Toro at the 2010 Open Championship
BLOOMINGTON, Minn., USA (August 2, 2010) - The St Andrews Links greenkeeping team has paid tribute to the Toro turf maintenance fleet that helped it keep the Old Course in championship condition for the 150th annual Open Championship.
Louis Oosthuizen may have lifted the Claret Jug, but hearty congratulations are in order for Gordon Moir, director of greenkeeping; Gordon McKie, course manager of The Old Course; and their entire crew. Together, they battled blustery conditions and heavy rain to keep the course in perfect playing condition - with a little help from Toro, whose machinery is exclusively used at The Home of Golf.
Our Toro fleet certainly helped us to get the job done and achieve the results we were looking for,” Moir reveals. We've been using Toro machinery for a considerable number of years and have found it to be reliable, plus it produces a high quality of cut. The Old Course is very demanding on machinery and staff alike, and we feel that Toro helps us produce a high standard of finish, which we have always been very happy with.
Gordon counts essential pieces of kit such as Toro's Greensmaster 1600 pedestrian and Greensmaster 3250Ds riding mowers among the machines most relied upon to maintain the course throughout the tournament. We were also aerating regularly through the early part of the year with both the Hydroject and ProCore to help achieve true surface levels along with continued rolling with the Greensmaster 1600s, he says. “Our greenkeepers find the equipment straightforward to operate, comfortable to use and are more than happy with the performance.
The team also sought Toro's special Tournament Fleet service to supplement St Andrews Links' existing machinery supply from its other course. “The tournament support helped by loaning us seven extra Greensmaster 3250Ds to allow us to achieve the huge task of mowing fairways to the highest standard within the tight timescale we had each morning,” McKie adds. “The Old Course has seven double fairways, which means we had to mow two fairways at once, so we required the additional machinery to make that achievable. In addition, we brought in extra Workman utility vehicles for transportation of various pedestrian mowers and, of course, the staff as well!”
To Toro, this support and sponsorship is all part of its outstanding service and commitment to its customers. Not only does the company seek to provide the very best machines and support to some of the country's top golf clubs and sporting venues, but it also is dedicated to the industry in the wider sense, supporting these and other key events and initiatives, such as the PGA European Tour, the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) and the Golf Club Managers' Association (GCMA).
Toro will now be extending this special support to Celtic Manor Resort - another exclusive user of Toro product and host to the 2010 Ryder Cup. Here's to another successful tournament!
For more information on Toro services and machinery, contact your local Toro dealer or call distributor Lely UK on 01480 226800 or email toro.info.uk@lely.com. You can also visit www.toro.com.
About The Toro Company
The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) is a leading worldwide provider of turf and landscape maintenance equipment, and precision irrigation systems. With sales of more than $1.5 billion in fiscal 2009, Toro's global presence extends to more than 140 countries through its reputation of world-class service, innovation and turf expertise. Since 1914, the company has built a tradition of excellence around a number of strong brands to help customers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties, and agricultural fields. More information is available at www.toro.com.
Photo caption:
St Andrews Links says that its Toro fleet has successfully helped it through the Old Course's 28th Open Championship.
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