It is all of ten years since Sandford Springs Golf Club first opened its doors to Baroness Mowers. Built in the late 1980s on farmland with stunning views over the legendary Watership Down of North Hampshire, the course has matured nicely over that period – as has the relationship with Baroness and with Lister Wilder as its dealer.
Course Manager Will Green charts the progress of the Baroness fleet in his shed with satisfaction. “We started with two LM315 greens mowers and they made a big difference quite quickly because the cut was superb,” he says. “Then we had a GM2800 as a semi-rough mower to cut around the fairways followed by a bunker rake and an LM331 tees and aprons mower. Last year, we added two LM551 fairways mowers, another tees and aprons mower and a further bunker rake.”
No surprise then that the Sandford Springs shed has a decidedly ‘red’ look to it nowadays as the Baronesses take on a large slice of the responsibility for the 27-hole course that has fast established a strong reputation. With a luxury hotel within the grounds, driving range and well stocked pro shop, it has also become a popular venue for golfing breaks.
“The relationship with Baroness and Lister Wilder started with just a trial on one mower and has grown from there,” says Will. “ The LM315s made a big difference to the greens quite quickly because they cut superbly. They not just cut better than other mowers but, very importantly, stay on cut – there is no doubt about that. That was particularly the case with the first LM331 – we bought it in 2018 and only changed the bottom blade last year. We would probably have fitted two or three sets of blades on other mowers in that time.”
“When the time came for new fairway mowers it was a straightforward decision to go for the LM551s. We can be a bit of a grass factory at times and they cope with that well – there’s plenty of power and always a great quality of cut.”
But it isn’t just about the quality of the machines themselves. Will is also full of praise for the back-up he gets from both Baroness and Lister Wilder in support of his own mechanic. We have built a good rapport and they have been very good to me,” he says. “If we need parts we can get them very quickly.”
The LM551s are the latest in the Baroness line of mid-weight five-unit fairway mowers and are available with 22 and 26-inch units along with optional accessories. The mower units boast an industry-leading range of motion combined with unique tension support and down pressure features, allowing it to consistently and accurately follow the most undulating surfaces. The power comes from a solidly reliable and powerful Kubota V1505-CR-TE5 engine.
Meanwhile, the course is also benefitting from a recent £1.5 million investment to improve the drainage and another £250,000 to boost the job of putting some water back where it is needed by a new automated irrigation system, completing a four-year programme designed to turn Sandford Springs into the finest golf course in the region.
Situated just off the A339 between Newbury and Basingstoke, the course’s three circuits consist of:
- The Park Course – the least demanding nine of the three loops with a total of 2,974 yards and par of 34.
- The Wood Course with its mature trees creates a natural challenge and is arguably the toughest with a total of 3,148 yards and a par 36.
- The Lakes Course (3127 yards, par 35 ) has water as its key feature, with lakes featuring in five of the nine holes.