Burhill Golf and Leisure Ltd, privately owned by members of the Guinness family and one of the largest golf course management companies in the UK, has purchased five Jacobsen Eclipse 322 hybrid greens mowers from Ransomes Jacobsen.

These new, ground-breaking greens mowers will be used at the golf courses and golf centres across the group with two of the most recent deliveries at the group’s Hertfordshire-based clubs – Aldwickbury Park at Harpenden and Redbourn in St Albans. Local dealer Ernest Doe and Sons installed the machines, which are unique as they are totally free of hydraulic oil and use a small diesel engine to power a generator providing electricity to the traction and reel motors.

Hugh Knowles is the group operations manager and joined Burhill Golf and Leisure in 2004 from American Golf. He was instrumental in introducing Burhill’s environment policy, which is designed to enrich the environments of its 10 courses and promote sound, sustainable management through a high degree of environmental awareness and quality.

Commenting on the new greens mowers he said, “We’ve ordered five of these 322s across the group and are expecting considerable savings in fuel costs plus the added benefit from their reduced environmental footprint, which is an important factor to us.

“The unique features of the Eclipse 322 are the complete absence of hydraulic oil and electric drive to the traction motor and cutting cylinders. The electric power is provided by a small 13hp diesel engine and 48-volt continuous generator, which makes it much quieter and less obtrusive on the course. This totally negates the chance of hydraulic leaks on the greens, which is a course manager’s worst nightmare, and being much quieter than conventional mowers is another positive.”

The company’s 36-hole flagship Burhill Golf Club in Walton-on-Thames has also taken delivery of an Eclipse 322 as have the Hoebridge Golf Centre in Woking and Wycombe Heights Golf Centre in High Wycombe.

For more information on Ransomes Jacobsen products visit: www.ransomesjacobsen.com