GROUNDSKEEPING & EQUIPMENT
“Dealing with Alastair Briggs
and Paul Hodgson of Greenlay
was the best decision the club
made. Their all-round service
and communication throughout
the process was first class, and
we’ve established a very good
relationship. Having worked in
horticulture before, I knew John
Deere’s reputation for quality
equipment. When Ian and I made
the recommendation to the golf
club, they liked what they saw as
well and the finance committee
agreed the budget, so there was a
proper consensus all round.” is very accurate, so you can be
confident everything’s being applied
correctly. We certainly use a little
less chemical now and there’s also
been a massive saving on man hours
doing the spraying job.
Ian Stewart initially attended
a BIGGA Section open day at
Greenlay, which was the first time
he had visited the dealership, and
was very impressed by the facilities
and the people he met. “I wanted to
see the sprayer and Greenlay had
one brought in,” he says. “A great deal of thought and effort
went into this purchase over a long
period of time, and we received lots
of good advice from Greenlay – they
were always available to answer our
questions at any time. Some of their
recommendations I didn’t think
were right at the time, but they have
been proved right since and it’s been
a great deal all round.”
“The sprayer has a much bigger
capacity at 750 litres compared to
our previous 300-litre mounted
machine, and the controls are really
good. The automatic rate controller
“We had the mowers on long-term
demonstration and found them to
be easy to operate, with a very good
quality of cut. The latest cutting
units on the walk-behind and ride-
on greens mowers are equipped
with brushes that lift the grass and
provide a much better finish – it’s
little details like this that mean a lot.
alongside a large practice area, and
considering the development of a
short-game area. The club also has
a six-hole academy course which is
used by its current PGA professional
Clifford Jackson to encourage
youngsters and adult beginners to
take up the game.
Seaton Carew has already played
host to a number of major amateur
championships, including two
Brabazon Trophies, a Carris Trophy
and various other national and
international events. It is now
hoping, with the help of its new
machinery fleet and the dedication
of its greenkeeping team, that the
course will be considered for yet
another major championship to help
mark its 150-year anniversary.
Alongside the work on the course,
Seaton Carew Golf Club is building
a new indoor coaching facility
John Deere Ltd,
Harby Road, Langar,
Nottinghamshire NG13 9HT
www.JohnDeere.co.uk
Seaton Carew Golf Club acting head greenkeeper Ian Stewart (centre front) with greens staff
(left to right) Maček Kočinski, Paul Nichols, Andrew Wood, Daniel Egan and Chris Timmons.
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