Green irons

[mcbroon]

Our club have just invested in a green iron. Can anyone tell me how they work?

For example, a couple of our greens had trenches dug in them a couple of years ago to improve drainage. The turf was replaced and has grown back but the greens are no longer flat - you can still very obviously where the trenches were dug. There are ruts about 8 inches wide across both greens. Will a green iron flatten these out?

 

[garyinderry]

prepare to learn to hit your putts a lot easier. when my home club got one for the first time I raced a 10 foot putt miles past.


you soon get to love it. smoothens out the green so well it should be mandatory for golf clubs.

 

[BTatHome]

I know of some greenkeepers that don't like them, and plenty that do. So long as they are not overused I'm sure they are fine.

 

[Foxholer]

It's not so much an 'iron' as a roller. But it flattens the greens brilliantly.

There are some side effects from the compaction, but well worthwhile imo!

 

[patricks148]

Our club have just invested in a green iron. Can anyone tell me how they work?

For example, a couple of our greens had trenches dug in them a couple of years ago to improve drainage. The turf was replaced and has grown back but the greens are no longer flat - you can still very obviously where the trenches were dug. There are ruts about 8 inches wide across both greens. Will a green iron flatten these out?

my place has a couple, no idea why we needed two esp and they don't bother doing them on a Sat before a comp

Sort of smooth the greens.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We hired one for club champs a few years back and it led to compaction and moss issues we're only just getting over. That said, having putted on ironed greens they are so different. Pick your spot and go. Perfect roll but boy are they quick. Much quicker than before they were done and do take getting use to

 

[Deleted member 15344]

It's pretty much a heavy roller but care must be taken when using them to ensure its not used to much

Lots of rotating between the iron and the brush cutter

They will make your greens a lot more quicker and smoother

 

[Keeno]

Our place has one and as has been said they do make the green quicker and smoother.

We alternate during the summer months. Cut one day, iron the next, etc etc. Seems to work well

 

[chrisd]

We got one last year and its used about 3 times a week. It certainly quickens the putts and smooths out the roll. It takes time to roll but, apparently, the saving on grass cutting when its used saves manpower

 

[cookelad]

They hired one at Aldersey one year and it actually made the greens play like greens, then they decided the roller on the mower was enough and sent it back! Idiots!

SHGC now looking at buying one, with the speed of our greens already I actually hope they don't!!!

 

[chrisd]

Just as an add on to my last post

We got one after trialing it and, as was said "visiting golfers always talk about how good or bad the greens are at the end of a round, not about the fairways"

 

[mcbroon]

I'll be interested to see the impact, then. Our greens have historically been very good but the deluge a couple of summers back put them under strain, hence the drainage work. Prior to that, they were in good nick and rolling quite nicely and last summer they were getting back to their best.

If they get quicker, there'll be some scary putts on some of the greens if you go past the hole

 

[the smiling assassin]

we've had one for a couple of years. last season our greens were the best i played anywhere, which was a impressive considering that 4-5 years ago they nearly lost a couple of greens following the horrendous winter.