Hamilton Golf Club has entered what Course Manager Neil Hogg calls its “summer Wiedenmann phase” — when its fleet of specialist turf care machines is fine-tuned for summer maintenance.
Neil joined the Lanarkshire club in December 2022 from Bruntsfield Links GC in Edinburgh, inheriting three key Wiedenmann machines: a Terra Spike GXi8, a Super 500, and a Core Recycler.
“I’ve always liked how Wiedenmann kit works,” says Neil. “It’s well-engineered, reliable, and gets the job done.”
Since then, the fleet has grown through Fairways GM, Wiedenmann’s exclusive Scottish dealer, with a Terra Spike XP in summer 2023, a Mega Twister blower in summer 2024, and most recently a 2.3m Terra Rake in October 2024.
While many clubs use this machinery mainly in autumn and winter, Neil keeps it working year-round.
“In summer, the Terra Rake goes across fairways, aprons, and tees to lift the grass and break up any matting. Particularly with fairways, many turfgrasses spread sideways, and over time this lateral growth can make the surface puffy and uneven. The rake’s spring tines comb through the canopy, tugging at horizontal shoots and leaf blades to keep that in check. The faster we go, the more thatch we remove, keeping the surface open and healthy. Raking acts as a mild stress, shifting the plant’s energy from spreading sideways to growing upright, which produces a denser, more vertical canopy. The light tearing encourages the grass to repair by sending up new vertical shoots.”
The process is followed by a cut with the new Jacobsen LF570 fairway mower and a clean-up pass with the Mega Twister blower.
“The blower was a godsend in winter for clearing leaves, and now it speeds everything up. It’s reliably versatile — standing up the turf, drying it when needed, and leaving a tidy finish. We can rake, cut, and clean in one go.”
Neil says performance is the priority, with improved appearance a welcome bonus.
“When grass lies over, it mats down and the cut suffers. The Terra Rake is like back-combing the turf — once it’s upright, the mower gives a sharper, more even finish.”
The mower is usually set to 10 mm for daily work, but after raking, Neil drops it to 9 mm.
“The Jake’s brand new, so we get a perfect finish. That fresh cut also improves ball roll and makes the course more enjoyable to play.”
The Super 500 is also key in managing the tiger rough, which is topped in summer to encourage healthy regrowth and prevent matting.
“The rough can grow knee-high. When it’s wet, it just flops over and won’t stand back up — a bit like fairways, only on a bigger scale. In autumn, it’s cut back to 5–7 cm to stop leaves becoming trapped. The rake then reduces thatch and bulk, producing finer, softer growth for the following season.
“It’s about long-term improvement as much as presentation,” says Neil. “Better airflow, better recovery, and ultimately, a better playing surface.”
