Turf Gamechanger

The market for machines for the maintenance of golf courses is worth billions of euros, with rather traditional methods being used. The method by the Finnish company Turf Gamechanger covers up to eight stages of golf course maintenance with a single machine, and it is also suited for the maintenance of other high-quality lawns.

Goals and objectives:

  • The goal was to create a machine platform that can take care of almost all important maintenance work on golf courses by incorporating all the work stages in a single machine: cutting, aerification, hollow coring and verticutting, debris collection and transportation, top-dressing transportation and spreading, seeding, fertilizing, brushing and rolling.
  • The planning started from scratch, however with a carefully considered concept in mind.
  • The project required a variety of work, ranging from mechanics to electrical design, automation, hydraulics, safety features and technical calculations.

Results:

  • The project implemented practically all aspects of the concept on a tight schedule.
  • Versatile utilization and modifiability of the patented trailer enables the performance of up to eight work stages with a single machine and in a single run.
  • Optimally smooth traction on delicate lawns in a variety of driving conditions.
  • Automation based on the global navigation satellite system (GNSS): the machine collects measurement data from the soil and vegetation, which is sent to a back-end system. The system processes the data and returns it to the machine in the form of operating instructions and accurate dosing practices.
  • When all factors involving course maintenance are accounted for (working hours, staff resources, logistics and machinery) the Turf Gamechanger saves at least 30% in staff, material and investment expenses. The maintenance quality is considerably better and the time spent on maintenance is also minimized.
“Once the concept was decided on, I was surprised that all that we had been hoping for actually fitted into the frame I had been planning for decades. The planning has led to almost all of the features being implemented.” – Ilkka Kaivosoja, Turf Gamechanger