Windmill blown away by Toro Kit

Course manager Chris Curley said: "We're making big savings in man-hours. We've cut our aeration time in half using the ProCore 648 on greens. The course is looking better than ever before - we've had some wonderful compliments from players."

The luxury complex between Coventry and Birmingham, which is under the same ownership as the National Motorcycle Museum, has a 100-room hotel, gymnasium and leisure facilities, and caters for events such as weddings, banquets and conferences. Several millions have been spent redeveloping the site, and plans are in place to renovate the swimming pool and build more hotel rooms.

Chris Curley admits that when he first took on the task of overseeing the parkland course six years ago it wasn't a pretty sight. But in the intervening years he and his team have worked tirelessly to make the 5,200-yard course what it is today - an inviting, tricky and picturesque experience which delights both members and pay-and-play golfers alike.

With the results he's getting from his kit, Chris is understandably delighted he chose Toro. "It's every course managers dream to have a deal like this," he added. "It makes complete sense. I wanted Toro, because of reliability and support, and we looked at the finances and realised we would actually save money doing a package deal. Plus we would get more machinery than if we just bought kit as and when we needed it. So all round it's a fantastic arrangement and I'd recommend it to any course manager."

According to Chris, local dealer Abbey Mowers was also a vital part of the decision to go with the Toro deal. "They always give us top-level support," he said. "They're an incredibly busy company, but they always make us feel like we're their only customer, and that's the kind of service we want."

Photo: Chris Curley, left, with Lely's John Pike, and Bob Pilsbuty of dealer Abbey Mowers.