Jacobsen is bound for the 2016 Olympics.
The mowing manufacturer’s equipment, which is built at the company’s manufacturing facilities in Charlotte, N.C., and Ipswich, United Kingdom, is maintaining the Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as golf returns to the Olympic Games after a 112-year absence.
After winning the exclusive supply contract for the mowing equipment, Jacobsen machines have been mowing the course for the past 15 months as construction finished and grow-in progressed.
Initially, 18 machines were delivered in June 2014 and included ECLIPSE2 walking greens mowers, ECLIPSE 322 hybrid-powered riding greens mowers, Greens King series walking greens mowers, SLF1880 and LF3800 fairway mowers, Turfcat out-front rotary mowers, TR3 reel mowers and GA30 greens aerators.
During the games, the course will host two 60-competitor tournaments with the women’s event following the men’s competition over a two-week period. It will accommodate 2,500 spectators in grandstands with space for a further 17,500 around the course.
During the Olympics, the course will be in constant use for 14 days and a team of Jacobsen technicians will be running the maintenance facility to provide 24-hour support.
“We are, once again, delighted to be involved in the Olympic Games as it continues a tradition that goes back over many decades,” said David Withers, president of Jacobsen. “This is a particularly important relationship for us, as it marks the return of golf as an Olympic sport after more than a century, and it is sure to be one of the high-profile events at the games. It’s also very encouraging to see the game growing in developing countries.”
COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF DISLENTEV/ESSENTIALS/ISTOCK