Greenkeeper News

Head Greenkeeper Greens Report

As we begin our playing season the greens team has been working hard to get our shapes back into the golf course carrying out our daily cutting duties. We have also carried out smaller tasks to add some new visual aspects to the golf course, from all the wood and debris from the recent storm we have stockpiled wood chips and have added this around the 1st tee running along the wall and either side of the path leading from the 7th green to the 8th tee. We have planted 7 rhododendrons at the walkway to the 8th tee and to the right of the practice nets. There has also been four scots pines planted within the broom on the left of the 11th fairway and shrubs planted within the white stones lining the putting green.We are continuing to spray weed killer around the clubhouse in order to maintain some weeds coming through the slabs.

April 1st we started up or irrigation system and had TIS come in to check sprinkler heads and we also made sure our sprinkler head arcs were catching the desired areas of greens/tees we aim to cover. We did find a leak at a compression joint which was leading from the pump house by the buggy sheds which was immediately fixed.

We have also started to spray our summer feed programme, due to the cooler soil and air temperatures we have decided to incorporate a product called Consolidate Plus, this product works under these conditions and this specific feed is a balanced and stabilised amine nitrogen complex that promotes plant health. By thickening the sward and encouraging tilering, recovery times from wear and tear are decreased whilst drought stress tolerance is increased. We have also been hand seeding the disease scars with a creeping bent seed called Crystal Bluelinks this seed is able to germinate in lower soil temperatures in turn we have been watering these areas with wetting agent to allow the water to penetrate down into the soil profile with ease and help with the germination process.

Greens

Cut greens
Penetrant wetting agent applied
Roll greens
Dew suppressant on greens
Brush greens
Overseed greens
Spring granular applied
Granular calcium applied
Tees/ Approaches/Fairways
Cut approaches
Spring granular on tees
Cut tees
Cut fairways
Fertilise Tees/worn walkways

Rough/ semi-rough

Cut semi-rough
Cut rough
Cut trees lines with grillo

Irrigation

Fixed pop ups at 2nd& 4th tees
Pop up at #16 lifted and arc fixed for better coverage
New sprinkler heads ordered to replace old existing ones

Bunkers

Continue destoning bunkers
Bunkers levels checked and sand moved to appropriate areas
Bunkers raked and weeds removed
Bunkers cut and edged
Bunker lining put in and new sand taking to bunkers

Tree Work

Clear tree debris from 18th burn grid
Tidy debris around course after storm
Work on tree line public path #10&12
Cleared rubbish and limbed up tree right of #6 fairway

Walkways/green Surrounds

Blue lines painted for traffic management
Put out new direction signs

Machinery maintenance/course furnishings

Daily checks carried out on equipment
Painted fences and benches up at clubhouse

Planned Course Maintenance

Greens

Continue to mow when required
Roll greens when required
Summer feed program to begin
Top dress greens
Sarel roll greens

Tees/ approaches/fairway

Cut fairways, approaches and tees
Granular feed on approaches
Liquid feed on fairways

Rough/semi rough

Cut semi rough
Cut rough

Walkways/green surrounds

Top dress walkways
Granular feed and overseed winter walkways

Bunkers

Continue to weed bunkers
Continue to destone bunkers
Cut and edge work on bunkers
Monitor sand levels of bunkers

Tree work

Keep 18th burn grid clear
Continue small debris removal

Machinery Maintenance

Continue ongoing maintenance and any repairs required
Checking quality of cut and heights of cut