Links courses often offer exceptional settings for the game of the golf, and Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links proves that in every way.
The course was the first Links to be designed by three-time Irish Open winner, Bernhard Langer, who worked alongside architect Stan Eby on the course, which is set in the old estate of the Jameson whiskey family in St. Marnocks.
The man in charge of maintaining this aesthetically outstanding course is links superintendent, Fintan Brennan, and the Dakota 410 Turf Tender is one tool used by him and his team in the pursuit of continued excellence.
“The greens maintenance operation is very important to a course and we decided to use the Dakota 410 to enhance ours,” Fintan explained. “The Dakota offers a lot of variation in terms of the spread rate and what materials can be used, and that allows us to tailor our operation quickly and easily.
“Because the rate is set using an electronic calibration system we know that the exact amount we want to use is going on the greens, as both the belt and disk speeds are adjustable, and that results in the perfect application.”
The Dakota 410 at Portmarnock is specially designed to be body mounted on the John Deere ProGator and is easy to fit and service. It will handle both wet and dry materials, allowing light to heavy dressing and can easily be loaded with a 1.8m wide tractor bucket. It features accurate and easy to operate calibration. The dual spinner discharge system delivers a wide and accurate spread pattern.
The light weight of the machine (645kg approx.) reduces the chance of compaction, whilst its size makes it easier to transport around the course, allowing for a quicker operation.
