All Systems Go at Royal Aberdeen GC
Host to the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open in July, preparations are well to hand with the greenkeeping team heavily focussed on presenting their links course in first rate condition to a wider golfing public, not to mention the televised audience that the event attracts.
Course Manager, Robert Patterson, right, says the GXi8 HD aerator was just so versatile that it was a really easy choice to make.
"We were ready for a new aerator. Everything was right for us; the machine was the optimum size, it's really smooth, has super build quality and it does everything we want."
At 1.8m wide, of the GXi8HD fits perfectly with the club's John Deere 4320 tractor as the Terra Spike is designed to be wider than the tractor wheel span so there are no issues with tractor tyres tracking over newly tined ground.
The HD in the name stands for Heavy Duty so although the machine is ultimately designed for greens, tees and fine turf areas, it is equally ready to cope when the going gets tough and can be used on fairways.
The unique Advanced Tine Control (ATC) system ensures the spiking action is exceptionally precise and accurate. Constant hole spacing is maintained and even at high fast forward speed - or following the contours of the ground - the quality of work does not falter.
Royal Aberdeen features much undulating ground with bunkers coming into play on every hole. "It's ideal for our bumps and hollows which we've got plenty, yet, it's compact enough over greens and wide enough for the fairways so we can pretty much get all round the whole course," continues Robert Patterson.
An unusually mild winter for the UK's north east corner has meant that the aerator has been kept very busy already and while it is due a break, Robert Patterson reckons that his new Terra Spike will be back out from March to mid-summer and then again from September on to the middle of January or later depending on the weather.
Easy maintenance and tool free adjustment have meant that as well as considerable time savings the aerator is really easy to deploy and get started. "Depending on what we want out of the operation we just choose the width of tine and the depth and then it doesn't really matter which member of the team uses it you are guaranteed the same neat job."
Supplying the Terra Spike was Wiedenmann's Scottish dealer, Fairways GM, with Area Sales Manager for the North, John Morton on hand to provide full before and after sales support and service.