Sustainability in golf is defined by The R&A as “optimising the playing quality of your golf course, in harmony with the conservation of its natural environment, under economically sound and socially responsible management.”
Tru-Turf has been designing and manufacturing rollers for sustainable rolling perfection for over 35 years, serving more than 7,500 golf courses globally. Rolling is becoming more important than ever because it is a sustainable practice that can reduce overall costs, mowing and chemical usage while increasing player satisfaction and the longevity of turf health.
Rolling smooth and true surfaces reduces the need for frequent mowing and lowers maintenance costs. It minimises disease and pest issues, leading to reduced chemical use. Rolling also improves topdressing, bacterial activity and uniformity of soil moisture, reducing water consumption. By promoting healthier, more resilient turf and preventing issues like frost heaving, rolling supports eco-friendly golf course management, making it a key strategy for sustainability backed by research since 1993.
Tru-Turf’s RE50 is the embodiment of sustainability in golf course maintenance. However, our non-electric rollers are also sustainable options. St Andrews Links, famous for its sustainability programme, has been a Tru-Turf customer for 16 years and uses our entry-level powerhouse RB48. Gordon Moir, former director of greenkeeping at St Andrews Links, told Tru-Turf that he found the rollers to be fast, efficient and smooth, emphasising their reliability and performance as the best in the market (video below). John Spraggs from Royal Wellington Golf Club reports that our RB70 improved their rolling time, reducing maintenance costs by 14.12 percent.
Tru-Turf delivered the first electric roller to Grants Pass GC, Oregon, USA in December 2007. Shortly after, we delivered our first electric roller to Augusta National GC, which was seen being used at the 2024 Masters. Since then, almost 1,000 units of sustainable rolling perfection has been sold around the globe.
There is no other roller to deliver rolling perfection sustainably to 27 holes with power left in a single charge operation. In 2013, Paul L. Carter, director of the GCSAA and superintendent at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, conducted a comparison between gas and electric rollers. The findings were compelling:
R52-ELTac (Tru-Turf electric roller – past model) had no fuel consumption, no waste-oil production and zero CO2 emissions, while the gas roller emitted 8880lbs of CO2. The electric roller saved 87.64 percent in operational costs, highlighting its environmental and economic benefits.
Ben Tilley, president of ASTMA (video above) and superintendent at Headland Golf Club (Australia) highlights the plant health benefits of rolling. Since adopting the rolling programme, they’ve seen no leaf diseases like dollar spot and black helmo. Rolling has become integral during winter maintenance, allowing for higher mowing heights and reduced mowing while maintaining green speed and trueness. The RE50’s quiet operation also enables early morning rolling without disturbing neighbours, ensuring consistent playing surfaces and member satisfaction. Mick Pascoe, now superintendent at Trump International Golf Club, Lido also recalls using the RE50 in Panama, where its quiet performance saved the golf course from noise complaints.
The re-engineered RE50 is powered by the reliable Trojan Battery’s GC2 48V lithium-ion battery which charges in less than four hours, lasts longer and requires virtually no maintenance. Its sustainable design ensures minimal environmental impact while maintaining pristine turf conditions. RE50 is an ultimate solution for the golf course, the greenkeeper, the environment, the golfer and last but not the least – golf.
Join us in embracing the future of course maintenance. The future of rolling is electric. The future of rolling is Tru-Turf.
This article was published in The Golf Business magazine in June 2024. Read here.