A Dublin sports club has made a substantial investment in its engineering equipment.

Elm Park Golf & Sports Club purchased second STV36 compact tractor and an L5740 mid-range tractor, which will add to it Kubota fleet.

The club, at Donnybrook, was founded in 1924 and is one of the best known in the capital.

Its new Kubota STV36 compact tractor joins an identical machine bought in 2006, both of which are used to carry out a variety of tasks to keep the club's golf greens in tip top condition.

Jobs undertaken range from aerating the greens and top dressing to brushing and blowing them, using a variety of attachments.

Mark Sheridan, the sports club's course superintendent, said: "We decided to buy a second Kubota compact tractor because we were so pleased with the performance and reliability of the first one."

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The Kubota STV36 features an independent PTO, cruise control, high capacity transmission, power steering and Kubota's accelerator auto throttle system.

The cabin provides a wide operator deck, a deluxe wide seat and 360 degree visibility, with well-placed operating controls and low noise and vibration levels to give complete operator comfort.

Elm Park's larger, cabbed GL5740 mid-size tractor is fitted with a front loader and pallet forks. The 58hp machine does complementary work to the smaller tractors, both on the golf course and around the 91 acre site.

This includes spraying the fairways, rough mowing and pulling a rotary mower. It's also regularly called on for general maintenance duties which entail fetching and carrying tools, equipment and materials.

"We have used several other makes of tractors but the Kubota machines are by far the most trouble free machines we have had to date," said Mr Sheridan. "They have given us no problems at all despite working like trojans."

The club carries out all its own equipment maintenance.

The two latest machines were supplied by local Kubota Tractor & Groundcare equipment dealer Irish Grass Machinery, which has recently moved into larger premises in Ballycoolin, Blanchardstown, Dublin.

(PR/JM)