Bobcat Products Add to the Experience at FarmLinks

Nestled in the rolling hills near Sylacauga, Ala., amid lakes, ponds, streams, wetlands and wildlife, is a spectacular championship 18-hole course created by David Pursell, CEO of Pursell Technologies, Inc., a century-old fertilizer company.

“Growing up on this 3,500 acre farm I often envisioned what kind of a golf course could be built here,” he says. “For a long time nothing ever came of it, but along the way we started bringing prospective buyers of our fertilizer products here. We wondered how we could build relationships with them and showcase our products at the same time. We wanted to create a place where customers could see our products in realworld applications.”

The result is FarmLinks, the world’s first research and demonstration golf course, a living laboratory that showcases turf and golf industry innovation and product performance.

“We handpicked companies that have leading-edge golf course products to partner with us,” says Pursell. “People from around the world, including golf course superintendents and others in the golf industry, come here to see the latest in product innovation. Our goal is to offer solutions for people in the golf business—how to manage your course better and most cost-effectively.”

Part of what makes FarmLinks unique is the constantly changing 7,444-yd. course. “We are always looking for better ways of doing things,” says Pursell. “For example, we have dozens of different types of grasses throughout the course. We may do a major grass makeover from one year to the next. That’s the way we learn.”

FarmLinks has proven to be an ideal venue for studying and experimenting with golf course equipment, including the Bobcat A300 all-wheel steer loader, Toolcat™ 5600 utility work machine and several attachments.

“We picked Bobcat products because they are No. 1,” says Pursell. “The A300 and 5600 are used extensively. They complement each other very well. In my opinion, every golf course should have both of these units. We wouldn’t want to be without them.”

Mark Langner, director of agronomy and applied research at FarmLinks, agrees. “In the golf industry today you have to be fiscally responsible,” he says. “We have to produce the best product possible with the dollars we have available. Bobcat equipment goes a long way in helping. That’s because with the A300 and Toolcat 5600 we don’t need several other pieces of equipment. The Bobcat products are so versatile. There’s nothing they cannot do for us.”

A300: Advanced loader

Langner says the A300 is the “greatest advancement in loaders that I’ve seen in many years. It has the power to do all the jobs that need to be done on a course. It has the fourwheel turning system which allows us to operate on various turf conditions without damaging the surface.”

He cites a couple of examples:

• “We had a sodding project on No. 10 and we used the A300 to deliver the sod. We had to drive over existing turf with a pallet of sod. Zero turf damage. We discovered that the A300 all-wheel steer unit is the best machine for working on grass where there are tight corners to turn. It’s the answer for a golf course.”

• “Last year we had another project where we put down sod for 21 days, about 10 truckloads a day. We used the A300 to unload the trucks, transport pallets of sod to the work site, put it down and do it all over again, all day long. Back and forth for 21 days without any turf damage.”

That means job security, he jokes. “As long as I’ve got good grass I’ve got a job. Once the turf starts going bad I’m in trouble.”

Langner says there are several reasons why the A300 is ideal for golf courses. It has:

• Plenty of power.
• Excellent maneuverability in limited access areas.
• Good turning radius.
• Dual joystick controls that are very operator-friendly. “That makes it much easier to train a new operator.”
• Dual speeds that allow fast travel to a jobsite, then a slower speed during the work cycle.
• Standard and highflow hydraulics for different attachments.

Langner says he worked at one course where he used another brand of loader. “We had to put down plywood before we could take it on the grass,” he recalls. “What a timeconsuming chore—hauling the plywood to the jobsite, unloading it, driving across the plywood and taking it back in. With the A300 you can forget about lugging plywood around the course.”

5600: Versatile work machine

When Langner first saw the Toolcat 5600, he recalls, “I wondered if it was just another small utility vehicle for towing and hauling materials. I quickly discovered that it can do a whole lot more. I don’t think a day goes by that someone doesn’t take the 5600 and use it for a good portion of the day.”

He says the main attribute of the Bobcat utility work machine is its versatility. “Each day of the week we may use it for a different job—hauling materials in the cargo box; digging holes with the auger; preparing a site with the soil conditioner; using the trencher attachment; operating the angle broom to clean cart paths; move things around the maintenance building with pallet forks.

“One advantage of the Toolcat unit,” continues Langner, “is the convenience of one trip to a jobsite to complete a project. For example, we load up plants in the cargo box, hook up the auger and head for the course. We dig the holes, put the plants in the ground and move on. The 5600 can carry the people, materials and equipment needed to get the job done.”

Langner says that the A300, Toolcat 5600 and their attachments—Brushcat® rotary cutter, soil conditioner, sweeper, pallet forks, trencher and auger—have made everyone more efficient. “We not only get more jobs done, but they are completed sooner and with fewer employees,” he says. “One of the goals at FarmLinks is to find better ways of doing things. This Bobcat equipment is the best way to do many golf course jobs.”

From the Driver’s Seat

Logan Green, assistant-in-training at FarmLinks, oversees the groundskeeping crew and says the Bobcat® equipment makes his job easier and more enjoyable.

“I use the A300 and Toolcat™ 5600 every chance I get,” he says. “They are the machines I prefer because they are so versatile and allow us to get a lot more done.”

A300. “It’s a truly a powerful machine that maneuvers well and does not tear up the turf. I wouldn’t want to be without it; in fact, I’d like a couple more. I especially like to use the A300 for handling heavy materials such as fertilizer. It easily picks up the bulk bags and dumps the contents into our spreaders. This loader is the only piece of equipment I’ve been around that can maneuver so easily with a full load.”

5600. “We use it every day because there are so many attachments that work so well—soil conditioner, tiller, pallet forks, angle broom and auger. As part of our ongoing research efforts we are constantly tearing up and re-doing portions of the turf. The 5600 allows us to take the tools and materials we need for each jobsite. This is a real time-saver. Also, the air conditioned cab is a life-saver in the summer.”

Without the A300 and 5600 and their attachments, Green says, “it would take many more man-hours and a few added days to accomplish all our chores. I would recommend this equipment to anyone managing a golf course.”