(Travels with Terry) Portable air movement

Matthew G. Shaffer, director of golf course operations at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., is proud of his entire golf course maintenance staff and volunteers for the job they did hosting the 2005 U.S. Amateur Championship. The heat, humidity and heat index were some of the highest on record, making it a very difficult year for growing grass in the Philadelphia area, which is traditionally one of the most difficult cool-season grass-growing areas in the country.

To provide the best turfgrass-growing conditions possible, Shaffer and equipment manager Craig Cassaday designed and built portable greens fans to provide much-needed air movement across the greens areas during the dead-air summer months. Shaffer doesn’t like to see permanently mounted greens fans when they’re not in use. Having portable greens fans allows Shaffer to place as many fans where he wants them – even on tees and fairways – when they’re needed. This allows for flexibility.

The trailer portions are made from 1-inch-square tubing that’s welded together. The jack stand, axel stubs, rims and turf tires came from Northern Hydraulics Co. The extra support for the collar, which holds the fan in place, and other supports can be made from scrap flat iron, angle iron, round steel pipe or even old greens mower or fairway mower bed knives. Having an inexpensive power band saw also is helpful during the fabrication process.

There are tow hitches on each greens fan trailer so several of them can be towed and dropped off where they’re needed. Because the fans oscillate, chains are placed on either side of them while they’re transported to and from the turf-care center so they remain in place.

The trailer is primed, then spray painted with glossy, black enamel paint that’s rust proof.

Portable generators power the fans so they can be used wherever they’re needed. The mufflers from the generators are placed away from the fans so carbon monoxide doesn’t blow across the turfgrass. The generators and fans are chained together to a permanently mounted stake or tree to deter theft at night when they operate mostly.

The Whisper Breeze blower fans were acquired from Precision USA in Pompano Beach, Fla. They can provide a sustained wind of more than 3 mph and can be operated with single-phase power in 115 or 230 volts.

Permanent, hard-wiring underground electrical wires is another option in lieu of the noise from the generators, especially where noise ordinances are in effect. GCN

Terry Buchen, CGCS, MG, is president of Golf Agronomy International. He’s a 35-year member of the GCSAA and can be reached at terrybuchen@earthlink.net.