Travels with Terry

Globetrotting consulting agronomist Terry Buchen visits many golf courses annually with his digital camera in hand. He shares helpful ideas relating to maintenance equipment from the golf course superintendents he visits – as well as a few ideas of his own – with timely photos and captions that explore the changing world of golf course management.

Section Man Stalls

This section man system has six stalls for 12 total staff members with two employees per stall. Each stall has a greens mower; tee/collar/approach mower; two grass catchers; handheld blower; string-line trimmer; hovercraft mower; two metal leaf rakes; hoe; two bunker rakes; spring-tooth rake; scoop shovel; bucket; two rain suits; broom; tamper; whipping pole; plastic milk crate; divot mix; and two – ½ lockers with safety equipment; rain suits, etc. Two-man sections ride together in a turf vehicle pulling a trailer with both mowers to maintain each respective section. Seth Miller, superintendent; Chris Krause, equipment manager; Chris Parde, assistant; Ryan Schroader, assistant; and Robert Collier, second assistant, are the successful team at the Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.




Fuel Tank Transport

Two 100-gallon Better Built HD Model 29224164 Diesel & Unleaded Gasoline Fuel Tanks ($250 each from Northern Tool), with 12-volt pumps ($250 each from Northern Tool), with the fuel filters changed every three months. Both tanks are bolted to this Carry-On Model 5X8SP Wire Mesh Trailer ($1,200 from Tractor Supply). The two pumps are powered by a 12-volt marine deep cycle battery with 1,000 cranking amps that is strapped to the trailer, which is recharged with a solar panel ($30) with a waterproof toggle switch ($30) hidden underneath it to turn the power to the pumps on/off. Each trailer wheel has chains stretched from the wheels to the trailer railings with padlocks to guard against theft. The fuel trailer is taken to the Town of Blacksburg (Virginia) Public Works Department every three days to be filled-up for The Hill Golf Course, instead of having permanent above-ground fuel tanks. Bobby Thompson, superintendent, and Bruce Caldwell, equipment manager/assistant, make up the golf maintenance team.

Terry Buchen, CGCS, MG, is president of Golf Agronomy International. He’s a 41-year, life member of the GCSAA. He can be reached at 757-561-7777 or terrybuchen@earthlink.net.

September 2018
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