A revolution has taken place at Thorney Lakes Golf Centre in Cambridgeshire - that is how course manager Sid Matthews describes the switch to John Deere course maintenance equipment. "I've been here 21 years and we never used John Deere before 2010," he says. "Now, for the first time ever, it's all John Deere."


Thorney Lakes Golf Centre course manager Sid Matthews (right) and owner Jane Hind with Ben Burgess dealer salesman Chris Pateman (left) and part of the new John Deere fleet in front of the clubhouse

As to the reasons for the change, he explains: "We'd already worked with John Deere dealer Ben Burgess Newmarket, as we bought two tractors from them in 2010 - a 5070M with a creeper transmission, as we wanted the power to operate a verti-drainer and the roughs mower, and a 2720 compact tractor, which was an upgrade for an older John Deere of a similar size. We also ran a Gator 6x4 utility vehicle.

"Eventually we needed to replace the main course maintenance machinery, so last summer we had John Deere and another major manufacturer's mowers on demonstration. All the equipment worked well, so we chose John Deere purely for the back-up and after-sales service we know Ben Burgess and the Deere dealer network can provide."

Ben Burgess duly delivered a package of new equipment, including an 8700 PrecisionCut fairway mower with seven-blade cylinders, three 2500B greens mowers - two equipped with greens cutting cylinders and one with tees & surrounds units, plus a spare set of tees units - a 997 ZTR zero-turn rotary mower and a new TH 6x4 Gator.

"Positive results can already be seen in the condition of the courses," says Sid Matthews. "The appearance and presentation is as good as we'd hoped for."