Groomers

GROOMING GOLF GREENS AND OTHER FINE TURF AREAS

On fine turf areas such as golf or bowling greens, grooming is done to lift lateral growth, thin out coarser broad-leaved grasses such as Poa Annua, and create a smoother textured surface for a faster ball roll.  Although “vertigroomers” are available as a built-in option on most greens mowers, many greenkeepers prefer to use dedicated specialised groomer units such as the Thatch-Away Micro-Groomers.  These have very closely spaced tungsten tipped blades which cut and collect with surgical precision and result in an amazing refinement of the texture and speed of the turf.

GROOMING GOLF FAIRWAYS AND SPORTS PITCHES

For larger areas of sportsturf such as golf fairways and football or rugby pitches, grooming is usually done with a combination of spring tine rakes and stiff brushes.  Here, the objective is to stand up grass which has become matted down, to eliminate nap, and to present the grass vertical for a more accurate cut.  This helps to prevent “washboarding” where the grass springs up in waves soon after it has been cut and therefore needs to be mown again more frequently.  Eliminating nap therefore results in a better playing surface, with a longer lasting cut, which in itself saves on mower wear, maintenance, manpower, and fuel.

The new GreenTek Flicker-Brush is an excellently versatile piece of equipment for grooming, having stiff brushes which run on castor wheels to adjust their degree of contact with the turf surface.  This can be set for a light regular brushing to disperse dew and wormcasts, or a more intense brushing to lift nap.

Where you want a grooming tool that will go deeper into the surface to also rake out thatch and dead grass the GreenTek Turf-Conditioner is ideal.  This has three rows of adjustable rakes, enabling it to be set gently for lifting nap, or more aggressively for removing thatch.

4-IN-1 SURFACE GROOMERS

On football and rugby pitches the grooming process often includes light aeration to keep the surface open to admit air, water, and nutrients. A 4-in-1 tool carrier such as the GreenTek Quattro-Quick can be set up with a variety of different implements to carry out multiple functions at once. The most popular combination is a Star Slitter, a Spring Rake, a Smooth Roller, and a Rear Brush, enabling you to create a beautifully groomed and striped pitch in a single pass.