WOODFORD GOLF CLUB PIONEERS THE FUTURE OF TURF CARE

This investment followed Woodford Golf Club’s trial period of CEORA™, which operate autonomously to deliver precision cutting. CEORA™ uses Husqvarna’s innovative EPOS™ technology to define virtual boundaries, eliminating the need for physical wires to be deployed.

This set-and-forget solution means that the grass at Woodford Golf Club will be cut more frequently, with advanced mulching technology finely shredding grass clippings and returning them to the soil, enriching it with essential nutrients. This efficiency complemented the club’s efforts to maximise the playing standards of their 18-hole course.

“We identified that investing in Husqvarna’s CEORA™ mowers would significantly improve the quality of the turf across the entire course, while reducing our environmental footprint,” said Dean Dagan, General Manager at Woodford Golf Club. “It’s a win-win for our staff and members, with valuable labour time being reallocated to focus on more critical maintenance tasks.”

Husqvarna’s Fleet Services^TM app provides Woodford Golf Club with the ability to track and schedule every movement of the CEORA™ robots. Course staff define the preferred cutting height of the grass and schedule the mowers to operate overnight to ensure no disruption for players during the day.

“The CEORA™ robots work almost silently through the night and it’s extremely easy to map out the zones that we’d like to cut,” Dagan added. “Usually, we wouldn’t even consider attempting to get a traditional mower on the fairways during or after a big downpour of rain, but the CEORA™ mowers powers through regardless of the conditions with perfect results.”

The investment in CEORA™ from Woodford Golf Club comes at a time where demand is increasing for dynamic and more cost-effective management of sports spaces. A 2023 calculation from Husqvarna showed that CEORA™ reduced operational costs by 50% over a five-year period, taking into account installation, staffing, energy consumption, servicing, maintenance and repairs¹.

In addition to the potential for 50% cost reduction, the electric operation of CEORA™ eliminates direct CO₂ emissions. A lifecycle assessment conducted by accredited analyst firm Ramboll indicates that CEORA™ reduces the overall carbon footprint by as much as 83% compared to a diesel ride-on mower².

“We’re on a journey to provide innovative turf management solutions as sports venues search for ways to address their environmental and financial challenges,” said Pauline Nilson Husqvarna VP Sales & Services. “Our partnership with Woodford Golf Club sets a new benchmark for venues aiming to adopt sustainable, cost-effective practices in their maintenance operations, ultimately delivering impeccable playing surfaces that improve the experience for members and visitors alike.”

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1. Lifecycle assessment performed by accredited European analyst Ramboll and reviewed by 3rd party reviewer Research institute of Sweden (RISE). The comparison is made based on a scenario of a 30-week cutting season (an April–October season in North Europe) per year. The Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) is based on the functional unit of cutting two football pitches (16,000 sqm) of average pitch grass lawn. CEORATM is powered by EU electricity grid mix and Husqvarna P 525DX is powered by standard diesel. Result in global warming potential per season (kg CO2e/season).

2. Based on calculations made by Husqvarna in June 2023, using estimates of total cost of ownership of CEORA™ compared with a conventional ride-on-mower, on average over a 5-year period. Calculations of total cost of ownership include: installation, staff, energy consumption, service, maintenance and repairs in Australia.