we�ll let youwork out who worked on what - which,with the 209-room resort, cost some-where in the region of £50m, give ortake the fluctuating exchange rate.

Whether it was money well spent,however, seems to be the crux of thedebate.

There is little doubt that the criticslove it. It was voted one of the top 100golf resorts worldwide by readers ofCondé Nast Traveller magazine in theUS. Golf writers from across the globehave marvelled at both the resort facili-ties and the two courses.

Yet those locals still persist in tryingto drag it down. But for every brickbatthere are even more plaudits.

Torrance for one, is an unabashedadmirer - and not just because hedesigned the first course.

�I�ve been asked to design coursespreviously and said �no,�� said Torrance.�But it is only once in a lifetime thatyou get a chance to build a course withsuch a dramatic setting - especially at StAndrews. This time it had to be �yes.��

Torrance�s design was a 7,037-yard,par 72 links course, but it is probablyDevlin�s course that really puts the windup the locals. The 7,049-yards, par 72course has been designed for use by golfcars - sacrilege in this part of the world.

Head pro John Kerr, however, hasgreat faith in the courses� ability toeventually win over public opinion.

�I�VE BEEN ASKED TO DESIGN COURSES PREVIOUSLY AND SAID �NO�, BUT IT IS ONLY ONCE IN A

LIFETIME THAT YOU GET A CHANCE TO BUILD A COURSE WITH SUCH A DRAMATIC SETTING -

ESPECIALLY AT ST ANDREWS. THIS TIME IT HAD TO BE �YES.��


Fact FileClub: St Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa

St Andrews Bay, St Andrews,Fife KY16 8PNScotland

Telephone: 01334 837000Facsimile: 01334 471115Email: [email protected]: www.standrewsbay.com

Proprietor: Don Panoz (pictured centre)Director of Golf: Neil Ballingall

Course Info: 18-holesTorrance Course: Par 72, 7037 yards (Opened 2001)Devlin Course: Par 72, 7049 yards (Opened 2001)

Members: N/AGreen Fee: £50 - £70

He said: �With the designersinvolved and the setting, they�re greatcourses. There aren�t many courseswith a better view, and they�re chal-lenging.

�The Torrance is more traditional.You can bounce the ball into the greens.With the wind waving the tall yellowfescue, the Torrance rough is intimidat-ing, but you can walk in and find yourball. It may grab your club getting outof it, but at least you can find it.�

So which side of the debate you joinis probably determined by your viewson tradition. Some want to retain it atall costs - and, it should be recognised,even many Americans love traditionalgolf because they DON�T have to use abuggy - while others want to pushforward as swiftly as humanly possible.

Dale Leatherman, associate editorfor TravelGolf.com is one of many golfwriters who have swooned at StAndrews Bay.

Her view was that it was a superbaddition to the spiritual home of golf.

She concluded: �Heading home latein the day on either track, the setting suncasts a golden glow over the courses,and it�s easy to pretend they�ve occu-pied this precious bit of land forever.�

While she described the hotel as a�stately, native stone edifice that blendsseamlessly into the waving grasses ofthe golf courses that flank it.�

No mention of airport terminals,you�ll notice. The locals will have thelast word though.

Richard Morris, a St Andrews resi-dent, insists: �St Andrews Bay is thebiggest white elephant as far as golfcourses is concerned.Expensive�It lies empty most of the time; it is tooexpensive to play for locals and it is nota links course. It�s a gluey, clay coursethat is not pleasant to play. Most StAndrews golfers give it a big miss.

�They try to coax Americans tocome and play there, but they too donot come and play in big numbers.�

Both sides have stated their case.But they seem to be arguing for differ-ing reasons.

Locals say it�s too expensive and isan eyesore; St Andrews Bay concernsitself with the balance sheet and notindividual opinions.

The jury�s out - and it won�t comeback in all the time the defendant andaccused fight unconnected cases.

Cutting it fine


As any greenkeeper will tell you, good machinery is an essential part of keeping yourcourse in excellent condition, but how many club managers fully understand just howimportant the right machinery is? Neville Johnson takes a look into what�s on offer.

How did we manage withoutmachines? No other plantis nurtured, fussed over,then simply culled like

grass is. No sport takes the level oftrouble or sets aside the same time andmoney on its well being as golf does.

I can only liken it to a kind ofParkinson�s Law: the more problemsthat are perceived - actual, or dare I sayit, imagined - the more solutions thereare to solve them.

This is very true of what you mightcall turf additives - fertilisers and thelike - but there is these days prettymuch the same burgeoning of finetuning to basics in the world of turf caremechanics -faster, deeper, less obtru-sive, you name it.Global WarmingOne of the side effects of so-calledglobal warming on these shores is verynearly round the calendar grass growth.For those that may not know, the greenstuff grows as long as the temperature is6 degrees centigrade - 43 degreesFahrenheit in �old money�.

In recent years we haven�t beengetting too many days when it doesn�treach that dizzy height, and for thosecharged with keeping grass in trim itmeans the cutting season is gettinglonger. Golf�s greenkeepers are right atthe sharp end of this in every sense.

Ensuring a course has the rightequipment for fine turf mowing - andthe rougher stuff for that matter - isalways going to be down to a green-keeper�s judgement, preference, and thebudget at his disposal, as it always hasbeen.

The number of machines on themarket is growing nearly as quickly asthe grass. There are refinements to thisand that all the time. Not quite in themobile phone league, but decipheringall the technical specs and performancedata provided by manufacturers is a jobin itself.

Nothing beats hands on though, andall the big names make every effort toget greenkeepers up close and personalto their latest offerings.

Head greenkeepers and anyone withthe club�s purse strings should go todemo days if there�s time and it�s ahandy distance. Go armed with ques-tions that you want answers to specifi-cally about conditions on your course.

Also, have a bit of steely salesresistance. If you fancy what you see,let them come and do it again on yourgrass.

The development in mowing thathas impressed me most in recentmonths is the way you can now attach acylinder mower�s bottom blade magnet-ically.

MagKnife as it�s called has had a lotof publicity since Ransomes Jacobsenintroduced it at last September�sSALTEX and swept the board withprizes. It won�t make mowing resultsany better necessarily, but it shouldhave a big effect on maintenance sched-ules and costs.

It�s the Ipswich manufacturer�s fine-turf mowers that are initially beingfitted with Canadian Jeff Bucklo�sinvention, so it�s the machine shop onthe golf course that ought to be gettingthe first benefit.

Ever since Edward Budding invent-ed the lawnmower back in 1832, bottomblades have been held in place byscrews, and there�s been no way roundtedious fixing. Now, powerful magnetsseem to do the job well if not better, andbottom blades can be changed inminutes using a simple removal tool.

The manufacturer says you don�thave to buy a new mower to move intothe magnetic age either. There is what itcalls a �retro� fit so clubs can upgradeexisting cylinders of theirs you mayhave.

Also from Ransomes Jacobsen, andnew for the 2004 season is a range ofride on bunker rakes. The three-wheeldrive Jacobsen Super Rake is poweredby a 10kW (12.5hp) two cylinderKubota diesel engine with hydrostaticdrive providing instant forward andreverse speeds of up to 16 km/h.

A patented speed control system isutilised when raking to provide the opti-mum finish. The new range alsoincludes the G-Star, a 10.5 kW (13hp),two-wheel drive ride on rake, twoversions of the Super Star, one withthree-wheel drive and a 13.5 kW (18hp)petrol engine, the other with two-wheeldrive and a 12 kW (16hp) petrol engine.

Completing the new range ofspecialist bunker and greens equipmentis the Tournament X-press GreensRoller, which has the capability to exert4.5 psi on the green and can beincreased by 1.4 psi by adding water tothe rollers.

Multi-tasking is a burgeoning needit seems just about everywhere, and thegolf course is no exception. "


The classic Hayter Harrier 56 roller rotary mower is capableof picking up tees and divots quickly and effortlessly. Thesplit ribbed roller with a differential aids manoeuvrabilityaround the tee, and gives the traditional striped finish.

No tools are needed to adjust the height of cut, which cango as low as 13mm (1/2”) giving you total control over eachtee. Built in front fins on the deck noticeably improve thecutting quality and collection ability and the large capacitygrassbag is easy to remove and fit.

The Harrier 56 can be used all year round and will minimisecompaction of tees particularly during the winter months.

So versatile, the Harrier 56 can be used in so manyareas around the club, you’ll wonder how you managedwithout one.

For more information, call 01279 723444, [email protected] or visit our website: www.hayter.co.uk.

Sorts divots, tees, cuts and stripes in one go

The Hayter Harrier 56 is a quick, yet precise, solution to your tee problems.

SPEEDCUTCONTRACTORS LTD

Established 1977

Quality Sportsturf Services

Construction

Drainage

Renovation

Groundworks

OXFORD 01865 331479

www.speedcutcontractors.co.uk

[email protected]


The latest machines from Dennis,the FT and Supersix, fit the bill forthose so inclined with their interchange-able cassettes. Span widths are from 17-24 inches and they can accept verti-cutters, scarifiers, aerators and turfbrushes, as well as mowing reels. Multi-taskingFor multi-tasking on a grand scalethere�s the Dakota 412 available in thiscountry for purchase or hire fromCheshire firm Campey Turf CareSystems. This whopper can do top-dressing, fertilising, seeding or justplain material moving.

Twin sets of floating wheels reduceground compaction and mean groundcontours can be followed. Spreadpattern can be varied between 3.5 andnine metres. All you need is a 30hp plustractor.

Hayters new small triple, theMT313, is designed to cope with a vari-ety of applications and conditions, the20hp, three-wheel drive MT313 isideally suited for maintaining fine turfon golf courses and sportsfields as wellas cutting in demanding municipalapplications.

Excellent traction is achieved with aunique transmission system whichensures drive to a minimum of twowheels at all times. The three inter-changeable cutting units are alsopowered hydraulically through directdrive motors.

The standard machine is suppliedwith single lift control for raising andlowering all units simultaneously.Individual lift for each unit is availableas an option. All controls are easilyaccessible with the simple yet function-al instrument panel being clearly visiblefrom the operating position.

Designed for a variety of applica-tions there are a number of optionsavailable including a flashing beacon,working lights, 2 post ROPS frame,grass catchers and arm rests. Also avail-able are a choice of cutting unit config-urations suitable for golf, amenity andmunicipal use.

When you�re mowing the greensthese days it�s fingertip action alright.John Deere�s latest 2500 ride-on mowerhas what is described as a �commandarm console� with one-touch control ofthrottle, deck drive, and raising andlowering of the cutting decks.

A greenkeeper doesn�t have to leavethe job for a drinks break either. There�sa drinks holder on board that candouble-up as a mobile phone or two-way radio carrier. Adjustable deluxeseat, halogen headlights, cruise control -no difficulty getting volunteers, then!

Moisture, light and air, though notnecessarily in that order, are the �musthaves� for healthy grass. Most agrono-mists will say however that the latter isthe real key. ChoiceIt�s amazing quite how much choicethere is for head greenkeepers andcourse managers when it comes to aera-tion equipment. Walking around theshows, attending open days, reading the�blurb�, they all look and sound good,but how do you spend money wisely?

Do you splash out and add to theclub�s machine fleet, or in the case ofmore acute problems get someone inwith �big gun� equipment?

If you want to aerate just the surfaceof tees and greens, mechanising what isstill sometimes done by laborious sarelrolling, then the S500 from Dennis isadmirable.

The company says it is designedspecifically for the golf market and the20in unit can be fitted with a spiker or aseed slotter attachment.

Coming on the market any day nowtoo for aerating greens is Toro�sProCore 648. It�s a pedestrian that hasits wheels in front of the tines, whichcan be solid or hollow, so it never runsover cores.

The working width is 48 inches andthe company says it is faster thananything else in its class. Eighteengreens in just over seven hours, reckonsLely UK who will be the distributing it.

Another aeration newcomer is theTerra Spike XF from Wiedenmann UK.It�s suitability for golf course workperhaps accentuated by its launch todealers at the Peralada Golf Resort innorthern Spain.

Its arrival on the scene comes afterthree years of research and testing inGermany, USA and here in Britain. Itcreates compaction relief down to adepth of 22cm, across a working widthof 1.85 metres, and at working speedsof up to 4 mph, so you get more acreageout of it than similar machines, theclaim is.

It is actually said to be three timesfaster than its competitors. Apparentlythe machine also has only six greasingpoints. This, plus maintenance-free beltdrive system is said to guarantee lessdowntime.

Now if the course has regular hard-panning or waterlogging problems, thenin all honesty you are better off gettingin a specialist. One such company isEcosolve, whose Drill �n� Fill machineremoves soil, allowing lateral move-ment within the rootzone and releasingcompaction pressure.

Its deep penetration breaks throughsub-surface hard-pan to create greaterporosity. A club that has been using thefirm is Foxhills Golf Club ofOttershawin, Surrey where puddlingand slow drainage affect its two cham-pionship courses, the Bernard Hunt andthe Longcross. CompactionIf compaction is a serious headache,deep aeration is certainly a way ofheading off reconstruction work. Eventhe greatest courses are not immunefrom this problem. Three year�s agoanother Ecosolve machine, the DeepDrill 60/18, which can penetrate asmuch as 18 inches, alleviated troubleson one of the greens on the St Andrews�Old Course.

Decompaction though, is often notenough, which is why many clubs areaddressing the problem by investing inan efficient drainage system.


The wet winter months provide anideal opportunity to identify the prob-lem areas, and assess any drainagerequirements according to Kevin Smith,of Speedcut Contractors.

�When considering installing adrainage system, it is advisable toengage an experienced contractor orconsultant to prepare a suitable drainageplan, specification and estimate of cost.This will usually include carrying out asoil profile analysis, dealing with anyextraneous water and assessing poten-tial outfall locations,� Smith said.

�It may also be necessary to carryout a level survey to assist in calculat-ing potential run-off, drain spacing andpipe sizes. Additional informationabout the site, such as old ditch lines,

hedgerows, ponds, existing drains, etc.should also be considered, as this mayinfluence the design of the drainagescheme.

�The drainage scheme will usuallyconsist of a primary drainage systemwith pipe drains installed at betweenthree and ten metre centres backfilled tothe surface with permeable fill. In morebadly affected areas, this is comple-mented with secondary drainage such assandslitting or banding, to conveysurface water more efficiently to theprimary drainage system.�

With the design and preparationwork concluded, the decision of whento implement the work must now bemade. Drain when it is dry, is the bestadvice, according to Smith. "


�Work carried out during the drysummer months results in less disruptionand causes minimal surface disturbance.Good progress can be made with longdays and favourable ground conditions.

�Work undertaken in the winterhowever, is often carried out in thepoorest conditions and usually results inan extended contract period. This canlead to even more disruption to the golfcourse, club members and greenkeepingstaff,� he concludes.

If the scheme encompasses anumber of fairways, or even the entirecourse, it is usually possible to scheduleoperations to limit the number of holesclosed at any one time, sometimes thisneed be only one hole. Close liaisonbetween club and contractor is impor-tant to ensure continuity of work andminimal disruption to members.

No respectable course can go with-out a utility vehicle - or even a fleet ofthem - these days. They are the �gofers�of greenkeeping, more respectfullyreferred to as workhorses.

Latest to tempt club spending is anew Workman, from Toro, available intwo and four-wheel drive versions andre-styled with fully hydraulic steering.They�ll carry up to 2725 lbs of this andthat anywhere you like. DealsManufacturers do their upmost to getclubs to sign up for exclusive deals andso shut out the opposition. There areobvious benefits here: favourable termsand also knowing that servicing, aftercare and any operative training have aone stop reliability. The down-side, youcould argue, is the denial of choice.

Many clubs go for ad hocbuying of equipment asneed and opportunitiesarise - �horses for courses�so to speak.

This may not give oncourse machine work thecorporate livery feel themanufacturers may lustafter, but the greenkeeperknows that what�s out there

doing the business is what he�s selected- a team of talented individuals ratherthan a uniform battalion perhaps.

You definitely �pays your moneyand takes your pick�. Only someonewith the sublimest of know-how wouldcriticise either approach.

There�s science in course carecertainly, but it isn�t rocket science.Mostly it�s a lot of routine, hard work,and effective management.

Bliss oh bliss, there are machines tohelp lighten the load. How did theymanage in the old days?


Firm Focus

COMPANY PROFILE

Since the 1920s, The ToroCompany has been commit-ted to helping the golf indus-try beautify and preserve its

outdoor environment. The Toro Company makes land-

scapes green, healthy and safe withsuperior, innovative and environmental-ly sound products, services andsystems.

Today, professional golf courses allover the world rely on Toro products tokeep their turf up to par. And, Toro�sreach doesn�t end in the US.

Golf courses such as the K-Club inIreland, The Grove, in England,Valderrama, in Spain and St Andrews,are among the impressive list of Torocustomers worldwide.

The Toro Company has a pioneeringspirit. In 1921, the company created thefirst mechanical golf course mainte-nance equipment by mounting fivelawn mowers behind a Toro tractor tomow the fairways at The MinikahdaClub in Minneapolis.

Just a few years later, in 1928, thecompany entered the internationalmarketplace, shipping golf course andgrounds maintenance products world-wide. Throughout its history Toro hasdelivered innovative products and serv-ices to the golf market - a legacy thatcontinues in the new millennium.

Some of the world�s best golfershave played on Toro turf at prestigiousevents such as the US Open, PGA, theRyder Cup and the Open Championship.

The Toro Company is also the offi-cial supplier of turf maintenance equip-ment and irrigation systems to the PGAEuropean Tour.Innovative ProductsWith a reputation built on superiorcustomer care and constant innovation,Toro�s precision equipment, irrigationsystems and National Support Networkprovide an integrated approach to land-scape management that no othercompetitor in the industry can provideunder one brand.

Toro�s integrated solutions aredesigned to not only serve customers atthe time of acquisition but to satisfytheir needs over the long term.

Toro�s innovative products help golfcourse professionals change the waythey work, providing more automationand control while reducing manuallabour and costs.

The company�s maintenance equip-ment product line includes mowers,aerators, sprayers, trimmers, blowers,compact utility loaders and vehicles.

Water management tools includehigh technology irrigation systems withcomputerised controllers, valves, sprin-klers, micro-drip irrigation systems andprecision turf management. Professional ServicesToro Professional Services enhance thecompany�s equipment and irrigationsystems with resources to help golfcourse professionals better managetheir business.

Toro is staying a step ahead withcustomers by providing many financingoptions and the flexibility to establish acustomised program with competitiverates.

At the heart of Toro�s unique solu-tions is its network of quality relation-ships which includes supporting theEuropean Institute of Golf CourseArchitects, the British and InternationalGolf Greenkeepers Association and theFederation of European Golf Green-keepers Association.

Through partnerships withFlowtronex and Watertronics - the twoleading manufacturers of golf coursepump stations - Toro�s SitePro® centralsoftware now offers greenkeepers theability to maintain complete control ofan irrigation system, even in the eventof reduced pump station capacity.

An established network of distribu-tors is also key to Toro�s success in thegolf industry. These distributors enhancethe professionalism and knowledgeassociated with the Toro brand, and thecompany invests millions each year tosupport its distributor performance.

With mowers that flex, sprayers thatapply the same rate of chemical regard-less of speed, water managed drop bydrop and an aerator that completes 18average greens in one day, Toro has theexperience to manage greens at thehighest level.

Toro’s Legacy ofCommitment to Golf

In from the cold...

OPINION


Its not often that a business manand managing director takes theradical decision to walk away fromthe company that he personally

founded and nurtured through it�s form-ative years, to start all over again.

Yet as the UK�s newly appointedgeneral manager of Dutch machinerymanufacturer Imants BV, JohnReynolds says he is �absolutely in hiselement and has never been happier.�

It is just over a year ago that theformer md of Earthquake Turfcare Ltddramatically walked out of a boardmeeting after a major disagreementwith shareholders over company policyand rows about supply contracts.

There followed a high profile legalbattle culminating in a High Court trialat Birmingham in March of last year,which was settled out of court by oppos-ing barristers literally minutes beforeproceedings were due to commence.

�I don�t want to dwell on the past,�said Reynolds. �Sometimes in life youhave to stand up and be counted andhave the courage to stick to your princi-ples and this was one of those occasions.I have no regrets and feel no bitternesstowards the persons concerned.�

At Imants, Reynolds certainly feelsthat he has the opportunity to developand use his skills and vast experience tothe full. �Felix Peters, md of Imants andI have been great friends for years andhave a tremendous amount in common,particularly a love of machinery andfine engineering,� said Reynolds.

�The company was founded byJoseph Imants in 1886 and has alwaysbeen highly innovative and inventive.Like many engineering dynasties,however, marketing was never theirstrong point!

�There was a tendency to create anddevelop wonderful machines to meetrecognised and defined market needsand then move on to the next projectwithout really marketing effectively.

�This is a very common problemwith engineering companies which arerun and staffed by true enthusiast engi-neers. Of course sales and marketing issomething that everyone thinks is easy,but in reality is the toughest area todevelop effectively in any company.It�s not just about spending money onadvertising either, that�s only one partof the marketing discipline.�ChallengingReynolds is no stranger to sales andmarketing, having spent over 30 years inthe agricultural and amenity industry.His approach to creating product aware-ness is bold, aggressive, and challenging.

�To successfully create a brandimage and then quickly establish your-self as market leader requires a deepunderstanding of the end user, his prob-lems, motivation and buying criteria.

�This intelligence then has to betranslated into an attractive specificproblem solving, value for money prod-uct range with the appropriate supportmechanisms in place, before marketingcan even begin.

�Only then can you commence withthe process of planning, advertising,creating editorial, gathering customertestimonials, establishing a nationwidedealer network and performing productdemonstrations. Response�In a manufacturing company likeImants it is essential to be customer ledand to create products in response tocustomer needs. In essence, its allabout making what you can sell, notselling what you make!

�The is no doubt that amenity sport-sturf facilities, particularly golf coursesare having to change the wholeapproach to turf management and main-tenance to meet demands for constantall year round play from their playermembers.

�Basically the two disciplines justdon�t mix and everyone gets frustrat-ed,� added Reynolds.

�There�s no way that this conflict ofinterests is going to change, so it�sdown to manufacturers to design andproduce low disruption turf mainte-nance products that are not only quiet,and fast enough to keep ahead of thegolfers, but also effective enough tosolve the maintenance problems with-out injuring the playing surface.

�It�s not going to be easy, but it canbe done if manufacturers listen to theend users viewpoint, and make surethey fully appreciate and understand theproblems facing greenkeepers and turfmanagers today.

One year ago, John Reynolds walked out on Earthquake Turfcare, a company that he hadbuilt up and nurtured since it�s conception. Now, facing a new challenge with Dutch-basedmanufacturer Imants, Reynolds looks to the future with renewed optimism.


Golf Management Europe is Europe�s leading business magazine for the golfindustry, and to celebrate this fact, a new range of magazine binders is nowavailable to help keep your collection in pristine condition. Each binder holds18 issues � three years worth of magazines � and are priced at £10 each.For a limited period, take out any two-year subscription to Golf ManagementEurope and we�ll throw in a magazine binder absolutely free!For subscriptions, back issues and binders call 0870 241 4678or order online at www.portman.uk.com

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�History is littered with failedcompanies who produced what theythought the customer wanted ratherthan what they actually wanted! AtImants, we are designing our wholebusiness around our customer�s needs.

�The management team at Imants inHolland is young, progressive, and veryenthusiastic in their outlook, which isgreat - they really believe in their prod-ucts and themselves. They feel thatnothing is beyond their ability, which isa wonderful philosophy,� saidReynolds.

During the past twelve months therehave been some exciting developmentsat Imants. The company were veryaware of their limited impact in termsof sales in the USA, eastern Europeanand the Far East, so they set abouttrying to rectify the situation.

�It was obvious that Imants didn�thave the resources to master these largemarkets and they were concerned thatwould-be competitors might attempt tochallenge them on a global basis,�added Reynolds.

�Imants were determined to beatthem to it and strike a deal with a majorplayer who was already establishedwith outlets worldwide.

�Fortunately several companiesapproached them, keen to talk businessand tie up a strategic marketing alliance,and a deal with Redexim Charterhousewas signed in October 2003.

�Redexim Charterhouse are theideal partners for Imants with acommon policy of invention and inno-vation combined with engineeringexcellence. Deal�The two companies were alsocompetitors, so the deal solved variousissues for the both of them. Sales in theUSA and countries outside the tradi-tional Imants markets of mainlandEurope and the UK have soared in thelast few months!,� said Reynolds.

Imants is also heavily involved inthe development and marketing of anon-chemical soil sterilisation unit,which was invented by two Israeli farm-ers. It uses a heat exchange systempowered by diesel to sterilise the soilusing very high temperature air blownover the soil as it is cultivated, by amechanical system created by Imants.

It is very exciting and interestingwith an enormous worldwide marketpotential for use as a viable alternativeand replacement for Methyl Bromidesystems currently in use.

Imants latest development is a newRevolution one-pass cultivator/incorpo-rator for landscapers and turf growers.

�My brief is to concentrate ondeveloping the UK market for Imantsvia our strong network of 12 dealersand I am really looking forward to fullyfocusing on doing just that,� concludedReynolds.


Portfolio

01992 784261

Bayer man is new chairmanJohn Hall, European marketing

manager, of Bayer EnvironmentalScience has taken over the role of

chairman of the Amenity HorticultureCommittee, which will now be calledThe Amenity Expert Group. The AHC

meets twice a year, bringing togetherrepresentatives from all of the majorcompanies in the amenity and horti-

culture industry.

01797 320636

DED pass on the savingsA recently announced new manufac-turing strategy means that the StarTSP range of thermal printers - the

TSP 600, 700 and 800 - are now evenbetter value for money. Thanks to

industry acceptance of the technolo-gy and the sales of USB interfaces

having exceeded all expectations, ithas been possible to reduce the cost

of these printers by upto 40 per cent.

01423 358928

New Reform M3 RangeIC Distributors, the UK distributor

for Austrian-based Reform-Werke haslaunched the new Reform M3 range

of pedestrian mowers. The launchfollows the acquistion by Reform-

Werke of hydrostatic pedestrianmowers from Swiss company Bucher

Automotive, and Reform hasrevamped the range to include addi-

tional Reform features.

0800 731 0669

Clubs face fines under new actClubs need to review their signage

and labelling or face hefty finesunder the Disability Discrimination

Act 1995 (DDA), according to BrotherUK. Under part three of the act,

which comes into force in October,any business which provides a service

to the public will have to makereasonable adjustments to ensure the

disabled are catered for properly.

01797 320636

New Zebra P620 from DEDFor durable, secure cards that alsolook good and reflect well on your

club, the new P620 from Zebra is setto take the market by storm, offeringreliability and superior print quality.

The P620’s patented Micro Cardtransport mechanism ensures highlyaccurate card positioning, resultingin high-quality colour printing that

is extremely difficult to copy.

01722 716361

Fox surveys the landBen Fox, 49, has joined the team

of golf course constructors MJAbbott as surveyor and site manag-

er. Having worked extensively withinthe golf industry as a surveyor he

will be available to carry out topo-graphical surveys. “This reinforces

our commitment to the golfconstruction industry,” said Nigel

Wyatt, contracts director.

01480 226800

Writtle welcome Toro recruitsToro and its distributor Lely havewon praise for their enlightened

attitude towards training the nextgeneration of service technicians.

The accolade came after WrittleCollege welcomed its first intake ofToro apprentice service technicians

aiming to qualify as groundscaremachinery maintenance profession-

als under a new training scheme.

01944 768232

Rytec launch new mowerAs an extension to the successful

Contractor ‘S’ model heavy duty rearmounted flail mower is the ‘SR’ or‘Reversible’. This machine featuresthe same double skin construction

and 200mm diameter rotor incommon with the rest of the

Contractor ‘S’ range but is fittedwith a double linkage and gearbox

with PTO shafts both front and rear.

Peter NybergGeneral Manager, Kungsangen Golf Club, Sweden

“The best part of Toro is they are so up to datewith their new technology. If there’s anything ourgreenkeepers are discussing or may need, theyknow that Toro is always in the front.

Toro equipment allows the staff to prepare a courseto meet the demanding new standards of the tour.Nowadays you need to have such a wide range ofequipment to maintain a course, and you knowthat Toro has the equipment you need.”

Steve TaylorCourse Superintendent, Druids Glen Golf Club,Ireland

“We find the machines give a quality cut. This,coupled with an excellent mechanic, means themachines perform at the highest standard.

The Toro units offer easy maintenance, and I don’tjust mean easier to work with, I mean they get lessand less complicated, easier to work on, easier toset up and adjust.”

Eddie BullockManaging Director, Woburn Golf and CountryClub, England

“Toro has listened and they’ve become a part ofWoburn Golf and Country Club. They’re teammembers.

... and when things are not going right, that Toroteam member is right there, listening and workingwith you.”

Jaime Ortiz PatiñoPresident, Club de Golf Valderrama, Spain

“Having received recommendations from specialistsin the field of golf maintenance of the quality ofToro equipment, I was fortunate since the day Ipurchased Valderrama in 1985 to go exclusivelywith Toro.

I do not regret this choice, since the use of Toroequipment has always given me optimum resultsand their technology is always at the forefront. Thedurability of Toro equipment makes it moreeconomical in the long run.”

Bill WarwickSuperintendent, Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche Golf Club,France

“Going into the tournament, I don’t worry aboutequipment. I’m worried more about the golf courseand the weather. I don’t even have to think aboutthe equipment. I know it’s going to be reliable. It’sone less thing I have to think about. I know it’sgoing to start and work well.

All machines break eventually, every superintendentknows that. But the support you get when yourmachine’s down, when you need it most, that’swhat great about Toro. That’s why we are Toro.That’s why we don’t have any other colour here.”

David Garland, Director of Tour Operations,PGA European Tour (pictured above)

“Not only did Toro have a full and diverse range of equipment that we required, and the majorityof the Tour’s top venues were already committed Toro users, but the endorsements and plauditswe received from the Course Superintendent’s, in our opinion the men who really count, were sonumerous the decision was easy.”

Chris Kennedy, Director and Golf Courses Manager, The Wentworth Club, England (pictured above)

“We prepare for three televised golf tournaments annually and since coming to Wentworth 13years ago I’ve done 32 televised golf tournaments using Toro equipment and irrigation. It issimply the best equipment for the preparation of golf tournaments.

Toro is still the only company that has the aeration equipment you can use the day before thetournament. Certainly for tournament presentation, the Toro range of product is second tonone.”

www.toro.com

Official Supplier

of The PGA European Tour ...They count on us ... So can you.

Along with superb shotmaking and tight competition, what makes a PGAEuropean Tour event so memorable are the stunning golf landscapes wherechampionships are contested. The dedicated teams of managers, superintendentsand greenkeepers who create these lush, challenging courses count on Toro—and so can you. The same equipment, irrigation systems and support Toroprovides to its partners at PGA European Tour sites is available to golf courseseverywhere. Whether large or small, new or old, every golf course with the desireto provide memorable golf experiences has a willing partner in this pursuit: Toro.Count on it.

Tel: 0870 164 6004Fax: 0870 164 6009www.mox-iint.com

The European Leader in Leasing for the Golf and Turf Industries

gmé | issuu 36

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