It’s a
oday’s professional groundsman has to be able to produce a surface that not only
will be judged by his peers but also has to meet the rigorous standards of his chosen sport and, in many instances, is seen around the world by the ever intrusive long lens of TV which will pick out a missed blade of grass at 200metres.
What is available to help the fine turf professional achieve the perfect playing surface? As well as the advice from 800 or so members at each golf club, especially when they had a bad round, and the thousands of ‘experts’ who watch football all season, there are many more reliable and proven aids to fine turf maintenance. Recognised root zone
mixtures, chemical herbicides and fungicides, aeration equipment, mowers of all makes shapes and sizes ... and an unsung hero from the back of the maintenance shed - the grinding machine. If you are one of those who only has the mowers ground once a year, and still sends them in the winter to the local machinery dealer for a regrind, it may well be the right time to take a serious look at the benefits of owning your own grinder.
FIRST there is the obvious advantage of cost, not having to pay someone else to do a job that can be easily carried out in the maintenance shed, especially during the winter months when 80% of this type of work is carried out.
The cost of sending work out
varies from one area to another. The average cost throughout the country generally works out
GRIND T
Tony Snaith, Sales Manager of Hunter Grinders, examines the reasons for owning your own grinder
at around £100 to £150 per cutting unit head, plus any parts required. Some units may need to be ground more than once a year due to damage from the ever increased frequency of top dressing applications.
One of the most important benefits gained from having in house grinding facilities is that units can be kept in premium condition through out the whole of the cutting season. Often users will spend in excess of £20,000 for the most up to date mowers available. When new these machines will produce a very high quality of cut. However a few months through the season, when the blades are partially worn or even blunt, the grass will get ripped or pulled, making it more susceptible to diseases. Then the initial expenditure on the machine is totally wasted. Back lapping can help reduce this but will not leave the blades with a true honed edge. Blunt or badly worn blades can result in fairways or greens looking shabby when something as simple as a re-grind can improve this almost immediately. Having a grinder on site significantly reduces this downtime.
OWNING your own machine enables grinding schedules to be timed around top dressing programs, weather patterns and competitions. The cylinders can be maintained to a high standard of cut at all times throughout the year. Paul Seago Course Manager at Gullane Golf Club comments on purchasing a Jupiter ATI grinder. “The performance is superb and exceeded all our expectations. The time saved
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