Top new Scottish golf course bags itself a Boomer
Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness, voted 'Best New Golf Course Worldwide 2009' by Golf.com and GolfWorld.com, is using a New Holland Boomer 3050 compact tractor to help shape the future of golf in the Highlands of Scotland.
Supplied by Elgin-based New Holland Groundcare dealer Ravenhill, the four wheel drive (4WD) Boomer 3050 is one of the first to enter operation in the UK featuring the innovative EasyDrive™ Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Its tasks range from aerating the greens and top dressing to brushing and general transport, using a variety of attachments and trailers.
Chris Haspell, Course Manager at the prestigious Castle Stuart Golf Links, which opened in July 2009, says: "We selected the Boomer 3050 as it's the most versatile compact tractor in its class, with the SuperSuite™ cab offering excellent driver comfort and great all-round visibility. Having air-conditioning as standard is also a nice touch for warm summer days."
All Boomer 3000 series models feature New Holland's factory-fitted cab, with its slim pillars and roof window combining to offer drivers 4.35m² of glazing - for best-in-class 360-degree visibility around the course. The design also encompasses a flat floor and curved glass to guarantee excellent noise suppression.
Haspell adds: "In addition to the cab, one of the most popular features on the Boomer is the EasyDrive transmission, which eliminates the need for a clutch, range levers or hydrostatic pedal. The greenkeepers absolutely love it and say it makes the Boomer fantastic to drive.
"We've also found that it is particularly useful for eliminating wheel slip, which is important given the very high turf standards we demand. EasyDrive allows our greenkeepers to adjust the speed of the transmission's reaction, enabling three point turns and directional changes to be made smoothly without scuffing the turf, whilst retaining the option of quicker cycle times when operating on harder surfaces.
"EasyDrive also ensures that acceleration and deceleration is smooth, unlike a hydrostatic, which can react harshly to pedal operation. This makes it much less tiring to drive as you don't have to be overly concerned with how gently you operate the machine, since the reactivity setting takes care of this for you," he explains.
Greens and fairways at Castle Stuart are further protected thanks to the Boomer 3050's innovative SuperSteer™ front axle with Sensitrak™. These combined technologies see the whole axle move when turning (as well as the wheels) - not only delivering an exceptional turning radius of just 2.79m, but keeping the speed of the inside and outside wheel more consistent than on a conventional front axle to reduce the risk of the outer wheel scrubbing. Sensitrak also engages 4WD automatically if any slip is detected between front and back wheels. This means that for the majority of the time the Boomer can run in 2WD, ensuring that its turf tyres do not scuff any part of the course, even on the tightest of turns.
The Boomer 3050 is the flagship model in the Boomer 3000 compact tractor range and is powered by a Tier 3 four-cylinder diesel engine producing 51 hp at 2,800 rev/min and up to 142 Nm of torque at 1,800 rev/min. This guarantees it is both economical to run and has sufficient power for even the most demanding groundcare operations.
In addition to working around the current 18-hole championship course, the Boomer's workload is set to increase as Castle Stuart Golf Links progresses with the next stage of its development which will see a nine-hole par three course added later this year. There are also plans to add a second coastal 18-hole course, to support the planned opening in 2012 of a small luxury hotel & spa, plus 'resort-ownership' lodges & apartments.
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