Jacobsen, Precision Turf prepare field for Gold Cup soccer matches

Jacobsen, a Textron company, has played a key role in the preparation for Gold Cup quarterfinal soccer matches that were held in Atlanta, Ga., recently.

Eric Holland, Precision Turf, uses a Ransomes Mastiff walk-behind mower to maintain the natural grass soccer field his team installed in Atlanta, Ga. Photo: Jacobsen

Sports turf contractor Precision Turf installed a temporary natural grass field above the permanent artificial playing surface for the two quarterfinal matches.

Precision Turf requested the use of Ransomes Mastiff walk-behind mowers, manufactured by Ransomes Jacobsen in the UK. The mowers are specifically designed to maintain athletic fields.

“We saw the Mastiffs at the Sports Turf Managers Association conference earlier this year and thought they would be ideal for this project,” said Eric Holland, Precision Turf. “We love the quality-of-cut and the beautiful striping they provide.”

For Precision Turf, which has completed five indoor natural turf installations since 2009, mowing the grass is the easy part. The company typically grows more than 120,000 square feet of sod on its farm outside of Atlanta specifically for this application. The company transports the sod in rolls to the dome where a fascinating transformation takes place.

After the stadium crew covers the artificial playing surface with a tarp and plywood, Precision Turf lays down strips of sod approximately 45’ in length. Each piece is meticulously adjusted to ensure a true and level playing surface. After installation, the turf is heavily watered, rolled in two directions, and mowed with four Ransomes Mastiff mowers. The whole process takes less than three days.

“We’ve seen a great deal of interest in the U.S. for the Ransomes Mastiff walk-behind mowers,” said Jacobsen Product Manager Bryan Holby. “Sports turf managers like the productivity of the mower’s 36” width-of-cut along with the vivid striping it produces.”

Precision Turf’s crew was supplemented by a group of local sports turf managers and suppliers who volunteered to help out for the event.

“For our team, the biggest challenges isn’t here at the stadium, it’s managing the grass back at the sod farm,” said Holland. “In preparation for a February of 2011 match it rained so much that we rented helicopters to hover over the fields and dry out the grass. Now that was a sight to see.”

A fleet of four Ransomes Mastiff walk-behind mowers prepare the natural grass soccer field for a recent Gold Cup soccer tournament in Atlanta, Ga. Photo: Jacobsen