Keeping Rockliffe moving
Rockliffe in County Durham has committed to another five-year partnership with Toro, Reesink Turfcare and Lloyd Ltd, taking the longstanding relationship to 18 years. The club has invested in 50 new machines to support the greenkeeping team and the continued development of its championship golf course.
As part of an extensive resort redevelopment, the 18-hole, Hawtree-designed course is undergoing a significant overhaul. Having the right machinery available is essential to the success of the project and the ongoing maintenance of the course.
Rob Hogarth, Reesink Turfcare, Carl Handley, Lloyd Ltd, Jon Wyer, Rockcliffe Golf Course manager and Jon Cole, Reesink Turfcare.
For Golf Course Manager Jon Wyer, the investment supports a broad programme of course improvement, presentation and landscape management, giving his team the capacity and flexibility to work effectively.
“Ensuring the team has reliable equipment and better information means we’re in a stronger position to improve and maintain the course to the standard our members expect,” says Jon.
Rockcliffe fleet of Toro machinery with Rob Hogarth and Jon Cole from Reesink Turfcare with Golf Course Manager Jon Wyer.
Rockliffe’s fleet is increasing from 42 to 50 machines. The expanded fleet includes three Reelmaster 5010-H hybrid mowers, two Multi Pro sprayers with GeoLink technology and machine-to-machine communication, alongside the new Intelli360 connected fleet management platform. This enables more machines to be allocated to specific areas rather than continually shared between teams.
Rockcliffe Golf Course Manager Jon Wyer using Intelli 360
Intelli360 also makes Rockliffe one of the first golf courses in the UK to benefit from real-time machinery visibility, bringing information together to simplify fleet management.
Jon explains: “With a large number of machines operating across the golf course and wider estate, having that visibility will make it easier to understand how individual machines are being used, helping us manage the fleet more effectively and make better-informed decisions.
At Rockliffe, precision is essential when managing applications across such a vast area. Toro’s GeoLink technology supports this through GPS and precision mapping, individual nozzle control and sub-inch application accuracy using Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) correction technology.
“Having two sprayers able to communicate and work simultaneously will streamline the spraying process. Having information available, rather than relying purely on people remembering what has been done, makes the process much more straightforward. It’s beneficial from both an efficiency and environmental point of view,” says Jon.
Toro Multi Pro sprayer with GeoLink technology
Eight Toro Workman UTX utility vehicles form a key part of the fleet, providing the versatility to move people, materials and equipment across the extensive estate. For an operation of this scale, with projects such as the 78-bunker reshape underway, that flexibility is critical to keeping the greenkeeping operation moving.
The partnership reflects the longstanding relationship between Rockliffe, Toro, Reesink, and Lloyd Ltd with equipment, technology and support evolving alongside the needs of the course.
Lloyd Ltd sales representative Carl Handley says, “This deal reflects Rockliffe’s positive experience with Toro and the strength of our relationship. Toro is ideally suited to maintaining a course of this calibre and we look forward to continuing to develop the partnership going forward.”