Golf
demonstration event is usually one not be missed. There’s a sort of informative grumpiness, mixed with ‘Jack Dee’ style
humour, that sets them apart from others.
‘wettest drought’ on record, but it takes more than a drop of rain to discourage those in our industry from attending such events; we are a hardy bunch!
Despite the atrocious forecast, it didn’t actually rain on the first day, although many areas of the course were waterlogged. Mother Nature made up for it on the second day though, which, sadly, had to be cancelled.
However, the dates chosen for the two days of demos at Birch Grove, coincided with the
The opportunity to attend a Campey Turf Care
Birch Grove
Turf Care. The initial plan had been to just deliver the required machinery to complement what was already in Peter’s shed but, with the full range in attendance, it made perfect sense for the Campey team to assist Peter for a week and, thus, the demo days were born.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION T
he decision to hold demonstration days at the exclusive Birch Grove Estate, was born out a strong supplier/end user relationship between Peter Smith and Campey
The eighty or so visitors who attended the first day were able to walk the course freely to get the most out of the day. There were a number of procedures taking place around the course; several greens and tees were undergoing intensive renovation with the Koro by Imants 2m and 1.5m Field TopMakers in action. Although not yet common practice on golf courses, this was an excellent demonstration of how to quickly remove all surface debris and thatch and return the tees and greens back to base soil in order to kick-start the regeneration process. The Field TopMaker is a heavy-duty fraise
mower, for removing unwanted surface matter such as poa annua, thatch, weeds or the entire surface to a depth of 50mm. A side arm conveyor removes debris off- loading directly into a trailer or truckster. The Koro FTM is designed for fine turf applications like sports pitches, golf greens and tees, lawn tennis courts, bowling greens. An easily fitted scarifying rotor allows the machine to be used as a heavy- duty scarifier, with optional mid-mounted roller for use on undulating ground. This was followed by a pass with the Koro by Imants 1.9m Recycling Dresser to decompact the soil and recycle the minerals and nutrients, bringing them back to the surface. The Recycling Dresser aerates the underlying soil vertically and horizontally, removing soil from the rootzone and redistributing it across the playing surface. Layering and compaction are eliminated, biological activity increased and existing fertilisers in the soil are better utilised. The machine also reduces the amount of new
topdressing required. A Raycam Sportsfield Harrow was then applied, followed by a further pass with the Raycam Aeroseeder to apply the seed. Fairways were simultaneously being
treated with a combination of Imants Shockwaves 2.2m and 2.1m to improve aeration and re-seeded with a 1.2m Vredo Super Compact overseeder. Due to the unique double disc system, which gives precise seed delivery, seed is placed in direct contact with the soil, creating the perfect conditions for maximum seed germination. A double row of discs give 35mm seed spacing, meaning that one-pass operation will generally suffice, with no disruption to play, even on fine turf. In addition to the renovation work, using equipment purchased by Birch Grove Estate and overseen by Course Manager Peter Smith, Campey Turf Care Systems demonstrated the operation and benefits of a number of machines including the Imants Rotoknife and Greenwave, Dakota Spreaders, and the Omarv Mower/Collector. Donald Steel, the original course
architect, was accompanied by Peter Meanley, Past Chairman of West Sussex Golf Club who expressed his surprise and admiration for the work undertaken “I was privileged to visit the Birch Grove Estate and view the renovation of the golf course with Donald Steel. I was greatly impressed both with the layout of the course and the renovation work in progress. I was impressed with the variety of equipment and the scale of operation. Course construction and management seems to be ever growing in sophistication and scale.” In the end, the elements took charge,
and Wednesday’s demonstrations had to be cancelled. The constant downpour made it no longer viable to take equipment onto the golf course. After seeing what can be achieved with modern turf renovation equipment, the management at Birch Grove Estate were so impressed that they have already offered to open the course to Campey’s again next year. Hopefully, in much better weather!
26 PC JUNE/JULY 2012
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