Following Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club’s purchase of Ventrac 4500, Course Manager Dominic Lewis is saving hundreds of greenkeeping hours at the 132-year old club.
Situated within Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, the club has two 18-hole courses, both over 100 years old and they are proud that no earth was moved, no ponds dug or streams diverted during their construction. They are entirely natural and rely on the uncontrived hazards of heather, narrow fairways, hollows and water to test the skill of the golfer.
Dominic Lewis has been in post for just over a year, having held similar positions at Hadley Wood, Harewood Downs, Oakland Park and Datchet golf clubs. Commenting on the Ventrac he said,
“I’ve been in my position since May last year and quickly discovered the huge amount of time the team were spending on strimming work, on the banks and in the ditches. It was amazing the amount of time it took; it was a nightmare and, of course, it’s physical and extremely uncomfortable in hot weather. We looked for a solution and discovered the Ventrac. Our local dealer, Ernest Doe, sourced a machine, we had a demonstration and it was obvious it was what we needed. We chose four attachments; the Contour deck, Tough Cut deck, Trencher and Power Rake, so we have virtually four dedicated machines in one. At around £55K for the package, I would say it’s certainly value for money.”
Dave Wakeley, Deputy Course Manager, is the principal operator of the machine and is more impressed with it every time he takes it out.
“It’s a gamechanger for us and is saving us hours on some of the really time-intensive jobs around the courses. For instance, we have to strim the banks and ditches every three weeks and it used to take five of us up to three days to complete. With the Ventrac we have reduced strimming hours by at least 75%, maybe more.
“Following the very wet winter we took the opportunity to add some drainage bands to some particularly difficult areas on site. The Trencher attachment was great for this, very quick and it left a tidy finish, once we’d laid the pipes and inserted the gravel.
“It’s superb on banks and goes where no other machine can go. It takes a little time to get used to, to gain the confidence to go into steep areas, but you soon get to know where it can go. We have used all four attachments; the Power Rake has proved very useful in reinstating the cart paths and machinery tracks, agitating the compacted material, removing ruts and smoothing out the surface. I used it in both wet and dry conditions and would recommend doing this job when it’s wet!”
Dave Mitchell is the club’s long-serving mechanic, having been in the industry for over 45 years, and for the last 30 at Ashdown Forest. He knows a good machine when he sees one.
“This is a very good and well-built machine,” he said. “It’s made from heavy duty steel; the welding is good and it’s robust. The attachments are belt-driven and easy to maintain, there are a couple of grease nipples that are difficult to access, but that’s being very picky! The lift-up decks are a great feature, so there’s no excuse for not cleaning the machine after use. All-in-all, a good addition to our fleet.”
Maintaining ditches now only requires the bottom area to be strimmed.
Deputy Course Manager Dave Wakeley says, the Ventrac goes where no others can!
The Wildernesse Golf Club has purchased a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor and selection of attachments to assist in the maintenance of the magnificent wooded 18-hole course, located in the village of Seal near Sevenoaks in Kent.
Mark Todd is the Course Managerand heads a team of eight including a full-time mechanic. He began his career in 1988 at nearby Lingfield Park Golf Club, where he spent 10 years learning his trade before joining The Club Company at Nizels Golf and Country Club as Deputy Course Manager. Within six months he was promoted to Course Manager and in 2007 took up his current position at The Wildernesse.
“It might be a cliché, but this incongruous looking machine is a gamechanger,” he said. “We purchased the tractor unit and three attachments; the Contour deck, Tough Cut deck and Turbine Blower. We are a heavily wooded course and we spend too many hours using backpack blowers removing leaves and other debris, not just in the autumn, but all year round. We hand cut all our greens and the team take a backpack blower with them every time, to clear the surface before mowing. This is so time-intensive, but the Turbine blower is brilliant; we also use it to remove the debris after scarifying tees and even blow cores from the greens after aeration.
Mark Todd
“The Tough Cut deck is great for maintaining the woodland margins. We used to use a compact tractor and flail to mow these areas, but it was a heavy and cumbersome combination. The out-front position of the Tough Cut deck combined with the low profile and agility of the tractor unit, means we can get in and under the trees. Without doubt, it has lifted the presentation of the course.
“Changing between the different attachments is quick and easy. There’s no three-point linkage to worry about or adjustments to make, you simply drive out of the current implement and drive into the next one. The mounting system is ingenious; it’s so quick that it encourages you to use it to its full potential.We recently loaned the stump grinder attachment and I was extremely sceptical that a belt-driven implement on a sub-25 hp tractor would be robust enough to do the job. However, it was outstanding and seemed defy the laws of mechanics; it will certainly be our next purchase.
“Initially I thought buying the Ventrac would be just about maintaining the banks and removing leaves, but we’re finding more and more uses for it. When we were looking to purchase the equipment, I had great support from the club. I made what I hoped was a sound business case and also invited the Greens Chairman to the demonstration. Everyone was impressed with its slope climbing ability and its potential labour-saving attributes, which have since become a reality. You know you’re on a winner, when there’s a lot of interest and positive comments from the members! “I’ve been very fortunate during my time here as the club has been very supportive. They have invested in a new irrigation system, new machinery and throughout the Covid-19 pandemic have been superb. We had numerous meetings and discussions on how we would approach and handle the situation and I must say, that my greenkeeping team have gone above and beyond expectations.
“We split into two teams; one headed by Lee Austin, my deputy, and the other by myself. We worked 10-hour days, one on, one off and it worked very well. We’ve followed the rules on social distancing, we’ve done a lot more cleaning and sanitising and the lads have been really flexible.
“The course was in very good condition when we reopened. We normally have a two-tee start, but that’s now down to a single tee and two-ball groups only, although this will be relaxed shortly. We’ve been booked solid and have a starter on the tee all day. Golfers must arrive 10 minutes prior to the allocated tee time and change in the car park. The only facility that’s open is the toilets.
“There was a lot of talk about golf being allowed back earlier than it was, but I think it would have been seen as elitist if this happened. Now that it is back it might help encourage more participants, as it is one of few sports that can adapt in these strange times. Only time will tell.”
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (26 March 2020) Agwood Ltd, based at Swingfield, near Dover in Kent, is the latest turf machinery dealership to join the Price Turfcare Ventrac dealer network in the UK.
Agwood was formed by Ian Wood back in 1978. An independent company, they pride themselves on their record of exemplary customer service demonstrated by their recognition as BAGMA Approved Testers for Trailer Brakes, PUWER and LOLER Approved Installers of Tracker and Cesar Datatag and NSTS Sprayer Testers.
Phil Bush, General Manager at Agwood Ltd, says they are delighted to add Ventrac to their product portfolio.
Commenting on the appointment, Phil Bush said;
“Since Rupert Price launched his business three years ago, the Ventrac product has really taken off in the UK. It’s a very well-made piece of equipment, yet easy to work on. It’s also very versatile because of the numerous attachments that can be mounted on it. Rupert has done a tremendous amount of groundwork in the past three years and it’s certainly paying off as our industry recognises the potential of the multi-purpose machine. We are delighted to add this remarkable brand to our product portfolio that already includes Massey Ferguson’s range of tractors, harvesting and groundcare equipment, along with Lemken, Opico and Suzuki ATVs.
Rupert Price, Managing Director of Price Turfcare, the UK and Ireland distributor of the Ventrac 4500 compact tractor, added,
“We are steadily building our dealer network and only taking on reputable dealers who we believe will add value to the brand. We require our dealers to be pro-active, focussed on the product and capable of providing exceptional customer back-up and support. Agwoods’ exemplify these requirements and we’re delighted to welcome them to the Ventrac family.”
Price Turfcare’s current dealers are: Fairways (GM) Ltd; Nairn Brown; Lairds Grass Machinery; Davies Tractors; John Osman Groundcare; Russell Group’s Groundcare Division; Sharrocks; Cheshire Turf Machinery; Fentons of Bourne; RT Machinery; Upson Mowers; Agwood Ltd; TH White Groundcare; and Devon Garden Machinery.
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (12 February 2020) The Rothschild Foundation has purchased a Ventrac 4500 all-terrain compact tractor and Tough Cut mowing deck from supplying dealer, RT Machinery Ltd, to help maintain the gardens and grounds at Waddesdon Manor near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. The Foundation manages Waddesdon on behalf of the National Trust.
Mike Buffin is Gardens Managerat Waddesdon and heads a team of 14 full-time gardeners and four students on one-year assignments. His impressive CV includes working at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh, the University of Pennsylvania, the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and National Trust. The gardens department manages over 400 acres at Waddesdon.
“We have wildflower meadows dotted around the estate, many on challenging slopes,” he said. “I’m attempting a change to the direction of our maintenance regimes, looking to get more versatility from our equipment and taking a more environmental approach, where possible.
“There’s a broad expanse of lawn at the front of the house, which takes a lot of wear at our annual events, such as the Christmas Fair, Colourscape in May, Summer Fest in July and Chilli Fest each September. The initial demo highlighted the benefits of the Aera-vator in relieving the compaction and the overseeding attachment worked particularly well. However, it was on the wildflower banks where the machine really came into its own. It was a wet day and the Tough Cut deck performed admirably in these challenging areas. We have been using several different mowers to achieve the high level of presentation expected at Waddesdon. The versatility of the Ventrac has simplified this and it is now one of our principal mowers.
“RT Machinery have been excellent and the ability to hire-in attachments means we have the opportunity to undertake an extended evaluation to enable us to draw up a shortlist of attachments for future purchase. It’s the ideal machine for us because of its versatility, the ease of changing attachments and its slope mowing capabilities.”
Waddesdon Manor was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild between 1874 and 1885 to display his collection of arts and to entertain the fashionable world. Opened to the public in 1959, Waddesdon Manor is managed by the Rothschild Foundation on behalf of the National Trust, who took over ownership in 1957. It’s home to the Rothschild Collection of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts.
The estate includes the Dairy, a beautiful and historic 19th century building, used exclusively as a wedding venue; the Five Arrows Hotel, Windmill Hill Archive and Flint House, a domestic dwelling commissioned by Lord Rothschild and completed in 2015, winning that year’s RIBA House of the Year Award.
Norse Commercial Services (NCS) has purchased a Ventrac 4500 all-terrain compact tractor and Tough Cut deck, through supplying dealer Ernest Doe & Sons, to help maintain the embankments of the new Broadland Northway. The 19.5 km (12 mile) dual carriageway, formerly known as the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NNDR) connects traffic from the eastern approaches to the northwest of the city.
Completed in April 2018
at a cost of £208 million, it has 39 km (24 miles) of embankments that have
been planted with 380,000 native shrubs and trees, including gorse, oak, acer
and hawthorn. Areas with no tree or shrub planting have been seeded with four
differing mixes of wildflower seeds. It is these wildflower areas that the
Ventrac and Tough Cut deck are maintaining.
Simon Mutten is the
Head of Policy and Strategy at GYB Services, Project Co-ordinator for the NCS
and lead liaison with the client, Norfolk County Council. Commenting on the new
machine he said,
“The Environmental
Management Plan requires a cut and rake of the wildflower sections twice a
year. This is the first year that the embankments have been cut and we required
a machine to work alongside our existing Roboflail, to increase productivity on
the larger areas. We have 1.5 million square metres to maintain, so we were
looking for something more productive to ensure that we provide best value to
the client.”
Martin Adcock is Operations
Manager at Norwich Norse Environmental, one of the three companies involved in
the joint venture to maintain the highway, and was the person tasked with
finding a solution to the maintenance issue.
“My first action was an internet search for slope mowers. Remote controlled mowers, including our Roboflail, featured prominently but productivity was an issue due to their limited width of cut. The Ventrac also featured in the search and, with its 1.7 metre cutting width and maximum speed of around 16 km an hour, it appeared that it could do the job. However, I had not heard of the machine before and was quite sceptical. I contacted our dealer, Ernest Doe, who is a trusted partner and has supplied us with groundscare equipment for many years.
“They advised that they had experience of the machine and could arrange a demonstration, which was done very quickly. Once I’d seen it in action, and had a chance to operate it myself, I realised that it would certainly do the job for us. The demo was brilliant; it tackled the embankments with ease and left a very acceptable finish. With a ground pressure of just 6 psi, it’s gentle on the newly established slopes and can be used at 30 degrees, something no other ride-on machine can achieve. We are also using it around the lagoons that take the water run-off from the road.”
Eton College, one of the leading independent schools in the UK, has purchased a Ventrac 4500 all-terrain compact tractor and multiple attachments from local dealer TH White Ltd, to help maintain the grounds at Dorney Lake, the rowing and canoe sprint venue for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Set in over 400 acres
of parkland by the river Thames, the lake complex was completed in 2006, after
10 years of construction. It is privately owned and financed by Eton College and
although it is primarily for use by the school, the facilities are hired out
for rowing, canoeing, dragon boating, open water swimming and triathlon.
Paul Oatway is the Grounds Supervisor at Dorney Lake, reporting to David Warner, the Grounds Manager, who is responsible for all of the open spaces at the world-renowned college. Paul has been at Eton for 30 years; he started work as a tree surgeon with the Forestry department and for the past 25 years has worked at Dorney Lake. He heads a small team of two grounds staff – Bradley Gardiner and Pavel Lukaszwski and they are totally responsible for maintaining over 200 acres of grass and woodland at the international venue.
“We have some steep banks here at Dorney,” he said, “and
were looking to replace our older Aebi machines, which had been fantastic for
us. We asked TH White to source some alternative machines, but they were either
too small and unproductive or had tracks, which we did not want. They finally
came to us with the Ventrac and, quite frankly, we were not that impressed when
we saw it on the trailer.
“However, once it was in action on our steep slopes with
the Finishing deck on the front, we were immediately won over. It performed
excellently and in the wet too. We initially purchased the Tough Cut deck, the
Power Rake and Power Brush attachments, but recently returned to TH White and
bought a Finishing deck as well. We’re very impressed with the manoeuvrability
and the quick-release coupling system, which means we can change between
implements with ease. However, the biggest plus is the way it copes with the
slopes; it’s just an amazing bit of kit.
“The Tough Cut deck tackles brambles and thick vegetation
very efficiently and the Power Rake has saved us money when we renovate our car
parks. They are basically compacted road scalpings and the rake removes
potholes and levels these areas without the need to bring in new material. We
are also a venue for several triathlons and the brush is great at keeping the
pathways clear and sweeping away the leaves in the autumn. The latest addition,
the Finishing deck, will allow us to raise the level of presentation as we can now
stripe the spectator banks along the side of the lake.
“We’ve gone from sceptics to advocates in a very short space of time. It’s a great machine.”
About Eton Dorney
Built to host world
championship rowing events, the lake must be Stillwater with consistent rowing
conditions. It has 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) straight length for racing
comprising 8 rowing lanes, each 13.5 metres (44 ft) wide. The minimum water
depth of 3.5 metres (11 ft) and a return channel allows boats to move to the
start, separated from the main lake by an island
For the 2012 Olympic Games the existing facilities were enhanced to include 20,000 additional seats; most of which were temporary. Construction began in October 2009, following investigations by Oxford Archaeology, and enhancements included a new cut-through between the competition lake and the return lane, a new bridge and an upgraded access road, funded by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). During the Olympic events, Dorney Lake was staffed by around 3,500 personnel including volunteers; it could accommodate up to 30,000 spectators per day. A temporary bridge linked the Dorney Lake site to Windsor Racecourse, where a pick-up and drop-off point for Olympic spectators was established. Other access options existed for walkers and cyclists.
Dorney Lake has hosted the following international rowing events:
2005 Rowing World Cup
(26–28 May)
2005 Coupe de la Jeunesse
(29–31 July)
2006 World Rowing
Championships (20–27 August)
2011 World Rowing
Junior Championships (3–7 August)
2012 Summer Olympics
(27 July – 12 August: rowing from 28 July to 4 August, then canoe sprint)
2012 Summer Paralympics
(29 August – 9 September: rowing from 31 August to 2 September)
2013 Rowing World Cup (21–23 June)
The public are allowed access
to the grounds of Dorney Lake when sporting events are not being run. The
two-kilometre-long flat, straight paths that run along each side of the main
lake make it a popular venue for runners, skaters, and even cross-country
skiers practising with roller skis. The picturesque landscape also makes it a
popular location for dog walkers and people out for fun.
GreenKeeping reports that The Club Company, which owns and operates 14 Country Clubs across the UK, has taken delivery of a further Ventrac 4500 compact tractor with Contour mowing deck and blower attachments. This latest combination has been delivered to Woodbury Park Hotel and Golf Club near Exeter and brings the total of Ventrac machines within the group to four.
“This is an exceptional machine combination,” said course manager Gareth Tucker. “Unlike some parts of the country, we had a very wet summer and it has continued into the autumn. This has created some challenges for the greenkeeping team, but the Ventrac has got us out of jail on many occasions. With its minimal ground pressure it can go out in all weather. The Contour deck is used on the semi-rough and the quality of finish for Captain’s Day this year was exceptional; we can lift the height of cut and also use it on the rough.”
Fentons of Bourne, Price Turfcare’s local dealer for Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, won the Best Allied Trade Stand award at the Midlands Machinery Show held at Newark Showground on 20-21 November.
The Midlands Machinery Show is one of the fastest-growing annual events in the agricultural sector, bringing together farmers, agricultural contractors, and suppliers in a friendly and relaxed business environment. Over 300 exhibitors were displaying products and service in the covered halls, with the larger products situated outside on the showground.
Fentons of Bourne in conjunction with Price Turfcare, created a demonstration area where visitors could see displays highlighting the versatility of the tractor unit and associated attachments. The demonstration arena featured two Ventrac all-terrain compact tractors and 14 different attachments including a selection of mowing decks, trencher, stump grinder, blowers, power brushes, power rakes and more.
Glen Bellamy, managing director of Fentons said, “We were delighted and surprised to win this award. At mid-afternoon a team of show organisers turned up, mid-demonstration, and presented us with the award. Rupert Price and his team put in a lot of effort to make the demonstrations meaningful for the attendees and there was considerable interest in the products. The Ventrac was probably the smallest machine on display amongst all the large agricultural machinery, but it certainly punched above its weight.”
Rupert Price added, “We were invited to attend the show in conjunction with Fentons and it was too good an opportunity to pass by. It gave us some brilliant exposure for both the product and the brand to a new audience and that was our main aim. However, it did more than that; we came away with demo requests and the icing on the cake was winning the award.
“Although tiny by comparison to some of the huge tractors and other agricultural equipment, the visitors readily appreciated the design features of our machine and the fact that it can generate such consistent power from a sub-25 hp engine. I think they were also impressed with its manoeuvrability and versatility.
Definitely a very good event for us and it made two days standing outside in the cold, well worthwhile.”
“SALTEX just gets better and better for us”, says Rupert Price, Managing Director of Ventrac’s UK distributor Price Turfcare
“For the past two years we’ve been coming to the event with the intention of raising the profile of the Ventrac brand, but this year there was a significant change. Visitors now know of us through our marketing initiatives including the social media platforms of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, together with the editorial coverage we have received in the trade media.
“We’re still working exceptionally hard demonstrating the versatility of the equipment and the recent Turf Maintenance Live (TML) event, just a week before SALTEX, was another opportunity to get the product in front of prospects.
“Many of the visitors to our stand were saying that they had seen us on social media and in the trade publications. Now they are wanting to see the equipment that is creating the buzz. At the close of the show, when we analysed the number of demonstration requests we had received, I was quite dumbfounded. With these added to those from TML, we are going to be extremely busy between now and the spring of 2020.
Tom Bailey, Area Sales Manager at RT Machinery, has won Price Turfcare’s Dealer Sales Achievement award and has been presented with £300 worth of store vouchers in appreciation of his efforts.
Rupert Price, Managing Director of Price Turfcare, the UK distributor of Ventrac said,
“As a young company we are heavily dependent on our dealer network and the enthusiasm of their sales teams. RT Machinery has readily accepted the challenge of promoting Ventrac and Tom, in particular, has excelled with some serious sales in his territory. He fully understands the attributes of the machine and its accessories and has targeted large estate owners in his area, with outstanding success.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank not only Tom, but all of our dealers and their sales staff for their fantastic commitment to Ventrac since we launched the business just under three years ago. We have certainly arrived in the UK groundscare market and it is thanks to their combined efforts.”
Tom joined RT Machinery in June 2015 as a trainee Area Sales Manager from the estate management team at SAS UK. He then completed three years of RTM training and has progressed to be one of the company’s highly skilled and dedicated Area Sales Managers
“This is an exceptional machine combination,” said course manager Gareth Tucker. “Unlike some parts of the country, we had a very wet summer and it has continued into the autumn. This has created some challenges for the greenkeeping team, but the Ventrac has got us out of jail on many occasions. With its minimal ground pressure it can go out in all weather. The Contour deck is used on the semi-rough and the quality of finish for Captain’s Day this year was exceptional; we can lift the height of cut and also use it on the rough.”
The Midlands Machinery Show is one of the fastest-growing annual events in the agricultural sector, bringing together farmers, agricultural contractors, and suppliers in a friendly and relaxed business environment. Over 300 exhibitors were displaying products and service in the covered halls, with the larger products situated outside on the showground.
Rupert Price added, “We were invited to attend the show in conjunction with Fentons and it was too good an opportunity to pass by. It gave us some brilliant exposure for both the product and the brand to a new audience and that was our main aim. However, it did more than that; we came away with demo requests and the icing on the cake was winning the award.
“Many of the visitors to our stand were saying that they had seen us on social media and in the trade publications. Now they are wanting to see the equipment that is creating the buzz. At the close of the show, when we analysed the number of demonstration requests we had received, I was quite dumbfounded. With these added to those from TML, we are going to be extremely busy between now and the spring of 2020.
Tom Bailey, Area Sales Manager at RT Machinery, has won Price Turfcare’s Dealer Sales Achievement award and has been presented with £300 worth of store vouchers in appreciation of his efforts.