TERRA-IFIC TERRA SPIKE at Chippenham Golf Club

TERRA-IFIC TERRA SPIKE at Chippenham Golf Club

By Peter Driver

Chris Sealey, Course Manager at Chippenham Golf Club, has purchased a Wiedenmann Terra Spike XP160 to help with drainage at the 110-year old club.

The new machine will be used extensively on greens, tees, fairways and approaches to help improve drainage and relieve compaction.

Chris, who heads a team of four, has purchased the XP as a direct result of a significant increase in new members at the club. He explains,
"The course is a challenging par 69, but at 5,300 yards it's reasonably short. With an influx of new members, we need to be open all-year round to ensure that everyone can get on the course as they want. The soil mix here is very difficult; red clay and a silty sand and drainage can be a problem. We considered land drainage, but that was costly and although this was a consideration, more important was the disruption that it would have caused.

"We looked at what was out there and plumped for the Wiedenmann after a demonstration by Nigel Howe, who works for our local dealer, TH White. The XP is a universal machine, very solidly built and we can use it all around the course. Initially, we will use the 25mm diameter tines and get in as deep as possible to improve the waters dispersion.

"We have had the optional hydraulic depth control fitted to this machine and that is really down to our soil mix. We need to be able to adjust the depth from the tractor cab as the soil conditions dictate. That's a real advantage and it was a feature that no competitor machine had."