Weekend Update

A busy week on the course with real grass growth throughout the course.
It's been our week of bunker & banking maintenance, which as you can imagine is a time consuming job. The rough has received a full cut with a few new areas being included to speed up play. The greens received an application of wetting agent during the rain on Monday, which was ideal for washing it into the profile.
All the work we have carried out on the greens is now starting to kick in, with a real growth spurt and seed germinating in all areas. The problem with these flushes of growth is slower putting speeds and also the Poa Annua taking on a brownish tinge due to fungal infection. It is not Fusarium Patch disease as we experienced in November, but a naturally occurring discoloration of the leaf and would quickly grow out. But following the impact of the attack last Autumn, I applied a systemic fungicide to prevent further discolouration.
To speed up the surfaces, we have reduced the height of cut and started using the brush on the greens mower. Reducing the height of cut has to be balanced against the needs of the new seedlings.
Matt Shimwell (the new Course Manager) has been working with us for 2 days this week, getting re-acquainted with our practices. This way, the hand over should be seamless.
Have a great weekend.

Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update.

It's been a busy few weeks catching up with outstanding jobs and tidying throughout the course.
The dry weather really has really helped turn things round for us. The only downside is the strong easterly winds which never promote growth across the course. Great if your trying to catch up with cutting, but not so good when you need to promote growth on the greens to aid recovery.
The greens were over-seeded with 180 kg's of Fescue/Bent seed on Tuesday using a hired in machine. This was followed by a top-dressing of sand . The Irrigation system is now up and running, so we have been watering daily to wash the dressing in and stop the surfaces from drying out too much. The greens have been ironed and a liquid application of Nitrogen and trace elements has been applied. Now we wait for the seed to germinate and grow in. We will be applying another light sand dressing on Monday to further smooth the surfaces.
Another downside of the wind is the sand being blown from bunkers, we have worked really hard blowing the sand back in, but please be understanding if you do end up in a bare lie in a bunker.

Enjoy Captains Round 1 this weekend.

Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update.

Well what a difficult week!
FYI, We do not shut the course to gain some perverse pleasure and deliberately wind the members up!
The course is only closed during periods of exceptionally bad weather to prevent damage in a variety of areas. We carry out a full course inspection first thing in the morning to determine conditions, as rainfall can be extremely localised.
The past 2 weeks, since Storm Doris, have been some of the most testing for Greenkeeping and course management I have known. The combination of heavy, persistent rain, followed by sunny days is the perfect storm for frustrated members and Greenkeepers. When the soil is saturated, it takes hours for surface water to disappear. But while the puddles may disappear, the ground is still full of water. Consequently, even small amounts of rainfall bring the puddles back slowing the drying process down even more.
The course has 2 distinct characters. Holes 1,2,3,16,17 & 18 are built on soil which drains much quicker than all the holes over Trub Brook. The contours across the course, gather rainfall into low lying areas. These areas have been drained, but following persistent rain, the drainage process slows.
Recent conditions have even stopped the Greenstaff from gaining access to the course to carry out work. The last thing we want to do, is cause damage ourselves when we are so close to the start of the season. While allowing play during poor conditions would keep some happy, the damage will linger on well into the season annoying all who play.
FYI. From 1/1/2016 to 10/3/2016 there were 18 days when the course was closed.
      From 1/1/2017 to 10/3/2017 there have been 9 days when the course was closed.

Despite the wet conditions, we have managed to start putting sand in the new bunkers and renovating the old. The additional seeding to the main greens has been delayed, as has the installation of the Perma Trak material around the 1st tee. As soon as conditions improve, these jobs will be completed.
Kevin Butler, a member of the Greens team, is leaving us today for pastures new (and dry, S&A). He has been a much valued member of staff for the last 5 years and we wish him well.
Fingers crossed for the weekend.

Mark & the Greens team

Weekend Update

Well the weather has really turned the screw the last 10 days. We are still trying to recover from storm Doris, well saturated soil has received regular top ups throughout the week, with no end in sight.
As we are getting closer to the season, any damage created now will have a bigger impact due to a short time window for recovery.

The new bunkers are now shaped, cleaned out and ready for the sand which will arrive on 6th March. Ground conditions may restrict access to them, but as soon as conditions allow, the sand will go in.
The weather has also pushed back the laying of the Perma-trak material on the paths around the 1st tee. The construction is complete and currently we expect the work to be completed the week of 13th March. The tarmac will be laid after this time.
The last few turfing jobs have been completed around the course and the carry on the 6th hole has been cleared and seeded. This area will hopefully speed up play and also allow more varied access to the 6th fairway.

The Tenax material has now been laid on the 2nd & 16th paths. This will receive an application of fertiliser next week to encourage the grass to grow thru the material. The paths will then be ready for use.

Fingers crossed for the weekend.

Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update

A really busy week on the course with drying conditions allowing us to press ahead with the construction and turfing on the 1st tee.

The 1st has been a really big project, which we started in November and has had many stages. Clearance, drainage, irrigation, shaping and the routing of the new paths as well as the provision of a buggy/trolley park. The weather has always dictated the pace of the work and recently we have managed to finish shaping and moving the rootzone material onto the new Ladies/Winter tee. This week we laid over 500 sq/m of turf and I estimate another 300 m will finish the job next week. The Rubber/aggregate path material is due to be laid by the contractors on or around the  22/23 February, as always this will be weather dependent. Soon after this, the tarmac will be laid near the Pro's shop.

The Tee will be in play for the Lady Captains drive-in and should provide a much improved surface.

Next week, we plan to carry out some early renovation work on the greens. Hollow-tining, over-seeding, top-dressing and the application of a granular fertiliser will all hopefully be completed. We hope this will provide the  greens with everything they need for an early improvement in the surfaces.

Fingers crossed the forecast snow flurries don't materialise for the weekend.

Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update.

The weather has really improved today, with almost spring like conditions. Much better than the drizzle, fog and cloud earlier in the week.

The Greens were slit on Monday & Tuesday to help keep the surfaces open and aid drainage. This was followed by a cut with the hand mowers (which we always try to use during the winter months) to restore the surfaces. The penetrant is still helping reduce the dew in the mornings and this will also help the greens fend of any disease outbreaks.

The construction work on the 1st tee continues when conditions allow, the surfacing of the paths will take place in late February/early March as temperatures need to be higher for the materials to look their best. The bank at the front of the Men's tee will be turfed next week and more work will be carried out on the Ladies/Winter tee, including the installation of sprinklers.

The bunker renovation work continues with the 10th greenside bunkers being dug out and prepared for turf. The turf will be delivered next week, so that will keep us busy.

The fairways will be slit throughout next week and we will then move onto the approaches and semi-rough. It would probably be better to use your fairway mat on most holes as this can be quite disruptive.

Have a great weekend.

Mark & the Greens team.

Christmas Update.

A busy few weeks, with favorable weather helping us move around the course.

The work has continued on the 1st tee and putting green area. with the new path fully stoned and compacted all the way to the 1st carry. The ground conditions have been testing due to the nature of the infill material used when the Ladies tee was constructed. The base of the new Ladies/Winter tee has been formed and covered with drainage stone. The next step in early January will be to install irrigation and spread the rootzone ready for turfing in late January. The other paths will then be prepared for the contractors to surface in February/March. As always, this schedule will be heavily dependent on the weather.

The greens have received a micro-tining to keep the surfaces open and aid recovery from the Fusarium in November. They have also been sprayed with a penetrant and a micro nutrient liquid to ward off further disease attacks.

We are continuing to cut them with hand mowers which should keep the surfaces tidy.

The bunker renovation work is continuing, with 2 completed and 2 more in various stages of completion. We are waiting for a turf delivery at the start of January and by then, a couple more should be ready. Some remedial work has also been carried out to the L/H bunker on the 17th green. These areas are GUR until Spring.

Merry Christmas to everybody from the Greenstaff.

Weekend Update

Well the course is drying out nicely following Mondays deluge. FYI we actually had more rainfall in 24 hours ( 46mm ) than we did last Boxing day. The course stood up to it so well, and was open for play the next day on main greens with just buggies restricted.

The greens are continuing their recovery from the Fusarium outbreak and the surfaces are dry and firm. Lets hope the scars fill in some more before the end of the year.

Work has carried on around the 1st tee, with 3 large Sycamore's being removed. I know there is always controversy when we remove trees, but Sycamore's are not a good tree to have close to playing areas on a golf course. The large leaves kill grass in the Autumn, change the nature of soil and grass species and they encourage the development of moss. The roots also cause heave and restrict drainage. 

With the path alterations we intend to complete around the 1st tee, they really did need to be felled.

The Path on the 16th hole has been turfed, but we are awaiting delivery of some more on Monday to complete the work on the 12th. When this has settled we will place the ground stabilisation matting and apply some fertiliser to encourage growth and rooting. Please keep off these areas till recovery is complete.

The course has received some mowing to tidy areas up for the weekend and the bunkers have been raked and sand pushed back up the faces. 

Next week we intend to slit the greens, approaches and start the fairways. Work will also continue on the 1st tee and some bunker renovation.

Enjoy the weekend.

Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update

Well, just like last year, the Winter has arrived in the middle of November. As i sit writing this, the course is closed following heavy rain & sleet. The temperature is 4 degrees and more rain/sleet is forecast.


Despite this, we have been busy on the course this week. 
The greens were slit on Monday with little surface disruption. They were also cut & ironed on Wednesday to further restore the surfaces. The Fusarium scars are recovering and the greens certainly look much improved from 2 weeks ago. Lets hope the seedlings continue to develop and fill in the gaps.
We have continued our work on the 12th & 16th paths, with drainage gullies installed, surface preparation work done and turf laid. The plan is to introduce some ground stabilisation material onto these areas the same as we have used on the 4th hole. This should spread the wear and combined with the hard wearing turf should provide sustainable grass walkways. The teeing area on the 12th has been moved to the start of the fairway to ease traffic issues.
The bunkers renovation work has started on the 3rd hole. These bunkers suffer badly from stone contaminated sand and overhanging faces. They will be lined to prevent this and filled with fresh sand. We plan to rebuild 9 more across the course.
More work has been carried out on the 1st tee, but conditions are difficult due to the weather. When conditions improve, the drainage carpet for the new tee will be installed and more work on the paths will be carried out.


Have a great weekend.


Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update

A difficult week weather wise, with heavy frost and persistent rain. The course was closed for 3 hours on Wednesday and all day Thursday. The water is just not moving through the soil profile following a drier than average September & October. When we slit the fairways last week, the blades were not going all the way in due to the compaction in the soil. Hopefully, conditions will improve following more aeration.

The 1st tee is now roughly shaped and the new Tee to fairway path has been shaped. Work will continue when the weather allows. 

We have started digging out some of our stone paths, with the 12th & 16th being the first. We plan to remove all the stone in these areas, creating a wider turf path which will feature ground stabilisation material and hardy Rye grass. We hope that these paths will provide a long lasting, relatively maintenance free alternative to stone paths. If successful, we will convert more paths to turf.

Fingers crossed for the weekends weather.

Mark & the Greens team.

Course Update.

As you will no doubt be aware, the greens have suffered an attack of Fusarium Patch disease.

Fusarium is a constant threat throughout the Autumn and only needs the right conditions to take hold.

Unfortunately, the late timing of the renovation work has provided the perfect conditions for an outbreak.

The sand applied to the greens to fill the tine holes has smothered the grass plant and because of the damp, dewie conditions the base of the turf has been infected and the disease has spread throughout the plant. The damp conditions at this time of year make it difficult to work the sand into the putting surfaces, reducing the chance of an attack. This has been exaggerated by weather fronts coming from the east, which have reduced soil temperatures leading to slow growth and little recovery from the renovation work. 

We regularly spray Fungicide to prevent these attacks, but turf covered in sand offers little leaf for the chemicals to attach to and prevent the disease.

There are 2 types of Fungicide:-  Contact, which lands on the active disease and kill it instantly, but offers no further prevention and Systemic, which is absorbed into the plant and inoculates it against further attack.

We have sprayed Systemic Fungicide 3 times this Autumn (last on 28/10/16)  and a Contact this Tuesday.  Each application costs between £750 & £600.

Members regularly ask me why we renovate greens in the playing season and sadly the reason is now plain to see.

On a positive note, the grass which has been killed is the weaker Annual Meadow grass (Poa Annua) and the seedlings from the renovation work are now coming through to take their place. A granular fertiliser has been applied as well as Iron and a penetrant wetting agent. These should help speed up recovery as long as Mother Nature does her bit.

The 1st tee renovation project is now under way. The plans will be posted onto the notice boards as soon as we receive an updated version from the Club's architect. 

Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update and Legislation news.

A difficult week, with weather conditions limiting the preparation of the greens. Its not easy dealing with wet sand.

We have managed to iron and brush the surfaces as well as putting small amounts of sand on to try and fill any remaining tine holes. The heavy rain at the start of the week certainly softened the surfaces as well as washing sand down the tine holes. We have also put on some liquid nutrient which included some elements to help ward off disease, but covering the surfaces with sand does provide the perfect breeding ground for Fusarium Patch. I think now the soil temperatures have dropped, recovery from the renovation work will be slow. This is a major problem when carrying out the work so late in the season.

I will be applying a granular feed next week to try and push the recovery forward, so fingers crossed for no frost.

The area next to the 1st Ladies tee has seen some deep drainage work carried out. This is to cure the persistent wet area and make may for some planned alterations to the Teeing grounds and paths.

We have also started some re-profiling work at the back of the 1st green, this will allow safer access for buggies in the winter months.

Good luck in the Winter League.

Mark & the Greens team.

FYI.

Last year the Environmental Agency withdrew the license for all chemicals used in the control of Leather-jackets (Crane fly larvae). No other chemicals are currently available for the eradication of these troublesome pests. Luckily, we have not had an outbreak this year, but how this will impact on the course in the future we do not know.

To add to our worries, they have announced that in August 2017 they will remove the license for Carbendazim (earth worm suppressant). Currently, they're are no alternative treatments available. These restrictions will have massive implications for Sports Turf in the future. Any new chemicals which become available will no doubt be prohibitively expensive.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this is something golfers must be made aware off.

Great article for your info.

http://www.usga.org/course-care/our-experts-explain0/frost-delays.html

Weekend Update

A really busy week for all the team carrying out the essential renovation on the greens. 

We started on Sunday night, deep tining (400mm x 20mm) to relieve the deep compaction. We followed this with 75mm x 12mm hollow tines to remove any thatch and fibrous material. We then over-seeded the greens with a mixture of bent grasses to improve the quality of the sward. The greens then received repeated pure sand dressings which were worked into the holes with a brush & dragmat. Weather conditions have to be perfect to achieve this and luckily the afternoons have been dry and bright.

We have cut new holes and ironed and brushed the surfaces prior to the weekend. All we now need is some rain to help wash the sand in.

The greens will be sprayed with a nutrient cocktail early next week and will continue to be ironed and brushed to improve the surfaces.

Thanks for your patience while this work is completed, hopefully, this work will provide drier and firmer surfaces thru the winter months.

Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update & future work.

Another busy week cutting and using the good weather to prolong the season.

The greens have been treated to more Air2G2 work, which has highlighted some areas of shallow rooting. This, untreated could present many problems in the future, but back to that later.

We have finally managed to scarify the rough areas treated with "Rescue". The dead grass has been ripped out, leaving the recovering fine species. This (with more treatments) should leave a finer sward, which will give a much improved playing experience.

The winter greens have been cut out and marked as G.U.R. Holes have been cut in them and top-dressing and cutting will continue over the coming months. The aim, as always is to keep their use to an absolute minimum. But as you know, this is entirely weather dependent.

Next week we will be carrying out the much needed greens renovation work. It seems as though the weather gods have smiled on us, as the forecast is for a continuing dry spell, which will improve the chances of the work being successful.

We will start on Sunday afternoon with a deep tining (400mm) of the greens. Followed by hollow-tining (12mm diameter x 75mm deep), over-seeding and a heavy sand top-dressing. The aim is to fill the hollow-tine holes with sand to provide channels through the top layer and improve surface drainage. This will be followed by ironing and a liquid feed application. 

There will be disruption to play and winter greens will be in use while this essential work is completed. Please be patient during this time.

Enjoy the course & sunshine.

Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update

A difficult  week on the course, with persistent rain adding to softening ground conditions. I'm surprised how sticky the course has become in the last week, with evidence of buggy & trolley traffic damage already rearing their ugly heads. Things have been tight staff wise too, as I encourage the team to take holidays at the start and end of the playing season.

We didn't manage to scarify the rough and cut out the winter greens due to the wet weather, so I took the opportunity to spray many areas of the course with a worm control chemical. This may be the last year we are afforded this luxury, as legislation is on the horizon to restrict these products use. Like the recent ban on chemicals for Leatherjacket control, this will have a huge impact on playing conditions on the course. 

The greens were also sprayed with a nutrient cocktail to ward off any disease outbreaks. This will continue thru the next few months.

Next week, should see us catch up with a few jobs prior to the proposed renovation work starting on Monday 10th October.

May I remind players to please repair their pitchmarks while the surfaces are soft and help us retain smooth surfaces into the Autumn. 

Enjoy your golf and here's hoping that we retain the Ryder Cup!

Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update

Another busy week of cut,cut,cut. The main areas of the course are still growing for fun with the exception of the greens due to the use of growth regulators.

The areas of rough treated with "Rescue", will be scarified next week to remove the dead material, we will then see which areas require further work to aid their recovery. 

The Air2G2 has been out on the greens again and next week should see the remaining greens aerated. The greens will be left undisturbed until the planned renovation work (week of the 10th-14th October). This work will be extensive, but will be entirely weather dependent due to its late timing . With this in mind, the winter greens will start to be cut out next week and dressed. If the weather turns against us, the renovation work may have to wait until the Spring.

Enjoy the course over the weekend.

Mark & the Greens team.

Well that was a hell of a week!
The growth shows no signs of slowing and with it, our inability to keep up. Tuesday brought a storm I'm sure you all witnessed. The greenstaff did an amazing job on Wednesday getting the course back to some sort of order, but the bunker washout will take weeks  to truly sort out. The sand becomes contaminated and cannot be cleaned and re-distibuted in 1 or 2 rakings. The greens held up superbly, but have softened slightly, so get busy with those pitchmark tools please.
Disease pressure is very high at the moment and it's something we have to keep a close eye on. The pressure from Anthracnose has passed, but Fusarium is always just around the corner. We try to control this culturally, as this allows soil biology to continue working, unlike costly chemical control.
Thursday morning saw an invasion of cattle on the 5th hole. This happens a couple of times a year, but this time it has caused some serious damage. The holes and scrapes were up to 12 inches deep. The area will recover and has been repaired.
The areas treated with "rescue" herbicide are now showing real signs of discolouration. The rye and weed grasses have died back and the fescue is unaffected. The bent grass has been knocked back, but will recover. The plan for next year is to extend this treatment to many other thick & lush areas.
Enjoy the course.


Mark & the Greens team.

Weekend Update.

Well the grass is certainly growing now! I can't remember a spell of growth like it. Adding to this are the daily heavy dews which hamper our cutting routine. Some areas are having to be cut later in the day to prevent the accumulation of clippings.

Disease pressure is also very high at the moment. With this in mind the greens were sprayed with a nutrient cocktail to harden them against any fungal attacks. Fusarium is the main worry, but any small marks should quickly grow out.

As mentioned is a previous post, the thick areas of in play rough have been treated with a graminicide called "Rescue" to kill of the lush Rye and weed grasses. This is part of our rough management programme and takes place at this time of year to aid recovery.

The bunkers have had a full cut this week and the tee banks are being tidied but may not be finished before the weekend. 

I intend to put another light sand dressing on the greens next week as well as another round of aeration with the Air2G2 machine. This work will have little or no disruption to play.

Enjoy the course.

Mark & the Greens team. 

Following our rough management efforts over the last couple of years, it was decided by the Greens Committee to extend our efforts into other areas.
Last week, I applied a selective graminicide (a chemical which kills selected grass species) to some areas of rough throughout the course.
The plan is to kill off the lush broad leaved grasses that create difficult lies, lost balls and slow down play.  The areas which have been treated are as follows:-
R/H side of the 1st hole short of the cross bunker.
Parts of the carry on the 6th hole.
L/H side of the 6th hole.
L/H side of the 9th hole.
R/H side of the 11th hole

R/H side of the 12th hole.with an overseeder.
L/H side of the 14th hole.


These areas should see a die back and discolouration of the turf over the next week or 2.

This will be followed by a run over with a scarifier to collect the dead material and some overseeding.
Hopefully, this work will improve these areas of play.


Mark Jones, Course Manager.