Cat is the cream for 2010 Ryder Cup Venue

Renovation of all 18 greens on the Twenty Ten course at The Celtic Manor Resort was achieved without fuss or bother last autumn with help from a CAT 800 ride-on greens sweeper designed and manufactured by Staffordshire firm, Turfmech Machinery.

Purchased by Celtic Manor to clear-up behind intensive hollow coring and scarifying operations on the course that will stage the 2010 Ryder Cup, the CAT 800's powered brush collection system enabled the greens' renovation programme to be completed on schedule with significantly reduced effort and manpower.

"Three or four staff have been required in the past to clear up hollow cores and scarification debris from greens using snow shovels," explained director of golf and courses management, Jim McKenzie. "Put to work for the first time last autumn on the Twenty Ten course, the CAT 800 transformed our busy autumn schedule, enabling one or two greens to be totally renovated in a morning before golfers reached them. Not only did we renovate all 18 greens within a two month period without having to close the course but we were able to clear up and remove surface debris using just one man."

Powered by a 20hp petrol engine, the hydraulically-driven CAT 800 has an 800mm wide floating debris collection head supported by a full-width roller which ensures close following of turf contours. Collected material is elevated into a 400 litre high-tip hopper capable of unloading up to 1.4m (54in) above ground level into a trailer or work vehicle's dump box.

"The light-treading machine proved ideal for clear-up work on greens which first opened for play in July 2007 and are bedding in nicely ready for the 2010 Ryder Cup," said Jim. "In addition to repeat operations on the 2010 course, we plan to use the CAT in 2009 for renovation programmes on our two other 18-hole courses and are looking forward to making similar valuable savings in manpower and effort."

For further information, please contact:

Austin Jarrett, Managing Director or
Leigh Bowers, Sales Director

Turfmech Machinery Ltd
Hangar 5, New Road,
Hixon
Staffordshire ST18 0PJ
United Kingdom

Tel: + 44 (0)1889 271503
email: sales@turfmech.co.uk
web: www.turfmech.co.uk