Hallamshire Opts for Toro Exclusivity

Hallamshire Golf Club has signed a Toro exclusivity agreement. The Sheffield club, which recently celebrated its centenary, had always shied away from committing to a single machinery manufacturer, but its positive experiences with its existing Toro kit convinced the committee to agree to the five-year deal.

Course manager of 25 years, Gordon Brammah, comments: "We're a long-standing Toro user, but we've used a range of machinery in the past. I've always gone for the machine that did the job, rather than stick to a single manufacturer. But the greens staff and I have always been highly satisfied with the quality of our Toro machines and so when we decided to look at an exclusive package, Toro offered the best all-round option."

Hallamshire's new fleet includes four Greensmaster 1000s, a Greensmaster 3250-D, two Reelmaster 3100-Ds with Sidewinder, a Reelmaster 6500-D with DPA cutting units and a Groundsmaster 3500-D. Gordon says that the mowers are "doing a very good job" maintaining the 18-hole course.

"We've had a lot of positive comments about the condition of the course since they arrived, particularly with the quality of finish. I tell the club's committee that this isn't just down to the green staff's skills - it's also down to the machines we're using. It's great that they're now seeing the benefits of their investment."

Gordon concludes: "Everyone at Lely UK and our dealer Yorkshire Turf Machinery has worked hard to ensure we're happy with the products and the back-up so far has been excellent."

Photo caption: From left are Lely's Jeff Anguige, Hallamshire Golf Club director David Westaway, course manager Gordon Brammah, Lely's Nigel Lovatt and YTM's Tony Dodson, with the greenkeepers behind.