The art of taming a big course
Baroness joins a team with great expectations
The first thing you notice about Chichester Golf Club is its sheer scale – 300 acres of glorious countryside a couple of miles south of the West Sussex’s elegant cathedral city. Into all that space Maple Leaf Golf has packed a feast of golfing enjoyment including two very different 18-hole courses, a nine-hole short course, 15-bay floodlit driving range plus outdoor and indoor adventure courses.
It adds up to a true golfing adventure, but it’s also a big test for the nine-man (plus one seasonal part-timer between April and October) greenkeeping team whose mission is to deliver an all-round quality experience while taking care of an awful lot of ground. Course Manager Andy Brown is very clear that there can be no compromises when it comes to the playing surfaces.
It was with that in mind that the club made the decision a few months ago to invest in new machines alongside the mainly second-hand ones that had previously dominated its shed. After a careful analysis of his options, Andy opted for two Baroness machines from Lister Wilder – an LM551B fairway mower and GM2810 rotary mower for the surrounds.
While always focused on today’s tasks, Andy is a great believer in planning ahead in ensuring that the resources available to him achieve an end result that satisfies both members and the club’s many visitors. “I am very conscious that many of those people will be visiting us for the first time, so we want to give them the very best experience whatever it is they have come here to enjoy. We always need to exceed people’s expectations.”
The 6,442-yard Cathedral course with its lakes, ditches and long holes is a real test for any golfer and is widely favoured for member competitions. The Tower course (6,109 yards) is much loved but doesn’t represent quite such a challenge, with less water and a shorter distance. Put them together with the other attractions and you have a daunting maintenance challenge.
“The way we approach it is to prioritise each of our main courses two days-a-week, which leaves us with a floating day to get other jobs done,” says Andy. “Hitting each course with a lot of manpower two days-a-week means that we can get the majority of cutting done ahead of the golf. If all goes well we might get a third cut in.
“We like to own our own machinery and have previously bought mainly second-hand but last year we made the decision to buy the two new Baroness machines. It was a big investment for us but it has certainly paid off so far and will increasingly do so if we look after them.”
He adds: “When we decided to buy new we demoed the big names and recognised in Baroness really good machinery that was readily available without a long wait and with superb back up support from both Mark Carter (Lister Wilder Area Sales Manager) and Luke Collins (Baroness Area Sales Manager). I spoke to other guys in the industry to check that the back-up was indeed good and was assured that it was.”
“The machines are made well and competitively priced. The quality of cut is phenomenal – after a long day on the course the cut is as good at the end as it was at the beginning. That is massive for us because it saves us 10 to 15 minutes having to nip them up every four or five hours.”
Andy is a big believer in ensuring buy-in from his team and says he got it enthusiastically when it came to the Baroness machines. “They are the ones who spend long hours on them, so comfort and ease of use are very important plus the fact that height adjustment is so quick and easy.”
The LM551B is Baroness’ new generation five-unit fairway mower. It is available with 22” and 26” units plus a range of optional accessories. Features include a forward and backward slide function on the rear cutting units, increasing contour following whilst minimising uncut turf. Unique tension support and down pressure features allow the machine to consistently and accurately follow the most severe undulating surfaces.
Meanwhile, the Baroness GM2810 five-deck rotary mower makes light work of Chichester’s surrounds and is designed to deliver a high work-rate and supreme manoeuvrability on the most demanding of terrain. The popular height adjustment system enables the operator to change cutting heights in minutes. Rear cutting decks swing out for ease of access so eliminating any hard to reach and practically unserviceable areas.
