The greens are now fast and smooth, the top layer is stable and drains well. There’s hardly any fungal pressure, and dry spots are a thing of the past. After a year of use, the VGR TopChanger XP water aeration machine has more than proven its worth at Golfclub Zeewolde. Head greenkeeper Christian Nueboer shares his enthusiastic experience with the machine that has permanently transformed the course.
Christian Nueboer, head greenkeeper at Golfclub Zeewolde, is thrilled with the VGR TopChanger XP. He purchased the water aeration machine a year ago specifically for the greens at his course in Zeewolde. Previously, they handled aeration themselves or hired contractors. “In that setup, we were limited in terms of the number of hectares we could cover, so we only treated the greens. Then I started calculating, and it turned out that the machine would pay for itself after just four rounds of treatment. I was a bit hesitant at first, concerned that such a complex machine might lead to high maintenance and repair costs. But the TopChanger has developed so well that those concerns have vanished. I consulted with other golf courses already using the machine, and I only received positive feedback. That convinced me to go ahead with the purchase.”
Nueboer describes the TopChanger’s impact on the greens as “tremendously impressive.” He also uses it to apply sand. “In a single pass, you can inject so much sand into the green that the drainage capability of the top layer improves significantly, along with its stability. On top of that, disruption to play is minimal. Traditionally, we used hollow tines and sanded over the holes, which disrupted play for about two weeks. With the TopChanger, we apply more sand, but playing conditions are back to normal by the next morning or afternoon. Plus, after just a year of use, the machine has nearly paid for itself.”
It’s important that players notice the improvements as well. “We’ve received nothing but positive feedback,” Nueboer says. “Last autumn and winter, we had virtually no fungal pressure, while many other courses suffered from dollar spot and fusarium. Now, in early spring, we’re hearing from our members and visiting golfers that our greens are performing better than those at other clubs. They’re fast, smooth, and stable. In fact, the course is faster than before, thanks to the sand applications. From a playing perspective, the course is significantly improved.”
According to Nueboer, another benefit is that there was no damage to the turf layer in Zeewolde. “We don’t have to wait until April or May for the grass to start growing again and the disease patches to disappear. Going into winter healthy is crucial, and the aeration machine plays a huge role in that. Thanks to the coarser top layer and faster downward water infiltration, the plants are much healthier. The only aspect we’re still fine-tuning is the desired thickness of the thatch layer, but we expect to manage that well with the TopChanger moving forward.”
Nueboer has also used the machine without sand. “In that case, you're injecting water only. Then the TopChanger functions purely as an aeration machine. It may sound counterintuitive, but water-based aeration works. The advantage is that you can reach much deeper soil layers than with traditional methods. You also get some blending of the layers. For now, we’re still combining it with sand, and once a year we add a wetting agent. Compost, soil improvers, or fertilizers can also be used. The benefit is that additives like wetting agents are injected directly into the soil instead of sprayed on the surface. And it worked—there were no dry spots on the greens. We can now even stop using the wetting agent. With all these capabilities, we’re confident the TopChanger will serve us well for many years to come.”
Article by Emiel te Walvaart – NWST
