The Contoura roller mower is the perfect solution to keep the undulating fairways tidy year-round at Roganstown Golf Course and Swords Open Golf Course in North County Dublin.
Located a 10 minute drive from Dublin Airport, Roganstown Hotel and Country Club has two Championship golf courses, spanning over 270 acres in North County Dublin. Owned and managed by brothers Ian and Colm McGuinness, the family-run business is a stellar example of vision, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of producing a first-class golf experience.
Designed by and Approved by Champion Golfers
Swords Open Golf Course opened in 1993 initially as a pay-and-play golf centre and then into an 18-hole parkland course with the Broadmeadow River flowing through as a natural water hazard and feature.
Roganstown Golf Course is a challenging course designed by Ryder Cup star Christy O’Connor Junior. Opened in 2003 the course features water on 12 of the holes and offers a noble challenge to golfers of all ability.
Colm McGuinness is the course superintendent and works hard to keep both courses first class. “We held the Irish PGA twice on both courses,” explains Colm. ”We had a EuroPro Tour event here back in 2004. We’ve had numerous pro-ams, under-18 girls/lady championship every April.”
Notable celebrities who have played at the club include 2010 U.S. Open Champion Graeme McDowell, who highly commended the greens, and the legendary Jack Nicklaus who stayed at the former family home turned hotel on more than one occasion.
Gear-box driveline cuts everything dead-level
“We keep to a very high standard and we’re very particular about keeping everything cut,” continues Colm. “We have 170 acres to cut. We’d be cutting maybe 120 acres of rough a week. Some of it is cut twice a week. So we have a lot of cutting to do and need the best machinery to keep on top of it.”
Colm has known Major Equipment for a long time. So when he wanted something without a belt-drive, that is, gear-driven that would do a good quality of cut, he found it in the Contoura. The unique pivoting frame on the 3.6m mower has self-aligning spherical bearings that allow its three decks to follow ground contours smoothly. Full-width rollers follow the undulations to give a consistent cut in both hilly and less challenging terrain.
“Everything is just dead-level with this machine: you can cut 2 inches right across the board,” says Colm. “We have a lot of undulations here that I didn’t think it would cut, and I kept one of my belt-driven machines for that but it actually cuts everything.”
Design and build easily handles wet and dry conditions
The gear-box driveline powers the dual-blade system which enables year-round mowing in a variety of conditions, which is precisely what Colm required. “The design and the build of the machine is just perfect. It cuts in the wet, it cuts in the dry. It leaves a good finish all the time. It’s a heavy duty machine for heavy rough and that’s what it is and it does what it says on the tin.”
Tidy finish for both fairways and rough turf
Cutting height can be easily adjusted from 10-110mm making it suitable for fairway and rough turf maintenance. And zero-turn capability makes tight turns and mowing around obstacles a breeze. Of course, presentation is critical for this award-winning course. “People coming here to play golf expect quality,” continues Colm. “Our greens are always very good and I’m not somebody to have a foot of rough. I like to keep the rough down so people can find their golf balls. So the courses are always kept very, very tidy.”
Low maintenance machine, first-class dealer support
Another advantage of the gear-driven Contoura is being low maintenance. “We’ve had this machine about a year and a half now and the only maintenance is just greasing it,” comments Colm. “We grease it once a week and that’s it.”
Local support from Dublin Grass Machinery reinforces the importance MAJOR places on building trusted relationships with owners. “I bought the machine from Dublin Grass Machinery and I have no issues with them at all. Anytime you need a part or have a problem, they’re first class,” commended Colm.
“It’s a perfect machine for anyone who wants to cut rough, I would recommend it to anybody,” concludes Colm. “If you think you’re too undulating for a wide-cut mower like this, you’re not. Believe me, I have the most undulating fairways on the planet here and it’s just perfect for the job.”