SPECIALIST MOWERS
Broomieknowe GC secures Wiedenmann , Maredo & Iseki kit
B roomieknowe Golf Club at Bonnyrigg , Mid Lothian , has welcomed a new golf course manager , a host of new members and some top-rated maintenance equipment , all in the space of a few months .
Allan Duncan joined the parkland club in April from Thornton GC , Glenrothes . BIGGA Scottish student of the year in 2018 , he has literally hit the ground running , getting to know the new course intimately as quickly as he can , and launching initiatives on social media to better connect the efforts of the greenkeeping team with club members .
“ I ’ m loving it but there ’ s so much to get my head round ,” he said . “ People have been very welcoming . We have a brand-new club house and the club has invested heavily purchasing new equipment , so there ’ s a lot of momentum .”
First to arrive was a Wiedenmann Terra Spike XP8 deep aerator combined with an ISEKI TG6675 compact tractor .
“ The ISEKI tractor was introduced to us by Rob Hogarth from our local dealer , Fairways GM at Kinross . I ’ ve never had an ISEKI but I am really impressed . The aerator is a heavy bit of kit but the TG6675 lift capacity is up to 1,600 kg so has no trouble at all . Together they are quite a combination .”
Their selected Terra Spike , the XP , is Wiedenmann UK ’ s biggest in fleet , chosen because of its readiness to go 40 cm deep .
“ It was all purely about depth ,” continued Allan . “ We ’ ve a buildup of organic matter deep down on some greens and a bit of compaction in some of our fairways . There are actually very good soils below the surface but to tap into these , we need the aerator to get air and water through the profile a lot quicker .
“ It had been reasonably dry until I arrived , but once the ground got softer , we went out on the greens with 12 mm tines along with the turf retainers . The greens have reacted well to them . Water has gone down , not just through the top profile but permeated through the bottom profile , and already I can see a difference . The plan is to keep that going every month right through the summer as disruption to surface is minimal .”
“ The wider programme is to do tees and approaches at the end of the season , so September , and then spike the fairways before winter arrives . The speed of the XP8 is impressive . I ’ ve used the GXi8 HD before and everyone says how quick it is , but the XP8 is no slouch . We had no expectation of speed as we were searching for depth … but a hectare of greens took around nine hours , so it ’ s great to be able to complete all 18 greens in a day .”
Four weeks later , a delivery of the Maredo MT200 Flex- Verticutter arrived for the Lothian club . Even on the most challenging of fairway undulations they are falter-free thanks to a turn-able ‘ A ’ frame and pivot point . Each head measures just over 63 cm giving a total reach of 1.9 m with working to depths of around 25 mm .
“ The Maredos were another easy decision ,” said Allan . “ While relieving compaction with the Terra Spike on the fairways , the next stage is to follow through with scarifying . The idea is to remove the organic matter , breaking surface tension to help get rid of less desirable broad leaf grasses and encourage the finer ones to flourish . This leaves a better habitat for the finer grasses to grow . I really appreciate the adaptability of the Maredos with their three cassettes lined up in a V-formation , as opposed to a straight unit . They are at one with the tractor and even in just an hour cover large areas . The course is fairly flat , except for a few undulating holes with numerous dips and bumps , yet wherever they are , they hug the course , don ’ t scalp or pull out too much . One spanner adjustment and away you go . They will improve the texture and quality significantly . All main playing surfaces ( except greens ) will be done twice a year with the Maredos with maybe the approaches getting three hits , depending on the weather .”
the session given by one of the Fairways GM team , they receive a record of attendance and so does their employer . Allan and his team have found it very worthwhile .”
For more information contact Val Graham on 0141 586 6789 or 07504 704407 val @ fairwaysgroup . ltd . uk
GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | August / September 2021 29