The Landscape Group, a UK-based green service provider, has chosen Jacobsen equipment to maintain Sport Aberdeen’s four council-owned golf courses. The Landscape Group won the Sport Aberdeen contract in 2015 and has recently invested in Jacobsen equipment to maintain all courses.

Stuart McBain (centre) with a few team members and a selection of recently purchased machinery from Jacobsen.

Sport Aberdeen, a registered charity, currently operates four courses in the Aberdeenshire area on behalf of Aberdeen City Council: Balnagask, Hazelhead Pines, Kings Links and the MacKenzie Championship Course. The Landscape Group has invested in an array of machinery including four Jacobsen GP400 greens mowers, four Jacobsen Tri-King triplex mowers for tees and surrounds, a Jacobsen AR522 rough mower, a Jacobsen Fairway 305, three Jacobsen MH5 tractor-mounted large area reel mowers, a Turfco blower, a Jacobsen Greensaire 30 aerator, three Cushman Hauler 1200 Petrol utility vehicles and five Ransomes Super Certes for bowling greens.

Head of Fleet and Assets Angus Lindsay was responsible for procuring the equipment for the Sport Aberdeen contract. Commenting on his decision-making process he said: “At The Landscape Group, I have a policy of using local suppliers for our frontline machines. The decision to purchase Jacobsen equipment was not taken lightly, and I had to evaluate and consider several aspects. This included the level of after-sales support, both on a local and national level, product flexibility and the requirements of the contract from a client and staff perspective, previous experience, third-party endorsement and value for money. The price is not always the main consideration when deciding which product to go for. It’s easy to buy cheap, but the true value is shown in the support that we’re offered afterwards.”

Stewart McBain is the Contract Manager for The Landscape Group. Commenting on the quality of the products he said: “The quality of cut from the MH5 and the AR522 are probably my standout observations of the current equipment. The AR522 has enabled us to cut down the amount of time it takes to cut the rough from three days to just 10 hours. This has made a huge difference to our productivity; the accumulative amount of time we have saved is staggering.

“Our mechanic, Chris Elrick, previously worked for the local dealer, Fairways GM. He has seen first-hand how some of these machines are made at the Jacobsen European manufacturing facility in Ipswich. The quality is unquestionable. We also benefit from Chris’ training at the Cutting Edge Training facility, ran by Jacobsen. We are all confident in the products, and the results so far, speak for themselves.

“We have a great working relationship with Fairways; they are all helpful guys who will go out of their way to make sure everything is as we expect. We always receive very fast service, and it’s refreshing to deal with dealer representatives who are so hands-on and technically minded.”

The Landscape Group offers a quality service in grounds maintenance, tree surgery, street-cleaning and landscape construction. It has built many award-winning landscapes, including the ultra-modern Media City piazza in Salford Quays and a formal Victorian park restoration at Herschel Park.

www.ransomesjacobsen.com