SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/54529
STMA 2011 Innovation Award winner, g2 turftools STMA Commercial Vice President Rene Asprion, Diamond Pro/TXI, presented the 2012 STMA Award for Commercial Innova- tion to g2 turftools during trade show hours at last month's STMA Conference. The award was for their 84-inch Turfplaner, a product judged by the STMA Awards Com- mittee to substantially enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Sports Turf Man- ager, and make playing surfaces safer and more playable for athletes. Lindsay Merkt of g2 reported: "g2 turftools, inc. was incorporated 5 years ago to develop and manufacture preci- sion turf equipment to enhance the ability of turf managers to produce and maintain high quality playing surfaces. This year we added the Patent Pending 84-inch Turfplaner to our existing patented product line of turfrollers, turffloat and turfslicer, and turfrack. "The number one problem all turf man- agers have is how to deal with high spots on their fields. All fields seem to suffer from high spots, whether caused by infield washes on baseball fields that create lips, topdressing and redistribution of aerification cores, or just poor construction from the beginning. "The low spots have been relatively easy to manage, since they just need to be filled in, but high spots have been a completely different problem. High spot removal requires removing the turf, removing the excess soil, re-grading, re-compacting, and finally replac- ing the turf. After many hours of operating a flail mower set to zero to remove minor high spots after new construction, we decided to manufacture a device that would automati- cally remove high spots while automatically adjusting to grade, through the use of laser or AutoGrade controls. When the recession hit in 2008, we decided to take the chance that a better, faster, cheaper alternative to surface renovations would be accepted by turf managers. "In January 2008 we started designing the 84-inch turfplaner and by April 2008 we had developed our Patent Pending proto- type to start testing. By November 2011, we had turfplaned more than 3 million square feet and produced 2 more BETA versions for additional testing. Other advancements made to the turfplaner have included inte- grated controls that include Manual, Auto- Grade, and Laser Controls. In December 2011 we sold our first production to our Li- censed Service Provider in Louisiana. "With such new technology we decided early on that the best way to guarantee qual- ity work and the best service possible to the turf managers was to create a network of Li- censed Service Providers that would be trained and supported by g2 turftools. These Licensed Service Providers are regional turf- planing experts that can provide all of the necessary equipment and personnel to re- move and restore existing turf to a pre deter- mined grade or simply remove surface irregularities to increase the playability and safety. Turfplaning has been performed on baseball, softball, soccer, football fields, polo fields, golf tees and fairways, and has even been used to remove lips from cart paths and roadways. Whether preparing an exist- ing turf surface for new sod, restoring grade, or simply removing surface irregularities, turf- planing promises to be the new standard for turf resurfacing and renovation." ■ Barenbrug USA introduces HGT Kentucky bluegrass With the development of Healthy Grass Technology (HGT), Barenbrug has developed a hearty bluegrass which is easy to grow, fast to establish and resistant to disease. These tremendous benefits combined with a remarkable tolerance to heavy traffic making HGT the ideal choice for any blue- grass application. All of these benefits add up to significant reduction in chemical usage, saving time, money and reducing environmental impact. Barenbrug scientists took over a decade to develop HGT. They researched and propagated only the most rugged Kentucky bluegrass plants in a vari- ety of challenging environments. Once HGT passed Barenbrug's rigorous research program, it was released for independent evaluation. Extensive tri- als at universities and by the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program found Barvette HGT far exceeded other top bluegrass varieties in resisting Summer Patch, billbugs, white grubs, tolerating traffic and spring green-up. Barenbrug USA Beacon Cocoa Mat Drag Get a highly professional finish without displacing soil! Unlike steel mat drags the Beacon Cocoa Mat Drag rarely leaves a pile of material to disperse after you pick up the drag. The 6' x 4' drag is available with or without the Beacon Leveling Bar to drag an infield with a tractor. The 6' x 2' hand drag is great for in-game between-inning manicuring, and the 4' x 2' hand Cocoa Drag is good for smoothing baselines, cutouts, mounds and home plate areas. No matter the area, there is a Cocoa Mat Drag for you! Beacon Athletics New electric lift on TurfTime infield groomer Raise and lower the Triple Play Infield Groomer without leaving the driver's seat. TurfTime Equipment's electric lift kit low- ers the groomer into working position with the flip of a switch. Big pneumatic tires add even more maneuverability to this sturdy little workhorse. The bolt-on kit can be factory installed, or ordered as the ideal upgrade for units already in the field. From aggressive ripping and grading to leveling and final finishing, the Triple Play is designed to out-perform more expensive groomers. TurfTime Equipment Toro San Pro 5040 With an 18-horsepower engine and hydraulic power steering, the Sand Pro 5040 offers the perfect combi- nation of precision and power. Also featuring the new Quick Attach Sys- tem (QAS), which allows operators, in less than a minute, to switch from among 14 different attachments without the use of any tools. The Toro Company PR72-E Pro Groomer Heying Company produces a full line of quality infield groomers that repair and maintain skin infields. Quickly and easily keep your infield playing surfaces level and in optimal playing condition. Machines available with remote con- trolled electric lift and manual lift. Adjustable implements perform nu- merous tasks including breaking up hard infields. Pull with a variety of tow- ing machines. No tools needed to adjust. Heying Company