If Carlos Arraya’s nomination for the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award had been judged solely on what he endured while preparing for last year’s PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club, that alone might well have been enough to win the award.
But providing stellar playing conditions for the world’s best golfers was only part of the story at the historic club in St. Louis. How Arraya and his team accomplished that was the bigger story.
In his fourth year at Bellerive, Arraya
TurfTrainer is a patent-pending turf brushing system designed to improve turf playability, performance and health in a simple, easy to install and operate, low-maintenance package.
Designed by Rodney Hine, noted Boston-area superintendent and TurfNet member, the TurfTrainer attaches to the bucket of a greensmower and is pulled beneath the bucket rather than pushed as conventional brushes are. Once installed, the TurfTrainer can be used on-demand without further removal or installation. A st
Configured very much like the old tow-behind Ranger-type fairway gang mowers of yesteryear, the ProRoll from Progressive Turf brings individual unit flotation and contour following to wide area rolling. No longer is the rolling effect lost on dips and magnified on humps in the fairway.
Available in two models -- the Pro-Roll 10 and Pro-Roll 15 - with 10’8” or 15’ rolling widths, each roller unit is able to independently track changing contours. Solid ballast (30# suitcase weights) can be ad
No, it's not that cute white whale. Beloukha® is a new sunflower, bio-based, biodegradable contact herbicide from Belchim Crop Protection (formerly Engage Agro). It recently received EPA approval and is ready for state registration across the United States. Stop by Booth 2411.
Beloukha is a non-selective, broad-spectrum, foliar-applied herbicide that acts exclusively by contact, attacking and destroying the cell membranes of the plant epidermis causing rapid tissue dehydration. Made up of
John Deere is displaying the "future of golf course spraying" at GIS2019 with their new ProGator 2020A/2030A GPS Precision Sprayers. Either the 2020A (34 hp lc gas engine) or 2030A (21 hp lc diesel) can be outfitted with the HD200 or HD300 spray systems.
The GPS Precision Sprayers have Deere's AutoTrac hands-free Guidance System, automatic individual nozzle control, the StarFire 6000 receiver and an easy-to-learn 4640 Universal Display.
Skeptics are welcome to stop by the Nualgi booth #3818 (right by Club Car) to chat about the benefits of Nualgi Foliar Spray... of which they are offering a free 4-bottle trial along with a chance to win a golf trip for two to Whistling Straits ($5,000 value). 100 bottles of Nualgi can also be found in the Silent Auction.
Nualgi is a nano-scale liquid fertilizer that contains all 12-essential macro and micro nutrients + Silica. It is sold in 500ml (16oz) bottles. Each bottle treats 2.5 acre
Lesco has added a granular formulation of it's "microbial and carbon plant health nutrient optimizer": CarbonPro-G. A liquid formulation - CarbonPro-L - has been previously available.
Benefits of CarbonPro-G with regard to plant health include:
Deeper, Stronger Roots - By stimulating root development, it protects turf and plants against environmental stress and maximizes water and nutrient uptake.
Stress Recovery and Prevention - Containing microbial metabolites extracted fro
Wiedenmann is showing the all-new Super 1300S high performance sweeper. Double sweeping rotors rotate at 860 rpm to create suction and dethatch the turf if desired. The PTO-drive SUPER 1300 S is super-maneuverable and can be driven off a 15-hp tractor. A large exhaust screen allows complete filling of the 56 cu. ft. hopper, which can be dumped at ground level or raised hydraulically to dump into a vehicle or container.
Check it out in Booth 3442.
GT Airinject (Booth 3817) is giving away a year-long lease on an Air2Go Value Pack. The Value Pack includes an Air2G2 324 machine, an Air2HP hand-held single-prong unit and an Air2GO shuttle trailer for moving the Air2G2 around the golf course and back and forth to the maintenance facility. The drawing of the winner is at 4:30 on Thursday.
Interested in purchasing? Save $2,000 on the Value Pack with special show pricing.
Swing by Booth 3537 for a demo of the "completely reimagined" Turf Nutrition Tool (TNT), now mobile-friendly and accessible from any device. While you're there, register for a chance to win an iPad Pro.
Stop by the STEC Equipment booth (4936) to check out the new airter light 14160 PTO-drive pneumatic turf aerator. Towed by a lightweight tractor, the airter light utilizes 14 airlances each with three nozzles to direct high pressure air into the surrounding soil, loosening it while introducing oxygen and promoting gas exchange. It has a working width of 62" and aerates to a depth adjustable from 3 to 10".
John Deere is showing four new triplex greensmowers at GIS2019: the 2700 and 2750 PrecisionCut and the 2700 and 2750 E-Cut Hybrid triplex mowers. All are slated for availability in 2020.
"Consistent cut quality across all operators, contour following and grass catcher accessibility are critical needs for our customers," Brad Aldridge, product manager, John Deere Golf, said in a release. "The 2700 and 2750 Triplex Mowers were designed to tackle these challenges and take the stress out of mow
The all-new Toro Greensmaster 1000 Series of fixed-head walk greens mowers was designed to eliminate variability in the walk mowing process due to operator size and skill level.
A telescoping loop handle can be adjusted to accommodate operators of varying heights, helping to deliver a more consistent cut while reducing operator fatigue. Handle isolation mounts give the cutting units consistent contact with the ground throughout the mowing process, eliminating any variability in the height-o
Tru-Turf is introducing the RE50 electric turf roller at GIS2019. The 48v electric motor is powered by either traditional lead acid or lithium ion batteries. Quick release accessories include slitting, spiking and brush attachments, all changeable in seconds with no tools.
The RE50 incorporates Tru Turf's patented tri-roller smoothing heads that are fitted with hassle free, self cleaning nodules to eliminate dumping and debris impact. Heavy duty sealed bearings, rubber cushion mou
No big surprise since it was announced prior, but nonetheless TurfNet's own Hector Velazquez finally put his hands on the prize as he received the Edwin Budding Award from GCSAA. The Edwin Budding Award, named for the inventor of the reel lawn mower, is given annually to an equipment manager or related innovator, technician, educator or engineer who has made a significant impact in the golf and turf business.
Hector (c) with Darren Davis, CGCS (l), outgoing president of GCSAA.
The latest Lynx 7.0 Central Control system update from Toro has improved monitoring functionality and enhanced diagnostic capabilities. This is the 14th update since Lynx was introduced in 2010.
Lynx 7.0 now has seamless compatibility with Lynx Smart Modules, and can automatically identify individual smart modules after the initial installation process. The new system also has runtime controls to the second and measures inputs to 1/100th of an inch for precise control. All new Toro hardware
Stop by Booth 1131 and speak to Ken Rost of Frost Services about the new Kubota/Ninja sprayer package being displayed at GIS2019.
Mounted on a Kubota RTV-X1140 4WD utility vehicle, the Ninja sprayer has
200 gallon elliptical tank with drain sump
20’ Electric X-fold boom
Stainless steel hydraulic centrifugal pump
15 gallon tank rinse system
Titan hose reel with 100′ of 5/8′ hose and gun
Blue LED spray lighting system
Controls include
Hunter Golf is giving away 20 of their new TTS-800 series golf rotors, total value $8,000. Stop by booth #1638 to enter to win.
TTS-800 Series rotors utilize high-torque gear drives to mitigate the challenges of reclaimed water use or poor water quality. An extra-large, fast-access flange compartment easily accommodates wire connections and other components. Total Top Serviceability (TTS) means leave your shovel in the truck.
TTS-800 series rotors include
Exclusive Press
Toro has jumped into the all-electric triplex greensmower market with the introduction of the Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex Series. The new eTriFlex has no hydraulic fluid and utilizes all-electric components for traction, steering, lift and cutting units.
The two new all-electric Greensmaster eTriFlex models are built on the TriFlex platform and include:
The Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360, powered by a Kawasaki engine/generator
The Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370, powered by a lithium-i
Baroness is highlighting their new LM551 contour-following mid-weight fairway mower at GIS2019. Fully configurable to meet the needs of any golf course, the LM551 five-plex has traditional 22" cutting units but with a forward/backward slide function on the rear units along with a unique tension support and down pressure features to increase contour-following on undulating surfaces..
A choice of 5" or 6.4" reels is available. Each cutting unit has the option of 9 or 7 blades and can be fitt
BASF is celebrating ten years of Intrinsic brand fungicides and launching "the next generation of groundbreaking science" at GIS2019. Dubbed Generat10n Turf, the festivities in Booth 1939 include:
breakfast tacos from 10-11AM on Wednesday
a panel discussion at 11:00 Wednesday on Exploring New Fungicide Technology with Drs Rick Latin, Bruce Martin, Jim Kerns and Kathie Kalmowitz - and hosted by none other than the ubiquitous PAT JONES
at 1:00 Wednesday, a panel discussion
While Toro and Turfco celebrate their centennial anniversaries in the golf turf business, why not note the 25th anniversary of the perhaps more improbable success story: TurfNet?
You'll have to catch Jon Kiger or John Reitman on the fly at the trade show, as they have places to go and people to see. Maybe you can buttonhole one or the other for a souvenir TurfNet25 coaster from last night's Beer & Pretzel Gala (our 23rd) at the Half Door Brewery.
Read about TurfNet at 25 here.
There must have been something in the water (or the grass) in the Twin Cities 100 years ago for the Cities to spawn two major players in the turf industry, The Toro Company of Minneapolis and National Mower Company/Turfco of St. Paul (see Turfco 100).
Toro was actually founded in 1914 but spent the first five years of its existence manufacturing engines for the Bull Tractor Company and other tractor and truck companies, and developing the first Toro-designed piece of farm equipment – the po
Stop by Booth 1629 and say hey to George and Scott Kinkead, the third generation of the Kinkead family to lead a family business in the turf industry. With a lineage that started with the National Mower Company of St. Paul, Minnesota 100 years ago, George (president, right in the photo) and Scott (EVP) continue the family tradition of innovation, leadership and service to the golf turf industry.
National Mower was founded by George and Scott's grandfather, Robert S. Kinkead, shortly after W
