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Newquay GC welcomes Terra Float Air

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Newquay GC welcomes Terra Float Air: The unique setting of Newquay Golf Club makes it an iconic coastal landmark. With Cornwall’s glorious surfing destination, Fistral Beach as backdrop, it sits high atop the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

For Dan Kendle, Course Manager, at the Harry Colt-designed links, summer has been as hectic as anything he can remember.

Newquay GC welcomes Terra Float Air

Newquay GC welcomes Terra Float Air

“There’s certainly not been much down time,” he admits. “It’s been mental for the last 18 months. The town has been so busy; actually, sometimes too busy, for infrastructure to cope.

“In the past, the club has never had vast numbers of groups of visiting golfers, just a steady membership made up of locals. However, tourist golfers are loving it. There have been days when there hasn’t been a single tee time available from seven in the morning through to six at night. We imposed a cut off at 7.00 pm for people as we literally can’t fit any more.”

Extra funds have meant Dan Kendle has bought a Wiedenmann Terra Float Air pneumatic seeder, delivered in September, something on his wish list for the last 6½ years since taking up post.

“We’ve never really had a proper overseeder, just a basic one. I considered two or three contenders, spoke to David Barnes at dealers, Mason Kings and narrowed it to the Wiedenmann. I chatted to other links managers who had bought the Air, including Paul Larsen at Royal St George’s. He couldn’t say enough good words about his… that was good enough for me … I had the demo and it backed up all I’d heard.”

The Terra Float Air combines three units in one. A base unit aerates and prepares a seed bed to a max depth of 30 mm by way of fine slits or spikes. Then the top-mounted pneumatic air seeder accurately distributes the seed either pre or post top dressing. Finally, a brush and roller combination gives a desired finish incorporating the materials and leaving the surface smooth. Thanks to finitely accurate electronic static calibration, quantities as low as 1.0 g / m² can be achieved.

Having had his Air less than a month, Dan, and his team of four full timers, have decided to try a few schemes to see what works best.

“In the past, we really only overseeded greens twice a year and annually some fairways.  This involved putting a blunt tine in the greens and the seeds via a broadcast spreader, but this is a different league. Going forward, we will start off overseeding greens probably every six weeks just lightly and see where that takes us. We’ll keep pushing the fescue low, maybe 4-5 grammes per square metre on greens and surrounds.  Tees will be two or three times a year while Fairways once or twice a year, up at about 8 – 10 grammes. Then we’ll review. We’ll be using Limagrain’s MM Coastal mix fescue, something also relatively new for us.

“It’s easy to get the Air on the tractor. The stored electronic memory feature is one of the brilliant details. Once you input your programme you don’t have to touch it again.

“Even before it had arrived word had got out that Air was on its way and a few nearby course managers have already asked if we will be hiring it out. We also own a Wiedenmann GXI8 HD deep aerator and the Terra Float Air are both very similar as they are totally reliable, and we can use them in every area of our course.”

David Barnes, at Mason Kings, Wiedenmann UK dealers for Cornwall, said: “The Air also has an assured performance on undulations with good forward speed and leaves a very clean surface.   The beauty of the Wiedenmann is that it respects that seed is a very precious and expensive commodity and meters it so precisely there is no wastage. These days that is a big saving and brings peace of mind to a club or a contractor. With a much busier course, Dan and team can be out in a matter of minutes when opportunity allows.”

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Terra Spike GXi8 HD frees up more time

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Terra Spike GXi8 HD frees up more time: Panmure Golf Club in Carnoustie, Angus, established in 1845, is one of the clubs that originally helped purchase the Amateur Championship trophy. 

A very close neighbour to Carnoustie Golf Links, Panmure, is widely acknowledged as a distinguished links course, and highly regarded for its immaculate fine turf and well kept fairways.

Terra Spike GXi8 HD frees up more time

Terra Spike GXi8 HD frees up more time

Head Greenkeeper, Gary Nicoll, took delivery of a Terra Spike GXi8 HD in early January, his first ever Wiedenmann.

“I’d been wanting to move to the next level with aeration for a while. We were due an upgrade. Our previous machine had done well but time was right for something faster, with a real clean finish.  Wiedenmann’s GXi series is used widely across the industry and its popular for good reason.

“We have around 11 hectares of turf, seven of which are fairways. All aeration is done inhouse, so, it’s our team of six and no contractors.  Recently, we have borrowed a machine to have two going at once to get through it more quickly. We do all greens, tees, shoulders and fairways, virtually the full course.  The old machine was 1.6 m wide and just doing Panmure’s fairways took around four weeks. I’m confident the team with the GXi8 can knock at least a week off this as it’s 20 cm wider and a good bit faster. Even just one week a month would make a healthy saving on greenkeeper time, on fuel and efforts to avoid play being interrupted.”

Installation and induction training was by Wiedenmann UK’s lead demonstrator, Andy Kerr and Mike Lindsay, Area Sales Manager, from local Scottish dealer. Fairways GM, at Kinross.

“It wasn’t a case of drop a machine at the gate and leave,” said Gary, “Andy cut the PTO shaft then he and Mike systematically showed us how to set every aspect to suit our course. It was as thorough a handover as I’ve known.  There are lots of moving parts but despite that, it’s easy to set up and easy to maintain.”

The next day, Gary took the immediate opportunity to do all 18 of his greens and the practice green before a combination of rising water tables, thick ice, and then lying snow, halted meaningful work across the course for over four long weeks.

“In that first run out we got a real good taste of what the Wiedenmann can do for us. Instantly it was quicker than what we had been used to, neater and smoother.

“The clean finish is such a benefit.  At the demonstration we found on our fairways, even with a moderate amount of heave, say 10°-15°, the GXi8 makes no disruption to the turf surface; Nor does a departing tine lift up the ground.  All disturbance is contained below the surface, just where you want it.  The surface is left stable with no requirement for extra rolling.

“However, after our initial run, the rest of January and February’s ground conditions were so poor we didn’t have the opportunity to do as much as we had hoped.

“Extra runs are planned for several choice areas. In a few places standing water has remained, so once these patches are fully dried out, we will revisit them with a decent set of tines. The beauty of the faster machine is that we nip out at times of our own choosing; targeting areas that need more work.

“Going forward we’ll be out probably every month from October through until March. I think we’ll always stay with 12 mm tines on our fairways.  For us, I don’t want golfers ever to ask for any preferred lies so I’ve politely declined any wider tines, happy with the 12 mm and with the 25 cm depth.

“I’ve also invested in the multi tine holders which take 5 mm pencil tines. After we come through the winter, I’ll play it by ear how often and where we’ll go with those. But it’s very pleasing to know we’re now equipped with the technology to keep ahead with our aeration needs and replicate best practices across the industry,” concluded Gary Nicoll.

Fairways GM’s, Mike Lindsay said: “The GXi8 HD ‘s fast speed is derived from its twin drive while its eight legs of tines are timed to hit the ground in pairs, which further enhances its smoothness and makes it kinder to turf. Advance Tine Control (ATC) allows precise tine entry into the ground, all tines exactly spaced, making a neat and clean job with surface disruption negligible. We were just so fortunate that Gary’s team got that one run in before the really bad weather took hold.”

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Terra Spike XF central to new era

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Terra Spike XF central to new era: One of Hertfordshire’s leading independent day and boarding schools has embarked upon a new era of grounds maintenance across its 130-acre site, with a team restructure and additional grounds investment.

Bishop’s Stortford College appointed Adam Smith as their new Head Groundsman in March, with responsibility for both the sports surfaces and the extensive ornamental gardens. With over 1200 pupils, and a reputation for sporting excellence, rugby in particular, the College is a ‘Partnership School’ with Premiership rugby neighbours, Saracens RFC.

Terra Spike XF central to new era

Terra Spike XF central to new era

Specifically on sport, Adam, plus two staff, Ben Baker and David Beckenham, look after 20 hectares of sport surfaces which include five full size and 10 junior rugby pitches, an assortment of training grids and pitches, one full size and five junior football pitches, six cricket squares -consisting 34 tracks , two Astros and a MUGA.

Progress on many fronts is being made.  “Increasing our maintenance machinery fleet was my initial task,” said Adam Smith, whose career to date has included seven years as a horticultural mechanic for one of the largest contractors in Europe, two years working for a dealership in Brisbane Australia and seven years at Haileybury Imperial College. “My career history has given me enormous insight and a great understanding of the needs of a multisport educational establishment.”

“An aerator was central to our plans.  For me, Wiedenmann who are renowned for build quality so it had to be the XF6 to support productivity within our maintenance regimes. Regular aeration is key to our maintenance programmes to improve our carrying capacity for training and sports fixtures. We are really pleased with the XF’s work rate and our ability to aerate multiple pitches in one day; a junior pitch is taking less than an hour.

“The cricket squares had their first aeration in mid-November and held up well; depth was 150mm with 16mm tines.  They also got a little feed using Sierrablen Plus 3 19-5-18+2Mgo+TE.  I was happily surprised the disturbance was so negligible. Seeing as little disturbance encouraged me to revise my plan… we’ll fit in an additional run, so we’ll go again before Christmas, instead of just the once… at 200mm to try to break the pan a little deeper, In January, I may, ground conditions allowing, go out one more time using the multi tine holders and 10 mm tines, probably down to 100mm to encourage root growth, then that finishes off aeration on the squares.

“The outfields were another pleasant surprise.  The XF covers our 1st team outfield in just five hours using 16mm tines and a 4×4 pattern going down 150mm, which is impressive considering it’s 14 000 sqm, Often, though, we opt for punching more holes in the ground rather than chasing speed.  It’s so productive whichever way you look at it and was the definitely right decision for us.”

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Ipswich GC Purchase Terra Rake

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Ipswich GC Purchase Terra Rake: Graham Brumpton, Course Manager at Ipswich Golf Club, has a sizeable list of duties earmarked for his new 2.3 m Wiedenmann Terra Rake.

“In all honesty we’ve wanted this machine since the day it was released. We purchased a rival machine literally weeks before the Terra Rake launch and had a severe case of machine envy ever since. Now we finally have one,” he said.

Ipswich GC Purchase Terra Rake

Graham Brumpton’s first trial of the machine was actually on the Suffolk  course’s Purdis Heath 18th fairway on the day it was delivered.

“I couldn’t believe its productivity and speed. My team were looking on impressed… the more momentum, the better the results.”

An immediate project for the Suffolk club, which comprises both an 18 hole and a 9 hole course, is thatch and moss removal.

“Off the back of the drought last summer – and bearing in mind we are a heathland course – we applied generous amounts of iron. Now we want to remove all organic matter that we can from the surfaces to open up the turf, letting moisture and light back in. We also drilled seed last year.  With such a dry autumn we didn’t get much of a take on germination. Then a very dry winter followed. I’m hoping despite everything, the seed bed is still in there.  The Terra Rake is exactly the kit to open it back up to return water and light.  There’s a still a hope to get germination from the seed.

“All fairways were terra-raked in March with a double pass.  It really rips into remove the organic matter but it also helps stand up the grass.  We’ve followed on behind with our blowers and collecting units and it’s made a real difference.  Like many greenkeepers in this part of the country we in the lap of the gods praying for significant rainfall to reap rewards of hard work done.”

Graham joined the club straight from school in 1990 and became course manager in 2012.  He now heads a team of eight.  Ipswich GC also purchased  a  Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi8 HD at the same time, the club’s third Terra Spike to speed up greens aeration and micro-tining.

Co-ordinating the delivery and set up of both machines was Eddie Jack, Field Sales Manager from dealers Ernest Doe & Sons at North Walsham.

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New Terra Spike For Premier Pitches

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New Terra Spike For Premier Pitches: Specialist sports turf contractor, Premier Pitches, has added a Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi8 HD to its list of machinery, specifically for work at renovation time.

Director, Jonathan Woolfall, of the Sheffield firm which won The IOG Contractor of the Year in both 2016 & 2017, said:

New Terra Spike For Premier Pitches

“A lot of clubs want deep aeration built into end-of-season packages.

“We bought this machine principally to use during the renovation period, so mainly April, May and June. When you do renovations there can be many tractor and trailer movements across a pitch which inevitably lead to compaction.  After we’ve put the sand and seeds in the ground, an efficient deep tine with the GXi8 helps air circulate below the surface, then, we just leave it alone…it’s a good way to conclude such works.

“We needed to replace a machine so with dealer, Balmers GM, we looked about to see what was available. The precision and build quality of the GXi8 were second to none. It’s light, fast and easy to transport around the country on a small truck.  We bought it with the knowledge that it will be with us for a very long time.”

Easy tool-free adjustments mean that heave and depth settings can be finely tuned to suit conditions.  Importantly, the GXi8 HD offers Advance Tine Control a uniquely patented feature which makes sure the tines’ incision into the ground is always precise leaving a neat finish. It has a working depth of up to 250 mm and covers a whole pitch in less than three hours.

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.com

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