Here are some references and feedback on the products and service provided by the Grass Group as supplied direct by customers.
The department within Hertfordshire's Dacorum Borough Council responsible for maintaining parks, playing fields, grass verges and streets is known, appropriately, as ‘Clean, Safe and Green’. AME visited the Borough in 2010 as the leaves were falling.
For more details click here
Described by Nikolaus Pevsner as the ‘most splendid 19th Century mansion in the country’ Wynyard Hall in the Tees Valley is now a luxury country house hotel. And its grounds are being maintained to the highest standards by Mark Birtle and his team using a Progressive TDR-15 roller mower from the Grass Group.
The versatile tri-deck mower cuts 120 acres of parkland, including two amenity areas in front of the house which lead down to a landscape lake.
Mark explains that the requirements for the parkland are particularly exacting: “The owner does not want visible grass clippings, so the sward is cut from 3in down to 2in, once a fortnight, or once a week around the hall itself. It takes two to three days to cut, depending on the weather, and the TDR-15 does an excellent job.”
Purchased three years ago to replace a set of trailed gangs, Mark says that not only does the TDR-15 cut more quickly and efficiently, it also offers an improved finish, with no unslightly clippings left behind.
The mower has also revolutionised clearing up after the bulb flowering season, he adds: “We have two bulb areas, and once they stopped flowering, it used to be necessary to flail the stems, wait for the cuttings to dry and then pick them up with a mower collector. In just two cuts, the TDR-15 disperses all the clippings so there is nothing to pick up – it is much easier and less labour intensive.”
Mark comments that on the undulating parkland, the tri-deck design closely follows ground contours and the rollers leave an attractive striped finish.
“It is far superior to using gangs, but is also simplicity itself to operate and care for – we have to cross a couple of historic bridges, and the decks fold neatly for transport.”
The 4.7m cut mower is pulled by an 80hp tractor, and Mark comments that it is a frugal piece of kit. “When I saw the TDR-15 being demonstrated it did not seem to be power-hungry, and it has certainly proved that here, even on the bulb areas and on undulating ground.”
Ease of maintenance and simplicity are major plus points that Mark also picks out. “It is a robust, simple machine which has proved itself admirably at Wynyard Hall,” he comments. “There is so little to go wrong – when it goes out in the morning I know it will come back in one piece. I have only sharpened the blades once in three years, yet the quality of cut remains consistently high.”
He adds that he has also enjoyed excellent back-up from their local dealer, Lloyd Limited of Bishop Auckland, who have maintained a keen interest in the machine.
Ends.
The London Golf Club is one of the country’s finest golf venues and a European Tour destination. Covering 800 acres the estate includes two 18 hole courses and extensive club house facilities for both golfers and corporate guests alike. Opened in 1992 the greens are a credit to the 25 staff employed to oversee both the Jack Nicklaus designed ‘Heritage’ course as well as the ‘International’, undoubtedly one of the finest downland courses in Europe.
Ever mindful of the need to keep the course in tip top condition, the greens professionals have an array of machinery to aid them in that goal. One such piece of kit making a name for itself is the ATT TM SystemTM. Glenn Kirby, Assistant Course Manager, explained “We wanted to maintain the greens at their peak condition throughout the year and decided to look for an additional verticutting unit. However, whilst talking to Tim Merrell of The Grass Group at Saltex he showed me the TM SystemTM.”
He went on, “I wasn’t necessarily looking for a cassette based system but the build quality of the Ultra Groomer module caught my attention. Tim explained the results that could be achieved from using the system and he set up a demonstration and we were sold on it. I was initially convinced a cassette based system must be a compromise against stand alone machinery but the demo really impressed us and that impression has stayed. I especially liked the idea that the system could be added to and that I didn’t have to buy the whole package in one go.”
Glenn recognised their weak area was in grooming, rolling and brushing and believes the TM SystemTM has given him the tools to deal with the tricky times of the year, like the spring with the Poa seed head flushes. The club was cautious in attracting premium rates and golf days at those times of the year but now feel the application of the Ultra Groomer as a significant compliment to Verticutting to bring the greens to peak condition.
Since having the system the units have been used every week. Glenn expanded, “On tees we’ve found them invaluable in removing organic matter, and on a longer height of turf - one pass over and the grass is standing much more upright to give a better quality of cut afterwards”.
The speed of adjustment has really impressed him and given him an option he never really had in the past by being able to adjust in situ. For example he can get out on the putting greens in the morning and see what is being pulled out of the first green. Then he can make the necessary adjustment, on site, rather than having to go back to the workshop – just a couple of clicks and it’s done.
Along with the Ultra Groomer cassettes the club also included the Vibration modules and brush attachments.
Glenn has been quick to develop the use of the vibration units, with brushes attached, ahead of mowing. He says that it goes against established practise, but the action of the brushes lifts the grass to an upright position and exposes the seed heads to be cut off by immediately mowing. He says the units allow for faster recovery out of the renovation week and is very enthusiastic about experimenting further with the versatility of the system.
Ends.
Although Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club is just 11 years old, the picturesque parkland course is steeped in history.
It is on the site of what was England's largest Cistercian Abbey, founded by Edward I, who in 1277 laid the first foundation stone. In the 16th century, the Abbey was pulled down and replaced with the Great House, now an impressive Clubhouse. It is reputed to be haunted, and among the protected sites in the grounds is a Nun’s grave.
The present owners purchased the Club in 2001 with what remains an ongoing commitment to operate as a traditional Members' club, although it has recently been opened up to visitors and societies, while the Great House is a popular venue for weddings and functions.
Course Manager Jonathan Betts has been at Vale Royal Abbey for six years and leads a team of six greenkeepers; previously he was Deputy Course Manager at Delamere Forest Golf Club.
Constructed with USGA spec greens, the course also has extensive areas of rough, which can take three days to cut. Course manager Jonathan explains: “We decided to look for a new mower a year ago, as our previous machine was struggling to cover the ground, and as a consequence of wear to the bearings, was beginning to cut unevenly.”
After looking at a range of machines on the market, Jonathan came across the Progressive Pro-Flex 120. “This mower really appealed because of its robust build quality. I’m well aware that we expect a lot from our mowers – the course was farmland before, so nitrogen levels are high and there is a lot of growth. We can be cutting 20/ha a week, and although we aim to mow once a week, rapid regrowth or the need for high presentation standards during a competition can make it more often.”
Reliability was another priority, as the previous mower had spent a lot of time in the workshop, and the 3/16in deck and heavy duty frame on the Pro-Flex 120 have certainly delivered, says Jonathan.
“The course is undulating in parts, and the five individual mower decks follow the ground contours well, with no scalping,” he points out. “Plus the cut quality is excellent, very even with no clumping even in heavy growth.”
An acknowledged benefit of rotary mowers is their ability to cut in wet, and Jonathan confirms that the Pro-Flex 120 has been out in all weathers. “With its 3m working width, it is also very quick, which helps with our workload,” he says. “Another good feature is the folding outer decks, which reduce the transport width. It means that the greenkeeper can choose the most convenient route along the paths to the mowing job, even if they are restricted in width.”
The mower is pulled by a 50hp Kubota L5030, which Jonathan says is ‘more than adequate’ and a 32hp Ford 1920 has even filled in for mowing duty when required.
Maintenance requirement is minimal, and the hydraulically tilting decks help make routine greasing easier.
“We’ve just finished our winter servicing, and costs were very low – it even looks as if the blades will last another season,” Jonathon comments.
Supplied by Turner Groundcare of Chester, the mower was demonstrated and installed by Lee Ashcroft from The Grass Group.
“Lee showed us around the mower and set it up, which was very straightforward. All of our greenkeepers can use it, which is a bonus when you are busy. I would expect the mower to last at least five years as it is so robust and reliable.”
Ends.
Farmer turned groundsman: that’s Tim Parker who looks after the 80 acres of pitches and 50 acres of parks, gardens and lawns at The Royal Hospital School in Suffolk. He’s been head groundsman there for six years with a team of eight full-time staff under him, but his route into turf care came only after formal training in agriculture at Merristwood and life running farms.
In 1980 he took on groundsman duties at Woolpit Cricket Club, where incidentally he was also captain. It was a watershed year. “I joined the IOG when I started doing the club ground,” said Tim. “I loved it so much it became an obsession and I decided to take on the voluntary post as Suffolk County Pitch Advisor for the ECB, which meant attending training courses at Cranfield College. I was then able to go to clubs around the county and give advice. Today, I still do written reports for the ECB to help grant aid applications for clubs.”
The ECB role gave Tim a great knowledge of sports surface maintenance, so when the job at The Royal Hospital School came up, he jumped at it. Presentation at the independent school is high on the list of priorities. In Tim’s words “we are always on show.” Last year he invested in a new mower to deliver high sports surface standards even more efficiently. Traditionally, a gang mower is the choice for large scale school grounds work, but Tim opted for a fresh approach.
“We already had a 3-metre Trimax and a 5-gang trailed Ransomes sports mower, which were both very good, but decided we needed greater capacity and speed and started looking for a triple roller mower. Tomlinson’s, the local dealer, suggested we gave the Progressive TDR-15 a try, which we did. Tim Merrell of The Grass Group came out to see us with the mower and we were especially impressed with the ease of use and cuttings dispersal. We liked the spare parts back up offered too.”
Surely he shopped around? “Of course we did. We also had a demo of another roller mower, which was also a very good piece of kit, but in the end decided to go for the TDR-15,” says Tim, adding. “The new mower is giving us a great quality of cut, great striping where it’s needed and we get it in a very speedy and efficient way.”
His new machine cuts all the winter sports pitches plus the fairways on the school’s 9-hole golf course. “It pretty much does all the large scale cutting,” says Tim. “We have discovered that it’s extremely good for football and rugby. Also, because of the rolle,r we’ve found it’s extremely effective on our four grass hockey pitches, keeping them nice and flat so the ball has a good smooth roll. We mow the pitches in conjunction with slitting which keeps the surfaces in good condition over all.”
The Progressive has uniquely shaped, curved blades that create an updraft, raising the grass prior to cutting. Tim says this is very effective and produces a clean, even cut. He is finding that grass is drawn up and cut quickly. The mower comes with a spanner set to alter the height of cut, which he says you soon get used to.
“We vary height of cut it according to the sporting need,” he says. “For rugby, we like to cut between two and three inches, but the hockey pitches are cut to about an inch. The striping is fantastic because of the weight of the rollers front and back. In the past , without exception, we would have used a cylinder mower for hockey pitches and cricket outfields. Now we use the TDR-15. Early in the cricket season, I’m using it just to roll, without even mowing, to achieve a flat finish and striping.”
Tim is using a 100hp John Deere 5100R, also new this year, to power the mower. The school grounds have many a slope, so a tractor that would keep the PTO speed up to maintain rotor speed was essential. He says he mows between 6 and 8 mph and gets a consistently good finish.
“If you take it beyond that, you risk bounce which will lift the roller decks off the ground, and that’s not what you need,” he says.“On well maintained ground, the TDR-15 is incredibly quick. You can fly.”
On the school’s football pitches, where there’s room to turn easily, it takes about 10-15 minutes to complete a cut. Ten passes does the job. Tim says the Trimax used to take about half an hour. But what about when it is wet? Does the deck get clogged with clippings?
“Sometimes when it‘s really wet it is possible for some of the grass to get stuck on the frame of the machine and drop off in clumps, but that’s very rare.” he says. “We do tend to brush the grass if it is wet with a large Sisis brush before mowing. As a rule of thumb, if it is too wet we just wouldn’t be cutting.”
The contour following is apparently very good. The machine’s three decks float independently and this means they cope with undulating surfaces more than adequately. There hasn’t been much downtime so far either.
“We had an issue once with one of the rollers sticking in the bearing,” recalls Tim. “Tomlinson’s came out and fixed it extremely quickly. Apart from general maintenance and blade sharpening every now and then, this mower’s always ready for work.”
Inturf Ltd - professional turf growers and innovators of modern grass products and systems has an offering that is now specified by world class venues in professional sport, and by respected landscape design and construction practitioners. So when they needed a likeminded professional organisation to supply the best equipment - they choose The Grass Group.
Here is what Stephen Edwards, Inturf Joint Managing Director had to say "The 2 x SG1165s have transformed the way we collect clippings"
Ian and Andrew Mercer had heard much about the SG1165k, but with the SG1100 they already had, saw no reason to change. However, after 15 years of faultless hard work, it was decided to retire their SG1100 and buy the North West Turf have taken delivery of a new SG1165k 6.5 metre 25 acres/hour vacuum sweeper.
"We have known Grass Group and the TRILO product since they started in UK 15 years ago, the company is easy to deal with, parts are never a problem, not that we needed many, and the product itself cannot be beaten. The SG1165k is a fantastic machine and we are very pleased we made the decision to upgrade"
Ian Mercer, North West Turf.
We have used The Grass Groups' products for our hire business for a number of years now. The machines have proven themselves time and again, our customers like using them, they are very well built and if we need parts we get them next day. As our hire business continues to grow, we will certainly continue to add to our fleet"
Steven McInroy, Managing Director, SGM Hire
