As we look towards the winter and the colder temperatures here is an update on a few matters with regards to the golf course.
The greens are being fed on a monthly basis with a liquid feed mixture. This contains nitrogen, iron, magnesium, calcium and seaweed. This mixture will help to harden the turf as we get colder and keep it healthier throughout the winter. This has been sprayed three times already with more to come. Other products are there to be used if we need to boost this mixture but at the time of writing the greens look a lot more healthy than they did in previous winters. The greens are being hand cut which will continue when required through the winter. This will help to provide a smoother surface with a decent pace.
The fusarium disease scars are starting to repair and this feeding regime will help. Recovery will be slower at this time of year but they will recover and be stronger going into to spring where we will be looking for a fast start as the new season approaches.
The two tees (13th and 17th) which are being relevelled and returfed are well under way and the turfing will commence on Tuesday 25th. The first stage of this process was having the tees stripped of the existing turf. This turf is being used to repair many of the GUR areas around the course. So far we have completed areas on the 4th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 12th and 18th. This work is ongoing.
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| 17th Tee adding rootzone |
With the turf removed fresh rootzone was added to help level the surfaces ready for the new tees turf. This is grown especially for purpose with two grass species (fescue and smooth stalk meadow grass) being used to provide a quality surface.
Once we have completed the tee turfing we will continue with the GUR areas and also try and tackle some of the drainage issues which are leaving some areas very wet, especially after very heavy rain. The budget is tight for this kind of work and so we will do what we can to improve things without taking anything away from the greens and tees etc.
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| Slitter on the 11th |
Aeration will continue right through the winter and we will endeavour to cover as many areas as possible. The greens have been slit twice recently down to a depth of five inches. This allows air and water to move further down the soil profile, keeping the surfaces drier and firmer. The greens have also been sarel rolled to keep the surface open. Other areas of the course have been Vertidrained to help relieve compaction. This kind of work is essential if we are to try and produce a golf course to be proud of.
The steps and astro turf at the back of the 10th green have been removed. We have replaced it with tee turf and a new set of steps. This work is ongoing but will make the exit to the next tee much more presentable.
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| 10th Steps under construction |
As you can see the winter programme is well under way and we will try and keep the disturbance to a minimum. However some disruption is inevitable but we appreciate your patience during this time. All five of the greenkeeping department want to achieve as much as possible this winter to help the course improve.
