After a busy season, greens, aprons, tees and natural grass sports pitches have been put through their paces. Intensive use, mowing, machinery, drought and localised compaction all take their toll. On sports pitches, the goal areas, the centre of the pitch and heavily used training zones are particularly hard hit. It is precisely at the end of summer and the start of autumn that greenkeepers and sports ground managers want to restore the topsoil and prepare the root zone for a period of slower growth, increased rainfall and a higher risk of disease.
At the same time, the playing calendar remains full. Golf courses have business days, club competitions and autumn leagues, whilst training sessions and league matches continue on sports pitches. The turf must be prepared for the coming months whilst remaining as playable as possible. Intensive maintenance is required, but the surface must be disturbed as little as possible in the process. This makes rapid recovery important for the groundskeeper, the users and the business alike. On golf courses, limited playability can affect tee times, green fee revenue, catering turnover and events. For sports clubs, the main concern is the availability of training and match slots. Closing a pitch requires finding alternative venues, rescheduling or placing extra strain on other pitches.
The sooner a playing surface is flat, stable and reliable again following intensive treatment, the smaller the impact on its use. This factor is often underestimated when purchasing a maintenance machine. The payback period is not determined solely by labour costs, contracted labour or the number of treatments per year. Preserved playing time, turnover and costs avoided by not having to use alternative playing areas also deserve to be taken into account.
That is where the strength of the TopChanger XP from VGR Equipment lies. The machine treats the root zone intensively, whilst leaving the existing turf as intact as possible. This allows necessary repair work to be carried out with minimal disruption to the playing surface. For both golf courses and sports ground managers, this can make the investment more attractive than a calculation based solely on the direct implementation costs would suggest.
Working beneath the playing surface
The TopChanger XP operates using high-pressure water. Aeration can be carried out using water alone, but it is also possible to inject sand into the root zone during the same operation. This allows work to be carried out beneath the playing surface to improve compaction, porosity and the distribution of sand within the profile. The settings are tailored to the conditions of the specific green, apron, tee or natural grass sports pitch. Soil structure, compaction, moisture content and sand fraction all influence the result. The treatment depth cannot therefore be precisely determined in advance. In practice, the sand can usually be incorporated to a depth of approximately five to seven centimetres. Under favourable conditions, the effect may extend deeper. The aim is not to achieve exactly the same depth at every location, but to tailor the treatment to the needs of the root zone. In heavily compacted areas, the soil will react differently than in a looser soil profile. This requires expertise on the part of the greenkeeper or sports ground manager, as well as the correct machine settings. As the TopChanger XP does not remove clumps from the turf, the existing top layer remains as intact as possible. This is a significant advantage during periods when intensive maintenance is required, but the golf or sports calendar leaves little room for prolonged recovery.
Finishing remains essential
When working with the TopChanger XP, too, the finishing process plays a major role in determining the end result. Depending on the turf and the conditions, the surface is swept, brushed, dragged and, where necessary, rolled. Excess sand is distributed, the grass plants are uncovered and the surface is finished as level as possible. On sports pitches, the finishing is tailored to the load-bearing capacity and the intended use of the pitch. The difference lies in the way the injection channels are filled. With the TopChanger XP, the sand is fed into the formed channel from below. This ensures that no empty holes are left behind which could collapse after treatment or become unstable under load. Once the surface has been properly finished, a level and stable playing surface remains. The injection points may still be visible shortly after treatment, but on golf greens the impact on ball roll is minimal. On sports pitches, the emphasis is on an even surface and sufficient grip and stability for players. Immediate playability does not mean that the turf is fully restored straight away. The grass still needs time to grow over the visible injection points. The groundsman assesses when the surface can be opened for use. On greens, reliable ball roll is the main priority; on sports pitches, load-bearing capacity, grip and the expected load during training sessions or matches are also decisive factors.
Fitting maintenance into a busy schedule
For greenkeepers and sports ground managers, this means greater flexibility when planning autumn maintenance. A treatment that causes minimal disruption is easier to fit in between working days, competition rounds, training sessions and matches. For sports pitches, the available recovery time depends on the level of use, weather conditions and the condition of the turf. For golf courses, this means more tee times remain available and players experience less disruption. Particularly on courses with a high number of green fee players or corporate events, maintaining playing days can make a significant difference. For sports clubs and local authorities, the value lies in minimising course closures and making better use of available course capacity. A payback analysis must therefore also take the alternative into account. What revenue does a golf course lose when play is restricted? Which training and match sessions are cancelled at a sports complex, and what are the costs of finding alternative venues? This assessment varies by location, but it quantifies the value of minimising lost playing time. A machine that enables intensive maintenance whilst simultaneously minimising the loss of playing time thus delivers more than just agronomic value. Retained turnover or avoided costs of finding alternative venues can contribute to the payback period of the investment.
Stronger as autumn progresses
Whilst the turf continues to close up after treatment, processes are taking place beneath the surface. The sand-filled injection channels can help improve the movement of air and water through the root zone and create space for root development. This not only addresses damage caused by the intensive season, but also prepares the soil profile for the wetter and cooler months. This combines two objectives that often conflict in practice. The groundskeeper can treat the soil intensively, whilst the golf course or sports club maintains the available playing time and quality as much as possible. On worn-out sports pitches, overseeding or repairing bare patches may still be necessary; treating the root zone then forms part of the overall maintenance plan. That is ultimately the strength of the TopChanger XP: treating the root zone after intensive use, without disrupting the playing surface for any longer than necessary. Whether it’s greens, aprons, tees or natural grass sports pitches: the aim is a level and stable surface, with as much playing time as possible.
Article by Ruud de Deugd - NWST Greenkeeper
