fertilzing fairways the hard way Cancel The title field is required!

1. Daniel Jurgens

   

   2 posts
   
   3/8/2012 2:03 AM

   I have about 18 acres of bentgrass fairways on 100% sand and am going to invest in a good slow release application. I have wanted to use my walk spreaders for years to make sure I get the product where I need it and not in the rough and woods. I know it's a lot of work but is probably worth it for this one application. Anyone else doing this regularly? What's a good system? We have 2 Scotts spreaders so will need three guys, one on the cart with the material. Any other opinions or advise?
   Dan Jurgens, kragero golf resort, norway

   
   
   
   
2. Anthony Nysse

   

   1 posts
   
   3/8/2012 5:03 AM

   I've only ever seen it done with 6-8 staffers on 25 acres of fairways and THAT took forever. If you have the staff and money, I'd invest in more spreaders and add more walkers. At the end of the day, I'd question whether you'd see the benefits for the time and money

   
   
   
   
3. Clay Putnam

   

   33 posts
   
   3/8/2012 5:03 AM

   Wow. I would want to make sure I had spotters placing flags on the edge of the throw lines to make sure I had an even distribution. Otherwise, walking could be an incredible failure.

   
   
   
   
4. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   3/8/2012 6:03 AM

   Instead of push spreading, why don't you look at a smaller spreader that just doesn't throw as wide. Something like the Herd spreaders or electric Lesco or Ev-N-Spread's.
   
   If you do plan on doing this though, I'd go 3-9 to make sure the skips aren't seen from the tee. And also avoid using multiple spreaders on the same hole as no matter how good you think you have them set, they won't be equal due to spreader discrepancies and walk speed.

   
   
   
   
5. Steven Huffstutler

   

   11 posts
   
   3/8/2012 6:03 AM

   I have only seen this done during a grow in on 100% sand and a steep slope. As soon as we could get a tractor and Vicon on it, we did. I wouldn't do what you are proposing to do, but....whatever makes you happy is ok with me.
   
   Regards,
   
   Steve

   
   
   
   
6. Kyle Fick

   

   4 posts
   
   3/8/2012 8:03 AM

   That sounds like a process to avoid. I would think with a slow release, and you split the app rate in half and go 2 directions, you'd mask over any skips, overlaps and odd curved lines. We apply everything at the half rate and cross at a 45 degree angle (I prefer they go 9-3 and then angle across to not see from tee), and with that slow release, you'll never know what happened. Also, if you don't like the large area spreaders, we purchased a cart mounted anderson's something or other last summer to use on seed beds and high traffics. It throughs about 25' depending on the prill size and product, but you can see it no problem. We've calibrated it at numerous rates, keep it in a 3200 workman and then you know legs aren't getting tired and rates are consistant. Thinking of even trying it on greens for some products as we all know the speed up hill is always slower than downhill, and good luck with any individual maintaining a consistant mph.
   
   My thoughts, take it or leave it.
   
   Kyle Fick

   
   
   
   
7. James Schmid

   

   1 posts
   
   3/8/2012 8:03 AM

   I worked at a place where we did that once. It worked out pretty good. You may actually end up saving money in the end. Labor will cost more, but you, as you said, won't be wasting product in the roughs and native areas.
   
   I don't think you will need 6 or 8 or 10 guys or anything like that. Think about it this way. If 1 or 2 guys can complete 3 or 4 acres of greens in one day, then the same 2 guys should be able to complete 18 acres of fairways in 4-6 days. Just do a couple a day.

   
   
   
   
8. Keith Fellenstein

   

   0 posts
   
   3/8/2012 10:03 AM

   Did that once on overseeded fairways during a wet fall. Didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would and results were as good or better than larger spreaders. If I recall correctly 2-3 guys 1 1/2 days over 20 something acres. There wasn't any play because of the wet conditions which helped tremendously.

   
   
   
   
9. Jason Boyce

   

   0 posts
   
   3/8/2012 1:03 PM

   I have actually done this the last few years. I have 4 people.. 2 with the spreaders and two with the product. It does not take as long as you think. I have 21 Acres of property and did it over two mornings. I have them follow the fairway cutting lines at a predetermined spacing.
   
   On another note...
   
   If you know your fairway area, I worked out a secondary check system, which I think is very important. My total fairway square footage will say is 1 million square feet... my #1 fairway is 65,000 square feet.. so my #1 fairway is 6.5% of my total acreage. If you are looking at putting down 130 bags of total fertilizer I will want to put down 8.45 bags of fertilizer on this fairway.
   
   This is a great check system as you have different people possible walking different speeds or walking slower or faster as the job carries on in the morning. I have this spelled out for every fairway so my staff can check hole by hole to see how accurate they are.
   
   I will be doing the same again this year... I liked it.
   
   Jason Boyce
   Smuggler's Glen Golf Course
   Gananoque, Ontario
   http://www.smugglersglen.com

   
   
   
   
10. Larry Allan

    

    0 posts
    
    3/8/2012 2:03 PM

    Just a thought, but you could melt down some Umaxx in a spray tank and spray the required amount. You can spray it at a fairly high rate and wash it in with a couple of spins of the heads. Accuracy would be far better than any spreader and none ends up in the rough.
    Call me lazy but I would kill myself before I would ever walk spread a fairway

    
    
    
    
11. Baker Daniel

    
    3/8/2012 3:03 PM

    So I've had to do this a gagillion times as an intern/assistant. We did the fairways with walk spreaders montly and all the granular pre-emergent went out with walk spreaders. Nothing like walk spreading a whole course (120A) in two days. Here's my take on it:
    
    Don't do it. When you use a Lely or other large area spreader, you throw 50-60 feet per pass. You make 2-3 passes and have an opportunity for error 2-3 times. With a quality operator and a spotter flagging the fert, you should be able to do this efficiently. The down side is that you will spill some over into the rough areas and must walk the areas around the greens tie in.
    
    If you insist, I would advise that you have at least 4 spreaders, 2 guys hauling bags, and one guy flagging. The guys on the spreaders need to be your superstars. Calibrate to the walking speed of your best guy and have him take the lead. Everyone else keeps up and watches their distribtoun and spread width. With the right guys we could put down a 5lbs/M app over 35A in 5 hours going the long way. The guys hauling bags should have a water cooler with them for everyone. Make sure your guys know they need to bring their walking shoes and to leave their complaints at the door.
    
    Giddy Up!

    
    
    
    
12. McCallum David K

    
    3/9/2012 10:03 AM

    Well Red we now knowing your breaking point. Lets hope it never comes to that.

    
    
    
    
13. Robert Crockett

    

    4 posts
    
    3/9/2012 11:03 AM

    Daniel Baker said: So I've had to do this a gagillion times as an intern/assistant. We did the fairways with walk spreaders montly and all the granular pre-emergent went out with walk spreaders. Nothing like walk spreading a whole course (120A) in two days. Here's my take on it:
    
    Don't do it. When you use a Lely or other large area spreader, you throw 50-60 feet per pass. You make 2-3 passes and have an opportunity for error 2-3 times. With a quality operator and a spotter flagging the fert, you should be able to do this efficiently. The down side is that you will spill some over into the rough areas and must walk the areas around the greens tie in.
    
    If you insist, I would advise that you have at least 4 spreaders, 2 guys hauling bags, and one guy flagging. The guys on the spreaders need to be your superstars. Calibrate to the walking speed of your best guy and have him take the lead. Everyone else keeps up and watches their distribtoun and spread width. With the right guys we could put down a 5lbs/M app over 35A in 5 hours going the long way. The guys hauling bags should have a water cooler with them for everyone. Make sure your guys know they need to bring their walking shoes and to leave their complaints at the door.
    
    Giddy Up!

    
    Definately on the Lely.....That's all I have and it's better than nothing. On the walk spreaders you could hook up the little foam marker kit sold by R&R (I'm sure there are others to purchase from), that would free up the spotter.

    
    
    
    
14. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    3/9/2012 1:03 PM

    I know I don't have the staff to do that and even if I did, I would come up missing until my bloated body floated to the top of the irrigation lake,
    
    but my question is, what is the cost of what maybe 18 more bags of fertilizer, compared to labor cost? I remember last place I was at, I was using a homogeneous product and it cost me about $51 per acre, (2002) and on my athletic fields I was using a sulfur coated product to save money and spending about $20, my cost saving on product was $775 per application over the sulfur coated product (if I did my math right) but the results were much better, and then I looked to make up that extra cost elsewhere.
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
    
    
15. Daniel Jurgens

    

    2 posts
    
    3/9/2012 2:03 PM

    Thanks for the feedback although some differing opinions on the topic! I might try a couple of my leaner fairways to give it a try anyways. I have foam markers on my spreaders so pretty confident on the coverage. Or I can do it in the dew. We are par 70, fairly short wooded course so don't have huge fairways to deal with. I see the point about the labor equaling the extra bags though so nothing I would ever start doing regularly. Good to hear how others have done it though.

    
    
    
    
16. Chris Cook

    

    0 posts
    
    3/9/2012 3:03 PM

    The last place I worked, the super wanted us to keep the fairway fertilizer off of the rough so we used a PTO Vicon approx. 35' throw and work our way down one side of the fairway. Once the return pass was done we had lots of flagged triangles and sometimes thin strips along the edge to make up with the walk spreader. This way we only had to walk spread about 10% of the total area. Seemed to accomplish the mission without killing everyone involved.

    
    
    
    
17. Mark Van Lienden

    

    14 posts
    
    3/14/2012 11:03 AM

    We once hooked a hitch on to a club car back to the front of the spreader and ran a rod back to the on off lever.We then took off the kick stand and away we went.It was slow but better than walking.

    
    
    
    
18. Sean Monahan

    

    0 posts
    
    4/1/2012 7:04 PM

    {This message was deleted in conjunction with GCSAA's forum policies.}

    
    
    
    
19. Nicolas Davies

    

    0 posts
    
    4/3/2012 10:04 AM

    Daniel done 9 holes regularly on north facing slope which always layed much wetter than rest of course in spring.
    
    Big but the walking speed differential was extremely high between guys and from morning until lunch time so only do out of necessity.
    
    nic

    
    
    
    
20. Wallace Jeffrey V

    
    4/3/2012 11:04 AM

    Sean Monahan said: {This message was deleted in conjunction with GCSAA's forum policies.}

    
    
    Sean,
    
    What could have you have possibly written on a fertilizing thread to get deleted? You didn't use the word "prill" did you?

    
    
    
    
21. Sean Monahan

    

    0 posts
    
    4/4/2012 6:04 PM

    I referenced the dinner scene in Caddyshack when Rodney Dangerfield makes a comment to Judge Smails' wife which includes the phrase "the hard way".