New Terra Spike and Tractor combination for tough terrain

New Terra Spike and Tractor combination for tough terrain

By Peter Driver

South Bedfordshire Golf Club, situated on the outskirts of Luton, has recently purchased a Wiedenmann Greens Terra Spike and New Holland tractor combination from local dealer Ernest Doe and Sons of Bennington.

The newly arrived equipment will be used on the 18-hole Galley course and the 9-hole Warden Pay and Play course at the 1,000 member club, to help improve drainage and relieve compaction.

Predominantly situated on chalk, there can be as little as 25mm of root zone on the fairways. Tom Hooper, Course Manager since 2003, explains why the new equipment has been purchased,

"We are beginning a five-year course modification programme here at South Bedfordshire. The terrain is tough and we selected the G135 spiker because of its compact design and robust construction. It has a 1.35m working width and is easy to adjust without the need for any tools. We are looking to increase root growth across both courses and reached a depth of 200mm or just over 8" on the first pass across the greens. If we can get down to 250mm, then that would be ideal.

"The New Holland tractor is the latest version TC27D and is in that 25-30hp range with a decent lifting capacity which makes it the ideal partner for the G135. We specified a manual gearbox because we believe it gives us better control when using a sprayer. It's also got a totally enclosed cab, which greatly improves operator comfort.

"Ernest Doe's have been very professional throughout the purchase negotiations; the combination of good service, product demonstrations and a competitive package price clinched the deal."