Woodford Golf Club, renowned for its picturesque greens and challenging layout in the rural town of Woodford, Queensland, has taken an inventive step towards optimising its turf management and sustainability goals by investing in two of Husqvarna’s CEORA™ robotic lawn mowers – producing superior results at a fraction of the cost.
This investment followed Woodford Golf Club’s trial period of the CEORA™ mowers, 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 is 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™ robotic 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 Automower® Connect app provides Woodford Golf Club with the ability to track and schedule every movement of the CEORA™ mowers. 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™ mowers 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 CEORA™ 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 repairs.
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 mower.
“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 Samantha Fitzgerald, Husqvarna Australia Pro Partner & Direct Sales Manager. “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.”
About Husqvarna
Husqvarna, a brand within Husqvarna Group, is a market leader in innovative, high-quality products and services for shaping green spaces in parks, forests and gardens. Since 1689, Swedish-born Husqvarna has a strong focus on research and development and is a pioneer in robotic lawn mowers and chainsaws. Today, the product portfolio consists of the next generation of robotic mowers, riders, chainsaws and trimmers for professional as well as private use. Sustainable value creation, product innovation and digitalization remain important for the journey ahead. Husqvarna products are sold in more than 100 countries.
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Lindsay Cumming
0448 094 716
lindsay@popcom.com.au
