March 2005

Koro boosts pitch playability

A Koro Field TopMaker from Campey Turf Care Systems is proving to be a high work-rate solution for a Suffolk grounds care contractor seeking the most efficient renovation equipment. The machine is also improving the playability of sports surfaces.

Peter Knight founded Bury Turfcare in 1988 and undertakes sports turf maintenance throughout Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire from the company’s base in Bury St Edmunds. Clients include golf courses, local authorities, private schools, soccer and rugby clubs and Cambridge University grounds.

“More and more clients are demanding better pitches in terms of surface quality and fewer cancellations,” says Peter. “I was very impressed by the Koro Field Top Maker when Campeys exhibited it at the Reaseheath College’s Sports Turf Machinery Show in Cheshire last summer. Later, I heard Alan Ferguson, Head Groundsman at my local football club Ipswich Town, recommending it highly. It sounded ideal.”

The tractor-towed Field TopMaker skims off the top layer of soil. At a high setting, it removes irregularities and restores a level surface ready for overseeding. But set lower, the blades remove the entire top layer of vegetation which is taken away by a conveyor into an adjacent trailer.

“When renovating soccer pitches, I use the Koro following Alan Ferguson’s programme. I remove the top 12mm of soil that incorporates shallow-rooting grasses and poa annua, and then either replace it with 40-60 tonnes of sand, or hollow-core the pitch and fill undulations using the removed soil. The pitch is then levelled with a harrow before seeding. With regular feeding and watering, the ground will be ready for play in 10-12 weeks.”

Peter also uses his Koro Field Top Maker with a new special scarifying head attachment, which was launched at the Saltex show last year. “I deep scarify with the unit with 1mm or 3mm blades put in at 20mm or 40mm apart and varying the desired depth. This removes much of the thatchy material that could prevent healthy grass growth. And compared with pedestrian scarifiers, another big advantage is that the Koro takes away the removed material.”

“Most golf clubs will scarify their greens three times a year. With the scarifying head, two men can scarify 18 golf greens in a day. With a pedestrian machine it could take five men three days, and then they would have to sweep up all the thatch and debris. The Koro frees up workers for other essential tasks.”

“ I’ve also found the machine very good on cricket squares at the end of the playing season,” Peter adds, “by clearing out the thatch it’s like ‘putting the square to bed’ for the winter!”

“Overall, the Koro Field TopMaker performs superbly. Everyone who watches it in action and then sees the improvement in turf quality is really impressed,” enthuses Peter.