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Brimful of gadgets
2007 Golf Industry Show serves up the latest in the golf course industry.
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The trade show floor was bursting with activity and innovative new finds at the 2007 Golf Industry Show Feb. 22-24 in Anaheim, Calif.
Superintendents from every corner of North America and worldwide gathered to get a glimpse into the latest electric golf vehicles, irrigation tools, grinders, software, pumps, rollers, mowers and insecticides unveiled or announced this year at the show. If you didn’t have the good fortune of attending this year’s show, here’s a look at some of what the expo floor had to offer. For those who made it, there’s a strong chance you missed something amidst all the excitement.
However, we couldn’t fit all that bustle into this entire magazine, let alone one article, so keep a look out for more new products in GCM’s “Product news” this month and in later months, as well.
1. TrunkPump introduced its three-point hitch model of its TrunkPump, which can hitch to most standard tractors and will be available this summer. Because the tractor carries the operator, the TrunkPump and all hoses wherever pumping is required, the TrunkPump makes it a one-person job. PTO-powered, the machine also eliminates the need for another gas-powered engine. The 3-inch plastic centrifugal pump moves water almost anywhere and can handle salt water and chemicals, the company says. It offers 25 feet of suction head, pumps 280 gallons per minute and has an EPDM rubber-coated volute for extra durability and stainless steel internal hardware for corrosion resistance. The company also introduced its custom deep-draw strainers to make pumping in shallow water easy for users and to extend the life of the pump by keeping out unwanted debris, the company says. Contact TrunkPump, (www.trunkpump.com).
DuPont Professional Products’ new Provaunt insecticide contains an active ingredient that’s a member of a new class of chemistry, the oxadiazines. Because turfgrass and landscape ornamental insects haven’t been exposed to this class of chemistry, the insecticide is said to be effective in this field. Provaunt also uses a new physiological reaction, low application rates and an active ingredient classified as reduced-risk by the EPA. The new mode of action, Indoxacarb, causes the insect’s enzymes to change the molecular structure and attributes of the compound and convert it into MetaActive compound, the most powerful form, the company says. The insecticide is effective against multiple caterpillars, mole crickets, annual bluegrass weevil larvae, European crane fly larvae, potato leafhopper, grasshoppers and European pine sawfly. Provaunt does not have a negative impact on beneficial insects and mites when used as labeled. Contact DuPont Professional Products, (www.proproducts.dupont.com).
2. BASF Professional Turf and Ornamentals announced that its triticonazole fungicide received FIFRA Sec. 3 registration from the EPA for broad-spectrum disease control in golf course turf. Trinity fungicide is the official trade name for its triticonazole. The fungicide offers control of patch diseases (brown, take-all and summer), anthracnose, dollar spot and pink and gray snow mold for northern turf. It can be applied to all turf areas, including fairways, the company says. Additionally, it says tank-mixing Trinity with its Insignia fungicide can provide a more economical broad-spectrum combination for disease control. The product can also be used in rotation with non-Group 3 DMI fungicides such as Emerald. Contact BASF Professional Turf and Ornamentals, (www.basf.com).
The first engine equipped with electronic fuel injection from Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power is being introduced this year, the company announces. The gasoline-powered EFI model, an extension of the company’s Vanguard 3/LC three-cylinder engine line, is being developed with Daihatsu, a member of the Toyota Group. The Vanguard 3/LC EFI engine can deliver up to 30 percent fuel savings depending on duty cycle, the company says. The system can adjust engine settings in real time automatically for no-choke cold starts. It also compensates for altitude and environmental variables to provide maximum power and performance. Other features on the 34-hp engine include an advanced 32-bit engine control unit and on-board diagnostics. Contact Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power, (www.commercialpower.com).
3. Syngenta has received EPA registration of its Meridian insecticide for commercial use on turf. The insecticide is designed to provide lasting control of a broad spectrum of grubs and other insects, such as billbugs, white grubs, Japanese beetles, oriental beetles, European, Southern and Northern masked chafer, aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs and leafhoppers. The company says Meridian is also effective for use on trees, shrubs and fire ants. Said to be absorbed and transported through the xylem of the plant faster than with other insecticides, Meridian leaves little to no odor and metabolizes slowly in turfgrass for extended control. Application timing and practice is flexible. Meridian will be available this spring in a 25WG wettable granule for spray applications in 17-ounce and 4-ounce sizes. Contact Syngenta, 866-796-4368 (www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com).
Bernhard & Co. has added new membrane key panels to its Express Dual and Anglemaster grinders to enhance operator ease of use and safety. The Anglemaster’s control panel features a digital display of grind angles for easy comparison between a bedknife’s current angle and the desired angle, the company says. Contact Bernhard & Co., 888-474-6348 (www.expressdual.com).
4. SoloRider Management LLC has enhanced its 2007 model SoloRider golf car with an electronically actuated swivel seat, enabling golfers to play more comfortably and more safely, the company says. The swivel feature activates by a toggle switch on the car’s console to swivel electronically and put the user in a desired position for hitting before moving back to the driving position. Other additions to this year’s model are an improved scorecard holder with tighter spring action, easier-to-read switches on the console and a new front brace under the canopy to support clubs. Contact SoloRider Management LLC, 800-898-3353 (www.solorider.com).
GolfLinx has launched its turf water management solution based on its line of AquaSpy products, which provide a means to monitor and measure soil moisture and weather around a golf course. The product uses software to give superintendents a three-dimensional view of a golf course’s sub-turf soil to monitor conditions and how much water is required at all points of the course. Using the new product can yield water savings, reduced pumping costs, stronger root growth, less mowing time, better turf performance, more effective irrigation and cost savings, the company says. Water consumption can be reduced by at least 30 percent, it adds. The AquaSpy line includes a turf probe, a weather station, data node, radio node, sensor and viewer. The product is available in a variety of options, including one-, three-, nine- and 18-hole packages. Contact GolfLinx, (www.golflinx.net).
5. Club Car introduced its new Carryall Turf 252, which is now equipped with the company’s IQ Plus electric drive train. Designed to meet the specific needs of superintendents, the vehicle features a nearly 6-foot cargo bed, independent front suspension, all-terrain tires, headlights and trailer hitch to give users a comfortable ride with versatility for a wide range of jobs on golf courses, the company says. First shipments of the enhanced unit began earlier this year. The company also unveiled its new single-point battery watering system, developed by Flow-Rite Controls. With its network of interconnected valves, the need to remove the caps before adding water to batteries is eliminated. The valves can sense the correct water level to shut off water flow to the cells by acting independently during the filling process. The system can improve the life and performance of the vehicle batteries by keeping proper water levels in the batteries for longer periods. Contact Club Car, 800-227-0739 (www.clubcar.com).
6. Developed to provide short-throw coverage for tee boxes and other small turf areas, Rain Bird Golf introduces its Eagle 351B rotor series. The Eagle 351B features a nozzle design that ensures controlled and uniform precipitation distribution, the company says. It provides an 18- to 55-foot radius of throw and operates at a pressure level from 60 to 90 psi. Full-circle and part-circle operations are available in the same unit, potentially reducing inventory requirements. Adjustable left- and right-side trips enable easy installation without turning the case, the company adds. The company’s Memory Arc returns the rotors to their original arc setting. The nozzle’s pop-up height of 3.25 inches allows water to clear taller grass. Contact Rain Bird Golf, 800-RAINBIRD (www.rainbird.com).
TrueStrike’s golf mats replace hard, synthetic grass golf mats with a real representation of the fairway, the company says. Ideal for driving ranges and golf courses, the TrueStrike comes in a single-ended or double-ended package. The feel of playing off a natural fairway is recreated with the mat’s ruckable top surface and gel-filled subsurface. Contact TrueStrike, (www.truestrike.com).
7. New web mapping software now is available from Spectrum Technologies Inc. SpecMaps allows superintendents to identify dry spots on a golf green or a compacted zone with an indication of the spatial variability across a landscape. Portable field scout meters can produce two-dimensional maps from the compiled data. The software also allows users to upload geo-referenced data files from any field scout meter to the company’s specially designed Web-based software, the company says. The product uses statistical interpolation to create charts that provide an instant image of spatial variability. The company also introduced the redesign of its WatchDog weather station. The 2900ET has been upgraded with expanded wireless communications that allow for “drive-by” data downloading up to 1,000 feet away. Real-time data monitoring up to 2 miles away is also possible through the system. An enhanced LCD display allows viewing of current conditions, degree day values and daily high/low readings for the past 30 days without the use of a PC. Contact Spectrum Technologies Inc., 800-248-8873 (www.specmeters.com).
E-Z-Go has introduced Innovative Designs by E-Z-Go, a customization division created to produce vehicles that meet unique needs and precise specifications. Under the program, customers can accessorize the company’s TXT fleet golf cars, MPT turf maintenance vehicles, ST trail utility vehicles and Shuttle personal carriers. Options include snow plows, spreaders, built-in toolboxes, welding fixtures and electrical system upgrades. Allen Evans will oversee operations of Innovative Designs by E-Z-Go as manager of custom vehicle applications. Contact E-Z-Go, (www.ezgo.com).
The Workstation from Foley United serves as a lift for walkers and cutting units and doubles as a workbench to conduct repair or assembly work on engines, trimmers and other golf course tools, the company says. The Workstation features a 1.75-inch steel tube handle, a safety anti-roll feature, heavy-duty all steel construction, a transport carriage with 4-inch-diameter caster wheels, a working height of 39.5 inches and 400 pounds of lifting capacity. A floor-stop device is designed to prevent movement once the platform has been raised, and a docking feature includes a reel grinder. The Workstation also includes a 12-volt re-chargeable sealed power system. Contact Foley United, (www.foleyunited.com).
8. The new single-drive Electra roller from Smithco features a motor so quiet it can be used to roll greens any time of day or night, the company says. The unit is all-electric, eliminating the possibility of hydraulic fluid leaks on greens. Available in weights of 840 or 920 pounds, the Electra features a 36-volt electrical system; a welded, powder-coated steel frame; a hand-parking brake; 10.2 reduction steering with a 15-inch steering wheel and a 10-foot-diameter turning radius; and variable speed from 0-8 mph. Smithco also introduced its Super Star Flex Brush Rake System, designed to rake smooth with no ridges even in the inner circle of tight turns, the company says. Available with a 16-hp gas engine, the Super Star features a three-wheel tricycle configuration with 9 inches of ground clearance. Other features include a hydrostatic variable displacement pump to two hydraulic-drive motors on rear wheels, O-ring face seal hydraulic fittings, up to 12-mph speed and dynamic braking throughout the hydrostatic transmission. Contact Smithco, (www.smithco.com).
9. Turf Ecosystems LLC and Ron R. Duncan, Ph.D., have introduced Platinum TE, a paspalum turfgrass cultivar for golf courses that’s planned to be certified and available in limited supply by September. Platinum TE features a darker green color than other paspalum cultivars and offers superior striping capability, the company says. Its fine leaf blade and tight internode spacing create a compact canopy surface for ball set-up and puttability. It also provides maintenance benefits such as high salt tolerance and foliar disease resistance when managed correctly, the company adds. The turfgrass cultivar establishes from sprigs and aggressively grows in from surface stolons. It can tolerate a wide range of mowing heights from 0.070 to 1.500 inches. Contact Turf Ecosystems LLC, (www.turfEcosystems.com).
10. The new “On the Course” program from The Experience at FarmLinks has been joined by Profile Products LLC and DryJect, which recently was acquired by Profile. The partnerships will enhance the On the Course Tour, which provides superintendents and visitors an opportunity to learn about the benefits of innovative products and services in the industry. DryJect manufactures a machine that injects large amounts of amendments directly into the ground, and Profile Products LLC supplies a line of inorganic soil amendments, turf establishment products and erosion and sediment control devices. Contact FarmLinks LLC, (www.farmlinks.org).
11. John Deere Golf & Turf One Source has unveiled its 2500B riding greens mower (pictured), which is equipped with either a gas engine that meets 2008 CARB and EPA emissions standards, or a diesel engine that meets EPA Tier 2, Interim Tier 4 and Tier 4 standards. The mower features 22-inch cutting units that come with 11-blade reels, 3-mm standard bedknives and a smooth or grooved front roller. The 2500B includes grass catchers that transfer 66 percent of the weight from the cutting unit to lift arms, maintaining accurate cutting heights. John Deere also announced its 2500E hybrid riding greens mower with electric reel motors. The 2500E can be equipped with a liquid-cooled gas engine that meets 2008 CARB and EPA emissions or a liquid-cooled diesel engine that meets EPA, Tier 2, Interim Tier 4 and Tier 4 standards. Updated body styling offers easy access and the company’s patented John Deere WhiteBox controller. Contact John Deere Golf & Turf One Source, 800-537-8233 (www.johndeere.com).
12. True-Surface by Turfline Inc. introduces its Vibe V vibratory roller, the fifth generation of its vibratory greens rolling system. The roller features the company’s Select-A-Vibe knob, which allows operators to control the level of energy exerted by the greens roller. It offers five levels of energy to accommodate various cultural practices such as topdressing dispersion, rolling for speed and consistency, smoothing after aerification and greens repair, the company says. The Vibe V’s other upgrades include a new solid front roller supplying a double roll effect and new nylon composite flanges with new 50 durometer rubber shock mounts. Upgrades are available for system models prior to the Vibe V, which produces three times the energy than previous models. Contact True-Surface by Turfline Inc., 800-443-8506 (www.truesurface.com).
13. Designed to mount on a standard golf car, the G2 from Coolwell acts as a compact air conditioner, a sanitary beverage cooler and a heater in the flip of a switch. The G2’s Body-Centric system, which is mounted behind the seats in a golf car, draws moisture from the air and converts it to cool, dry air, which is blown through an adjustable air vent behind both passengers’ necks. Powered by a block of ice and a minimal amount of electricity, the G2 blows air over 50 degrees below ambient temperature on days 115 degrees and hotter, and over 30 degrees below ambient temperature on 90-degree days. The Coolwell functions equally well in hot humid conditions, the company says. The air conditioning element takes up a fraction of the golf car’s power and does not affect the car’s normal operations. By flipping a switch, cool air can turn to heated air directed at users’ hands, ears and other extremities. Specially designed aroma cartridges are also available. Coolwell’s design has received approval from the National Safety Foundation. Contact Coolwell, 877-998-2655 (www.coolwell.com).
14. Muck and sludge removal services from U.S. Aqua Vac Inc. now are available nationwide. Instead of draining and digging up ponds and lakes, which can be costly and ineffective, the company uses other methods it says are non-intrusive to a golf course’s operations, such as using robotic machines, barges and scuba divers to clean muck and sludge out of ponds, lakes and other bodies of water at golf facilities. Each of its methods can move up to 400,000 gallons of muck a day, the company says, depending on the location. Customers can realize up to a 70 percent cost savings rather than employing the drain and dig method, the company adds. The service can be effective for clearing clogged intake pipes, unplugging water springs, enhancing water quality, reducing odors around water, preventing the death of fish from ammonia and bacteria and saving money, the company says. Contact U.S. Aqua Vac Inc., 866-430-1542 (www.usaquavac.com).
Weatherbill offers its weather protection service to the golf course industry for the first time. The company offers weather protection against an infinite number of customizable combinations of weather conditions and situations. Users can select the weather condition, such as a rainy day or a cold day, how much money they want to receive when that weather scenario occurs, and the days the protection will be applicable, in order to calculate the price of that customized protection. David Friedberg, the company’s chief executive officer, says the product is unlike weather insurance because no claims process is needed before a check goes in the mail. Users can visit Weatherbill’s Web site to calculate annual revenue risk, get a quote, upload a financial report or generate a custom weather sensitivity report. Contact Weatherbill, (www.weatherbill.com).
Jacobsen, a Textron Inc. company, announced its new Turf Groomer, which is available for all its fairway mowers with 7-inch-diameter reels. Reels can be sharpened while the groomer is attached, all adjustments are made from the front of the reel, and a short roller base allows the cutting head to closely follow contours in the grass. Even when the groomer is not lowered, the roller is continuously cleaned, the company says. A new Poly-V belt is less likely to break if the mower hits an obstruction, and lube points are located in the end of the shafts for easy access. Jacobsen also introduced its Eclipse 122 F, a walking greensmower with a new cutting head capable of 50 percent more float than other mowers on the market, the company says. Equipped with Jacobsen’s InCommand control system, the unit features a floating-head design and a variety of performance options which the company says eliminates scalping. Separate, adjustable settings for reel speeds and mow speeds are featured on an easy-to-read LCD screen. Contact Jacobsen, (www.jacobsen.com).
15. The Toro Co. unveiled its new ProCore processor, which can sweep, process and disperse aeration cores in one pass, cutting down on time and reducing stress to the turf, equipment operator and superintendent. A 70-inch processing width provides full-width dispersion of processed materials, and the aeration cores are broken up into fine particles with carbide-tip blades and a 35-hp Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine. Other features include a OnePass hitch to attach to the processor behind a three-point aerator and a full rear roller that smooths turf and eliminates tire tracks on cores of freshly aerated turf. The company also announced all its diesel-powered golf course and grounds equipment will be biodiesel-ready by 2008. Applicable vehicles include the Reelmaster, Groundsmaster, Greensmaster, Workman and MultiPro families. Upgrade kits to convert vehicles to be compatible with biodiesel fuel will be available by June, the company says. Vehicles will be equipped to operate with fuel blends up to B20. Contact The Toro Co., 800-803-8676 (www.thetorocompany.com).
16. A new water-soluble iron chelate from Novozymes Biologicals Inc. is now available to the golf industry. Roots Fe Chelate is an 18 percent concentration of fully chelated iron in a highly soluble, dry powder form of citrate-based chelate fertilizer. The product is said to improve plant color, and will not harm or stain other surfaces such as concrete. Fe Chelate is available in 1.5-pound solupaks. Tank-mix compatible and formulated for soil or foliar applications, Fe Chelate also is an effective agent for reducing the pH of highly alkaline water, yielding a buffered tank mix range between 6.0 and 7.0, the company says. Contact Novozymes Biologicals Inc., 800-342-6173 (www.rootsinc.com).
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