Historic Killarney Golf & Fishing Club Refreshes Maintenance Fleet With John Deere Mowers, UTVs & Tractor
Last summer, Killarney Golf & Fish Club in Co. Kerry, Ireland, found itself facing repair costs for aging fairway mowers that outsized the machines’ value. Furthermore, green mowers were breaking down, and broken tees mowers had greenkeepers using back-up machines on tees. The club is in a more enviable position these days after adding new John Deere mowers, TS Gator utility vehicles (UTVs), and a compact tractor.
“You can really notice the difference in the quality of cut and the reliability of the new machines,” says Enda Murphy, head greenkeeper. “We now want to get into a rhythm of replacing them every five years, ideally.”
The Tradition At Killarney
Located in Killarney National Park along Lough Leane, the club operates two 18-hole championship courses, Mahony’s Point and Killeen, which has been host to four Irish Open tournaments. Murphy has worked at the club for 30 years, but also spent a year at Wayzata Country Club in Wayzata, Minnesota, in the United States. There, he witnessed an attention to detail he wanted to bring back to Killarney. At Killarney, Murphy deals with challenges such as about 1.7 metres (5.6 feet) of annual rainfall, a herd of Irish Red Deere, and a constant stream of players that results in turf compaction and wear and tear.
A primary factor in club officials’ decision to continue a longtime tradition of using Deere equipment was the quick access available to Deere parts and service via a dealership in Seamus Weldon. The club’s new Deere machines include two 7700A fairway mowers with rear roller power brushes, two 2750E hybrid green mowers with tender conditioners and 14-blade reels, two 2750PC tees and surrounds mowers, a 1570 front rotary mower, and a 9009A rough mower. For course maintenance tasks, it added a Deere 2030A ProGator UTV equipped with an ARC HD200 sprayer, three TS Gator UTVs, and a 4066R compact tractor.
The Deere Machines Up Close
Various highlights of the Deere machines include the 2750 E-Cut Hybrid’s Eco mode, which reduces noise levels and consumes up to 30% less fuel. The triplex mower’s 2750 TechControl display lets operators preset a mowing-speed-independent Frequency of Clip setting to match course requirements. The 1570 TerrainCut comes with one of five 7-Iron and Fastback side- and rear-discharge decks that range from 152 to 183 centimetres (60 to 72 inches) wide to match their needs.
The wide-area 9009A TerrainCut’s five independent rotary decks cover an impressive 2.7 m (9 ft) of roughs per pass. Its eHydro traction pump and large-capacity wheel motors combine with a GRIP system designed for especially challenging course conditions. Along with spraying, the 2030A ProGator UTV is perfect for top dressing, debris collection, and other chores. It can be specified with a lever that lets operators manually engage the vehicle’s optional four-wheel drive only when needed, thus using less fuel and bringing down operation costs. Four-wheel drive comes standard with the 65-horsepower (47.8-kilowatt) 4066R compact tractor, as does an Air Ride seat, rear-mounted auxiliary hitch control, and a two-pedal automatic eHydrostatic transmission.
Find Your Next John Deere Golf Equipment
NeedTurfEquipment.co.uk has a big selection of new and used John Deere golf and sports turf maintenance equipment for sale, including a large number of Deere mowers.
Source: Deere & Company