At the end of March last year the club had some soil tests done to see where we were at coming out of the winter. We have had this type of thing done before from time to time but not to this extent. The purpose of soil testing is to try and register where you are in terms of nutritional input, aerobic conditions, soil pH and organic matter levels. They can be quite in depth and I won't bore you with all the stats!!
This test has been followed up with another in November 2014 on the same greens using the same method. This enables us to achieve some consistency.
As you know we have carried out a lot of work in the last eighteen months with regard to increased aeration and topdressing, including deep Vertidraining and several hollow core soil exchanges.
These soil tests show prove that the benefits of carrying out such works are leading to improved greens surfaces. Some of the main points are as follows:
Salt levels have decreased by extra aeration and using specific fertilisers.
pH levels are on target.
Organic matter levels have decreased and are now in the guideline levels. This is a result of the soil exchanges and using 120 tons of dressing. Creating more air in the soil means an increase in microbial activity which helps to reduce thatch levels.
However these results to show us where we are lacking in certain nutrients and how to improve further the standard of the putting surfaces. Extra aeration may be needed on certain problem greens, 17th for example, in order to improve consistency.
All in all we are very pleased with these results but this standard of work will need to continue to improve things further. We have received many favourable comments over the winter for how the greens are compared to other winters. This is down to the work already carried out and a slightly different feeding regime. This standard of work will continue so we can achieve the best results.
Sunday 22 February 2015
Wednesday 4 February 2015
What Do You Do When The Course Has Snow???
One of the many questions we are asked is What happens when we the course is full of snow? Do we just sit round a fire and play cards, drinking tea, play darts etc..etc?
What actually happens is that we keep working away on the winter projects, trying to improve areas of the course that will be of benefit come the new season. The following is a summary of some of the work we are carrying out over the winter.
One of the main priorities on the winter programme was to repair as many GUR areas as possible as they were in play and making the course untidy throughout the season. These areas were either caused by wear and tear or other factors such as broken culverts or mole runs collapsing. Many of these areas have been repaired with some still to do.
Also there are four areas of the course that have needed the use of a digger. Firstly, behind the newly laid 17th tee a ditch needed to be created to link the ditch on the 2nd to the one on the 18th. This carried the water right through so that no water is spilling down the slope and onto the tee. This work is complete.
The culvert to the right of the 18th fairway which was overflowing onto the fairway is being repaired. Some large drainage pipe is to be installed to carry the large amount of water which flows through that area. This work is ongoing and will be sorted very soon.
When the new water pipe to the barn was installed the contractors unfortunately dislodged a culvert at the side of the 7th green/ 8th tee. https://db.tt/vhtLVe36
This area tends to lie wet and so we have removed the material from the area and installed some extra drainage pipe work to connect to the existing pipework. The trench has been filled with rootzone added to the top. The frozen ground is currently preventing us from finishing off completely but this area will be tidied as soon as possible.
The final digger work is extending the ditch to the right of the 1st fairway to sort out the problem of torrential rain flowing through the broken culverts and spilling onto the course. We have lengthened the ditch removing all the blockages and now the culvert is flowing nicely into the ditch. This area will be finished this week so we will be out of the way for players off the 1st tee.
As well as all this work on the course we have been carrying on with several other tasks. The large bay at the barn which was filled with all sorts of old material has been emptied. This has freed up valuable space for new materials for the new season.
All the tee markers, ditch posts and 150 marker posts have been sanded down and repainted ready for the new season.
The machinery is being serviced and the units will all be sharpened ready for the new season ahead.
So as you can see plenty is still going on and with plans for the new season at the forefront all the team are working to make sure that we are ready to go when the winter is over. Whenever that is!!
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