Chorley Golf Club Upgrades Machinery Fleet To Maintain 125-Year-Old Course
Chorley Golf Club, which occupies 127 acres between Bolton and Preston, has been hosting players and awing them with panoramic vistas reaching as far as the Lake District and North Wales for 125 years. Keeping the grounds pristine has been a challenge for just as many years.
“I try to produce the best course I can every day, as we have so many competitions,” says Head Greenkeeper Tony Grayson. “It’s all about the presentation of the course—people want what they see on TV.”
Challenging Conditions
North West England’s rainy weather and clay soil keep Grayson and his team on their toes. “The ground is very quick to get wet but also quick to dry as we are on a couple inches of topsoil and thatch on the fairways,” Grayson says. “The bunkers are really difficult to maintain in bad weather because the clay contaminates the sand. Others might put in liners nowadays, but we’re on a limited resource and it costs a fortune.”
In addition to weather and soil, the crew battles pests and disease such as fusarium, anthracnose, worm casts, and leatherjackets. Maintaining the course requires reliable equipment as any breakdown can quickly lead to an overwhelming backlog of tasks. When the team received a new shed in March 2020, just ahead of the first COVID lockdown, they decided the time was right for a much-needed machinery upgrade. Grayson had long wanted to make the changes, but damp conditions in the previous shed made it imprudent. Now Grayson and his crew have a John Deere 7500 fairway mower, a 9009A TerrainCut rough mower, an 8000A E-Cut Hybrid fairway mower, a XUV86SM Gator, three 220SL SL PrecisionCut walk-behind greens mowers, and two 2500 greens mowers to keep the course in peak condition.
“Looking at other brands, I found that John Deere, as well as being at the top, was offering value for money as well,” says Grayson. “Once I demoed everything, it was obvious what I was looking for. The machines are now specific to our course and environment so we can go out with more confidence, getting a nicer cut.”
About The 8000A E-Cut
The hybrid fairway mower eliminates hydraulics from the reel circuit, thereby eliminating potential leak points. The mower has a three-wheel stance with smooth tyres to minimize compaction and tyre marking to provide a greens-quality look. The reel circuit is powered by a 48-volt, 180-amp belt-driven alternator. The alternator supplies constant power to the reel circuit and only generates 48 V when the mow system is engaged and the hybrid system ensures clip frequency stays consistent throughout the day.
“The 8000AE is so versatile and it can even act as a backup fairways mower by quickly raising the height of cut,” says Grayson. “It is our key machine and the one that players will notice in terms of the appearance of the surrounds and approaches. Now, the green-side bunkers are part of the surround and we’re able to cut around this area with the new machine, making the presentation so much better.”
About The 9009A TerrainCut
The 9009A rough mower has five 27-inch independent rotary decks with a nine-foot cutting width. John Deere gave the decks a deep-shell design and an exclusive rear discharge chute. The eHydro traction pump and wheel motors combined with the GRIP system reduces wheel slip, improving traction and minimising turf disruption even on undulating terrain. The 9009A’s lightweight design reduces the mower’s footprint in fine turf conditions to reduce compaction and stress.
Find John Deere Turf Equipment
You’ll find a wide selection of John Deere turf equipment, including the 7500, 8000, 9009A, 220SL models, for sale every day on NeedTurfEquipment.co.uk. For John Deere Gator UTVs, head over to FarmMachineryLocator.co.uk.
Source: Deere & Company