Links golf courses don’t come much more dramatic than Hayling. Looking out across the English Channel with vessels of all sizes drifting by, it features semi-blind shots, shallow and deep bunkers, rugged fairways and immaculate greens. It’s a great golfing test in any weather, but all the more so in high coastal winds when your scorecard can be severely pressured.
With an SSSI designation covering the whole site, it is a course which demands a management regime that allows nature to have its way while nurturing a delicate playing surface that, given the sand and shingle base, dries out very quickly. Course Manager Graeme Roberts takes a lot of trouble to identify the machinery that will deliver the right conditions for each area. In recent months, that has included a Baroness GM2810 five-deck rotary mower and a Salsco HP11 roller, both sourced from Lister Wilder.
Graeme based his decision to invest in the American-built Salsco on his own experience from time spent working in the US together with enthusiastic recommendations from other Course Managers who have had experience of them since Lister Wilder took over the UK main dealership.
“I like the fact that it has wider self-cleaning rollers so is a lot more efficient and effective in the finish that it achieves,” he says. “The ground it covers in the time is a really big thing for us, as is the fact that it follows the undulations well because we have a lot of movement in the approaches and greens.
“We have a lot of slopes on the edges of our greens and it’s also very important that it can roll without losing traction and creating stress, especially when changing direction. Having every roller driven means that you get the best traction possible.”
He added: “Depending upon events, we try to roll between one and three times a week in the main season and then, in the autumn and spring when the growth rate is down, maybe up the rolling in exchange for cutting.”
Graeme is very happy with the resulting boost to greens performance. “The ball roll definitely improves with it, and it’s invaluable in getting sand into the soil profile when you have top dressed, while also helping to reduce the mess that is often left by other rollers.”
Meanwhile, the Baroness GM2810 has proved itself on Hayling’s semi-rough. “We already have two Baroness LM66 pedestrian hand mowers and have been impressed by the sheer quality of steel used for the blades,” says Graeme. “They hardly ever need grinding or a tweak, so knowing that the blades on the 2810 are of the same quality meant a lot to us.The fact that you have less down time means you can optimise use and fuel efficiency, and it puts less stress on the hydraulics.
“We don’t have a lot of cut rough so it doesn’t get used a lot and doesn’t need to be over complicated with computer-driven technical features. The simplicity of the height of cut change and the accessibility of the rear units for the cleaning and maintenance of the machine were both important. It’s a very user-friendly machine from front to back, and the operators find it comfortable for four or five hours at a time, so there are no issues with fatigue.”
Graeme liaised closely with Lister Wilder Area Sales Manager Mark Carter in the purchase of the Salsco HP11-III and Baroness GM2810 and rates both the quality of his advice and the wider back-up from within the dealership.
Hayling Golf Club has a big history that stretches right the way back to 1883 when what was then known as the Hayling Island Golfing Club laid out nine holes on common land. Enthusiasm was strong and the course was extended to 18 holes within a year, when the committee also had the foresight to form a club for ladies. A string of eminent course designers have contributed over time to a course that has constantly evolved and withstood some hefty wartime disruption. Today, it remains an exquisite links blend of superb layout, breathtaking views and testing challenges.
When it comes to how best to tackle today’s challenges Graeme gets plenty of advice, not just from his capable team at Hayling but from his father Gareth and brother Scott, both of whom are Course Managers. “We always have different views and you always know what the chat is going to be at the dinner table. It’s tough for my poor Mum and wife … but they survive!”