Singapore: Centaur Asia-Pacific is continuing to bring a welcome breath of fresh air to many of the region’s foremost golf courses.

With offices in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, golf courses, sports fields, nurseries, as well as parks and landscapes in both the private and public sector, are served by Centaur, a long-standing Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

Within its management team, Centaur has more than 220 years of experience working in Asia and continues to introduce the professional sports turf industry’s leading innovative products into the region.

The ethos of this approach, says Centaur, is to raise turf performance by solving common issues with creative solutions such as aerating using the Air2G2 from Campey Turf Care Systems.

Campey, also a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation, has consistently introduced some of the most innovative machinery the turf industry has seen.

“Campey’s desire to improve turf standards through new machinery is aligned with Centaur’s and has been the basis of a prominent partnership which has brought machines like the Air2G2 to the Asian market,” said Jeffrey Eshuis, Managing Director for Centaur Asia-Pacific, Hong Kong.

“Unlike any other machine, the Air2G2 can aerate greens when they are wet or dry while causing no disruption to the surface and allowing play to continue immediately.

“The pressurised air is injected from three probes up to a depth of 12-inches and nine feet in diameter, fracturing the ground horizontally and forcing the air upward to de-compact the soil around the root zone, reducing any shallow or deep compaction and aiding the movement of water throughout the profile.

“Incorporating the Air2G2 into your regular maintenance programme can help greens drain much quicker during heavy downpours and improve root development and playability. The compact size of the machine makes it ideal for any heavily used areas such as pathways and any space a larger tractor-mounted unit cannot access,” added Eshuis.

The latest venue to benefit from Centaur’s expertise is the venerable Singapore Island Country Club (SICC), a Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.

Led by Bryan Littlejohn, Business Manager (Sales and Services) and Ah Fei (Service Manager), Centaur has conducted operator training with SICC greenkeepers on the recently delivered Air2G2.

“While the Air2G2 is an exceptionally efficient tool, sometimes a more radical change in the soil structure is needed on larger areas, and Centaur’s use of the Koro Recycling Dresser provides precisely that.

“The machine aerates both horizontally and vertically, lifting the soil from the root zone and redistributing it onto the surface while eliminating layering and compaction.

“All of the nutrients, underlying fertilisers and trace elements lying dormant in the soil can then be revitalised and reused. This process reduces the need for top-dressing because the existing material is utilised, saving time, money and fuel,” said Eshuis.