In this month’s Greenkeeping magazine we find out what a day in the life of Leslie Cain from Grand Ducal Golf Club’s life is like.

We were thrilled to see how much he likes his 22″ pedestrian ATT INFiNiSystem!

He considers his 22″ INFiNiSystem as one his most important pieces of machinery. He has the SMARTCut and SMARTUltraGroomer cassettes and says “the versatility that this set-up delivers means it is already proving fundamental in our maintenance regime”.

He also says, “My favourite machine has got to be my ATT pedestrian mower. I love to hand mow the greens and tees – the aesthetic finish it leaves is fantastic. It has also been important as we have been carrying out renovation work meaning hand mowing had provided the TLC the new surfaces needed.”

Find out why he is so complimentary with a tea-break challenge and we might even bring doughnuts! Who doesn’t love a doughnut?!

As we near the end of the cricket season it is important to look forward to cricket pitch renovation. It is necessary to perform such a task very shortly after the last match so as to prevent the square from looking too sparse and to allow optimum regrowth before the next season.

Here at The Grass Group we have compiled some suggestions for renovating your pitch.

If you are looking for a complete renovation fraise mowing may be necessary.

The GKB Combinator is an apt machine for such a task, removing the top layer of grass and thatch accumulation.

For a slightly lighter approach, you can use the tractor drawn ED130 which uses its brush to collect as it scarifies. Alternatively, aggressively brushing the pitch to remove soil and debris can begin the process of renovation.

Aerification of the soil in a linear vertical, horizontal and diagonal fashion is optimal. Lots of smaller little holes tend to provide the best results. It may be necessary to flood the pitch several times in order for the ground to be soft enough for a sarel spiked roller. Our ATT TMSystem range has a sarel spiked roller perfect for the job at hand! If you use a different type of aerator, CTI tines could be complementary.

Next comes the OverSeeder. The small holes made during aerification have prepared the soil for the even deep spreading of the seed.

If there are particular areas that have been affected then applying a light coating of loam would be beneficial. OverSeeding can be done on a larger scale using the RGD140 or on a   smaller scale with the Seed Car.

As always, there are many different ways to renovate a cricket pitch and it is dependent on your preferences, pitch and weather conditions.

Some could argue that groundsmen are perfectionists, always aiming for the perfect panelling, the perfect pitch and the perfect cup of coffee. Therefore, precise adjustment is critical in order to achieve the desired results.

With the ATT TMSystem’s click height adjusters achieving the required precision takes a matter of seconds.

However, some fear the speed of which you can adjust the machine means it is not as accurate. Well, ATT have been doing some number crunching and the results are in… Drumroll please… Every click on our height of cut adjuster is 0.1 mm and every click on our bed knife to reel alters the height by 0.028 mm! Now you don’t get more precise than that…

ATT’s TMSystem™ consists of 10 individually constructed SMART cassettes designed to provide the ultimate in fine turf maintenance.  These cassettes are easily swapped out of the power unit, be it ATT’s own 22” dedicated pedestrian unit or any main-stream make of triplex greens or lightweight fairway mower (like John Deere, Toro, and Jacobsen), by the use of a universal chassis.  Previously however, the chassis has had to be attached to the machine in question by an OEM style yoke – but no longer.The TMSystem™ is such a versatile design that it is not reliant on any one make of manufacturer’s machine.  This enables the user to easily change brands if they so wish but they still need to purchase manufacturer’s OEM yokes.  Whilst this can still be possible, the introduction of a new universal ATT yoke now offers the user a different option.  From now on only a minor adaptor plate will need to be changed.   All production has now switched over to this new design, which can also be retro fitted to existing units.  Of course OEM yokes can still be used if the user so wishes.

Time to swap out a complete unit (combined chassis and cassette) from say a triplex to a fairway mower, or indeed to ATT’s INFiNiSystem™ pedestrian unit, will be greatly reduced.  Golf Clubs that are using a triple for mowing the greens, and then want to use the same cutting units on a fairway mower, will find the change much swifter and lead to better use of time.  The new set-up also now permits the interchangeability of some OEM grass baskets between mowers.This new design came out of the requirement to make a 22” chassis that would fit an 18”Jacobsen LF1880.  This fairway mower is a mainstay of the industry being very light and relatively low cost.  Being able to convert its use for the TMSystem™ has given it a much needed new lease of life – its shortcomings in being only 18” now overcome.  Other brands of 18” fairway mowers can similarly be adapted.

Following on from Scottish dealer Thomas Sherriff being awarded the UK dealer of the year at this year’s BTME, our French dealer Hydraparts have been awarded the title of ATT European dealer of the year for 2014.

Located near Marseille in southern France, Hydraparts have been a long standing ATT dealer for The Grass Group and have delivered consistent high levels of customer service as well as displaying sales excellence across the whole ATT range.

Tim Merrell MD at The Grass Group said “ Francois and all the team at Hydraparts consistently delivery on their customer service promise and have also worked with us on many new projects during 2014 – their award is thoroughly deserved, congratulations to all the team.”

Why do we Topdress?

Thatch control, drainage, correcting compaction, and smoothing surface irregularities are four of the primary reasons for topdressing.

Top dressing is one of our main tools for promoting firm and true putting surfaces. It is also the key ingredient for making the greens indigenous to improving the cultivar of grass that we are trying to promote. It is one of the most important jobs we do to improve ariation in the soil with sand particles breaking down any OM (organic matter).

Through the growing season we aim to top dress once every four to six weeks and we usually apply around six dressings per year (trying to achieve around 150 tonne of sand per year). * Royal Cromer Golf Club

How much does it cost per year to Topdress a Golf Course?

A golf course uses annually approximately 110 tonnes of topdressing per hectare, this works out at on average 120-150 tonnes annually although links courses can use up to 350 tonnes a year.**

Again on average the cost per year of topdressing material alone can be in the region of £8,000 (without any labour or machinery costs). **

Are there any alternatives to Topdressing?

Yes Ultragrooming,

What is Ultragrooming?

Ultragrooming is a process that removes the puffiness and thatch from your greens and fairways significantly reducing the need to topdress.

With regular use it is the pre-eminent solution to help minimize puffiness and remove organic matter in both high density creeping bent and Bermuda grass thereby reducing the scalping and foot-printing that plagues these new grasses. It will remove unsightly seed heads in Poa annua turf with minimal fuss. On newly established greens it can help reduce the ingress of Poa annua by “grabbing” individual Poa plants before they get a chance to take hold. It will produce a superior fine leafed Poa turf stand when used regularly on Poa dominant greens.

A single ATT Ultragrooming cassette is fitted with over 80 1.3mm tungsten tipped Carbide blades spaced at 5mm apart designed to vertically groom through the grass standing it up and removing thatch, letting in light, air and moisture to enable better and stronger growth naturally without the aid of large amounts of Topdressing material.

How much does Ultragrooming cost?

As part of the TM System, an Ultragrooming cassette package to fit your existing triple mower costs in the region of £5,230 and cuts down the need to top dress dramatically, you will see improvement in your greens, reduced costs due to the need to top dress less and also environmental benefits from not paying for and also the shipping of expensive and dwindling stocks of sand.

We estimate that through the cost savings you’ll make in the first year alone through decreased use of topdressing material you will have more than paid for the Ultragroomers and will then also have a basis for a full turf maintenance package of fourteen cassettes that you can build on year on year.

The question is really not why do why Topdress, but why don’t we Ultragroom?

*http://www.royalcromergolfclub.com/page.aspx?pid=28470

** http://hughking.co.uk/sands/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/GI-Sep-article.pdf

Officially launched at this year’s BTME, the new model to compliment the existing 22” & 26” pedestrian range is specifically designed for the sports turf environment. With the extra width giving a high productivity rate the unique roller giving a fantastic stripe finish this machine also has an electronically adjustable clip rate to ensure maximum performance. The unique hybrid range continues with this machine with the option of either an engine generator or a new dual battery system giving you superior lifespan in between charges.  Designed for use on hybrid turf such as Desso pitches as well for natural surfaces this machine has already been tested on some of the top sports pitches in Europe and of course as has performed above expectations in every trial. For further information please contact us to find out more about the latest addition to the INFiNiSystem range.

Features:

• Dynamic floating head

• Double battery module or Engine generator

• Electronically adjustable clip rate

• Virtually silent when in battery operation

• Ability to manipulate bedknife attitude angles to optimise cut

• Excellent suitability for maintaining Desso GrassMaster and hybrid systems

Day two of the exhibition started as busy as the first, with visitors through door as soon as the show opened despite the snow and also the possibility of a few headaches from the night before!

Highlights of the day were a great deal of interest in the new ATT INFiNipower 30” model with some very promising demonstrations booked as well as some confirmations of earlier TM System sales coming through on the stand. We have been talking to several international visitors reference ATT progressing into new areas as well as some long-standing Grass Group customers calling in for a chat and a coffee.

There was also time to spring a small surprise on MD Tim Merrell with an unveiling of a new special Grass Group logo to celebrate 25 years in business, we’ll be adding this to our marketing as we as having several special events as we progress through the 2015 silver anniversary year.

As the weather finally changes, Frost holes may be required on some greens in the morning as this will provide protection against any inappropriate wear. Don’t forget to slit tine aerate on a regular basis and keep your aeration programme working. Over the festive period maintain the greens height in accordance with course standards using your ATT Cassettes. This will usually be no higher than 8mm. If you haven’t already finished topping the fairways, this will most likely be the last occasion for a few months before you give your Progressive mower its winter service. Keep up the ongoing battle to remove leaves on a regular basis using your Trilo machine to prevent the turf being smothered.

For Bowling Greens earthworms may now be a problem so drag brush daily. Aerate to keep the surface open and to improve surface drainage and drying. This may also help to reduce the effects of earthworm activity.Look out for Fusarium patch disease during mild damp spells. Sulphate of iron applications can help to reduce the chance of disease attack. Sulphate of iron can help to harden the grass against this disease. Keep the grass topped at about 10mm to 12mm high as this will reduce the chance of disease attack. For Football and rugby, divoting is a key task at this time of year as growth is very slow. Repairs need to be made in order to maintain a reasonable surface for as long as possible. A regular brush and/or harrow if conditions are suitable will help to protect your surface. Overmarking should not be neglected. In order to determine a suitable overmarking programme, consider the weather conditions and how many games have been played especially with the extra matches across the Christmas period.Slit tine aerate the pitch but be prepared to stop if conditions are found to be unsuitable, you can cause more harm by continuing and also don’t forget to sand worn areas as required and overseed as required after matches using the RotaDairon SeedCar.

The last thing to remember is to enjoy a few days off and have a happy Christmas from all the team at The Grass Group.