Luton Hoo Hotel Golf & Spa has purchased a range of mowing equipment from Ransomes Jacobsen for its 7,107 yard, par 73 golf course – one of the longest in the UK. The equipment was supplied by local dealer Ernest Doe and Sons of Benington.

The course has no bunkers due to the Grade 1 listed status of the estate, but to compensate there is more rough than normal. The greenkeeping team use a Jacobsen AR522 rotary mower to manage the rough.

“With our previous wide area mower we tried to cut at four inches, but it just couldn’t cope,” said head greenkeeper Avon Bridges. “We needed a five deck machine and tried all the models on the market, but the TrimTek decks on the AR522 proved to be far superior to anything else. The design of the deck keeps the clippings suspended longer, so they are mulched more effectively and that results in a really great finish.”

For the approaches and semi-rough the team use a Jacobsen AR3. “The seating position on the AR3 is excellent as it allows good visibility of the front decks and the traction control is very good,” said Bridges. “For the tees and surrounds we wanted a cylinder mower that was capable of tight turns without marking, so we trialled a Jacobsen TR3 cylinder. It proved superb and we purchased two. The added bonus is that they use the same tractor unit as the AR3, so that helps us keep spares to a minimum.”