Beamish Park members happy with Jacobsen
Beamish Park Golf Club located nine miles south of Newcastle upon Tyne has made significant improvements to maintenance efficiency and quality of cut on its course. The results have prompted positive feedback from members and visitors who have noticed the difference in course conditions.
Keith Lough is the course manager and has been at the Club for 30 years. With only four members in the greenkeeping team, including Keith, they have adopted innovative methods to improve the efficiency of maintaining the course's 18 holes. One of these methods was to invest in modern grass cutting machinery from Jacobsen.
The machinery purchased includes a Fairway 305, an AR522 and two GP400 mowers; one for greens, and one for tees. The machinery and after-sales support was delivered by local dealer Rickerby. Commenting on the new mowers, Keith said:
"We used to have a high maintenance bill before purchasing these machines. When deciding which ones to go for we compared lots of things including the amount of fuel used, the quality of finish in different weather conditions, the ease of servicing and productivity. We compiled a chart and presented it to the Club and Jacobsen came out on top in all the categories. With the total cost taken into consideration as well, it enabled us to make the decision to purchase this equipment.
"The AR522 is able to cut in wetter conditions and goes places that other mowers can't get to. This allows us to keep the course presentable for our members whatever the weather. The GP400 mowers give us a superb finish. They are so versatile and servicing is easy; we don't have a mechanic on site, so the swing-out center unit makes maintenance easy for us.
"Our dealer Rickerby has provided us with fantastic support. The representatives that we have dealt with are very responsive and go above and beyond to help us out. We have a five-year service plan in place and it is working well for us. Overall, it has been a very good experience dealing with Jacobsen and Rickerby, and the response we have had from our members and visitors is testament to this."