SPECIALIST MACHINERY
The Trilo S3
he 18 holes at Hertfordshire ’ s prestigious
T
Centurion Club explore pine-lined fairways and woodland that pose a challenge to players and greenkeepers alike . One of the biggest problems for Course Manager Andy Garland and his team was , as the parkland course matured , so did the task of autumn leaf-clearance . That was until the club purchased a Trilo S3 vacuum sweeper from Vanmac two years ago , which has since been described as ‘ fundamental ’ in retaining the presentation , playability and health of the course .
Established in 2013 and renowned for its immaculate course condition , the Centurion Club has proudly played host to a number of high-profile tour events , most recently the first round of the inaugural Aramco Team Series in July . “ The summer is all about presentation and tournament preparations and then we we ’ d get to the autumn and find ourselves faced with an ever-growing problem with leaves ” explains Andy , who has been at the club for the last 15 years . “ When the laborious task was becoming unsustainable by hand , we looked at the Trilo .”
“ Having heard good things , we had a demonstration of the S3 , fitted with the brush shaft , and it was evident straight away how it was going to absolutely transform the task for us .” Working at a convenient 1.5m wide , the Trilo S3 weighs in at only 1200kg making it suitable for compact tractors of 35HP +. The full-floating brush head and low ground pressure , allows the machine to work under the heaviest of conditions , with hard-to-reach areas - in and around trees for example - cleared with convenience and ease thanks to the 6m wander hose .
“ The S3 is in action every day during leaf-fall season , picking up leaves – both wet and dry – cleanly in one pass and collecting them in the large capacity hopper which we can then dispose of elsewhere around the course .” To convert the S3 into a year-round tool , Andy also has his sights set on the optional Verticut shaft which can be mounted to the unit in a matter of minutes , converting it into a quick and effective method of scarifying large areas such as the fairways .
He concludes , “ From an agronomic perspective , the benefits of keeping the surface clear to allow for maximum airflow , sunlight and moisture movement are well documented . But , back to basics , there ’ s no question that the S3 has been fundamental in keeping certain areas of the course playable , and that in itself is invaluable .” www . vanmac . co . uk
12 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | August / September 2021