Travels with Terry

Ball Mark Repair Tool

The Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, Japan, is home to the U.S. Air Force and also to Tama Hills Golf Course, where American Al Bancroft is the superintendent and Takahiro Suzuki is the head mechanic. This ball mark repair tool is made from an 8-mm diameter side-eject green’s aerifier tine that is welded to a 30d nail (.20 inches in diameter). Duct tape is added to where the parts are welded together which also acts as a handle. The magnet that holds the tool to the 2012 John Deere 220SL walk-behind greens mowers is 1 inch in diameter and was acquired from a Jacobsen Magknife Kit. The applicable ball mark depression is plugged-out with the aerifier tine, which is discarded into the grass catcher – and then the nail is used to move the turf closer together to close the hole. This idea was conceived by Kyle Jacobson, who worked with Bancroft when they were assistant superintendents at Whistling Straights. The materials were in inventory and it took about 20 minutes to make each tool.

Air Compressor Trailer

This 1998 Old Bell Green’s Mower Trailer was recycled as an air compressor trailer. It now holds a 2011 Honda (#EU2000i) 2,000-watt generator ($1,000) that is held in place to the mounting plate by a turnbuckle strap. The 2007 Craftsman 10-gallon, 175-psi air tank was donated and attached to homemade brackets welded to the trailer. A 2013 Makita (#MAC700) 2-hp., 2.6-gallon, 3.3-cfm @ 90-psi air compressor ($260) is welded to the top of the air tank on homemade metal brackets. The 2013 Reelmaster (#4625) OLP hose reel ($180) measures 16½ inches by 5¾ inches by 177⁄8 inches with a 25-foot hose. The air compressor is used primarily to face the greens mower’s bedknives during topdressing, refilling tires and using air tools out in the field. It took about five hours to assemble. Brian Goleski is the superintendent and J.R. Wilson is the equipment manager at the Noyac Golf Club in Sag Harbor, N.Y.