Normas Yakin is a turf manager who loves the outdoors and believes there is a better way to manage turf and landscaping without affecting the environment. He doesnt mind sharing his knowledge and if you want his advice on how to manage your turf, contact him at

 mynormas @ yahoo.com

 (without the blank spaces)

 

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MINIMUM GOLF COURSE MACHINERY
FOR AN 18-HOLE GOLF COURSE

   

This is not a conclusive list but is an opinion based on 13 years of experience working on 3 golf courses and advising many more. For more info, get in touch with your Superintendent.  Each and every golf course will be different.

   
Siapa "Normas"
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Nama saintifik

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5 sebab
10 Faedah

Penyediaan tapak
Penanaman
Pembajaan            

English Section
Turfgrass diseases

Grasses on greens
Golf course Machinery
Grasses on fairways

                                   

Transport

Uses / Remarks / Excuses

4 to 40 units of motor bike.

Ok. Just kidding about the 40 units.  You see, this is for the Course Supt (henceforth refered to as "The Boss"); his assistant, the supervisor; his assistant,  the irrigation guys; their assistants, the weeding ladies; their assistants etc. Seriously? If you use manual irrigation; up to 8 bikes. If not, 4 should suffice.You could buy them the bikes OR let them use their own bike and give them (limited) petrol a day.

2 to 4 mini-tractors (25 - 40 hp)

To fix up trailer for transport. 1 on each 9.  Can also fix with implement (blower, sprayer, aerator or even mower) for other uses. 1 for the landscape section and one for irrigation/drainage.

4 to 2 turf transporter (no mistake here, more mini-tractors; less transporters)

Can mean from an expensive truckster to a cheaper bike with sidecar. You wouldn't want a RM60K tractor transporting 2 workers and equipment to hole 6, when a RM6K bike can do. Heck, an old buggy can do as well. How many tractors and/or transporter you need depend A LOT on the size of your course.

1  pick-up truck, van or small lorry

This is a medium sized in-between a tractor and a bike transport . Also useful to purchase  stuff like petrol from outside the course.

1 tractor with front-end loader and backhoe or trencher attachment

This could be the same mini-tractor fitted with a loader.  As for backhoe; VERY useful to have. A skid-steer with backhoe attachment, a mini-excavator or even 1 brand of tractor can fit with excavator attachment.  Trencher? Good, but its redundant with an excavator.

2 units of tipping 1-tonne trailer

 

 

Goes with your tractors.  Dont bother with a 3-tonne trailer: it messes up your buggy path edge, difficult to drive and the staff will overload.
 

Mowing Equipment

 

6 walk-behind greens mowers or 2  ride-on greens mower

You need to finish mowing your greens by 9.00am? Use 1 walk-behind for 3 greens or 1 ride-on for 9.  Refer to The Boss.

2 or 3 ride-on tee mowers

One for each Nine. Or 1 for 6 holes. Your call. My advice is to get one that can function as back-up for your greens mowing machines.

1 to 3 fairway mowers

1 fairway mower for 18 holes or for 6 holes? A 7-gang tractor-pulled, traction-driven unit, or a lightweight 5-gang ride-on with 9-bladed reels (that's like a surgical equipment on a golf course fairway)? The answer lies in how you want your course to look like. I strongly recommend 2 units.

1 to 3 units of 3-gang or 5-gang; light rough mower

This for the rough around the fairways.  Differ from 1 course to the other. Depend on fairway size, height of cut, quality expected etc. Hard to recommend. These should be able to handle the rough around the tees and greens too.

1 to 3 units of rotary or flail type; heavy rough mower.

The rough under the trees; the heavy stuff.  I would not recommend using reel-mowers, but that depends, ask The Boss. Rotaries and Flails will withstand the roots, the golf balls, condoms or whatever else are under your trees. The grass are usually cut high too.  Tough on reels.
1-2 units of trim mowers Some golf courses practice having a semi-rough around their fairways; which may include around greens/tees and/or bunkers.

1 to 2 vertical mowers

It is to control your thatch. It can be mounted on your ride-on greens mowers. More often called the 'dethatching' units.

2 to 6 units of brush cutters and/or floating hover mowers

For the areas that machines can't mow; around trees/furniture, bunker slopes, etc. How many you need depends on how big an area you have.  Aim to cut at least once a month.

1 to 2 rotary lawn mowers

For your landscaping needs around the clubhouse. Depending  on size your landscaping, may be as big as a ride-on machine.

1 to 2 units of edger and trimmer

For edging of buggy paths, or around greens and collars.

Maintenance Equipment

 

1-2 units sprayer with 200-gal tank,  and spray boom attachment and spray handgun

For spraying of herbicides, fungicides etc on turf and trees. Use a lot of growth regulator?  Get 2 units.

1-2 units bunker sand raker

To rake bunkers; finish before 9? A lot of big bunkers? Get 2.  Some big models can be used for other uses like pulling topdressing mat .

1-2 units aerification machine

Either you get a small pull behind aerator (in which case I would advise to get 2) or get one of those new tractor mounted aerators. 

1-or 2 deep thatch-control machines

More commonly known by the brand name of "Mataway". For deep dethatching of greens and tees or for collection of stolon/rhizome as planting material. There are other brands in the market too. 

1 unit of powered sod cutter

To get sod for replanting.  Or to remove grass that has been damaged.  In case you're wondering; yes there are 'unpowered' sod cutters, they're tough to use and won't last long. Neither will your staff.

1-or 2 air blowers

Especially useful if you have a lot of trees that shed a lot of leaves.  A sweeper/vacuum helps but most of the time, a blower is indispensable.

1 unit of  fairway spiker or slicer

The cheap machine most golf courses don't have or don't use.  To aerate fairway (or tees, or rough)

1 portable centrifugal pump with suction hose

For the rainy season when you're bunkers are in deep water and you are in deep $**t

1-rotovator

Just like what farmers use to till their land before planting.

1  hedge trimmer

For your hedge/bushes.  Optional if you have cheap labour.

Maintenance Equipment

 

1-2 powered topdressing machine

I have done hand topdressing before therefore I strongly advise golf courses to use a powered topdresser either self-propelled or attached to a multipurpose transporter.  You won't get an even spread with mere humans after the 6th green.

2 topdressing mats or brush for greens 1 for fairways.

After you topdressed, you would have to rub the sand in.

1-2 units of greens fertilizer spreader

I strongly suggest you get two good ones.  I've seen cheap units spraying out uneven globs of fertilizer. Calibrate them!

1 rotor-type fairway fertilizer spreader

Again, get good proven ones. The price you pay for a mistake done with fertilizer is more than what savings you got buying a cheap spreader.

1 greens' roller

Essential for when you want the speeds during tournaments.

1-2 units of self-propelled sweeper

You can't keep blowing your leaves forever. You'll have to collect them sooner or later. You may want to look into a smaller walk-behind unit for your car-parks, clubhouse etc.

1-2 power chainsaw

Ideally, one big one and one small enough the staff can use with one hand (the other hand holding the ladder).

Golf Course Equipment and Tools

1-2 hole cutters

For cutting holes. Duh.

18-36 hole cups (this is for an 18-hole course)

It's worth it to have a spare set.

1-2 cup extractors

To pull the cup out of the green.

1-2 cup setters

To put it back into the green as per regulation

18 poles and flags

One for each hole?

18 practice green markers

If you have a practice green. Or two.

3-4 sets tee markers

Red, white and blue are must-haves.  Back (black, gold etc) is optional.

6 - 18 golf ball washers

Essentially, at the starting holes and par 3s (you want to give golfers something to do while they wait) or at every tee.

6 - 18 waste baskets

At the same holes as the ballwashers

6 - 18 tee benches

Optional. 

1 or 2 ball mark repairers.

Not all golfers repair their ball mark (and that is a diplomatic statement).

1 soil-sampling tool (soil probe or profiler or both)

To take samples or to see profiles of soil.

1 - 4l wheelbarrows

Depending how much work will need to carry out.

1 8-ft stepladder

For landscaping work or the occasional photographer (take my word for it)

1 20- or 30-ft extension ladder

Ditto as above but this photographer got more balls.

1 measuring wheel

It's a wheeled device which when turned, will show distance travelled.  Good for taking simple measurement without need of surveyor equipment. Or you could borrow your pro's laser device.

 


Stripes on rough
Achieved with a flail mower