Toro gets busy — really busy — at GIS

It’ll come as no surprise to anyone that Toro — one of the mainstays of the golf maintenance industry — was fairly busy during the San Antonio Golf industry Show. Massive booth space housed new equipment, but there was more going on than just equipment.

During a press conference in the Toro skybox at the booth, a large Big Red’s contingent let the assembled maintenance industry scribes in on the new metal, as well as some of the softer but no less important news. Here’s a look at the highlights.

GeoLink. GeoLink is a GPS-equipped sprayer that’s expected to be available this summer, initially for the Toro Multi Pro 5800, but with plans expand it to other Toro sprayers.

The system will be available in both Wide-Area Augmentation System or Real-Time Kinematic correction system configurations. Using the RTK system, Toro says the sprayer is accurate and repeatable to within 1 centimeter of set parameters. The company says fleet managers using the system could see substantial savings in chemical costs.

The company will support GeoLink through the Toro National Support Network, and will include troubleshooting and rapid replacement services. The product’s initial release will be exclusive to North America, with plans to eventually expand it globally.

Reelmaster 5010-H hybrid. Toro calls this the first fairway mower with a true hybrid drive system. It says the mower delivers more than 40 horsepower on demand for climbing steep hills, verticutting, scalping or to support other peak-load situations.

The mower, which was tested for three years, couples a 24.8 horsepower Tier 4-compliant Kubota diesel engine with an inline motor generator and a self-charging 48-volt battery pack. The future for superintendents with a Reelmaster 5010 holds fuel savings of 20 percent when compared to conventional fairway mowers, Toro says, and significantly more fuel savings when operated in the economy mode.

Toro says the mower’s benefits include more precise control of both reel speed and clip rates, which translate into a more consistent cut quality and improved playability, and reduced maintenance downtime due to the elimination of the hydraulic components commonly associated with traditional cutting units. The company has removed more than 100 potential leak points from the cutting system as a result of the move to all-electric cutting unit motors.

The unit will be available through Toro’s authorized distributors beginning in March.

Universal Groomer. Among the things keeping Toro folks busy at GIS was the introduction of its new universal, bi-directional groomer product line, which offers three drive modes: forward rotation, counter rotation and neutral. The groomer will be available this fall.

A quick change-out feature on the unit simple attachment switching. Operators can disengage the unit if they don’t want to groom or brush a specific area. Also, the unit’s symmetrical design of the bi-directional groomers accommodates either left- or right-hand drive.

The new groomer line signals Toro’s entry into the fairway bi-directional groomer market. All basic groomer attachments are still available with the new bi-rotational groomers for both greens and fairways.

Toro Irrigation folks didn’t lounge around at the show either.

Lynx enhancements. Based on customer feedback, look soon for enhancements to Toro’s Lynx Central Control System, specifically version 4.0 , which includes a map interaction feature with diagnostics, control system and hydraulics that the company says will “help users ensure that critical operating system data reflects the functionality of the actual irrigation pipe and sprinkler hardware in the field.”

Toro also has simplified database maintenance with new advances in the auto population of information, along with on-board GPS to ensure greater accuracy and repeatable performance.

Lynx provides complete remote access from any web-enabled device through either NSN Connect or Lynx Mobile. Plus, new mobile applications suitable for Apple and Android devices will make Lynx even more accessible, the company says.

Flex800 Series sprinklers. Toro has introduced the Flex800 Series golf sprinkler family to complement the recently released Infinity Series with Smart Access. Customers can order the combination of features they want without having to pay for what they don’t. Customers choose the body, riser and activation type to customize each sprinkler to precisely meet their application and budgetary needs.

The sprinkler family offers two flexible body choices, three flexible riser choices, five flexible activation choices and two 2-wire field control choices. All Infinity and Flex800 Series models are currently available.

Toro Giving. A couple of announcements concerning the Toro Giving program were on tap at GIS. First, the company announced that it is extending its long-standing partnership with The First Tee, becoming a Trustee-level supporter of the nonprofit organization. The relationship between Toro and The First Tee began shortly after the youth development organization was founded in 1997.

The First Tee aims to positively impact the lives of young people from all walks of life by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through golf. Among The First Tee Nine Core Values emphasized in all of their programs are integrity, respect and perseverance.

Toro also will further its sponsorship of an environmental education and course improvement initiative, called Live Green!, in which seven of The First Tee’s chapters across the country will be selected to host a hands-on educational event with hundreds of student participants. The program teaches First Tee students about sustainable golf practices, while facilitating eco-friendly golf course improvements. In addition, Toro’s support provides chapter facilities with discounted Toro turf maintenance equipment and irrigation products in an effort to ensure high-quality course conditions for participants.

The company also announced a $50,000 grant to the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG), GCSAA’s philanthropic arm, in support of Rounds 4 Research to help further turfgrass research at local universities. With this recent contribution, Toro has donated $150,000 to the program over the past three years.

Rounds 4 Research is a program designed to address a critical shortage in turfgrass research funding by auctioning donated rounds of golf online. The program allows GCSAA chapters and turfgrass foundations to participate as fundraising partners and direct the proceeds from auctioned rounds to specific projects that will have the most significant impact in their local areas. Since its launch in July 2012, Rounds 4 Research has raised nearly $320,000. The 2015 auction will be held from June 8-21. The program is administered by the EIFG and presented in partnership with Toro.

Toro is a longtime partner of the EIFG, donating more than $1.8 million to help support scientific research, education and scholarships for future turfgrass professionals. As the exclusive presenting partner of Rounds 4 Research, Toro is a Victory Club member of the EIFG cumulative giving program and a GCSAA Platinum Partner.

Toro on Twitter. This year’s GIS also saw the launch of a dedicated Toro Twitter account, with the aim of delivering information, providing support and connecting with end-users of Toro golf equipment and irrigation solutions. The new @ToroGolf Twitter feed will be geared toward providing golf course professionals with relevant content to their needs and interest.

To encourage turf professionals to follow @ToroGolf on Twitter, Toro is holding a contest from now through the end of June, in which employees of U.S. and Canadian golf courses can follow @ToroGolf, fill out an entry form, and be entered in a random drawing to win a ProCore 648 aerator for their course.

Photos: Golfdom, Toro