GMé
company profile CORE STRENGTH Demonstration day at Stowmarket Golf Club, Suffolk with core samples extracted from a green
Deep Thinking with Terrain Aeration Temporary greens are one of the biggest complaints from members playing golf in the winter, but with a little foresight and planning, there is a way in which greens can be kept open, all-year-round. Article by Tony Hawkins.
Company Profile sponsored by Terrain Aeration (44) 01449 673783 terrainaeration@aol.com
16 | GMé June 2015
Golf course greens and fairways, as well as trees, need a healthy root structure and nutrients in the soil to promote growth. Compaction and waterlogging all too often are the cause of problems on the course, and a method to restore a natural soil structure is required, without disturbing the ground surface. Many golf courses have turned to deep aeration treatment, in conjunction with a programme of routine surface aeration, as the best combination of long-lasting rejuvenated soil, producing a healthier sward and strong root growth. Great Salterns Golf Club, Portsmouth, Kircaldy Golf Club, Scotland and Coptheath Golf Club in Solihull – to mention but a few – have all turned to Terrain Aeration, the specialist ‘trouble shooters’ to relieve waterlogged soil, cure compaction panning and aerate turf. The Terralift ‘Airforce’ system meets all the requirements using air to fracture and fissure soil, inject dried nutrients and allow stressed roots to breath and flourish, and was recently used at Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club to contribute to the end of year maintenance, at the behest of course manager, Tony Rimmer.
The Terrain Aeration machine was used on the greens to hammer a hollow 3.8cm probe into the soil to a metre depth, and then inject dried, milled seaweed on the tail end of the air blast that’s applied. The engine and air compressor unit are left off the green so there is less weight and fewer wheels on the grass while making the machine more manoeuvrable. The compressed air is fed by an umbilical hose, with the air pressure constantly regulated so that the operator can see the top surface move upwards slightly. It’s a dramatic sight to see the earth move. “The members of the club were fascinated by the process,” said Rimmer, “and they were in disbelief that the greens were up and running again after the treatment.” Seeing the earth move, the operator knows that the soil has been fractured from one metre depth back to the surface, which is essential to the process. Amazingly, the earth settles back down and the seaweed sticks to the fractures and fissures created by the main air blast. Eventually this will swell and contract with the moisture content in the soil.