"If you do things differently from how you're used to, you'll also get different results," says Ruud de Deugd, director of VGR Equipment. He is referring to the company's showpiece: the TopChanger XP. This innovative aeration machine is now used on golf courses and sports fields around the world. In May, the 200th unit was delivered to Whitecraigs Golf Club in Scotland.
I speak with director De Deugd while he's on his way back from a job in Germany. The TopChanger XP was used there to aerate a stadium field that had just been fitted with a new under-soil heating system. "They were afraid that a traditional aerator would damage the pipes. Our TopChanger works with water pressure, so there's no risk of that." The local heating supplier had pointed them to the company in Almkerk. Word of mouth has helped the TopChanger XP spread globally in recent years. "The Emirates and Japan are promising markets, and even in countries where we're already active, there's still plenty of growth potential," De Deugd says, looking ahead. He is enjoying his first months as director of VGR Equipment, following the handover from founder Arwin Verschoor. "I have an enthusiastic team around me; everyone contributes to the success."
Nearly sixty TopChangers are in use across England. The 200th unit delivered by VGR will likely see its first use in the summer. "The golf season has just begun, and you don't want to inconvenience players," De Deugd explains. In theory, the TopChanger XP could easily be used during the season, since the big advantage of the machine is that a treated green becomes playable again quickly. "I understand that they're hesitant. It's a different way of working than they're used to, and you don't want to take risks when the course is busy."
Water pressure
This different approach with the TopChanger XP means that the green is aerated using water pressure, and the resulting holes are immediately filled with sand. "This creates a flat and stable playing surface, with a soil structure that allows enough air in and drains well. The remaining layer of sand can be brushed in and used as topdressing. So you're getting three treatments in one: aeration, sand injection, and topdressing. No other machine can do that," De Deugd explains.
Inventor
The TopChanger has been on the market for fifteen years. Former VGR owner Arwin Verschoor is the inventor. De Deugd: "All credit goes to him. He came up with the idea for a machine that can perform those three tasks. His belief in the concept and his perseverance led to this TopChanger, which causes minimal damage and delivers maximum results. Development took a lot of time, energy, and resources, but we made it, thanks in part to a team that shared Arwin's drive."
Three technologies
What makes the TopChanger special is the combination of three technologies it uses: hydraulics, water, and electrical engineering. "Combining two of these in one machine is already rare, so three is exceptional. Because we use the machine ourselves extensively, we've built up a lot of hands-on experience. That allowed us to perfect everything and we now know almost exactly what can happen. That's also VGR's great strength."
Wet sand
The biggest change since the introduction of the TopChanger was the switch from dry to wet sand. De Deugd: "When it rained, the machine would stop working. On top of that, wet sand is half the price. You use 40 to 60 tons per hectare, so you can imagine the savings." The TopChanger was later named the TopChanger 1600, the number referring to its 1.6-meter working width. In 2023, the XP version followed. The "X" marked the ten-year anniversary and the "P" stood for the extra power of the upgraded model.
According to De Deugd, the current version of the TopChanger XP is future-proof. Changes at VGR Equipment will primarily focus on expanding the product portfolio, he says. The company is constantly working on innovations. De Deugd: "We truly do things differently. When field managers and greenkeepers see the results the TopChanger delivers, they're positively surprised. But of course, you have to dare to deviate from methods you've used for years."
Article by Wijnand Meijboom - NWST Greeninside.EU
