Many of our members despair when we start this, but I will run through the reasons why it is so essential.
1. Golf is the only sport played on turf that does not have a closed playing season. All other sports:- Football, Tennis, Bowls, Cricket etc have a large window of opportunity to carry out the essential work that is needed following a seasons play.
2. Compaction, thinning out of the surfaces, thatch build up and sickly Annual meadow grass can all be dealt with during this renovation work.
3. Ideally, this work is carried out in the height of the growing season (August) to speed up recovery, but due to fixtures and the levels of summer play the work is pushed into September.
4. We need warmth in the soil to aid seed germination and help the recovery process.
We start by solid tining the greens to a depth of 300mm with 12mm diameter tines. In the past we have used larger tines, but these have proved too disruptive for the time of year.
We then deep scarify the greens with 3mm wide blades using a pedestrian Graden machine to a depth of 20mm. The debris is blow off the surface and removed. This leaves the grooves open to receive the seed (Bent & Fescue) which is then covered with pure sand dressing.
The dressing is then dragged and brushed into the surface to smooth and bury the seed to protect it during germination.
We then roll the greens repeatedly to again smooth and restore the surfaces.
It is then up to mother nature and the weather to do their stuff.
I know this work is disruptive but the greens have improved year on year following this programme of improvements. Without this, thatch and compaction would build up and disease and Annual meadow grass would become real issues on the greens.
