Landscape & Urban Design Issue 40 2019 | Page 28

GROUNDSKEEPING & EQUIPMENT (Left to right) Dealers Paul Hodgson and Alastair Briggs of Greenlay with Seaton Carew Golf Club greens chairman Jonathan Beaumont and John Deere territory manager Richard Charleton. FINANCE PACKAGE PAYING OFF FOR SEATON CAREW Seaton Carew Golf Club near Hartlepool will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024 and the club, which is the 10th oldest in England, is determined to make sure its course is in the best condition possible for those celebrations. Since being established with 14 holes in 1874, not only has the golf course undergone numerous changes – today it offers an unusual total of 22 holes with five different layouts – so has the way in which it is maintained. In the early years even the club’s professional would have been expected to assist with cutting fairways, probably using a horse- drawn mower, and rolling greens. 28 www.landud.co.uk Today a team of six well-trained greens staff led by acting head greenkeeper Ian Stewart work tirelessly to ensure these championship links are kept in the best condition, and the club has recently invested more than £200,000 in the latest advanced technology from John Deere to ensure they can achieve those goals. A new John Deere Financial lease package arranged by local dealer Greenlay of Cramlington in Northumberland includes a ProGator utility vehicle with HD200 low-profile amenity sprayer, an HPX Gator utility vehicle, a 4049R compact tractor, three 220SL walk- behind greens mowers, a 2653B utility tees & surrounds mower and a 2500B triplex greens mower, plus ancillary equipment. “With our previous lease arrangement coming to an end, we decided that a one-stop shop approach, with all the new kit, advice and back-up coming from one business, would potentially make a better deal for the club,” says greens chairman Jonathan Beaumont. “The equipment and finance package from Greenlay, who helped us to work out the deal based on a mix of new and ex- demonstration machines, proved to be just what we were looking for. Follow us @ludmagazine