Course Manager's Fortnightly Course Update (08/03/2024)

Course Manager's Fortnightly Course Update 

8th March 2024

Introduction

Not long now until the start of the main playing season and for the first time in a long time I can talk about how nice the weather has been. I myself have just had a week in Tunisia and was met by rain as I arrived so perhaps I took the wet weather with me. Whilst away, the team led by Dave have continued the good work in preparing the links for the new season.

Completion of Works and What is to be Completed

4th/13th Tee Area

This area has been transformed and the linksification process continues with lots more marram to be planted to achieve the links like aesthetics that is required. The trees removed, in particular behind the 4th tee were completely rotten and hollow through the middle so the removal was needed not just from an appearance point of view but also for safety.

Marram planting

Marram transplanting is continuing across the course with more being added to the left of the 8th tee, left of 8th fairway, 4th/13th area, right of practice tee and pathway from 16th to 17th.

Turfing

Our final area to turf is the Practice Tee where we took some for revetting bunkers on the 4th, this is being completed early next week. A reminder that using our own turf not only allows us to cut the slabs at a much better thickness (40mm) but also is very economically sound. To build an average sized bunker would cost around £700 in revetting where as to use our own and replace with root zone and turf costs around £100.

Pathways

We have commenced the infill of potholes around our pathways and this will continue, obviously, we had to wait until they were dry to commence this process.

Copse Tidying

Tidying of copses and areas that trees have been felled continues and as the grass grows a little more, we will ensure that under those copses closer to play that the grass is cut underneath and the lower branches are trimmed to a height of around 2 metres.

Cutting

It is very pleasing to announce that all fairways have been cut this week, along with tees, approaches and greens.

Ditch Work

Following the really wet weather, I’m very pleased to say that the flow of water is excellent and our ditch system is at an all time low.

Drain Lines

Drain lines on the 13th have all now been soiled and seeded and we await the warmer weather to aid germination.

Irrigation Set Up

It seems strange to spend so many months talking about getting water off the course to start talking about applying it but nevertheless, that’s where we are. The irrigation system is primed and ready for the new season ahead with the arc and flow of each head to be checked and ticked off, we currently have over 600 sprinklers on the course and each will be ticked off before the start of the season.

14th Green Augering

We have commenced the Augering of the 14th green. This consists of taking a core out with the hole changer (8 inches) then using an auger attachment for a drill and taking out a further 8 inches to break through the clay (dew pond) lining until we reach native golden sand, we then backfill the bottom 8 inches with 20mm lime stone then a sandy loam root zone before putting the original plum back on for the final 3 inches. We have so far found lots of clay, some bricks some boulders, some clinker and a drain.

Fine Tuning Playing Surfaces and Bunkers

Greens

Throughout the winter we have kept the height of greens to 6mm this will now be reduced over the coming weeks to a height of 5mm then when the plant is healthy this will be reduced to 4mm for the main playing season. Top dressing little and often will then be carried out. When the growth starts we will begin our verti cutting process backed up with dyna-coring. This is a micro hollow coring machine that will remove thatch and allow us to overseed into the small pots left behind with very little disruption to play. A granular fertiliser will be applied next week containing a little sulphate of Iron, this will help eradicate any moss present brought in by the wet Winter, we will then continue with our monthly tonics of seaweed, molasses, wetting agent and beneficial fungi and bacteria. During the R&A agronomy walk it was very well received that we have not applied a fungicide for more than 13 years and it shows that our cultural approach to managing our playing surfaces is working very well indeed.

Tees

Tees have been cut throughout the winter months to a height of 12 mm and this will be reduced to 9 for the main playing season, a 5 month slow release fertiliser will be applied in due course with some more dyna coring and top dressing followed by a similar programme of tonics to the greens from April until September.

Fairways

Fairways, whenever possible have been cut to a height of 17mm throughout the Winter and this will be reduced to 12-13mm throughout the playing season. Our liquid approach to fairway management worked well last year and this will continue over the next 6 months. Weed management of fairways will be follow a different programme this year. In previous years we have has a contractor in to spray all fairways and semi rough, this year we will mark out temporary zones (disappear within an hour) using our foam applicator on our gator mounted sprayer this will create round 5 zones per hole. A member of the green team with a knapsack will then enter the zone and spot spray each weed. This way, we can do it in the correct conditions and without wasting chemical which is not only costly but not great for the environment, this also means we can do up to 6 fairways before any golfer plays and have a much more thorough control. This will also be extended into the rough.

Approaches

Approaches have been cut at 10mm throughout the Winter and this will be reduced to 7-9mm throughout the season, the approaches will receive the same tonics and granular as tees and be top-dressed along with the greens programme.

Bunkers

Bunkers will be rotovated and bowled up in readiment for the season and a total herbicide will be applied on a monthly basis.

Rough Management

The profile hoppper will be out again over the next few weeks, cutting, scarifying and thinning out our deeper roughs, with the wetter summer months last year, it looks like we have taken a step back in some areas with too much rank Yorkshire fog and rye grasses present but we will overcome this and hopefully have a nicer July and August this year.

Team

The team continue to show their commitment to the improvement of the course and I’m very pleased with the efforts applied. Each year with us all adding another 12 months of experience and agronomical knowledge I feel we are getting stronger and improving on what we do.

Conclusion

Finally, for now I hope we have an extended spell of good weather and everyone can enjoy at least 1 day of nice weather on the links over the next 2 weeks.

Thanks for reading this message and as always please feel free to comment on anything course related.

Peter McVicar | Links Manager

On behalf of the Green Team

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