Golspie
Golf Club, located on the Dornoch Firth in Scotland, is a versatile course
featuring a beguiling mix of classic links, heath and parkland holes.
The
Club has invested in a Jacobsen Eclipse 322 and a Jacobsen LF550 fairway mower
from Textron Golf to maintain the varying surfaces on the James Braid design
18-hole golf course.
“Jacobsen
has provided us with the quality and versatility we need to maintain all areas
of the course,” Alexander MacDonald, Head Greenkeeper at Golspie Golf Club
said.
“We
face many challenges such as maintaining the correct and uniformed moisture
levels over varying terrains, so when it comes to cutting grass, we want
reliable equipment that produces a really good finish with minimal fuss. I am
proud to say we’ve achieved that with the Jacobsen machines that we have
purchased.”
Previously
using alternative fairway mowers, Alexander observed that it took the team 40
minutes to set a machine before it was ready to cut the fairways. Conversely,
the new Jacobsen LF550 is easily set in five minutes, with adjustments rarely
having to be made to the cutting units.
Routine
service items, including spin-on filters, are all easily accessible meaning
that there’s no need for a lift. The FlashAttach™ Reel Mounting System allows
for quick reel removal, and the active monitoring system provides full text
diagnostics making the LF550 easy to monitor and maintain. Additionally, hard
tubing with bulkhead fittings to hoses make long-term maintenance easier with
fewer service parts to stock.
“We
only have three full-time greenkeeping staff, so we can’t be wasting time
repairing and setting machinery. This is where the LF550 has really helped us;
it’s reliable, it produces a brilliant finish, and it doesn’t demand a lot of
time to maintain and set-up.
“The
Eclipse 322 is the best cutting machine in golf. It’s a pleasure to use on the
greens, and the team loves the satisfaction of producing first-class greens
which the golfers often compliment them on. Of course, having good machinery is
important, but the back-up from the dealer is even more so.
"Our
local dealer Fairways has been brilliant. Fairways has been very efficient and
helpful, and if we need anything the dealer is with us within a day, meaning
there isn’t any downtime.”
Alexander
has been at the club for 10 years, having spent 3 ½ years at Royal Dornoch and
6 ½ years at Wentworth. Golspie Golf Club is celebrating its 128-year
anniversary and was voted number 54 in Golf World’s “Scotland’s Top 100
Courses” in 2015.
