A300 Answer for 700-Acre Sports Complex

The National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., may be the largest amateur sports complex in the world. Among the facilities spread over its 700 acres are 55 soccer fields and a new 18-hole putting course. The National Sports Center is also home to a Bobcat® all-wheel steer (AWS) loader. “It’s just right for our situation,” says Neil Ladd, director of golf (left in photo). “We purchased one of the first A220 models available and recently upgraded to the new, larger, more powerful A300. It’s a real workhorse.” Many grounds maintenance projects were previously handled by a pair of tractors with buckets. Today, the A300, with such Bobcat attachments as a trencher, Brushcat™ rotary cutter, backhoe, sweeper, pallet forks and tree spade, do more jobs faster and easier. For example, says Hans Niska, operations manager (right in photo), “we recently used our AWS loader and trencher attachment to install an irrigation system on 24 of our soccer fields. By doing the work ourselves I estimated we saved at least $100,000.” The A300 is the ideal machine for maintaining the soccer fields, continues Niska. “Hundreds of games are played on each of our fields every season. Repairing and sodding is an on-going job. The unique all-wheel steer feature of our loader enables us to do this work without causing further surface damage. Whether carrying a pallet of sod or trenching or some other job, the AWS loader is great for keeping our world-class facilities in world-class shape.” The all-wheel steer concept is the perfect fit for the National Sports Center, adds Ladd. “Our goal is to maximize our grounds maintenance efforts while minimizing ground disturbance. For us, the A300 is the answer.”