30 June 2015, 11:04
Toro® equipment and irrigation help course get ready for tournament’s return to the “home of golf”
The Open Championship returns to St Andrews Links for the 29th time this year, continuing a long and storied tradition of excellence. The event brings the oldest major championship in professional golf to one of the oldest golf courses in the world - a combination with special significance for fans of the sport.
Crews have spent months preparing for the event with the help of Toro® equipment and irrigation products from distributor Lely UK. As official supplier to St Andrews, Toro has provided mowing equipment to the course for 15 years. The course is also equipped with a full Toro irrigation system to leverage the latest in water-saving irrigation technology.
To get ready for the 2015 Open Championship, St Andrews is using a range of Toro walk and riding greensmowers, fairway mowers and rough mowers. According to St Andrews' Director of Greenkeeping, Gordon Moir, the Toro mowers allow his crew to get the ultimate precision cut needed to ensure the best conditions for world-class players.
In keeping with St Andrews' commitment to sustainability, the course has also started using Toro's Greensmaster® TriFlex™ Hybrid 3420 riding greensmower. The hybrid mower features an all-electric reel drive, which eliminates hydraulic leak points and delivers ample horsepower for a range of cutting applications.
“We're finding [the 3420 delivers] a fantastic cut and finish on the greens, and also how it follows the contours is absolutely excellent,” explains Moir. “And, of course, it removes that worry of having a hydraulic leak from your reels on a very vital part of the golf course.”
As St Andrews ramps up for the final weeks of preparation, Moir says it will be all hands on deck. During tournament week, most staff will start at 4:30 in the morning. “We pretty much cut every blade of grass on the course,” Moir says. The course will also be monitoring moisture levels and the firmness of the soil to gauge the speed of the greens at tournament time. And distributor Lely UK is providing extensive support to ensure the Toro equipment performs as expected throughout this critical time.
First played in 1860, this will be the 144th Open Championship (also known as the British Open). And, since the game of golf was first played at the Old Course at St Andrews in the early 1400s, it is widely considered the “home of golf.” Both are iconic institutions that are held to the highest standards of play - and that demands reliable, precise equipment. The longtime partnership between St Andrews and Toro reflects these shared values.
“Toro and St Andrews Links share a rich history of innovation and quality,” says Darren Redetzke, vice president of The Toro Company's International Business. “We are proud to support the Home of Golf and the 2015 Open Championship. It's truly an honor to be part of continuing this legacy of excellence.”
The 144th Open Championship will take place July 16-19, 2015.
Source: TORO