Getting more from tractors is key for groundcare applications where a multitude of implements are used to care for the turf. This was the challenge for Sandy Lodge Golf Club in Middlesex, when looking to replace a Kubota L3600 that had clocked up 20 years of service.
Sandy Lodge was founded in 1909 by James Francis Markes who wanted to develop an inland links-style course, making use of the sandy ground on which is constructed. Designed in consultation with Harry Vardon, it now attracts some 700 members and has hosted men’s and ladies’ Open qualifiers for the past six years.
Amongst Sandy Lodge’s distinctive features are 102 bunkers – fewer than in the club’s early years, but still requiring plenty of maintenance.
“We used the L3600 for a lot of trailer work,” explains Course Manager Richard Elderfield, who has been at Sandy Lodge for 30 years, “We also have three smaller Kubota ST tractors which perform a wide range of turfcare and renovation tasks, from rough mowing and running a blower to topdressing and powering a small vertidrain.”
“They work very well, but I wanted a more powerful tractor to do some of those jobs, which led me to the new Kubota L2 series.”
Powered by the latest Stage V emissions legislation-compliant 61hp Kubota engine, the L2-622 features a three-range hydrostatic transmission, spacious cab and an impressive 1750kg of lift capacity to handle a range of implements. Bevel gear drive and the integrated power steering offer enhanced manoeuvrability.
“It’s early days and we’re still working out which implements will be best paired with the L2-622, but we’ve converted the blower to pto drive to work with it, and I can see it being a good combination with our Trimax Snake mower for the roughs and the Turf Tidy, which is used to maintain long roughs in the winter,” Mr Elderfield explains.
The additional power means that it will also offer performance benefits with a larger vertidrain and Sisis scarifier, he points out.
A number of improvements can be seen with this latest generation of Kubota tractor, Mr Elderfield comments.
“The cab is more spacious and comfortable and the controls are really well laid out and easily to hand. We’ve opted for hydrostatic transmission, as it’s so easy to use and we want any member of our team to be able to use the tractors, once they’ve had the relevant training. But that’s one benefit of Kubota – they are all very straightforward.”
Convenience is important on the servicing side too – Mr Elderfield points out that the club has a great relationship with dealer George Browns.
“Our mechanic Pete Cook can always call their service department to talk through any issues, and they’ll quickly come up with the solution and have the parts ready if necessary. Many of the parts for the new tractors are common to those already in the fleet so Pete will have them in stock anyway.”
And Kubota’s renowned reliability means that the L2-622 will have a long and busy life at Sandy Lodge, where tractors tend to be kept in the fleet for up to 15 years.
“It’s important to look after machinery well and keep tractors in good shape and then they will give you a good service for a long time,” he says.
