The Top Changer XP is revolutionising green maintenance, meaning greens can be used 365 days a year.
Beneath the almost perfect surface of a green lies a problem that players rarely see: compacted soil, poor drainage and roots that are unable to grow deep enough. For years, solving this has meant taking the course out of action for days — spiking, removing soil, spreading sand — to achieve an optimal playing surface. The TopChanger XP, manufactured by the Dutch company VGR Equipment, promises to solve this very problem in a single pass and with virtually no disruption to the surface. A demonstration attended by 20 greenkeepers, organised by the Spanish Golf Federation, has recently taken place at Pula Golf (Mallorca).
Unlike traditional aerators, which mechanically pierce the soil with tines or extract small cylinders of soil, the TopChanger works by injecting high-pressure water, “just like a shower head”, they say. The jet opens channels in the soil, breaks up compacted layers and creates aeration holes that allow oxygen and water to penetrate deep into the soil.
This same opening is used to inject, in a single movement, wet or dry sand – in the exact quantity and to the exact depth – together with soil improvers if the soil analysis so requires. Aeration, sand injection and fertilisation, all in a single pass. Furthermore, the machine is operated by just one person, which represents a direct saving on labour costs for clubs.
Romeo Sala, chairman of Pula Golf; David Gómez, director of the RFEG’s greens section; and Arnau Sala, CEO of Pula Golf
The sales pitch from its developers is compelling: it aerates without leaving any visible residue on the playing surface, meaning the green can be played on immediately after treatment. “Goodbye to those annoying puddles,” they say in an explanatory video. This contrasts with conventional aeration methods, which usually leave the green out of action or in poor condition for several days, sometimes weeks, whilst the soil residue is removed – a situation that has a serious impact on green fee takings.
Two controls, quite simple
The user manual — such as the one distributed by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation to its greenkeepers — reduces the operation of the machine to two key settings: the injection time (how much water and sand is injected at each point, and to what depth) and the tractor’s forward speed.
The principle is the same as watering a plant pot drop by drop or all at once: the slower the machine moves, the closer together the holes are and the more intense the treatment; the faster it moves, the further apart the holes are and the lighter the treatment. That is why training guides use the image of the tortoise and the hare to explain the adjustment to operators.
Article by Marca.com
