Having the right aeration programme in place is important for any golf club, and after a STRI recommendation the Air2G2 Air Inject was found to be the missing piece of the puzzle for Langland Bay Golf Club.
Through the analysis given to them by their STRI agronomist, PGA director of golf, Andrew Minty, knew that he needed a machine capable of disrupting the soil profile to a greater depth in order to decrease compaction and improve infiltration.
This aim worked in tandem with members’ comments regarding the disruption caused by renovations and other processes throughout the year, and the implementation of the Air2G2 has worked exceptionally well to solve both of those issues.
“We needed something that caused less damage whilst at the same time being just as effective, so he recommended it to us as one to look at,” Andrew explained. “We had an extensive demo and now believe it’s probably one of the best bits of kit we’ve had.” “It wasn’t just because of the members’ comments about disruption that we looked at it an alternative aeration machine. We wanted to get down to the recommended depths to disrupt the soil profile based on the analysis that the STRI gave us. “Also, there were certain approaches, bunkers and other areas we knew that could benefit from the Air2G2, and it’s done a great job. “Recently we’ve been using it on the greens and on a couple of the approaches, one of which is a par three that gets considerably wet. There’s also a par four dog leg which gets wet, but both areas have improved, so it seems to work very well in conjunction with some other processes.”
The success of the Air2G2 at Langland Bay comes from the process of the machine. It uses pressurised air to target compaction deep at root zone level using probes that penetrate the soil and force air sideways to create fissures in the sub structure, improving aeration and drainage throughout the soil.
This produces a far superior root zone whilst leaving no damage to the surface, meaning greens are playable almost instantly. For Andrew, this is a key benefit as it meets the needs of his members whilst simultaneously improving the root zone.
The make-up and design of the machine has also been a major factor for Andrew and his staff. The manoeuvrability of the machine has been a particular highlight as it saves working time and makes it generally easier to use.
It is now planned for the Air2G2 to be used across the course in some capacity for 12 months of the year to sustain the improved soil structure on the course.
