For its latest RTV, Kubota focused on improving the vehicle’s speed, cargo and towing capabilities. The RTV-XG850 Sidekick features a 48-horsepower gasoline engine that travels at speeds of up to 40 mph, compared to the top speed of 29 mph for Kubota’s RTV-X series model.

The company showcased the new RTV at a media event this week at Lanier Islands in Buford, Georgia.

“Customers can confidently take on any task or terrain with comfortable, convenient and capable features, and with the speed to get there fast, up to 40 mph fast,” says Roger Gifford, Kubota’s product manager for utility vehicles. “(Customers) wanted speed, so we focused on getting speeds they were looking for. They really weren’t asking for 50 or 60 mph. The industry was giving them (the speed they wanted) but sacrificing durability. So, they wanted durability and the sweet spot of speed.”

A full line of more than 50 new attachments and accessory options are specifically developed for the Sidekick, including a snow plow. Gifford said the company is testing the Sidekick for sprayer and spreader attachments as well for golf course superintendents and landscape contractors. “We don’t have them yet, but we’re working on that,” he says. “We’re taking (spreaders and sprayers) from our X series and putting them on this.”

Kubota designed its Sidekick so that it can haul up to 2,000 pounds on flat terrain and 1,500 pounds on hilly terrain. The machine can tow about 1,000 pounds of material as well. In addition, the Sidekick’s cargo capacity allows it to carry up to 15.2 cubic feet or a half ton of gears, tools or material in its heavy-duty steel cargo box. The cargo box comes with optional electric hydraulic lift for easy dumping.

“Our beds are wider, less deep and hold 1,000 pounds,” Gifford said. “When you put 1,000 pounds in the back of our machine, all the payload is distributed evenly across the chassis to improve handling and take stress off the suspension.”

To improve steering ability, the Sidekick features Electronic Power Steering. Tuned front and rear independent suspension allows for a smooth ride, and its engine-assisted braking allows for greater control and increased safety going downhill. Also, a selectable full-time 4WD system gives operators good traction and control on any terrain, even with heavy loads.

The Sidekick also comes with a continuously variable transmission with centrifugal clutch, the Sidekick’s rugged, water-cooled engine that provides torque for a quick, smooth start. The idle speed control and highland correction capabilities also ensure stable power for a variety of situations.

The Sidekick offers electrical power for a variety of equipment. The regulator and fully shielded generator are controlled by a microcomputer to use stable power for any attachment, including a work light, LED headlight, heater or wench.

For added operator comfort, shoulder guards on the ROPS keep riders within passenger area during tight turns, while half doors keep brush and other elements out of the vehicle.

The split-bench seat style provides working comfort and ample space for both driver and passenger, while offering large compartments underneath for storing tools and personal items. The glove box, cup holder and DC outlet offer convenient places to keep things secure and within reach.

Prior to the launch of the Sidekick, Kubota only offered its utility vehicles in two colors. For the Sidekick, the company will offer four color options – Kubota orange, RealTree AP camo, green and black. Gifford said the company introduced the green color model specifically for green industry professionals, so the machine could blend in better with landscapes and golf courses.

“They wanted something that was less distracting,” Gifford says. “So, the green one was brought in to support the green industry. We have our RealTree camo, as well.”

Megan Smalley is the associate editor of GCI’s sister publication, Lawn & Landscape.

Heritage Links is involved with an encompassing 18-hole renovation of the Jack Nicklaus Signature Renegade Course at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, Ariz. The extensive work includes new greens, bunkers, tees, cart paths, drainage, irrigation, lake construction and grassing. The highly regarded Nicklaus design, which opened in 1987, was the first of six Jack Nicklaus Signature Courses at Desert Mountain.

Few improvements, however, had been made to the Renegade Course since it opened. Nicklaus Design created a new master plan which Heritage Links is in the process of implementing. As a signature design, Jack Nicklaus has been personally involved with the project and has conducted site visits and provided critical oversight about the renovation.

The Renegade is unique for its original dual-green layout concept where each golf hole has either two individual greens or one large double green. Combined with a variety of tees, the golf course offers an exceptional number of options for set-up and play.

The renovation is on track for a mid-December completion. The construction work is being managed for Heritage by Mark Maldonado with project management provided by Heritage Links vice president Oscar Rodriguez.

Stephen Miles is familiar with every blade of grass at The Preserve Golf Club, and for good reason. He’s been on hand since the very beginning. Miles oversaw the grow-in of the Jerry Pate-designed course in 2005 and a greens renovation in 2014 and  he has been nurturing it ever since, first as superintendent and now as the director of golf operations.

The Preserve Golf Club is a semiprivate resort facility in Biloxi, Mississippi. The golf course – which features Bermudagrass tees, fairways and rough, as well as Tiffway 419 Bermuda greens – is surrounded by nature. In fact, in May 2007 the club was designated a Certified Silver Audubon International Signature Sanctuary. In addition, the club is a popular stay-and-play destination, making it imperative that Miles, superintendent Jason Stevens and their staff of 20 provide optimum playing conditions throughout the year.

The club rebuilt its greens in 2014 and since then Miles aerates just once a year, following the Fourth of July. The golf course is closed for two weeks to take advantage of seasonal drop in rounds right before the peak hurricane season. During this time, the Bermudagrass is in a sustained growth period.

“With the renovation in 2014, we tried to stay aggressive from the beginning and hope to continue to reach our goal with displacements of the greens at one time, so we don’t have to close multiple times over the year,” Miles says.

The Preserve Golf Club hosts about 13,000 rounds each year. Its peak season is March through June, but play picks up again in October and November.

As a key component of his agronomic program, Miles relies on Koch Turf & Ornamental's line of fertility products, particularly POLYON^® controlled-release fertilizer, to give the turf the nutritional consistency required to meet members’ needs and expectations.

“For us, everything is about predictability and consistency of growth of the plant,” he says. “I need to know what my greens are going to do, what my fairways are going to do, and what my rough is going to do from a growth standpoint.

“I’ll put POLYON out first in the middle of February,” Miles says, adding he applies it at a rate of 2 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. of turf. “That gets me all the way through the year. And since we’ve implemented the POLYON  program, our rough from one year to the next has steadily gotten more and more consistent.”

The key to POLYON’s  performance is the Reactive Layers Coating technology, which meters out nutrients via diffusion, regulated by soil temperature and coating thickness. As a result, turf managers like Miles appreciate not only the product's consistency and predictability, but also savings in time, labor and costs from fewer product applications.

In addition, Jackson County Mississippi, where The Preserve Golf Club is located, receives a substantial amount of rainfall. It’s not uncommon for the region to have six inches of rain fall in a six-day period. Miles says POLYON’s regulated release of nutrients prevents the growth flushes that often accompany a heavy rain.

“I’m all about avoiding flushes,” he says. “I want consistent, steady, predictable growth.”

Koch’s NITAMIN^® has been Miles’s choice on his greens the last few years. “It’s helped from a consistency of growth standpoint in our greens and it’s allowed us to be able to lower our nitrogen input, as well,” he says of Koch's urea-triazone foliar product.

Heading into winter, it’s important the turf has an adequate supply of potassium, which is why Miles relies on Koch’s controlled-release products for aeration and consistent year-round feeding.

Troon has been selected to manage the golf operations and clubhouse food and beverage operations at Château Élan Golf Club in Braselton, Georgia. Owned by an affiliate of Wheelock Street Capital, the 45-hole club is located approximately 40 minutes northeast of Atlanta and is part of the Château Élan Winery & Resort.  
 
Château Élan Golf Club features two 18-hole championship golf courses and a nine-hole par-3 short course – all three courses are open to resort and daily-fee play. The Club’s Château Course opened in 1989 and was designed by Denis Griffiths. The 7,030-yard, par-71 course winds along three lakes and two creeks with water coming into play on 10 of the 18 holes. The Woodlands Course, also a Denis Griffith’s design, opened for play in 1996. The rolling hills and tree-lined fairways of this stun¬ning 6,735-yard, par-72 course, provide spectacular views on nearly every hole. The club’s short course is located behind the Inn at Château Élan and features beautifully landscaped holes varying in length from 100 yards to more than 200 yards. 
 
“Château Élan is a stunning property,” said Mitch Harrell, president, Troon Golf. “We’re excited about the recent clubhouse enhancements and improvements made around the club. Our golf and F&B teams will now look to enhance the entire guest experience at the Château Élan Golf Club.”