STEC Equipment has added the TarpDevil turf cover management system to its portfolio of products designed to help golf course superintendents do their jobs more efficiently.
The TarpDevil system was invented in 2017 by Jordan Kitchen, then the assistant superintendent at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ancaster, Ontario, and manufacturing engineer Ian Trepte. Kitchen has been superintendent of Hamilton GCC since 2020. The course was the site of this year's RBC Canadian Open, a PGA Tour event that rotates through sites in Canada.
Kitchen developed the TarpDevil to make rolling and unrolling turf covers easier, not just at 27-hole Hamilton GCC, but for superintendents everywhere. The system allows superintendents to roll up and store covers faster and with fewer people, freeing up workers to spend time on other tasks. TarpDevil says its customers report reducing the time spent on cover management by 30 percent using the device.
The hydraulically driven device can mount to any tractor and can be used to deploy and remove any permeable or impermeable tarp or cover. Fold the cover to the same width as the roller, and the TarpDevil rolls it up and squeezes out any excess moisture for easy storage.
When he invented TarpDevil, Kitchen said it used to take 12-14 people four days to remove 54 covers. With the help of the TarpDevil, six people were able to remove all 54 covers in three days.
Removing water during a steady and consistent retrieval also helps extend the life of the covers, according to TarpDevil.