Course Update

This blog is just an update for everyone with regard to the golf course and what we have going on at the moment. It certainly has been an interesting few weeks to say the least.

We have been experiencing very high  levels of growth at the moment, especially on the outfield areas such as semi rough and rough, green and tee banks, ditches etc. It has been very difficult to keep up with it as the whole course has needed to be cut constantly, leaving little time for anything else (I'm sure anyone reading this who cuts their lawn knows how fast things are growing at the moment!).

The greens have been growing well as, after the heat we had a couple of weeks ago, the soil temperature was at its highest so far this year. Then we have had a spell of wet weather which has led to the flush of growth. The down side to this is that warm and wet conditions, along with warmer nights, has meant that disease is never far away from breaking out. At the start of this week we did have an outbreak of Fusarium, quite severe in fact, and so the greens and collars received an application of fungicide to deal with it. At this time of year with the growth the patches will not take long to grow out.

During this spell of weather it has been very difficult to keep a decent pace on the greens. I have spoken with other greenkeepers in the area and they have been struggling too. We have tried to hand cut where possible and iron the greens to try and increase the pace. The greens are much truer than they were which is a fine starting point and hopefully the pace will come shortly. When it is too hot it is very important to not stress out the greens too much.

Spending a lot more man hours on the greens is great to try and achieve results, however it does have a down side. It means that something elsewhere is not being done. To cut the greens using the triple takes around three hours. To hand cut takes three men around three hours each. To iron takes around three hours. As you can see hand cutting will mean six hours lost to the course elsewhere. So while we are always striving to achieve the best results on the greens, we also need to try and maintain everywhere else at the same time.

Factors which also affect our plans are staff holidays, sickness and machinery breakdowns. All of these can cause inefficiency on the course but they are all to some extent inevitable. Anyone who works in a small team knows that losing 20% of your workload for a week or two can seriously affect your efficiency. We are a team of five trying to maintain the course to the highest possible standards, which at this time of year is a full on task. It hasn't helped this week when we received 39mm of rain in about an hour. This has meant that some areas of paths have washed away down the hill.

 

The machinery that the club uses to maintain the course is of various ages and condition, ranging from brand new triple mowers to other various mowers and the tractor which are over ten years old. Therefore they sometimes can let us down and this downtime can seriously affect our ability to keep up the standards. For example, the fairway mower needed parts and we were unable to cut the fairways for over a week, leading to untidy coarse grasses developing and poor presentation. We are trying to make sure that all the machines are fighting fit for the rest of the season so that we can keep up our standards.

The acquisition of a new triple mower will really help us to provide better quality surfaces on the tees, collars and approaches. The mower is the exact same type as the recently purchased greens mower so that we will have that flexibility and consistency to improve our presentation. It has already given us an immediate impact on what we can achieve and so I fully expect the presentation of the course to improve straight away.

 

The bunkers are a constant thorn in our side when it comes to presentation. As I said earlier we are fully stretched when working on the course during the summer and unless we constantly are working on the bunkers it is easy for them to deteriorate. This is very possible during spells of  extreme weather. During the very hot period they baked and developed a very hard pan making them very hard to rake properly. Then after this week, where we have had over three inches of rain, the bunkers flood and become like concrete, again making them very hard to rake! Add to this the growth of grass around the edges and then we have the additional issue of weeds growing too.

 

We have started to sort the bunkers and this work is ongoing. With the machinery working and the new machinery now on site we are confident that the golf course will be back to its best in no time at all. We appreciate that you all want the best possible conditions to play golf and we will continue to work hard to achieve it.

 

Remember if anyone wants to ask a question with regard to the course then please email greens@boltonoldlinksgolfclub.co.uk

Greens Update

The greens are recovering well from the hollow coring maintenance task where we were able to put down around 60 tons of sandy topdressing into the soil profile.

 

Unfortunately the greens were hit with some fusarium disease after this work. Conditions became very favourable for it with stressed greens and humid weather conditions. Obviously the greens became stressed during this task, coring, topdressing, brushing etc all put the greens to the test. A fungicide was sprayed to kill the disease and stop any further spread.

 

The areas which were badly affected back in November by a chemical reaction have started to fill in nicely now that we have some growth. Some of the worse off areas will be plugged out and replaced by turf form the edge of the greens. This work is ongoing.

 

This week the greens were double verticut (a light scarify) and then handcut so that we could attempt to cut out all the winter lateral growth and also stand up the seed heads that are coming out. However having done this the greens now look a little pale, especially due to the excessive winds we have been experiencing. So the greens will be sprayed on Friday with another feed and then topdressed on Monday so we can help to regain the smoothness we are looking for.

 

The dominant grass species in the greens is called Poa Annua or Annual meadow grass. It's actually present throughout the course on all the surfaces. When this poa goes through its spring flush, once soil temperatures have reached a suitable level, it sends all its energy to the top of the grass leaf and produces a seed head. These are undesirable and unsightly but unfortunately due to the vast numbers they are inevitable. The other main species of grass in the greens is called Bentgrass. Poa and Bent have very different characteristics and needs. They also can grow at different rates in different temperatures. Therefore there is a lot going on with the greens at the moment and patience is the key.

 

We are doing our best to improve the surfaces all the time and now that we have growth it won't be long until the greens are where we all want them. After the wettest winter on record and a very cold spring this year has so far been very challenging to provide suitable surfaces but we are hopeful that they are not very far away.

Hollow Coring

This week the greens have been hollow cored down to approximately 3 inches. This operation is carried out so that we can perform a soil exchange. We take out thatchy organic matter, especially near the surface, and replace it with a more free draining topdressing material.

Toro Procore at first light

We use the Procore aerator to perform the coring and then topdress afterwards. Then the Sweep and Fill brush is dragged across the greens in order to sweep the sandy material into the holes.

This is a big task and the staff have worked very hard to carry out this renovation without hindering the golfer too much. The greens will not perform as best as they normally would do in the short term, however in the long run the greens will be much better off for it. This operation makes the greens firmer, they will drain better and therefore we will be able to provide a much better surface to putt on.

Sweep and Fill Brush

We have taken out tons of material which can be used to fill holes around the course. Around 60 tons of topdressing has been applied over all the greens. We appreciate that no one wants to putt on greens that are bumpy but this kind of work is essential if we are to realise our goal of having the best greens around.

The aeration policy is key to successfully improving our surfaces and this forms part of that. Regular micro spiking will be also carried out throughout the summer, along with very light dustings of dressing so that we can keep the surfaces healthy and smooth.

Now that this major aeration procedure is completed we can return our focus to the main golf course presentation. The approaches have had a granular feed put down, as will the tees next week. The cutting regime for all surfaces will increase and all the small jobs that have been neglected this last week (flymo, strimmer, bunkers etc etc) will become the priority.

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.

Greens Update

The renovation work done to the greens this week has been a great success and recovery is well underway. The greens were scarified and we removed around 15 tons of material which was replaced with free draining topdressing.

 

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We have applied around 25 tons of dressing to the greens and this has been brushed and matted in. The down side to these procedures were twofold. Firstly the weather in the build up to it was not kind, in fact approximately 21mm of rain fell over the weekend before we carried out the scarifying.

 

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This obviously had an impact and the greens have softened up in the short term. It goes to show that this kind of work is very important to the general improvement of the putting surfaces and more work is needed on a regular basis.

 

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The other short term issue is that putting down the amount of dressing we did then blunts the blades of the mowers. This leads to a poor quality of cut. Together with the softer feel the greens do slow up.

 

Today after cutting the greens the mower has been sharpened and cutting heights lowered so that they perform better over the weekend.

 

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We thank you for your patience during this period as we have been on the greens quite a lot recently but the work is essential in improving the greens for the future.

 

Greens Renovation

Greens Renovation

On Monday the 24^th August we will be carrying out our annual summer greens renovation. The whole process will hopefully be completed in one day with all the staff taking part.

 We will hire in a scarifier that rips out some of the thatchy material in the top 20mm of the sward. This material is the main culprit for soft greens, holding onto the moisture like a sponge rather than letting it drain through. This is collected and discarded. We replace this with a more free draining topdressing material that dilutes the thatch so that the greens continue to become firmer and more playable all year round.

The dressing will be brushed in with the sweep and fill brush and then the greens will be cut after. Every day after this the greens will improve and we will keep the disturbance level down to a minimum. The greens have received a specific granular feed already in time for these procedures so that they will recover as quickly as possible.

This is the right time of year to be carrying out this type of process as the warmth in the soil gives the greens the optimum amount of recovery time.

 We appreciate that this work can be an inconvenience but it is of paramount importance for the continued improvement of the putting surfaces.

 

Steve Hemsley

Head Greenkeeper