Greens After This Winter

Greens Condition After the Winter

By the end of October the greens were looking great and work was underway to keep them healthy going into winter. However due to varied issues the greens are not where we would exactly want them to be coming out of winter. This report outlines the issues we have faced and how we intend to overcome them.

One of the main threats as we approach the winter period is disease appearing on the greens with the chance of no winter growth helping with repair.  One cause of disease outbreak is from the heavy dews that appear in the autumn time and therefore we applied a dew repellent chemical to assist. Two weeks later the greens received their normal feed which we had applied regularly all year. With these two separate sprays, ground temperature and anaerobic conditions in the soil, there was a reaction and some of the greens took a turn for the worse.

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Some areas on some greens badly thinned out and we have lost some grass cover there. Hindsight is a wonderful thing! If we had any idea that this would be the effect of our actions then the chemicals would never have been used in those conditions. Having said that The mild winter has meant we have had some amount of growth through the winter and those areas on the greens are on the way to recovery.

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Aeration is key to having successful surfaces. Remember this phrase “Air is everything to anything that lives). The soil and grass on the course are living, breathing features and air is crucial to their health. We have tried to do as much as possible but with consistent rainfall filling any air space in the soil it has been smothered most of the time. This has meant that the thatch in and around the surface has continued to thrive meaning the greens have stayed soft throughout the winter period.

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In October we applied nearly 60 tons of topdressing during our renovations and this is about half our yearly target. However as the turf is always developing the thatch is too. During the winter period the thatch has continued and so more work is required to keep on top of the problem. Otherwise the surfaces will continue to be soft.

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This spring we will be focussing much of our time on improving the greens ready for the main playing season. Aeration, topdressing, verticutting, sharp mowing and rolling will all be taking place so that we can provide surfaces to be proud off. This takes time and patience and hopefully someone will turn the taps off!

 

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It is difficult with soft surfaces to work on them but we will endeavour to do as much as possible. The golfing calendar is very busy but it is imperative that this kind of work is carried out. The aeration will provide the air, the topdressing will help to heal scars, dilute the thatch in the soil and smooth surfaces. Verticutting is a light scarification which stands up lateral growth that has subsided over winter. These practices are crucial for the improvement we need. Please stay patient with us while we carry out this necessary work

Winter Work

Winter Work Summary

This winter has been very testing to say the least. From the middle of November it doesn’t feel like it has stopped raining! Only a couple of dry periods have given any respite. The planned winter programme has therefore been heavily affected but the staff have worked hard in several areas to try and make improvements to the golf course. Below is a summary of the kind of work that has been going on during the winter period.

Steps
 

Several more sets of steps have been remodelled over the winter to improve their presentation. The old sleepers were mostly rotten and have replaced with new wood. Some of the steps have been moved to different areas to make access easier. The remaining steps out on the course to be remodelled will be done next winter.
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Drainage

There are numerous areas around the course that are in desperate need of some sort of drainage. We have tried to prioritise some of these this winter although the work was definitely curtailed by the incessant rainfall. We have installed drainage on the 2^nd, 5^th and 8^th holes as well as clearing out some ditches. A digger was used to dig small trenches into which pipe and stone were inserted. This was then topped up with rootzone and the turf replaced.

On the 2^nd, the area just past the fairway bunkers has been linked into the ditch at the end of the practice ground. Further drainage can be added at a later date into this if needed.

 

The 5^th hole is one of the wettest due to its location, sloping down from left to right. The ditch on the right was dug out and new drains have been installed on the right hand side. This area of the hole is a magnet for golfers and it is very compacted. Lots of aeration is needed there to improve the general appearance and playability of the hole. While we were digging in that area we came across a couple of culverts and the drainage has been attached to them so that the water can displace quicker.
 

On the 8^th hole the large wet area to the left of the bunkers has been addressed. The first stage of the process was connecting the existing bunker drainage to new drainage and redirecting that away into a large culvert. As we came to the end of this process we came across a further problem.

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We found a large broken culvert which was seeping into the ground on the left, causing that large wet area. So the second stage of the drainage was to dig out the culvert opening, connect some pipe into it and then connect this new pipework to the first stage. It turned out to be a long winded task but the area to the left has remained dry since. As with the 5^th, further increased aeration of the area will help to improve playability and appearance.
 

There was much more drainage work intended including further works on the 5^th and 14^th but unfortunately the conditions got the better of us. We took the decision to stay off the areas rather than create further problems. These areas will be constantly assessed and the work will take place when conditions are more favourable.
 

Aeration

We have tried our best to continue with the aeration policy even though a lot of the time the surfaces were just too flooded. When conditions allowed the greens and tees were spiked to various depths to allow much needed air into the soil profile and an increased drainage capability. The greens have remained soft all winter and much more work is needed to improve them (This will be discussed in the next report).

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Machinery

During the winter period it is important to maintain the machinery so that it is working to its full potential when needed in the spring and summer. This work is still ongoing. As the winter was so mild the grass did not really stop growing and so it was necessary to utilise any cutting windows. All cutting units are sharpened and bottom blades replaced over the winter and any new parts added that are needed. Some of the machinery is quite old now and so looking after it as much as possible is important. The club have wisely invested over the last few years and this must continue if we are to match all the golfers’ expectations.

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With the unfortunate break in and the loss of the machinery and tools some of the winter work had to be postponed due to not having the equipment to proceed. Some of this work will have to be readdressed in the next winter program with the season already upon us.
 

Woodland management

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With the winter period being a washout and certain jobs being put on hold due to the severity of the weather, work could still be carried out on parts of the woodlands around the course. Woodlands need to be managed to ensure their sustainability and productivity for future generations. The staff started some necessary tree felling and thinning out of certain areas around the course as some trees had become dangerous and areas of woodland had been neglected and had reverted back to scrub which was causing issues around the course. Trees compete for water and nutrients with the grass sward, they cause shade and reduce airflow resulting in the surface being more prone to disease. More work is to be carried out in the future as this is a necessity to improve the surfaces and also help with the pace of play.