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.

Blower Holder

To keep the blower from falling off the bunker rake, 1-inch-wide and 1/8th-inch-thick bar stock ($15) was heated, bent and welded to shape in this portable (Stihl) blower holder. It slips onto the center mounting bracket of the 2017 Toro Sand Pro Model 3040 Bunker Rake and is held firmly in place by the weight of the blower. The blower holders also slide onto the rear side panel of the Toro Workman MDX Turf Vehicles with the blower facing toward the rear. Each rack uses approximately 8 feet of bar stock and it took less than four hours labor time to build. Jesse Metcalf, superintendent at the Bonita National Golf & Country Club in Bonita Springs, Florida, and his team devised another great fabrication.

Retaining Wall Alternative

8-inch by 8-inch by 8-foot-long creosoted railroad ties were laid end to end and placed “stair-stepped” into the bank for stability, with filter cloth separating them from the soil and dead-men were not used. The ties are joined underneath each end with a 2-foot-long section, with another 2-foot-long section placed midway underneath each tie. The ties are held in place with ½-inch diameter rebar that is placed through holes drilled vertically and horizontally along with very large nails. Decorative rocks are then placed in the horizontal voids for added aesthetic appeal. This idea was seen at the Sundance Mountain Resort in Sundance, Utah.

Terry Buchen, CGCS, MG, is president of Golf Agronomy International. He’s a 51-year, life member of the GCSAA. He can be reached at 757-561-7777 or terrybuchen@earthlink.net.

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July 2021
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