With extensive grass areas to maintain, Farnham Estate Spa and Golf Resort needs a strong mowing armoury, and a Kubota ZD 1211 zero turn mower is proving a real allrounder.
Founded in 1664 by Bishop Robert Maxwell, the 1300 acre estate in Cavan, Ireland was developed into a sporting resort at the start of this millennium. With parkland, farmland and forestry, it is an oasis for guests to enjoy 15km of scenic walking trails, a sumptuous spa hotel and a number of resort houses.
There is also an 18-hole Jeff Howes-designed championship golf course set in the lush parkland.
Golf and Estate Manager Barry Smith explains: “Each hole is in a single track rather than in a block, so there is a wonderful sense of solitude and a round takes about four and a half hours. Set in 500 acres, it’s an American-style course with extensive buggy paths, wildflower meadows and areas of scrub that are maintained annually to keep the natural look.”
With such large area of turf, plus large formal lawns which are used for weddings and other events – there are more than seven acres of grass around the hotel itself and a further four and half acres around Farnham Lake – a variety of mowing equipment is used.
“We have a traditional commercial rotary ride-on, but we need to cut at a number of different heights, and swapping between them is a lengthy task on that machine,” explains Barry. “I asked Clarkes of Cavan to demonstrate the Kubota ZD 1211 zero turn and within an hour I knew I had to have it for the ease of changing cut height alone. You simply lift the deck, choose the required height on a dial next to the driver’s seat and away you go.”
With areas to cut ranging from the front of the hotel at 4cm to grass around Farnham Lake at 5-10cm, this feature has proved invaluable.
The zero turn design’s unique manoeuvrability with the ability to turn 360deg in its own length opened up a whole range of opportunities, he points out.
“We have an orchard where we previously had to strim around the trees but now we can mow right up to them. There are numerous obstacles to cut around, from the rotunda where wedding ceremonies take place to trees and shrub beds in the parkland, which it does brilliantly. The out-front position of the deck is also really helpful to get under the branches of trees.”
On the golf course rough, semi-roughs and around golf tees, the speed and high productivity of the ZD 1211, which has a 1.52m wide cutting deck, means that it is sometimes chosen over dedicated wide area mowers.
Cut quality offered by the mulching deck is also praised.
“We did consider a cut and collect mower as we were concerned about clippings, but mulching is more efficient and convenient, plus it’s better for the environment and the finish is excellent. It’s no trouble to ensure cut quality remains consistent, because the deck’s scissor lift means we can easily get under to wash it out or pull the blades out when they need sharpening.”
Barry praises durability and build quality of the ZD 1211: “It’s very well made, with design features that I’ve not seen before such as a flyscreen to protect the radiator. Proven components such as the 25hp Kubota diesel engine always give you peace of mind and it’s certainly lived up to its promise.”
When asked if there’s anything he’d change about the mower, Barry comes up with a suggestion that would put even more hours on this hard-working machine.
“I’d love some sort of hydraulic roller that lifts in and out of work as required, then we could also use it for striping up in front of the hotel for weddings. But we certainly keep it busy as it is, mowing three or four days a week around the hotel and weekly on the golf course.”
