Head greenkeeper Stuart Broom at Honiton Golf Club has welcomed a new Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi8 HD as replacement for his 17-year-old Terra Spike XF.

Honiton’s long-serving XF deep aerator was one of the first ‘extra fast’ models sold in the UK and has done the East Devon club proud.

“It’s been fantastic on our greens for so long,” said Stuart Broom, “It’s done everything we asked, and we opted not to trade it in but let it continue on our walkways.”

The GXi8 HD was bought from local Wiedenmann UK dealer, Masons Kings at Newton Abbott, under the care of Lee Kirk, Turf Area Sales Consultant.

“Buying another Wiedenmann was an easy decision. We just upgraded; it’s a bit quicker, a bit wider and a bit smoother. It will do a brilliant job. The 20 cm difference means two extra legs, so more tine holders and a little more productivity.

“Ours is a parkland course, 850 feet above sea level, but very flat, which allows some stunning views. It’s clay-based; quite wet in the winter but the winds are our saviour, drying things up fast.”

Stuart, and his team of five, have an established effective aeration programme which helps keep the quality and consistency of their greens, tees and approaches.

““We hire in an air injection system in the Winter, then regular deep tine aeration throughout the season with the Terra Spike. The combination really suits us. We try to spike with 8 mm tines every month, and in September, we have a maintenance period where we aerate all the greens twice across the week, firstly with 20 mm tines and then a follow up with 8 mm tines.

“We use the 8 mm pencil tines a lot on the course. We do it over two mornings, out at 6.00 am, staying ahead of play and then back in before 10.00 am, as by then, there are golfers all over the course.

“We find if we give the greens a roll the members never know we’ve been out. We don’t need to roll the greens afterwards, but we choose to as the members are following on behind.”

Stuart, who has been at the club for eight years, took the Head Greenkeeper position six months prior to the pandemic.