Kubota’s RTV900 on Course for Success

Chloe Millerin Industry News

IMG 1119Cirencester Golf Club in Gloucestershire is set in the picturesque Cotswolds, a mixture of parkland and open rolling country.

The terrain includes some steep climbs and a deep valley between the fourth and fifth hole, so Kubota's RTV900 utility vehicle is very much at home at the club.
Course Manager Richard Louisson explains: "We undertake a lot of our construction work ourselves in the winter months, and we need a vehicle capable of moving materials about that can get into restricted areas. We had an older petrol utility vehicle, but after a very good demonstration of the RTV900 by our dealer Lister Wilder, we knew it was the machine for us."

The RTV900 was delivered at the end of 2007, and has given five years reliable service since.

"I liked the size and power of the RTV900, yet it is still highly manoeuvrable," Richard comments. "It has a good size bed with a half-tonne capacity, and the hydraulic tip is a big bonus as it means we can easily move sand and stone around the course."

Used on a daily basis, the RTV900 has already clocked up 2200 hours, and Richard comments that it does the work of a tractor while accessing places that a tractor could not go.

The bench seat in the spacious cockpit means that up to twogreenkeepers can travel together to a job needing manpower, and the windscreen and roof give protection from the elements while allowing them to jump on or off quickly at the work site.

"It's really well built and robust with generous ground clearance, which means it can easily cope with more challenging terrain, and feels safe and stable," Richard comments. "The chunky tyres are good too, providing plenty of traction without marking the turf."

The RTV can also pull a trailer to move hand mowers around the course and an optional front hitch was added allowing a five basket collector to be fitted for picking up range balls. "That's quite a lot of weight when full, yet the Kubota handles it well even on a steep slope," he says.

All maintenance is carried out in the club's workshops, using a service pack provided by Lister Wilder, and Richard comments that access for maintenance is very good. "But the RTV900 has been so reliable we have had to do little to it except routine maintenance," he points out.

After five years faithful service, the RTV900 is still in good order and Richard comments that he would expect it to last at least another five.

"I would thoroughly recommend the RTV900 as an ideal utility vehicle for golf courses. We've also got a 4WD pick up as a run around, but the Kubota is so much lighter - there's plenty of grip but it is also gentle on the turf," he adds.

Kubota (UK) Ltd., Dormer Road, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3UN
Tel: +44 (0)1844268167 - Fax: +44 (0)1844 216685 - Web: http://www.kubota.co.uk

Article Tags:
Industry news

Want the latest news, ideas and exclusive offers direct to your inbox?
Then sign up to our weekly newsletter today.