A powerful but lightweight tractor is an asset on the golf course, and at Prestbury Golf Club in Cheshire, a Kubota M4072 is proving to be a versatile workhorse.
The 18-hole Harry Colt-designed course is ranked by Golf World and National Club Golfer in the Top 100 of England. It makes the most of the dramatic changes in elevation afforded by the hilly terrain.
The nature of the site coupled with the sandy subsoil means that the course drains exceptionally well even after heavy rainfall.
“We’re set in just 120 acres, and although it is undulating the ground never feels steep. It’s certainly popular – golfers come from far and wide,” comments Course Manager Mark Crossley.
A focus on improving turf health and condition includes vertidraining to relieve compaction and allow air, water and nutrients into the roots, and the club has recently invested in the 74hp Kubota M4072 to power a high capacity Vertidrain 7521.
“We have used another brand in the past, but I was aware of the reputation of Kubota machines for reliability, and approached Ian Campbell at GGM for a demonstration,” explains Mark.
“I was particularly impressed by the lift capacity of the M4072, and by the loader which has a quick hitch so we can easily swap between a bucket and pallet forks.”
Greenkeeper Mike Goodkind operates the tractor on a day-to-day basis and he praises the large, comfortable, air-conditioned cab which offers good visibility over the LA1365 loader.
“There’s plenty of gears for a job like vertidraining. We find the low box and dual powershift very useful as it offers the control you need for more precise work. It is the same horsepower as the tractor it replaced but has such good traction it feels more powerful.”
“We’ve put a few hours on it vertidraining and the first impressions are very good; we like a tractor to last 10 years and the Kubota should be more than capable of that,” adds Mark. We’ve added a five-year extended warranty for peace of mind, and because the loader is factory fitted it’s included in the warranty which is a bonus.”
And with the feel-good factor generated by the M4072, he suggests that there could be more Kubota tractors heading to the club in the future.
“It’s great that there is such a range of equipment and with compacts and utility vehicles an important part of our fleet, I feel Kubota is certainly worth a look when we come to replace our current machines.”
