The general economic picture was cloudy and the uncertainty of a Presidential election loomed. But the club and resort industry managers, owners and suppliers who gathered for the second annual Golf Industry Show (GIS) in Orlando, which bridged the last days of January and first days of February, exuded optimism and a positive attitude as they looked over the newest equipment on the show floor and discussed the latest management concepts in seminars.
The good feelings may have been largely due to everyone’s improved general comfort level with the GIS concept itself. Launched in 2007 in Anaheim, Calif., as the first collaborative show effort between industry associations that had previously held separate shows, most attendees in Orlando said this year’s location was more favorable. That, combined with having an extra year to digest the concept of a combined show and plan for it, seemed to be the two primary factors that led to an 11.4 increase in attendance, according to figures released by the show’s organizers.
Whatever the causes for the improvements in both traffic and attitude, those who came to Orlando had plenty to do and see once they got there. Here’s a roundup of selected highlights from this year’s GIS; much more can be found online at clubandresortbusiness.com
Supplying Demand
Suppliers to the club and resort market once again used the occasion of GIS to kick off a new round of product introductions and enhancements for the year. Some of the more notable announcements and services provided at the show included:
• Club Car built on the 2004 launch of its Precedent golf car by introducing the Precedent i2, which features the new Excel™ drive system. Excel is designed to increase the benefits of Precedent’s motor braking and regenerative braking features to provide greater control and a smoother ride.
Club Car also announced its addition of Coolwell, manufacturer of a golf car-mounted cooling and heating unit, as a new marketing partner in the Club Car Solutions Network, and showed how it is continuing to incorporate its IQ Plus System high-performance power source into more of its electric turf utility and multi-passenger transportation vehicles. Club Car also promoted the DVD and kit for its internally successful “Let’s Go Golfing” initiative that it is now making available to the industry (see pg. 13). For more information on all Club Car products and services, go to www.clubcar.com
• Traffic was drawn to the Toro booth to take advantage of a free interactive service offered to help golf course superintendents and operators determine the potential for water application efficiency at their properties. After entering information about their existing sprinkler systems (models, nozzle sets, pressure setting, spacing distance and type) and their use and cost of water and electricity, course managers received estimates of how much they could save in utility and operating costs through system upgrades.
Toro also displayed a full array of new products and services for 2008 that it is introducing through both its Turf Equipment and Irrigation Systems Divisions, including:
• new models of ProCore® aerators and processors
• new Workman® mid-duty utility vehicles
• new ProForce™ Debris Blower
• new Greensmaster® riding greensmower
• new dual-precision adjustment cutting units for Reelmaster® traction units
• new Groundsmaster® large-area rotary mowers
• Titan™ Split™ Tine and Quick Change™ Tine Heads
• a bunker pump accessory for the Sand Pro® utility vehicle
• new TurfGuard™ wireless soil monitoring system
• high-tech enhancements to improve nozzle efficiency and a new fixed sprayhead that accepts all Toro spray nozzles.
• the new B Series mid-range sprinklers and new Synergy Series™ of irrigation products.
Toro also provided information about its new partnership with ITT Flowtronex® to provide pump stations to customers (see pg. 13), and offered a DVD with its new Turf Maintenance Equipment Safety Education Pro-gram, a video-based training program, presented in both English and Spanish, that covers all general categories of equipment used in golf and grounds applications. The video can be ordered online (www.toro.com) for a small fee.
• Standard Golf introduced a new Magnum Ball Dispenser for range-ball distribution that eliminates traditional range ball baskets by automatically distributing balls in disposable bags that hold up to 70 balls at a time. The token-based dispenser system can be programmed in 12 languages and messages can be customized; staff can adjust the number of balls dispensed in small, medium and large orders.
Standard Golf also showcased its online “Build Your Own Flagstick” service, which allows full custom-ization by color, patterns and ferrules. For more information, go to www.standardgolf.com
• Jacobsen, a Textron Inc. company, added to the momentum started last fall with the introduction of its new AR-3 rotary trim mower by unveiling its new AR-522™ fine-cut rotary mower at GIS. The AR-522 (pictured, above right) offers the same TrimTek™ cutting decks featured on the AR-3; the decks are designed to pulverize grass clippings with an exclusive, downdraft blade for better mulching performance and also to leave a smoother after-cut appearance, thanks to a three-tiered discharge chute designed for more even clipping distribution. The decks can be converted from discharge to mulching capacities with a single wrench in a matter of minutes, Jacobsen says.
The new AR-522 is designed to handle heavy volumes of grass and maintain quality-of-cut on difficult terrain, Jacobsen says. by providing more horsepower per cutting inch.
Jacobsen also revealed the prototype of its new Eclipse™ 322 riding greens mower, the next in its Eclipse series that also debuted last fall. Production of the 322, which is billed as “providing the lowest cost of ownership of any riding greens mower, with 35% lower operating cost and 40% fewer parts to maintain,” will begin at the end of this year. The 322 is also being touted for being completely free of hydraulic leaks points.
Jacobsen also promoted its line of GreensCare biodegradable hydrau-lic fluids, its MAGSystem™ bedknife system, and new, more efficient quad tine holders for its Greensaire® 24 aerator. For more information, visitwww.jacobsen.com
• Visitors to the E-Z-GO booth had the opportunity to try out the company’s new RXV™ golf car, the first new model introduced by E-Z-GO since 1995. Engineered with an array of new features designed to deliver improved reliability, performance, and safety, the RXV can also deliver added value through reduced energy and maintenance costs, the company says.
• Rain Bird Corporation introduced its all-new Rain Bird® MI Series Mobile Controller, which releases golf course superintendents and other managers from the constraints of radio-based remote controls or desktop computers when trying to monitor and control irrigation systems. The MI Series Mobile Controller instead makes use of cellular phone technology to allow control of the systems via the Internet, using hand-held devices (see photos, pg. 86). Up to 15 users can use the controllers to simultaneously access Web pages that have been configured for a specific irrigation system, with all activity logged for convenient review.
Rain Bird also introduced new EAGLE™ series rotors, two new classes of variable-frequency drive pump stations, and a new generation (Version 6.0) of its central control software for real-time optimization of water management. For more information, visit www.RainBird.com
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