Tag Archive for: topdressing

Golfs sustainable topdressing method

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Golfs sustainable topdressing method: Now more than ever, golf clubs are battling the rising cost of materials, with sand being one of the highest, but by using the Koro RECYCLINGDRESSER® from Campey Turf Care Systems, clubs can reapproach topdressing.

Whilst the Imants-made machine has traditionally been used on football pitches and larger areas, The Worcestershire Golf Club Course Manager, Steve Lloyd, thinks the process of the RECYCLINGDRESSER® could save up to £2.5k across an 18-hole course.

Golfs sustainable topdressing method

Golfs sustainable topdressing method

The RECYCLINGDRESSER® aerates the underlying soil vertically and horizontally, removing soil from the root zone and re-distributing it across the playing surface. Layering and compaction are eliminated, biological activity is increased, and existing fertilisers in the soil are better utilised. The RECYCLINGDRESSER® reduces the amount of new topdressing required, therefore saving labour and material costs and promoting sustainable maintenance.

The waste of material during hollow tining got Steve thinking about the machine, and after seeing it work on his USGA specification practice green, he sees a place for it in golf.

“If the cost of the material goes up substantially, then you start to question how much of it I need or if there is an alternative way that is more cost-effective, sustainable, and fits both boxes,” Steve said.

“If you hollow tine a lot, probably 80% of what you’re bringing out is good material. Where does that go? Most of the time, it gets thrown away, which is a waste, so I thought about how other sports reuse material, and that brought me to the RECYCLINGDRESSER®.

“The demo on our golf green by Jason Moody Product Specialist for Campey, went really well. It settled down within a week, and the recovery was really good. We followed up with our usual granular feed and a light top dress the following week to help restore surface levels, which is what we’d do on all the greens anyway.”

For Steve, the pressures on sand use will only continue to grow. The cost of raw materials and haulage are already becoming issues, and the demand from other industries, such as construction, means golf is down the pecking order.

With the RECYCLINGDRESSER®, he believes there are two approaches clubs could use that would bring sustainability and financial benefits.

“For me, there are two ways to do it,” Steve begins. “You can have half as much top dressing coming in because you’ll still need some topdressing, but it’ll mean instead of six loads a year, we might just have three, so we’ve ticked the box there by getting some fresh material in, but we have reduced our costs while utilising the existing material.

“The other way of looking at it is to carry on with the same number of loads but use the RECYCLINGDRESSER® to get more out. Therefore, you might be able to spread that material over a wider area, and with worm control, the more sand you can get on a golf course, the less impact there is from worm casts.

“That’s another element, so there are quite a few layers of this that can be seen as beneficial to golf clubs, especially inland golf courses.”

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Ecodresser delivers sustainable solution to topdressing

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Ecodresser delivers sustainable solution to topdressing: Contractors W R Sandow have praised their recent purchase of an Ecodresser from GKB Machines as they join industry associations in encouraging more sustainable management of winter sports pitches.

The Ecodresser recycles material from the profile to improve drainage and play characteristics while reducing reliance on imported sands and dressing material – offering a solution that is both practical and cost effective.

Ecodresser delivers sustainable solution to topdressing

Ecodresser delivers sustainable solution to topdressing

Specialising in sports pitch construction and maintenance, W R Sandow work with facilities across Cornwall and West Devon and have been a Pitch Contracting Partner to the RFU since 2005. “Sustainability is really coming to the fore in our sector as we all look at our impact on the environment” explains Director Andrew Sandow. “We’ve been looking at recycling dressers for many years but specifically wanted one with a stone screen which comes into its own when working on grass roots pitches. The GKB Ecodresser ticked all of the boxes for us.”

When matches are played on wet ground, the action can disturb the profile and cause the soil to go into suspension. As it settles, the heavier particles like sand, settle faster while lighter particles like silt and clay will settle more slowly – capping the sand underneath the top layer which, over time, can destabilise the surface and reduce its natural ability to drain. The blades of the Ecodresser cut through the ground to depths of up to 200mm, breaking through the ‘crust’ and bringing the finer soil back to the surface.

“The linear aeration in itself brings multiple benefits to the surface, but for those venues with naturally sandy soils, the Ecodresser can hugely reduce the need for imported sports sand topdressing which is not only more environmentally-friendly, but better for the budget too!”

Together with Simon Johnson, GMA Regional Pitch Advisor for Rugby in the West, Andrew recently visited Redruth Rugby Club, where the Ecodresser left a lasting impression! “Redruth was the second venue we’d used the Ecodresser at and everyone who was watching it work was amazed by the results. Another great feature of this machine is its ability to store material which can then be redistributed into goal mouths or pitch hollows, eliminating the need to buy in non-native soils.”

“Alongside football and rugby, we can see demand for this type of machine on cricket outfields, even running tracks where it could be used to level and produce a more even surface.” Andrew adds, “The Ecodresser is already booked up for work at venues and we look forward to introducing it to more people at various educational events throughout the summer.”

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Topdressing transformed at Arscott GC

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Topdressing transformed at Arscott GC: The arrival of a Rink and Speedbrush from Redexim has transformed topdressing for the team at Arscott Golf Club – turning a task that would have previously taken 14 hours into one that’s complete in just four!

The labour-savings and convenience brought about by their new DS800 now means that Head Greenkeeper Andrew Lewis can topdress more frequently and in more areas around the site, bringing further benefit to the condition of the Shropshire course.

Topdressing transformed at Arscott GC

Topdressing transformed at Arscott GC

Andrew has been at Arscott since it opened in 1992 and was part of the original team that converted the agricultural land into an 18-hole golf course. Together with changes to the course, Andrew has seen changes in trends and maintenance techniques over the years – topdressing included. “Where we would have previously been putting two ton’s down on a green and working it in, now it’s all about little and often dressings that work down in just a couple of days.”

To keep pace with the requirement for more frequent topdressing, the club purchased a Rink DS800 delivered by Charlies Groundcare, in the spring of 2022. The DS800 features a 0.8m3 hopper capacity, variable spreading widths of between 2m and 12m, and spreading thicknesses of 0.5 to 15mm for optimal versatility and effectiveness. “Previously, we were using a fertiliser spinner which did the job but was very small and meant repeated trips backwards and forwards to the shed to collect material which was ¾ of a mile away from the furthest green! We looked at a couple of different models of disc spreader and opted for the Rink because of its size, reliability and the fantastic back-up support from the team at Charlies.”

“The time it now takes us to get around all 18 greens has more than halved, and as a small team of just three, it frees up all-important labour to be working on other tasks. It’s already completed one pass in April and where we would normally do just one more in September, we’ve actually decided to do an additional dressing on all 18 greens mid-summer as well as some work on the tees and surrounds which would just not have been feasible before.”

To complement the Rink, Ascott also purchased a Redexim Speedbrush which Andrew says is proving to be a brilliant piece of equipment – not just for working in dressing. “We’re finding more and more things to do with the Speedbrush, from dispersing clippings to clearing moisture and standing the plant up on the surrounds to improve the quality of cut. All of this, together with the increase in topdressing are already making a huge difference to the course.”

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Redexim revolutionising topdressing

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Redexim revolutionising topdressing: With the goal of improving the resilience and year-round playability of the greens, Lymington Golf Centre have purchased a Rink DS800 from Redexim to improve both the frequency and effectiveness of topdressing.

Just a few months into his new programme of pencil tining, topdressing and incorporating the sand into the profile with the help of the Redexim Speed-Brush, Course Manager Brian Goodall is already noticing an increase in greens speed and the recovery of some weaker course areas.

Redexim revolutionising topdressing

Redexim revolutionising topdressing

Overlooking The Solent and out to the Isle of Wight, the nine USGA spec greens at Lymington Golf Centre saw a big increase in footfall during 2020. The ongoing resurgence in demand for golf was a big contributor in the purchase of the Rink, from local dealer Hunts Forest Group at the end of last year. “I was keen to improve the condition of a few key course areas, one of which was the greens, to not only improve the playing experience but also help them to cope with the increase in rounds” explains Brian, who oversaw the conversion of 50 acres of farmland into the golf course 16 years ago.

“We had been using a contractor for topdressing previously, the issue being that the day you’re booked in isn’t necessarily the best day to conduct that sort of operation. Several other greenkeepers recommended the Rink from Redexim, and after other testimonials from Hunts and a local contractor I made the purchase.” Brian opted for the DS800 trailed model, featuring a 0.8m3 hopper capacity, variable spreading widths of between 2m and 12m, and spreading thicknesses of 0.5 to 15mm.

The DS800 has already completed two operations across all nine greens since its delivery, with Brian planning to topdress between four and six times a year. “It’s got a great range of adjustments and is so simple to use. Compared to the drop-dresser that our contractor used which could only cover 1.5m at a time, the Rink being a disc spreader means that in three or four passes you’re done and moving onto the next green! We follow the Rink with the Redexim Speed-Brush to work the sand down into the profile and are already seeing truer, faster greens, less susceptible to pitch marks and more wear tolerant which puts us in good stead for the season ahead.”

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Choosing the right topdressing brush

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Choosing the right topdressing brush: Topdressing has been an essential greenkeeping technique for over 150 years, since the days of Old Tom Morris.  It serves multiple purposes; to help maintain a true surface, to balance and dilute the buildup of organic matter, to fill coring holes, and to maintain a free-draining surface.

Modern topdressers can apply both heavy and light dressings

Topdressing is spread in different thicknesses, from just a frequent light dusting, to a heavy dressing after hollow coring. Over the years various methods have been used to incorporate the topdressing into the turf canopy.  For many years metal link drag-mats were the norm, but these tended to scrape the dressing across the surface, and were particularly aggressive on the crowns of undulations.

Choosing the right topdressing brush

Choosing the right topdressing brush

In recent years, brushes have become accepted as the optimal tool for working-in topdressing.  However, even these have significant subtle differences between different types.

Which type of brush is best for different greens?

Since its introduction in the 1990’s the Greens-Groomer has been recognized as one of the most effective topdressing brushes ever invented. It has 16 separate brushes mounted in a triple zig-zag pattern.  As the Greens-Groomer passes over the turf, the brushes move the sand forwards and sideways in three directions, making it ideal for filling coring holes. The absence of power-driven rotating brushes ensures that the turf is not bruised and unpleasant dust is not generated, even when operating at speed.

The Greens-Groomer is fast and very effective, and doesn’t bruise the turf

The Greens-Groomer’s large 1.8 x 1.2m (6’ x 4’) footprint has a luting effect, keeping the surface of the green flat and true.

However, if your greens are intentionally undulating, you need a totally different type of brush that will accurately follow the contours and evenly brush-in the dressing.  This is the purpose of the Thatch-Away topdressing brushes.  These fit into the Thatch-Away interchangeable cassette system, and attach to all popular greensmowers.  The three individual brush units run on their own front and rear guide wheels to accurately follow the contours of the green without scraping the crowns or filling up the hollows.

Thatch-Away topdressing brushes accurately follow the contours of the green

Topdressing technology has come a long way since the days of Old Tom, but were he still here he would surely be pleased to see the way that the correct choice of topdressing brush can help to maintain the original characteristics of the greens.

For a free demonstration of these innovative brushes, contact GreenTek on 0113 267 7000.

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