Ryan Schaffer has joined Turfline, Inc as our new Mechanical Design Engineer. Ryan received his Bachelors of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. He also has a background in castings and moldings. He will be responsible for: 3d modeling our product lines, troubleshooting technical issues, and creating prints for the manufacture shop to produce parts. Ryan will also be the Head of Research and Development creating new product lines and brainstorming ways to improve True-Surface® even more. We at Turfline, Inc. feel like Ryan will make a great fit to our team and are happy to have him onboard.
True-Surface® Greens Care Collection Being Used at PGA Tournament Courses
True-Surface's Secrets to 'Truest Putting Greens'
When it comes to golf course maintenance there are a lot of different techniques and theories to get the perfect green.
All of these techniques are dependent on a number of variables: breed of grass, climate, sunlight, soil type and top-dressing chemical structure.
Research has shown one technique that can help with some of these variables and give golfers the healthiest of greens.
Over the years, courses have been told that rolling their greens will promote healthier grass. Others have said that brushing greens was the correct way to distribute top-dressing.
After a research study performed by Dr John C. Sorochan and his students at the University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture, they found that both provided improvements over doing nothing.
The research showed that rolling your green with a vibrating roller showed less distribution of the top-dressing than brushing.
“However, when used in conjunction with brushing, vibratory rolling appears to aid in increasing surface firmness and incorporating top-dressing sand into the turf canopy, where it can aid in thatch dilution (Kauffman and Sorochan, page 2).”
True-Surface by Turfline – an Associate Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation – has equipment lines that are formulated in promoting the truest putting greens.
Their innovative Flex-Brush is class leading with functionality and design. This particular brush features three independent floating heads that each can accommodate up to five brush bristles.
With four different bristle styles and five different downforce settings, brushing options are plentiful. It shows extreme versatility by allowing the user to pair the brush with the True-Surface Greens Care Collection, True-Surface Vibe V, and the triplex cutting reels.
The True-Surface Flex Brush was designed to be multi-functional on the golf course. Some of these functions include, but are not limited to:
Removing morning dew
Brushing top-dressing into canopy
Removal of debris
Standing the blades of grass up before cutting.
For a fast transition, the brush also features a quick disconnect so it can be removed from the mower and stored when not in use.
When the Flex brush is combined with the patented vibrations of the True-Surface Vibe V the results ‘become unparalleled’.
The True-Surface Vibratory Greens Rollers offer an alternative to standard dispersion practices.
True-Surface’s unique method of vibration actually energises the turf by sending light vibrations through the greens, allowing them to vibrate the sand into the turf canopy and ensure deeper penetration into the root zone. By incorporating more top-dressing sand into the canopy, the greens have less organic matter build-up in the putting surface, which results in healthier greens and greater green speeds.
These products and techniques translate into savings for the golf course, says True-Surface.
The accompanying chart showcases the significant amount of top-dressing that isn’t recollected by the cutting reels. Dr Sorochan’s study shows that after brushing and vibrating the greens, less than 3% of the light top-dressing was removed while mowing.
Getting the top-dressing sand deeper into the canopy equals less dulling of the cutting reels, thus saving maintenance time on top of the savings of wasted top-dressing.
Brushing before mowing allows the grass blade to stand up, resulting in a shorter cut to reduce the amount of cuts needed. All of these areas combined equals more dollars for the course and less dollar spot for the greens.
Time's A-Waisting! Greens Maintenance Can't Wait!
I think most of us will agree that our time is valuable. No one wants their time wasted! Golf course greens maintenance can be a time consuming process. Switching from one tool to the next, and then again and again, is enough to give you a headache. The True-Surface Greens Care Collection is exactly what you need to save your valuable time. Utilize the 13 different inserts and performing 13 different greens maintenance tasks without ever changing machines. The Greens Care Collection will leave your golf greens smooth and healthy without a disruption in golfer’s play time. Your greens are ready immediately.
True-Surface Rollers on Royal St. George's 18th Green
How to Prepare your Golf Greens for Fall
Fall is one of our favorite seasons for many reasons! We love feeling the summer air turn into a cool brisk wind and seeing the green leaves turn into the most amazing warm vibrant shades of red and yellow. One thing we always think about during the fall is all the preparation we do to prepare for the many festivities of the season: baking for the friends and family, getting ready for the kiddos who will soon be knocking on your door asking for treats, and choosing the best décor to warm your home with fall colors. Oh yes! There is a lot of preparation that goes into the fall!
Fall Season for the Golf Greens Industry
So, what does the fall season mean for many of us that work in the golf industry? You guessed it – more preparation! Not only preparing your club for the many fall festivities you might be hosting this year, but also prepping your greens and greens maintenance equipment for those tasks. You want to make sure your greens are in the right condition to recover from the summer, and then ready to move from fall right into the winter. And of course, you need to make sure your greens maintenance equipment is in good, running condition to perform the necessary tasks as well.
Adjust Mowing Heights For Golf Greens and Start Using Verticutting Equipment
Obviously, every golf course is different and each superintendent has they’re own fall maintenance program in place – now, that the summer heat is finally passing, you may consider adjusting your mowing heights and start using your verticutting equipment again. Whatever your plan might be, the main objective is to create smooth, healthy greens that won’t interrupt your golfers’ playability. You need a program that includes golf maintenance equipment that won’t disrupt the game.
How to Prepare for a Successful Turfgrass Tradeshow
It is turfgrass tradeshow season once again. And the burning question is always how to get the most bang for your buck. Exhibitors want to know how to bring more business to their booths, and customers want to know how to get the most out of their time spent on the tradeshow floor.
Bottom line, neither party wants to waste their valuable time, and therefore need to come in with a game plan.
Set Your Company Up for a Successful Turfgrass Tradeshow
As the exhibitor, you need to have goals set before even leaving the office. Here are four simple suggestions to help set your company up for a successful show:
Market your booth number. You have to make sure your customers know which shows you will be attending and what booth you will be at. Advertising through your website, social networks, emails, and direct mailings are great ways to get your booth number out.
Choose your show staff well in advance. Letting your employees know which of them will be attending the shows in advance allows them to prepare as well. They will have time to contact customers and set up important meetings and attract more traffic to the booth.
Have a lead retrieval system in place. A lot of shows have a lead retrieval scanner available to rent. These are valuable tools because you can gather all the customers’ information by simply scanning in their show badge. If a scanner is unavailable, print off your own lead retrieval sheets to make notes about each interested customer.
Follow up with customers after the show. Collecting your leads is great; however, if you don’t plan to follow up with them, then they are useless. Talk to your customers and find out the best time to follow up. Making adequate notes when retrieving your leads will help you determine the best time for a follow-up call or email.
Steps Turfgrass Tradeshow Attendees Can Take For Visiting Your Booth
It’s not just the exhibitors who need to come prepared – customers visiting the booths need to prepare for their attending shows as well.
Talk to your employer and know what they want you to gather from the show. Make a list of objectives. Before stepping on the show floor: you should know if your job is to gather quotes, purchase new products, or just research potential items that may purchase in the future.
Map out a route ahead of time. Tradeshows can be large and a bit overwhelming at times. Luckily, most tradeshows have websites that will virtually show you the tradeshow floor map. Once you know what companies you want to talk to, find their booth numbers and start mapping out your route.
Set up meeting times. If you know you want to talk to a certain company representative at the show, go ahead and make an appointment. Most company will be more than happy to set up a time they can dedicate specifically their interested consumers.
Follow up after the show. Yes, each exhibitor should follow up with you after the show, but it’s ok to take that extra step and contacting them first. This will let them know you are serious about their product/services and will move your needs to the top of their follow-up list.
Setting Goals and Knowing Your Objectives Leads To Success
A successful tradeshow season is directly related to adequate planning and preparation. Make sure you and your staff set goals and know your objectives. Going to shows with a plan will make it a lot easier on you and will leave you feeling a lot less overwhelmed by the many different booths on the floor.