What is the Benefit of Hedgehog Wheels

[GB72]

My club has always had an annual requirement from November to April to have Hedgehogs on any trolley. Out of the blue this morning the membership received an email from the club stating that the requirement had been rescinded and we were now only to use normal trolley wheels. The reason given was that the milder winter meant that they were dragging mud onto the area in front of the clubhouse. This sounds a bit spurious to me as we have had mild spells before and the ban has not been lifted. The email also implies that these wheels are only of any benefit to the course in frosty conditions.

We had a change of head greenkeeper over the summer and I am wondering whether (as I have sometimes thought) these wheels actually cause as much, if not more, damage as normal trolley wheels. They certainly do not offer much more grip and clog up quite easily in the mud.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

They stop the trolley from skidding and wheel spinning up slight inclines and basically just grip during the softer months.

At the moment they are possibly putting fairly deep holes in soft fairways

 

[matt611]

I've always thought that there wasn't much benefit in using hedgehog wheels. Our place just bans trolleys if necessary.

 

[DCB]

Some of the slipping and sliding from trolleys can make a right mess and churn up the soft grass which has no chance of recovering at this time of year. Hedgehogs don't seem to cause the slipping and sliding but do still churn up given the right conditions. I think the Powakaddy winter wheels are about the best answer.

 

[CMAC]

ridiculous things these hedgehog wheels, a smooth flat wheel surely causes less damage than one with big nodules sticking into the ground, apart from up steep hills etc

As always though I'd rather carry unless its a 36 hole comp or a boiling day (whatever they are:smirk

 

[Fyldewhite]

I was sceptical too but I was told by a greenkeeper that flat wheels squash the grass down into the underying mud killing it and the spin also damages the grass by ripping out it's roots. Hedgehog wheels don't spin and don't flatten the grass as much meaning less damage and quicker recovery. Seems reasonable to me.

Edit:
This is from the Hedgehog website, hardly independent but seems to support what I was told......

Normal flat golf trolley wheels are generally banned over the winter period due to what is known as ‘compaction and smearing’. The larger surface area of flat wheels compacts the ground and, because of a lack of grip, they also skid and cause damage - particularly where teeing areas and greens are exited.

But special parabolic studs on the Hedgehog wheels reduce contact with the soil surface by over 85%. By fitting Hedgehogs, the weight is displaced and in really wet areas you just leave small dimples in your trolley’s wake.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

They stop the trolley from skidding and wheel spinning up slight inclines and basically just grip during the softer months.

At the moment they are possibly putting fairly deep holes in soft fairways

Only if you have Adizero Hedgehogs :ears:

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Only if you have Adizero Hedgehogs :ears:

:rofl:

My god that was that poor it's funny

 

[el marko]

I was one of the skeptics of these wheels thinking that surely they would be even worse. However during current weather and the ground being waterlogged i was using my trolley and it was leaving horrendous trails behind me, my friend using hedgehog wheels was leaving no marks in the fairway and i presume creating holes for drainage too???

So yes they make a huge difference

 

[Deleted member 18588]

I have to admit that I had not got a clue as to what were Hedgehog wheels.

Having now looked them up on the web I cannot see what benefit they are likely to provide in view of the relatively low power of electric trolleys.

If the ground is waterlogged the trail left by normal wheels will recover very quickly.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I have to admit that I had not got a clue as to what were Hedgehog wheels.

Having now looked them up on the web I cannot see what benefit they are likely to provide in view of the relatively low power of electric trolleys.

If the ground is waterlogged the trail left by normal wheels will recover very quickly.

It doesn't recover quickly though - because of the amount of traffic on the flat wheel and the weight of the soft ground does quite considerable damage. The low power element doesn't really matter

 

[Deleted member 18588]

It doesn't recover quickly though - because of the amount of traffic on the flat wheel and the weight of the soft ground does quite considerable damage. The low power element doesn't really matter

Well it certainly does recover quickly at our club. Apart from anything else each trolley leaves different marks, they are not all running on rails or in ruts.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

might help if folks dumped their power trolleys for pull/push ones and maybe used a lighter bag and carried less stuff.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

might help if folks dumped their power trolleys for pull/push ones and maybe used a lighter bag and carried less stuff.

Hear! Hear!

But just as everybody apparently has the right to play 365 days a year regardless of course conditions so they must always be able to use trolleys and carry enormous bags.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Hear! Hear!

But just as everybody apparently has the right to play 365 days a year regardless of course conditions so they must always be able to use trolleys and carry enormous bags.

just wait a few minutes and you'll find out how wrong and misguided you are...

 

[GB72]

Back injuries from 27 years playing in the front row is why I don't carry. Happy to oblige with whatever rules the greenkeepers want in place to keep the course in top condition

 

[NorfolkShaun]

have seen people use them at my place but they are not required.

Was told in the shop that the head green keeper prefers them not to be used

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We only have nine holes open and its carry only so hopefully the grass isn't getting too battered