Clacton-on-Sea Golf Club Take Delivery of Two Innovative Greens Mowers
First Club in northeast Essex to take advantage of new technology
May 01, 2010
Clacton-on-Sea Golf Club, situated on the northeast Essex coast is one of the first clubs in the region to take delivery of the very latest, highly innovative hybrid greens mower from Jacobsen, the Eclipse 322. Two diesel-electric hybrid machines were delivered recently by local Ransomes Jacobsen dealer, Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd. Ransomes Jacobsen is a Textron INc. (NYSE: TXT) company.
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| Course manage Alan Smith, sitting on the mower, is congratulated by Matt Wise of local dealer Ernest Doe & Sons at the handover of the new high-tech greens mowers. |
A unique feature of these new mowers is that they are completely free of hydraulic oil; the traction motor and cutting cylinders are driven by electric power provided by a small 13 hp diesel engine and 48-volt continuous generator. This makes them much quieter and less obtrusive to the golfers playing on the course.
Alan Smith is course manager and has worked on the course for 34 years, having joined the club as a 16 year old, straight from school. He has followed in his father's footsteps; Frank Smith was both head greenkeeper and golf professional at Maldon Golf Club, about 30 miles down the Essex coast.
"We've purchased two machines; one for the greens and the other for tees and green surrounds," he said. "I really like the concept of no hydraulics. For the past 40 years, mowers on golf courses have used big diesel engines and complicated hydraulic systems to drive the wheels and cutting cylinders and if a leak occurred it could do immense damage to the affected area.
"With the Eclipse mowers, this is impossible, because there is no hydraulic oil. Also, because they use a small engine, there's a significant reduction in noise, which is good for us as we have housing close to four greens. The other bonus is reduced fuel and service costs. There is much less to go wrong and Jacobsen claims a 43% reduction in fuel costs. If this is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, then we should see a considerable saving.
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| The new Jacobsen Eclipse 322 hybrid greens mower goes through its paves at Clacton Golf Club. |
"We are delighted to be one of the first clubs in the region to take advantage of the new technology in the Eclipse 322. I fist saw it at an Ernest Doe demo day, along with my chairman of greens and my greenkeeping team, at Stockbrook Manor. I realised immediately that this was the way forward. We've had to wait a little while to get them, but it's been worth it."
About Ransomes Jacobsen
With almost 180 years of experience in the turf maintenance industry, Ransomes Jacobsen has built a legacy of precision craftsmanship and unmatched expertise. Dedicated solely to delivering optimum turf conditions, Ransomes Jacobsen equipment is used on some of the finest golf courses, sports fields and amenity turf areas across the world. Additional information about the company can be found at www.ransomesjacobsen.com.
Ransomes Jacobsen is a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, a multi-industry conglomerate that leverages its global network of aircraft, defence, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information about Textron is available at www.textron.com.
About Textron
Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.
For further information, please contact:
Peter Driver
Jacobsen
+44 1473 276386
