P
airing tradition with technology, groundsmen combine their experience with the latest industry trends to maintain a picturesque
turf. Education is a must to keep up with the latest research findings in the business. And, as groundsmen adapt to new turf and grass recommendations, equipment manufacturers try to stay par for par by incorporating new technology in their latest designs of turf maintenance machines. Of all these turfcare trends,
topdressing is one that has been evolving since the early days of golf. What began as a generous application of sand, which was applied only a couple times each year, has developed into a process that is practised much more frequently with a very precise amount of material. Proper equipment is needed to adhere to these recommendations and, fortunately, manufacturers have adapted with the times to maximise the accuracy of their machines, whilst minimising the physical footprint and eliminating unnecessary maintenance. One could say they have the design of topdressers down to a science.
Whilst several types of topdressers
are available - from large units capable of tackling par-five fairways to small
walk-behind machines - we'll focus on the small towable units. These are large enough to vastly improve efficiency over walk-behind equipment, but are gentle enough to handle topdressing applications on the most precious areas: greens and tees.
On Target
The United States Golf Association (USGA) has been recommending lighter applications of topdressing material and, over there, some groundsmen are spreading sand at less than 1mm. To maintain such a light depth in a uniform application, a topdresser’s feed system, gate, spinner and controller all must work together to achieve results that are on target with individual needs. The traditional method of feeding material to the spinner is a conveyor system. Just as the name hints, a conveyor is used to move material from the hopper, through the gate and onto the spinner. This system works well in high-capacity units, where a wide belt is capable of moving large amounts of material from the hopper. But, where conveyors excel in quantity, they lack in consistency. Recently, manufacturers have developed auger systems, which feed a more accurate amount of material onto a precise spot on the spinner. With the help of a digital readout, the operator is
able to see exactly how many pounds of material he is spreading per minute according to his auger speed setting. This technology has increased in popularity, not only for its consistent, measurable material flow, but also for its ability to handle diverse materials, rather than just pure sand. Since the auger diameter used in these units is typically 150 to 180mm, they don’t have the capacity to deliver as much material as large conveyors, though. Material waste is another important consideration in many new designs. Again, auger feed designs excel in this category, as conveyors have a tendency to drag sand underneath the machine and spill it onto the ground. But, in order to reduce material waste upon startup and shutdown, some manufacturers have developed an automatic procedure for when the unit is turned on and off. When all topdresser components are shut off at the same time, a build- up of material is typically left on the spinner. Then, when the unit is started, the operator experiences a sudden rush of material that leaves a
Topdressers have evolved with the latest industry trends and now offer a host of environmental and user friendly options, according to Steve James, Sales Manager with Broadwood International
TOPDRESSING... down to a science?
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