St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club in Cambridgeshire has taken a significant step forward in its long-term turfcare maintenance and sustainability strategy with the introduction of five Toro Turf Pro 500 autonomous mowers.
Course Manager Rob Duff explains how the investment will help increase the mowing programme, improve efficiencies and support sustainability goals.
“We wanted to increase our mowing frequency while maintaining consistent quality, but the reality is that routine tasks like fairway mowing can be costly and time-consuming to deliver,” he says. “This technology gives us a smarter, more efficient way to maintain high standards while managing workloads and keeping costs under control for our members.”
The move to autonomous mowing is transforming daily operations, allowing the team to maintain the fairways continuously throughout the week.
“The robot mowers give us the ability to cut grass seven days a week, 365 days a year,” Rob continues. “Now, when we arrive at work on Monday mornings, the fairways have already been cut. It gives us a head start, freeing up valuable staff time. But really the biggest benefit for golfers will be the extra attention we can now give to areas that previously had less focus especially during peak growing periods.”
While initially deployed on fairways overnight, Rob is already exploring broader applications for the technology. “We’ve started using the mowers on clubhouse lawns during the day, and we’re looking at extending their use to first cuts of rough and larger surrounds. It’s exciting to see how far we can push the capability of these machines.”
With nearly three decades at St Ives, Rob says autonomous technology is an important step forward for the club – and the industry – especially when it comes to meeting sustainability objectives.
“We’ve had solar panels installed and the power from those charges the mowers, meaning we are effectively charging them at no cost while also reducing both fuel use and emissions,” he explains.
The installation of the robotic mowers was completed in just three days, supported by Toro distributor Reesink Turfcare and was “straightforward,” says Rob.
“Once the charging stations were in place, programming was simple: you’re essentially telling the mower where to go and what to do. The rest of it works out for itself.
“The training provided by Reesink’s Digital and GeoLink Specialist, Lee Rowbotham during installation was clear and easy to follow and overall, we’ve been really impressed with the reliability and performance of the mowers, as well as the level of technical and aftersales support from Reesink.”
Julian Copping, Retail Sales for Reesink Turfcare East Anglia who brokered the deal, says: “St Ives is a forward-thinking club and the move to autonomous mowing reflects its ethos to be strategic and smart with its resources and long-term turfcare maintenance plans.”