Auchterarder Golf Club in the heart of Penrithshire, Scotland, has chosen Toro again for straight replacements of two of its pivotal mowers.

The club needed to update its frontline cutting equipment and decided there was no comparison on the market for the Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 hybrid for the greens and Toro’s Groundsmaster 3500-D for the tee banks at its parkland course.

Shaun McNaugton, Head Greenkeeper, says: “We’ve tried other brands over the years but always come back to Toro.”

The reasons for this are quite straightforward, he says: “The club has used Toro since before my time and I’ve worked here for 21 years. Every piece of equipment we buy must earn its keep and deliver a return on our investment. I expect longevity, value, performance, and reliability.”

Shaun moved away from his usual diesel greens mower last year, opting instead for the Greensmaster TriFlex 3420 hybrid model and he’s been so impressed with the savings in fuel with no compromise on performance that he ordered another.

“I haven’t done any number crunching on the diesel savings but they’re certainly obvious and significant’” he says. “It operates so efficiently in energy savings mode, representing impressive value.”

Another key selling point is the machine’s reduction in hydraulic components, says Shaun: “Reducing the risk of hydraulic leaks on the greens was equally as important as the savings in fuel consumption,” he confirms.

The Groundsmaster 3500-D that Shaun is replacing is 17 years old. He says: “That kind of longevity is important to us, but the technology in this machine is equally as important.

“It’s as if the Groundsmaster with Sidewinder was designed specifically for our course,” he continues. “In a parkland setting with an undulating landscape and sloping tee banks, the technology behind this machine comes into its own. Its easy manoeuvring and shifting cutting units deliver a close cut around the trees, on the bankings, and along hedgerows saving an unbelievable amount of effort and delivering a superb aesthetic.”

Add to that the fact that Toro machines are, according to Shaun, “easy to maintain, incur minimal downtime and a firm favourite with all the full- and part-time staff who use them as well as the local mechanic” and it makes sense that Auchterarder Golf Club is a repeat customer for distributor Reesink Scotland, the Scottish service branch of Reesink Turfcare based in Livingston.

John Rankin, Area Sales for Reesink Scotland, says: “Anyone who has the pleasure of playing or visiting Auchterarder Golf Club will know it is maintained with the utmost pride. Shaun is a loyal customer who trusts Toro implicitly to support him and the team as they endeavour to present the course in the best order possible.