Tag Archive for: Tackles

Redexim Turf Tidy tackles thinning roughs

Redexim Turf Tidy tackles thinning roughs: The delivery of a Redexim Turf Tidy 3000 has brought a swift end to the hunt by Arbroath Golf Links for a versatile cut and collect machine for maintenance of their roughs and fairways.

An impressive demonstration sealed the deal for delivery by HRN Tractors in November 2023, with the Turf Tidy going on to thin out over an acre of roughs over the winter period – improving the playability and ecological status of the Scottish club.

Redexim Turf Tidy tackles thinning roughs

Redexim Turf Tidy tackles thinning roughs

The maintenance of the traditional coastal links course, designed in 1877 by Old Tom Morris and opened a year later, is currently managed by Head Greenkeeper Ally Wyllie and a team of two. “We decided to try and tackle our thick rough to create a more enjoyable experience for our members” Ally explains. “After a conversation with David Raitt at HRN Tractors, we had a demonstration of the Turf Tidy and could immediately see how well it performed… so much so, we placed the order there and then!”

The versatile Redexim Turf Tidy 3000 offers effective scarification, flail cutting or sweeping with collection in a single pass. Designed with a fully floating head, the Turf Tidy is able to follow the contours of the ground making it suitable for a range of fine turf and sports turf applications. A 1.8m working width and 3m3 hopper – with hydraulic high-tip function – complete the specification.

“Since its delivery, the Turf Tidy has done a fantastic job of cutting through the long grasses to thin out over an acre of roughs. With this work well received by the members, we’re looking to continue this project into the spring, with the aim of enhancing our ecological status through the encouragement of finer and more native grasses.”

He continues, “One of the main reasons we purchased this machine was its ease of use and the speed at which we can change between functions. We’re planning on using this machine between October and March, and by quickly and simply adjusting the rollers we can change the set-up from flail mowing the roughs to scarifying the fairways – bringing these up to the standards we’re setting on other areas around the course.”

Ally also comments on the brilliant back-up support and service received pre and post-purchase. “David, together with Allen Whellans from Redexim, have been brilliant throughout. The help we’ve had has set us on the right track to get the best out of our machine and achieve the very best results.”

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TM1000 Tackles Golf Course Thatch

TM1000 Tackles Golf Course Thatch: Normanby Hall Golf Club Head greenkeeper Michael Burgin has reported hugely successful results from using the SISIS TM1000 tractor mounted heavy duty scarifier to combat high levels of thatch on the greens.

This delightful golf course in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, adjoins the picturesque Normanby Hall country park and is set in 117 stunning acres of mature woodland and parkland. The 18 hole, par 72 course is widely considered to be one of the toughest courses to play in the area, providing a challenge for players of all abilities.

TM1000 Tackles Golf Course Thatch

Michael, who has been in the greenkeeping industry throughout his entire career, has been at Normanby Hall for eleven years. Two years ago, he was promoted to the position of head greenkeeper and one of his first tasks in charge was to tackle an abundance of thatch which had occurred on the greens.

“We established that we had a large layer of thatch on the top of our greens; it was on all of them throughout the whole course. This resulted in some drainage problems and I knew that we desperately needed a new piece of equipment which could help us solve the problem.

“I did a lot of research and came across a number of videos online of greenkeepers using the TM1000. I then read an article about the course manager at Greetham Valley Golf Club using it and what he said about the machine pretty much persuaded me to buy it.”

The SISIS Rotorake TM1000 is a tractor mounted heavy duty scarifier and linear aerator and is un-rivalled when it comes to removing and controlling thatch. It includes a collector box and floating unit to follow ground contours and its contra-rotating reel throws debris forward ensuring a clean, consistent groove resulting in an excellent finish. The TM1000 also features interchangeable blades and a quick, simple depth setting without tools.

The fact that the TM1000 collects debris was a key factor in his decision and also something which was incredibly important to the greenkeeping team according to Michael.

“There were other machines on the market but the ones we looked at didn’t collect. This would mean that you would require two or three guys going behind the machine clearing up.

The hydraulics on the back of the TM1000 means that the operator doesn’t have to keep jumping in and out to empty the grass box – which would be very time consuming. For a small team, if you can get one man to do this job then it is a massive benefit.

TM1000 Tackles Golf Course Thatch

“I also like the fact that the TM1000 can go down to 50mm deep. The SISIS TM1000 runs straight through the turf – like a knife through butter.

“We have found that the time of year doesn’t really matter when it comes to using it. The first time we used the TM1000 was mid-February in winter conditions and we found that it did not phase the machine whatsoever.

“No matter what the weather you can’t even tell that the TM1000 has been across the greens and that has really impressed me. It’s a reliable machine with very little maintenance required.

“Overall it is just a fantastic piece of kit. There has been a big improvement in the greens and our soil samples have proved that the thatch levels have dropped dramatically since using the TM1000.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter and Instagram @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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Sherriff’s Marathon Tackles Drought

Sherriff’s Marathon Tackles Drought: With prolonged heat and drought conditions challenging turf managers up and down the country in 2018, Tim Attwood, sports field groundsman at Beaudesert Park School in Minchinhampton, Stroud, believes that his use of Sherriff Amenity’s Marathon fertilisers have helped his turf to endure this testing period.

Beaudesert Park stands in beautiful grounds high up in the Cotswolds, commanding magnificent views over the surrounding countryside. Founded in 1908 at Henley in Arden, Warwickshire, the school moved to its present site in 1918 and has become a thriving co-ed day, weekly and flexi boarding school for 450 boys and girls aged 3 – 13.

Sherriff's Marathon Tackles Drought

The school has excellent facilities which includes 15 acres of beautiful playing fields. Football is the main focus at the start of the spring term which is shortly followed by hockey. Rugby is the major sport in the autumn term and as you would expect, cricket is prominent in the summer.

Tim is the man charged with maintaining all of the sports pitches and after working with Sherriff Amenity for 15 years, he believes that his use of Marathon fertilisers is a tried and tested method which guarantees results.

“I’ve used Marathon fertilisers on sites where I have worked before and they have just always worked. They are also semi-organic which ticks a nice big box for me,” he says.

As Tim remarks, the range of Marathon fertilisers feature a patented organic complex base that provides the extended release characteristics needed to give gentle root development without producing excessive top growth. The slow release mechanism avoids soft growth that is more susceptible to disease attack whilst the high potassium content helps to harden turf against fungal pathogens and low temperature stress. The analysis has been further amended with ingredients to supply the correct balance of nutrients required by the turf.

With the analyses of each product in the range being geared to a specific growth stage or season, Tim incorporates three particular Marathon fertilisers into a year round maintenance programme.

Applying the product by using a spreader behind a compact tractor and at rate of 25g/m2, Tim firstly uses the Marathon Sport Spring 16.4.8 typically at the end of March. In the midst of a warm July he will then apply Marathon Sport Summer 10.0.15 followed by the Autumn mixture 7.0.21 in October.

“This programme keeps the pitches ticking over nicely throughout the year,” he says. “It greens up nicely, the sward seems to thicken and it lasts for a good long time. Even throughout this summer, which has been incredibly challenging with the weather, my sports field has maintained its health and colour. From what I’ve seen, there are a lot of sports fields round here which haven’t and I think the Marathon Sport products have gone a long way in achieving that.”

Sherriff Amenity’s extensive range of quality products are also perfectly complimented by the first class customer service provided by the company’s amenity specialists. Renowned for their technical knowledge, which is consistently enriched through industry leading training programmes, Sherriff’s amenity specialists are always on hand to ensure that customers are always getting the best results from their turf.

“I’ve known David Evans (amenity specialist for Wiltshire and South Wales) for a long time and I know that he would never push any products my way which are not appropriate for what I want to achieve. He genuinely wants the best for my turf and he’s always there for help, recommendations and support. For me, that is a big factor in choosing to work with Sherriff Amenity.”

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriffamenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity

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Robot Ball Tackles Winter

Robot Ball Tackles Winter: AMS’s automated ball management system a success with driving ranges during the winter season.

The robotic ball collector distributed by AMS (Automated Managed Services) is part of their outfield maintenance solution for driving ranges. Tasked with the collection of range balls on the outfield, its purpose is not only to allow for time and cost savings, but its lightweight design minimises the impact on the outfield that can occur with traditional heavy ball collecting equipment.

Robot Ball Tackles Winter

It is usually coupled with the robot mower BigMow, which can cut 2.5 hectares three to five times per week. However for the winter season the mower is stored away, leaving robot ball collector to work the outfield on its own. Once the balls are collected they are dropped into the AMS ball management system for washing and transportation back to the ball dispenser.

We contacted four driving ranges with the AMS system to give their perspective on how the Ball Picker handled the unpredictable winter weather.

First to give their feedback was Slinfold Golf and Country Club based in Horsham. They have had the automated system for over two winters now and general manager Luke Blacker gives us his insight into its performance:

“We have been able to use the Ball Picker during the winter season, however for the last couple weeks we have sensibly done some handpicking due to the muddy conditions of the outfield caused by the horrendous weather.

I would say in order for any driving range to get the benefits from the robots, you have to know how to manage the outfield. So it’s not just a case of us sending them out on a whim, it’s about taking into consideration things like the weather and outfield conditions.  So if it snows or the outfield is muddy, we look at the ball levels in the dispenser. Then decide if the levels are sufficient enough to wait till its drier to send the robots out or will we need to hand pick. Overall for this winter season I’d say the ratio for us has been 75% to 25% in favour of the robots.

In closing, while managing the outfield is key, the robots are better for the overall health of the outfield and we look forward to seeing its health improve over the coming seasons.”

Second to give their input was Waterfront Golf, located in the heart of South Yorkshire they have had their robots running for two years or so. Richard Jones, Head Green-keeper was very positive in his response stating:

“Ball Picker has been used all through the winter season. Our outfield has been designated into two zones. So the first larger zone is where the ball picker collects, we haven’t needed to hand pick there at all. The second smaller zone is sectioned off from the robots as it is a known wet spot, so we did some hand picking in this area. However this just takes me 30 minutes to clear in the mornings when it is really wet.

All in all the robots are perfect; since they have been installed they have been great. I mean previously we had to hand pick all winter because we couldn’t have heavy machinery out on the outfield. So they definitely save us a lot of time as it used to take 4 people 2 hours to go out and hand pick the balls. The health of the outfield has improved, so yes I can say we are really happy with AMS and their automated golf range system.”

The third site was Horsham Golf and Fitness also based in Horsham, they’ve had the system in for two years. Neil Burke, owner of the golf facility had this to say:

“We have only had to do a small amount of hand picking, overall I’d say the robots have been used 99% of the time during this winter period.

In all honesty if you have the right outfield surface, then the robots work great. We’ve have had a horrendous winter, one the worst I’ve experienced so it has been a difficult one for us. I’m sure if you spoke to any golf manager/operator they would have said they have experienced a tough winter at least once. So while the robots haven’t improved the weather for us, not having heavy equipment going out to collect the balls will definitely improve the overall conditions of the outfield and we have definitely seen an improvement in comparison to previous winters.

Ultimately as I said the robots are great as long as you have the right conditions and if you want to improve the health of your outfield in the long run, they are a worthwhile investment.”

The fourth to share their insight was Chadwell Springs Family Golf Centre based in Hertfordshire.  They have been using the automated system for 10 months plus. Their Head PGA/Golf Manager, Dave Smith response was:

“We haven’t needed to do any handpicking at all since installation. Ball Picker is great, we have been using it throughout the winter. We have occasionally gone around the edges to knock the balls back in so the robots can collect them, but that’s it really.

The robots have been 10/10 what more can I say, we haven’t needed to hand pick during the winter. The outfield is looking great as well, you can’t get any better than that really.”

In conclusion, the automated ball management system has performed very well during the winter period in comparison to traditional ball collecting equipment.  The feedback from AMS customers has been positive; the robot ball collector has brought efficiency to their ball management practices. It has also improved the overall health of the facilities outfield in long the long run.

For more information, visit: www.automatedmanagedservices.com

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