The latest club to join the hybrid machinery ranks with Toro is Mortonhall Golf Club in Edinburgh.

The club which is widely regarded as one of the best parkland courses in the Lothians has acquired two Reelmaster 5010-H hybrid fairway mowers and two Greensmaster 3420 TriFlex hybrid riding greensmowers from distributor Reesink Scotland as part of a series of efforts to reduce the club’s environmental impact and help protect the course’s biodiversity.

All four machines are used machines, serviced by Reesink’s ReeOwn scheme, and prove hybrid machines can match their diesel counterparts in longevity with Grant confirming that the hybrid machines “pack the same power punch as their diesel counterparts.”

Grant explains how this is part of a huge undertaking in course improvements to assist the club in becoming one of Edinburgh’s must-play courses: “We are undergoing major renovations to ensure we stay at the top of the list of best Edinburgh courses to play.”

This list of work includes but is not limited to habitat enhancing projects, awareness campaigns and the switch to more sustainable energy sources like solar power, all of which made it possible for the club to receive the Scottish Golf Course Wildlife Charter Award in 2010. And the hard work continues with the gradual replacement of the club’s machinery fleet with more eco-friendly alternatives.

Grant continues: “We’ve recently completed a huge bunker project and are looking to rebuild greens complexes and tees in the future. There’s also a reseeding programme to improve the turf so all the extra help from these machines will be incredibly important in our five-to-seven-year plan.”

The machines’ hybrid credentials come from Toro’s patented PowerMatch with an in-line motor generator and a self-recharging 48-volt battery pack for the Reelmaster 5010-H, while the Greensmaster 3420 is the first product to earn Toro’s EnergySmart label. They both maximise fuel economy to improve cost of ownership (about 20 percent over a conventional mower), are quieter and greatly reduce the risk of hydraulic leaks.

Grant concludes: “These Toro machines are only the tip of the iceberg as we want to replace the whole fleet with as many hybrid and electric units as we can in time. Right now, these four checks all the boxes and we couldn’t be happier with them.”