Scarifying Greens

Scarifying Greens

 

 

Scarification lines

 

We have used a contractor to scarify the greens. The first was left alone due to the turf issue and the eighteenth wasn't able to be done due to the late afternoon heavy rain. However all the other greens were scarified, verticut and the remaining debris blown away. This is a necessary maintenance task in the fight to remove the thatch which is constantly building up. If we replace this sponge like material with a more free draining sandy topdressing the greens will eventually become firmer and therefore faster, and not so prone to waterlogging.

 

Close up of the thatchy material removed

Each green had approximately one ton of thatch removed via a conveyor belt and out onto the back of our gator utility vehicle. 

 

 

  Amount taken from a green

 

After the green was blown free of any debris, the hole was reinstated. The greens will now be topdressed and overseeded with bent grass so that we can introduce finer species. This procedure takes out double the amount of thatch than hollow coring, however coring will still take place as soon as conditions allow so that we can replace even more.

Ready for topdressing

 

 

Thatch Removal

 

 

The greens were then topdressed. We use a sandy soil mix with added composted material.

 



Topdressing

 

 

 

The topdressing was then dragged in using the rubber dragmat filling in the open grooves as much as possible. We then rolled the greens with the mower. Bent seed will be added as soon as possible.

Dragmat topdressing

Sand in lines

 

Greens rolled

Vandalism

 

VANDALISM

 



Unfortunately last Monday evening we had a bout of vandalism where a motorbike was driven over four of the greens. The 3rd, 13th, 14th and 5th greens were affected. Luckily in a way only one of the greens was badly damaged with the other three only needing soil and seed and some forking to repair it.

 

5TH GREEN



 

 

 

 

The 5th green however was more widely damaged and has needed the damaged turf to be lifted and replaced. I decided to replace it with turf from the green surround at the back as this turf is the same species and should knit in much better than new bought turf.

 

 

TYRE DAMAGE CLOSE UP

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

The turf which has been relaid has been topdressed and washed in. We will try and keep it as level as possible with regular dressings. Hopefully it will settle in as soon as possible.

 



14th Drainage

14th Hole

 

Drainage on the 14th

 

We have finally been able to install drainage to the par 3 14th hole. We have used a contractor to dig trenches at 5m spacings and then pipe and stone was installed to go into the ditch which runs the length of the hole.

 

 

Pipe installation

 

An example of some of the boulders we pulled out.



 

 

We have also taken the opportunity at the same time to put another trench at the side of the green and level the surround. This area has new turf laid.

14th Greenside trench.

 

Once the pipe was installed and the gravel laid on top, we filled the trench with a sandy soil mix. A final soil and seed mix will be added to finish off the lines. The area near the green will be levelled and returfed.

 

The lines will remain GUR until further notice. More pictures to follow.