In an effort to catch up on deferred capital equipment, Denver Parks and Recreation in Colorado recently invested in a fleet of Jacobsen turf maintenance equipment. The fleet, which includes greens mowers, fairway mowers, rough mowers, trim mowers and utility vehicles, will be used on seven municipal golf courses and throughout several of the department's parks and green spaces.

Denver Parks and Recreation reducing fuel consumption and pollution with new fleet of mowers

In an effort to catch up on deferred capital equipment, Denver Parks and Recreation in Colorado recently invested in a fleet of Jacobsen turf maintenance equipment. The fleet, which includes greens mowers, fairway mowers, rough mowers, trim mowers and utility vehicles, will be used on seven municipal golf courses and throughout several of the department’s parks and green spaces. The package was purchased through Jacobsen dealer C&M Golf & Grounds Equipment in Denver, Colorado.


Pamela C. Smith, Esq. CGCS, Director of Agronomy for Denver Parks and Recreation, says the decision to invest in Jacobsen mowers was both environmental and financial. “Not only were we looking to do the right thing environmentally, we also wanted to reduce costs,” said Smith. “Because of the advanced technology of the Jacobsen mowers, we were able to meet both objectives.”


Denver Parks and Recreation initiated the effort with the support of the Denver Purchasing Division, culminating in a competitive request-for-proposal process that led to selecting Jacobsen products as the best value. Denver Parks and Recreation estimated the eight Jacobsen ECLIPSE 322 hybrid greens mowers will reduce fuel costs by almost $65,000 over five years. Fuel savings come from the industry’s only true hybrid engine, which features electric motors powered by a small gas engine.


“Jacobsen equipment in our new fleet also meets current Tier 4 emission standards, which compared to the previous lower tier equipment, reduces particulate matter by 37% and NOx (smog) by 40%,” said Smith.


The calculations also showed that non-routine maintenance, deferred repairs and labor would be reduced by more than $250,000 over five years. “In addition to maintenance and labor costs, we estimated that simply buying an entire fleet at the same time will save us hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Smith. “When you add up all the savings we will get from this investment, we’re looking at well over a half million dollars over five years.”


In addition to the department’s original stated goals, there were some added benefits discovered soon after the Jacobsen products went into use. “Even after a month or so, we started getting positive comments from golfers, especially on the greens,” said Gregg Blew, Superintendent of Wellshire Golf Course, an 18-hole facility in Denver.


“In the end, the new fleet of Jacobsen mowers is good for the environment, good for our budget and good for our players,” said Smith.  “We look forward to using these machines for many years to come.” 

“We’re very pleased to welcome Denver Parks and Recreation into the Jacobsen family of customers,” said David Withers, President of Jacobsen. “After conducting thorough research and analysis, Denver Parks and Recreation realized that Jacobsen mowers offer the technology, reliability, and performance they need to reach their goals.”