Jacobsen Electric and Hybrid Riding Greens Mowers for Doral Golf Resort and Spa

August 01, 2010

One of Florida’s most prestigious and world renowned golf resorts has taken delivery of six Jacobsen Eclipse 322 riding greens mowers from local dealer Kilpatrick

Reduced noise, a highly consistent quality of cut, together with lower fuel and maintenance costs have been the significant benefits at Doral Golf Resort and Spa

Turf Equipment Inc of Boynton Beach, FL. Jacobsen is a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company.

Doral Golf Resort and Spa is a Marriott resort facility boasting five championship golf courses including the TPC Blue Monster, home to the WGC-CA championship, won this year by Ernie Els who pocketed a check for $1.4 million after beating Charl Schwartzel by four shots back in March.

The Jacobsen Eclipse 322 is the latest riding greens mower from the Charlotte, NC-based turf equipment manufacturer and is available in gas-electric and diesel-electric hybrid formats or there is a fully electric version using a six 8-volt battery pack. Unique among any golf greens mower, it has no hydraulic oil, so the possibility of an oil leak on the greens is totally eliminated.

At the time of the negotiations and subsequent purchase of the new greens mowers, John Patterson was the fleet manager at Doral and he first saw the riding Eclipse at the early prototype stage back in 2007. John has since moved to the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa in Jupiter, FL, an 18-hole Nicklaus designed course where he is fleet manager.

“It was about three years ago that I was invited to Jacobsen, as part of my work with IGCEMA, for an industry training event and a tour of the manufacturing facility,” he said. “It was during this visit that Erik Sides, Jacobsen’s training manager, gave me a sneak peak at a new development they were working on. It turned out to be the Eclipse 322 and I was very excited by the prospect that Jacobsen were designing a greens mower completely free of hydraulic oil.

“Last year I was invited back as a speaker and participant at their Future Turf Managers program and had the opportunity to get on a near production model of the Eclipse and mow some greens. I was mightily impressed, especially with the ability to control frequency of clip, which I found particularly exciting, as it meant that each and every green could been cut to exactly the same specification. I was also fortunate to talk with the design team and product managers and gained a valuable insight into their thinking. As I left, I told Erik Sides that I would like a demo as soon as possible.”

This is where JB Branstrom at the local dealership got involved with Kevin Stinnett, Jacobsen’s territory sale manager lending his support. They arranged for a series of demonstrations at Doral so that John and his team could fully evaluate both machines. These were detailed and highly professional demonstrations, which looked at all aspects of the new technology, with the result that in February 2010 an order for six machines was placed with Kilpatrick Turf Equipment with subsequent delivery in May this year.

Commenting on the new Eclipse mowers, John Patterson said,
“Implementing the Eclipse mowers at Doral allowed us to be better neighbors to our members – the Golf Shop actually received a couple of calls thanking us for the reduced noise levels – and the quality of cut has been outstanding. Marriott Golf is a leader in environmental stewardship and the Eclipse mowers allow us to use fewer resources while providing a consistently high quality product for our guests.

“From the time I first saw a prototype unit and spoke with the development engineers, I knew the Eclipse was going to be a home run for Jacobsen. Everyone at Jacobsen and Kilpatrick Turf have been very responsive to our needs, and the machines have performed very well with reduced maintenance requirements – who could ask for anything more?”

About Jacobsen
With over 90 years of experience in the turf maintenance industry, Jacobsen has built a legacy of precision craftsmanship, legendary quality of cut and unmatched expertise. Dedicated solely to delivering perfectly groomed turf, Jacobsen equipment is used on some of the finest golf courses, sports fields and other formal turf areas across the United States and the world, through an extensive distribution network and the international Ransomes brand. Additional information about the company can be found at www.jacobsen.com.

About Textron
Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.

For further information, please contact:

Adam Slick, Public Relations and Communications Manager
Jacobsen
704-504-4867
aslick@textron.com