Bold outlay delivers a great course
When it comes to not just achieving but sustaining high standards, the investment demands on a typical golf club can be considerable. Set in the peaceful countryside just north of bustling Portsmouth, Waterlooville Golf Club knows that scenario very well as it maintains an ambitious drive to be the best it can possibly be on a heavy clay subsoil where drainage is not easy and where the beauty of tree-lined fairways also in itself poses a big maintenance challenge.
The 117-year-old club has, however, been bold in its spending on improving drainage and irrigation, reinforcing its highly capable greenkeeping team from five to eight and investing in the right machinery to enable them to do the job. Lister Wilder Area Sales Manager Mark Carter has had a key role to play in advising Course Manager Chris Marker on a refreshed equipment line-up that now includes three Baroness LM66 pedestrian mowers, three Kubota RTV520 utility vehicles, a Salsco HP11-III roller and a Kubota KX037-4 KGLS2 digger.
“Mark has been fantastic throughout the whole process,” says Chris. “His advice through the preliminary demo and sales stages was invaluable, and when there have been small follow-ups he has dealt with them quickly and efficiently and has gone beyond what I would expect. The aftercare we have enjoyed has been all you could possibly hope for.”
He adds: “When it came to pedestrian mowers for our tees, collars and aprons, I looked at the four main brands. I hadn’t previously used a Baroness LM66 but had heard that the cut quality was very good. Lister Wilder gave me one to use for a week or two – that opportunity made such a difference when compared with seeing it in a showroom because we got to actually use it and spend some time with it. It outperformed all the others yet was also hugely competitive on price.
“The LM66 is a solid and well-built machine that is easy to use, with technology that isn’t over complicated and cog rather than belt drive. I was sceptical that the cut could possibly be as good as everyone told me until I saw it with my own eyes. Other machines cut well, but how long they stay on-cut is another thing and the LM66 is by far the best in that respect that I have ever had. We are now well into the season with them and they haven’t missed a beat plus we have the comfort of knowing that they come with a five-year warranty.”
The three Kubota RTV520 utility vehicles have a key role in support of the LM66s courtesy of trailers that deliver them around the course ready for early starts well ahead of the golf. By the time the golfers appear, the job has been done and the grass removed, again via the RTV / trailer combo.
Meanwhile, the Salsco HP11-III roller stood out when demoed with five others. “It’s big, but because the weight is spread the ground pressure is really good, and the manoeuvrability is unrivalled,” says Chris, who also likes the fact that it has brushes on the rollers. “When we top dress and roll in the afternoon we just put a light dressing down and the roller will work it in very nicely and without any sand drop. We get zero scorch marks because it is hydraulically driven on each roller.”
For Chris, drainage has been the big issue that has necessitated investment over recent years in both primary and secondary solutions. With past experience that often included closures lasting three or four months, the extent of what has been achieved can be judged from the fact that just 22 days were lost in the last, supremely wet winter. For the future the Kubota digger will play a key role in enabling the greenkeepers to tackle much of the ongoing work in-house.
Proof of the wisdom of Waterlooville’s carefully thought out investment strategy lies not just in minimising closures but in the sheer enthusiasm from members with whom it is fully booked over seven days.
Chris is, however, far from complacent. “While golfers expectations have risen considerably in recent years, we no longer have all the tools we use to have in terms of chemicals to deal with problems like leather jackets, worms and thunder flies,” he says. “On top of that, the changing climate further increases the pressure. It’s very hard to maintain what is expected but I’m totally confident we can not just stay on top of it but improve further.”
