Autumn Blog

 

 

The course has been in excellent condition all season. The feedback from members and visitors has been very positive. The wet warm spring really kicked the growth off with an early season flush in May. This allowed quick recovery on the areas that received high levels of play during the winter. I have never seen the course so green in July when normally its brown and burnt off.              

 

The recent greens aeration went well. The processes that were carried out were as follows-

 

• ·      Double scarification (10mm) depth
• ·      19mm solid tine (75mm) depth
• ·      35 tons of sand applied
• ·      Sand brushed and worked into the surface         
• ·      Greens overseeded with a browntop bent mix

Scarification removes lots of material in the top layer and the greens really benefit from this work.    

The recovery has been very good. 

                                Fig 1: 13th green 16 days after renovations 

The greens have been very consistent over the season and performance has been good. This is down to a number of things.

• ·      Good turf health
• ·      Consistent maintenance practices  
• ·      Correct mowing
• ·      Correct Irrigation
• ·      Correct fertilization

 

In early September some of the greens suffered from a big attack of fusarium. This disease thrives in damp, humid conditions. The weather at this time was perfect for the disease to strike. The worst affected greens were the 7^th and 15^th. 

A fungicide was sprayed at the first opportunity and all the affected bits of turf were seeded, speeding up the recovery. Acidifying products are now used at this time of year. This discourages the development of the disease and hardens the grass plant off. As you can see from the photo the recovery from the fusarium has been excellent. The aim now is to keep the greens nice and healthy as we go into the off season. Cutting and rolling will take place when conditions allow. 

       

                           Fig 2: Recovery of the 7th green.   

 

Planned Winter Work

 

• ·      Three fixed winter mats will be installed on the 3^rd, 4^th and 16^th holes. These will be the same design as the one which was installed on the 1^st hole, last winter. The old-style mats become very slippery during the winter and are a health and safety concern. Over the next few years, all of the old ones will be replaced.        
• ·      The 13^th right hand bunker will be remodelled. This work removes the big overhang and will be a much-needed course improvement.
• ·      The 13^th astroturf path will be grassed over.
• ·      Irrigation valves that are leaking to be replaced.
• ·      Tree survey to be performed (late October) and recommended work to be undertaken.         
• ·      Regeneration on areas of scrubland to be cleared. 
• ·      All long roughs to be cut and collected.  
• ·      All machinery to be serviced and units sharpened in house.
• ·      Various turf repairs on damaged areas.
• ·      Leaf clearing.
• ·      As we head into the autumn, controlled measures will be introduced. Post and ropes will be put out protecting the approaches to greens. Fairway protection mats will be introduced. Winter tee positions and mats will be put into play. All of these measures help the course over the winter, which then allows the transition into spring that bit easier.         

Wildlife

 

Lots of deer have been seen on the course this year, including a number of young ones.

                                          Fig 3: Deer on the course 

 

 

More bird boxes will be put up this winter in various locations of woodland. 

Volunteers

 

A big thanks to David Fletcher who volunteered to divot the fairways. This was a great bit of work done, helping the fairways recover after a long season.

A big thanks to David Watson for painting the brown tee markers, ready for the winter.

A big thanks to Avril Rowbotham who has done an amazing job transforming the 15^th garden. Avril has put lots of time and effort into this. We have had lots of great comments from members of the public who walk past and admire the garden. Well done to all the volunteers who help out with jobs, the work is very much appreciated.   

             

                 Fig 4: Before and after photo of the 15th garden

 

Let’s hope for a drier winter than last year.

 

David and the team.

      

 

Summer Blog 2024

 

An update about what's been going on this year. 

This past winter was one for the books, with the wettest record. Despite these harsh conditions the course emerged resilient and stayed open when lots of other clubs around us were shut for long periods. The greens came through the relentless rainfall healthy and ready for the spring. They were played on for the majority of the year, which is testament to the aeration work that has been carried out on the greens.  

The control measures that were in place made a huge difference as we headed into the season. The grass coverage on the fairways was excellent from the use of mats. The post and ropes protected the approaches to greens from high levels of footfall. This ensured that these areas remained healthy and playable and the transition into the golf season was so much easier. As things finally began to dry out in  April the course was quickly turned around and was made presentable. A big thank you to members who followed these measures and looked after our course.    

In March there was a decent spell of weather providing the perfect opportunity to do some maintenance on the greens. The greens were scarified using the graden. This is a specialized bit of equipment that cuts precise grooves in the turf, removing organic matter to a depth of -20mm. This was followed up by a sand dressing. This work helps keep organic matter levels in check and maintains greens firmness. 

 

                                                                                          

                                                               Images of the graden work

The height of cut on the greens is currently at 4mm and cutting frequency increased when the temperatures picked up. Regular sarel rolling is carried out with light topdressings when conditions allow. Sarel rolling is a small spike in the turfs surface, allowing better air, water and nutrient penetration, without causing significant disruption to the playing surface. Nutrition is applied through regular spoon feeding which involves the frequent application of small amounts of liquid fertiliser. This method provides a steady supply of nutrients, promoting consistent growth and preventing growth flushes.  

The outfield areas of the course are really growing hard at the moment. The moisture and heat have created an early growth flush. The team are flat out on the machines keeping on top of things. The biggest challenge is the rough as the machine deposits grass which looks unsightly. To disperse grass the course is blown with the tractor mounted blower, this helps tidy things up.  

All the trees on the course were sprayed with a herbicide. This kills the grass around the base but does not harm the trees. This will last for the 5 months, saving on labour and allowing the team to focus on more important tasks.

  

  

                                                                  Tree based killed off

Golf greens are maintained to a high standard, but acts of vandalism can undo the hard work of greenkeepers. Vandalism can be very demoralizing for the team who work hard to keep the greens in great condition.  Recently a number of greens have experienced damage from a club strike, creating large unsightly divots. The greens require repair work in the form of plugging and seeding.           

                                                                Divot from 16th green

Thanks to all the members that give myself and the team positive feedback over the year, it's very much appreciated. 

Have a great golfing season. 

David and the lads.     

   

 

                               Winter Blog 2023

 

This year and particularly this autumn have been a real challenge with the very high levels of rainfall (985mm to date). This is the highest annual rainfall I have recorded and the wettest year I have experienced as a greenkeeper. The rainfall average on the course over the last 6 years is 715mm. The highest recorded rainfall prior to this year was in 2019 with 889mm. The course however is a very good drainer and has taken the high levels of rainfall well. With wet weather brings more course closures and this year has been the worst since I started tracking this data.      

                                                                         

With the wet weather the leaf clearing has been a little slower this year. The big machinery struggled to travel on the course and areas had to be hand collected which takes more time. Some strong winds a few weeks ago helped bring most of the leaves down. Protection measures (posts and ropes) were put out early. This has helped spread the wear on the approaches and around greens. The introduction of fairway protection mats has also been positive, less divots are now visible. Both these measures will make a difference in the spring, when the course transition occurs for the golf season.  A big thank you to all the members who are following these restrictions.  

Members might have seen some stakes in the ground around the course. These are to identify cable pots and hose points from the irrigation installation, which was done earlier on in the year. These will be trimmed and kept visible at all times.

The new winter 1^st tee was installed in October and is a big improvement from the old raised mat that was in play. When the digger was on hire a catchment drain was installed at the back of the 9th collar. This catches rainwater runoff from the bank and will help keep water away from the green. 

The greens are in good health heading into the winter. Regular slitting takes place when conditions allow. This form of aeration is very beneficial during prolonged wet periods. This week the greens were vertidrained with 12mm tines. This work is essential as it allows the greens to breath after the recent wet weather. The greens are the cleanest I have seen them for disease. Bringing the greens maintenance forward this year to August, allowed the greens to recover quicker and have them healthy heading into the disease pressure season. 

Tees, approaches and fairway aeration will be carried out once weather conditions improve. Slitting, solid tining and raking will be the procedures used.  

The winter servicing of machines is well underway. The grinding of the cutting units has also commenced. This a good time of year to carry out this work and to see what the machinery fleet needs ready for the new season in 2024.    

 

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank Dave Donaldson who has been the greens chairman over the last three years. Dave stands down in the new year, as his nine years on the committee comes to an end. Dave has been a great support for myself and the greenkeeping team and will be missed.

 

The team and I thank members for the continued support throughout the year.

 

Merry Christmas.

 

David and the Greenkeeping Team.     

 

Summer Blog

 

Just a little blog about what has been done and is planned over the remainder of the season.

 

The very wet weather that we have been experiencing lately has certainly greened the course up and is making the grass grow. The dry spell earlier in the season burned areas off, however these have now fully recovered. The rain does have its benefits, but I would much rather have warm and dry days this time of year.      

Here is the rainfall stats for July over the last seven years. You can clearly see how wet July this year has been. This brings it challenges on course preparation as more damp cuts are carried out.

 

                  

 

 

The irrigation system was completed and was a success. We have a few areas to seed, but it was a very clean job from TIS. The 90mm mainline pipe that was installed allows the runtime of the irrigation pump to be shortened and more sprinklers can now be operated at the same time. The pressure coming out the sprinklers to the greens is greatly improved, allowing a more evenly distribution of water. The spring feed and borehole water is very good for the greens. They respond so much better to the natural sources, rather than the mains water that was previously used.                 

 

In mid-July the greens were vertidrained with an 8mm tine to a depth of 200mm. They were then verticut creating a more upright growth habit and removing any unwanted material just below the surface. This was then followed up by approximately 10 ton of topdressing. The greens were then brushed and the significant rainfall that we have been experiencing washed the sand into the profile. This work is vital as it vents the greens after lots of play and creates air space for the grass roots to develop below the surface. The greens are getting cut most days at 3.5mm and ironed when the weather allows. The iron is not used during these wet conditions as more damage can be done to the surface.            

 

 

On Tuesday 29^th August the annual greens maintenance will be carried out with  the following procedures:

• ·      Scarification to a depth of approximately 15mm.
• ·      Topdressed (10 ton) and brushed.
• ·      Solid tined (12mm tine).
• ·      Topdressed (20 ton) and brushed.  
• ·      Overseeded with bentgrass.
• ·      Fertilised.

 

Recovery will be good and the greens will benefit massively from this work. The aim is to keep the surfaces at a consistent level as we head into the Autumn/Winter. After a wet summer which we are experiencing, this maintenance is more important than ever.   

Could members please not tee off any earlier than 7.30am and from the 1st tees only. This allows the greenstaff time to prepare the course interrupted, thank you.  

      

Thanks to all the members that give myself and the team positive feedback, its very much appreciated. Hopefully the weather improves and you enjoy the rest of the season.

 

David and the Greenkeeping Team.      

 

                   

Winter Blog

 

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank our members who help protect the golf course over the winter. Following signs, walking around ropes, using mats and repairing pitchmarks, is very much appreciated. These measures that we have put in place, make the transition into the season that little bit easier.           

 

Here is a little update on the work that has been carried out on the golf course so far this winter.

The planned winter work doesn’t really start until all the leaves are cleared from the golf course, leaf clearing is very time consuming and with the weather deteriorating in December and January it delayed this operation by about three weeks. The heavier machinery couldn’t operate, as hard frosts and heavy rainfall saturated the course. Once the conditions improved the remaining leaves were collected for another year. 

All the long roughs were cut using the flail mower and the clippings removed. Some areas of scrub on banksides were also cut and cleared. The broom and gorse that has regenerated over the years was removed on the bankside behind the 9^th tee. This will  allow the wildflower to thrive again. 

 

All machinery servicing and grinding has been completed in house. Various turf repairs have been done on bunkers and tees.  All course furniture has been painted ready for the season ahead. New flags, pins and metal hole cups have been purchased and will be out for the start of the season.

 

A Health and Safety Tree Audit was carried out by an Arboricultural Consultant. This survey assessed the safety level of trees on the site. The purpose was to identify specific trees within the site boundary with regards to their risk level to public health and safety. 12 trees and 3 groups of trees were identified as moderate priority, with a view to works being complete within 6 months, prior to anticipated winter storms and as part of an on-going management plan. A local tree surgeon was contracted in to do the work. A chipper was hired in to help with the cleaning up. There is one more tree to deadwood on the drive then the work is complete.            

Fig 1: Pollarding of an oak tree on the 12th hole, allowing wildlife to still use the tree     

The greenkeeping staff are often asked by members, why are so many trees being removed and are trees replaced on the site? I hope the above paragraph answers why trees are removed. Trees are replanted in specific areas where needed.

With the lack of fungicides now available to treat turfgrass diseases, shade issues from trees are a major problem for the greenkeeping industry. Around the greens, airflow and shade are one of the major contributing factors for fusarium. The leaf of the plant sits wetter for longer compared to an open green, making it an ideal environment for the pathogen to strike. Increasing light around greens will allow the finer grasses to flourish and reduce disease attacks significantly.

 

Recently all the greens have been vertidrained using a 12mm diameter tine to a depth of 300mm. The greens really needed this aeration after the cold/wet cycles of December and January. This work allows the greens to vent and breath, improving root development below the surface when there is no top growth. Another aeration procedure is planned for March, this time using an 8mm tine to a depth of 200mm. The smaller tine size will allow a much quicker recovery. Topdressing will be added with this work and will be brushed in. The current height of cut on the greens is 6mm, this will be lowered when the conditions improve and the season nears. Very little growth comes off the greens this time of year, once the soils warm up the cutting frequency increases. The greens are rolled weekly if the conditions allow. The greens iron has been a great addition, but more aeration is required to let the surfaces breath.   

The new practice nets have just been completed. Here is a before and after photo.

                                  Fig 2: Practice nets 

Members will be aware that a borehole will be getting installed near the pump house on the 14^th hole. A temporary green will be cut near the fairway bunker and all traffic will be directed down the left hand side of the hole, avoiding the drilling rig. Communication will be sent out when the work starts.

             

 2022 annual data.

 

                               Fig:3 Rainfall comparison graph  

 

                                 Fig 4: Growth potential 2022

You can see from (fig 3) that the rainfall for 2022 was lower than average. Looking at (fig 4) you can see strong consistent growth didn’t commence until May. October is a better growing month than April, as the soil temperature is warmer. In the Autumn months reduced daylight slows growth.

 

The focus as always heading into the spring, will be tidying the course and improving presentation for the season. Bunkers will be edged and new sand added. Paths will be edged and new grey dust added. Fairways will be raked using the Terra Rake, which removes thatch and moss. Cutting of tees, fairways and rough improves definition on the course. It can be a slow process coming out of the winter, however seeing the welcomed change is very rewarding for myself and the team.

 

We had an unusual guest a woodcock appear on our wildlife camera in the woods, left of the 3^rd hole. I have been told that these birds are very hard to spot. Kestrels have nested the last few years behind the 5^th green and tawny owls are often heard around the clubhouse, an owl box an kestrel box will be installed in the near future.  

 

                                     Fig 5: Woodcock video 

Keeping up to date with any changes to working practices is very important. We encourage Continual Professional Development, the greenkeeping team attended a manual handling/noise course and a first aid training course. I am also a big believer in the wellbeing of staff and making the working environment a positive place, as this increases productivity.

 

I hope you have enjoyed the update and all the best for the golfing season.

 

David and the greenkeeping team. 

 

 

 

 

                                                        Summer Blog 

As I write this blog it’s the first heavy rainfall the course has had in a while. The ground is that dry and hard the water is running off causing surface puddling. The rain will be great for the course as fairways, tees and approns have been under severe drought stress. July was a really brutal month for the grass plant as very high temperatures, lack of rainfall and high evapotranspiration (ET) were persistent for most of the month. For July most sites in the North of England lost 100mm of moisture vs rainfall. What this means is 100mm of moisture was lost by evaporation. Moisture management on the greens is one of the most important jobs carried out during the summer months. The automatic sprinkler system is used overnight, and precision hand watering is carried out using hosepipes early in the morning. A moisture meter is used to record the volumetric water content (VWC) of the rootzone. This probes the rootzone giving a percentage, the lower the number the drier the greens. When the number gets below 20% (VWC), the greens become dry and show signs of stress. The greens are predominantly made up of sand, so the water holding capacity is pretty low. Poa (annual meadow grass) when stressed goes into survival mode and produces seed heads. 

                                         Fig 1: Rainfall totals 2022

The greens are mown most days and the height of cut is 3.5mm. The greens iron is used about twice a week if conditions allow. This improves the smoothness and consistency of the surfaces. The feed back we receive regarding the greens is that they run consistently. A video below shows a holing out test to see how smooth the greens are. This time of year, the greens are ready for some deep aeration. Daily play and the cultural practices that are carried out, compact the surface a little. The solid tine holes will break through this top layer, allowing the greens to breath.        

                                                                                 

                                                Fig 2: Holing out test on the 17th green  

The annual greens maintenance will be carried out on Tuesday 6^th September. The work will be as follows:

• ·      Vertidrained to a depth of 320mm
• ·      Topdressed with approximately 40 ton
• ·      Solid tined to a depth of 150mm
• ·      Brushed using the sweep and fill
• ·      Overseeded using our dynaseeders 
• ·      Nutrition application to aid recovery

 

As explained in previous blogs this work is essential for the long-term health of the greens. The recovery will be good as growing conditions are ideal during this time of the year. Winter greens will be used when the work is carried out and main greens will be reinstated once the work is complete. The aim going into the final part of the season is to keep the greens healthy and consistent. Over the autumn/winter regular slit tining will be carried out when conditions allow. This is another great form of aeration with very little disruption to the surfaces.

      

The overseeding program over the years has seen a big increase in bent grass in the greens. Recently I had a visit from an industry expert on grasses. He was very impressed with the species composition of the greens at Hexham and said the bent grass was the dominant grass.   

   

                                             Fig 3: Bent grass germination on the 17th green  

Tees and approaches will be aerated and some overseeding carried out. The aim is to improve the approaches and particularly the collar cut around the green. As you can see from the attached photo the aesthetics of the collar need improving. You go from a healthy green into a mixed sward on the collar. The aim is to make the collars more uniform by aerating, scarifying and overseeding with a better grass species. Tees and approaches will be sprayed at every opportunity when its raining with an intensive wetting agent. This will rehydrate the dry soil, allowing moisture to pass through into the profile. At the moment the soils on most tees and approaches are hydrophobic (they repel water). 

                                                     Fig 4: Collar showing rank grasses 

Once the season is finished competition wise protection measures will be introduced. Ropes, hoops, white lines and winter tees will be phased in. These measures are here to protect the course long-term and are one of the reasons we have a good consistent course during the season.

 

The new Toro rough cutter which was purchased at the start of the season, has been a great addition to the machinery fleet. A Wiedenmann Terra Rake was also recently purchased. Over the last three years a rake was hired in. The new one will be used to rake out thatch on fairways, improving the grass species and aesthetics. Over the autumn fairways will be slit tined and some areas will be vertidrained. The fairways have lost some grass cover during the recent hot spells, but will recover once the soils re-wet. Some overseeding may be necessary during the autumn. A second fairway divot will be carried out before the season finishes.                  

 

The team are in good spirits and have worked very hard this year as always, producing a good consistent golf course. A big thanks to them for all their hard work.   

Also a big thank you to all the members who support myself and the team, it's very much appreciated.

 

David and the lads.

 

 

                    Spring Blog 2022

With March comes the start of meteorological spring and flowering daffodils, I thought a course blog would keep members updated on all the things golf course related. This year the wildlife seems to be getting excited earlier than it normally does. Maybe they know something we don’t.  

      

In January the weather was really kind which allowed the green’s maintenance to be carried out.

The following procedures were completed:

·      Vertidrained to a depth of 300mm

·      Top dressed (30 ton)

·      Solid tined to a depth of 125mm

·      Brushed using our new speed brush    

·      Rolled

 

This work is essential to how the greens perform for the rest of the year. Doing it early allows the greens to recover when the golfer’s expectations are perhaps slightly lower, as its winter golf.

 

In late March the greens will have another form of aeration carried out, the GKB Sandfiller. This work will be done over 2 days, doing 10 greens one day and the remaining 10 greens the following day. Winter greens will be in use as this work is carried out. Greens will however be reinstated as soon as the work is complete. This procedure removes organic material and replaces it with kiln dried sand, creating firm and dry playing conditions. In total approximately 25 tons of kiln dried sand will be worked into the top 25mm of the greens profile. Again, this is a great bit of work with a long term very beneficial effect to the greens. Once this work is complete the focus is to get the greens back to summer conditions, as quickly as mother nature allows. Let’s hope for a good spring for a change. 

Here is a video showing the GKB sandfiller in action. 

        

 

Working outside I have a keen interest in the weather, and record data daily using a weather station. As explained in previous blogs this helps during the springtime when the grass plant starts to grow and particularly for the greens as golfers wait for the surfaces to come back to their best.

Here is a summary of the growth potential from our site from last year. Growth potential is a model that uses the daily average temperature, to express the growth rate of the plant.       

                       

You can see from the graph that anything above 40 is good growing weather. You would expect April to be a good month, but recent trends have shown it to be poor for growth, especially on the greens. Applying fertiliser when the conditions are cold can waste the product. The plant will not uptake the fertiliser, so it’s leached away, wasting money and potentially harming the environment. By tracking and using the growth potential model, this allows the correct application of fertiliser and the plants capability of absorbing the nutrients.        

 

The rainfall totals in (mm) for the year and past years.

 

                  

The winter work continues and will be completed before the start of the season. All the machinery has been serviced and sharpened using our grinders. The focus now before the growth starts is to work on bunkers and paths. Sand depths will be checked in all bunkers and new sand added if needed. A cultivator will be used to fluff the compacted sand up, providing an even distribution. All paths will be weeded, and grey dust added. The green yardage posts will be replaced with fairway discs. These will be placed into position before the season starts.     

The dry weather of late has allowed us to get some cutting done and some rolls on the greens. The iron helps smooth the greens surfaces out, especially after the recent aeration practices. The greens, fairways, tees, approaches and rough have had a trim putting some definition back on the course. The mowers will be out more as the growth starts to pick up.

The recent storms caused severe damage to trees. In total approximately thirty-five trees were lost. A contractor was brought into process some of the trees and limbs that had fallen awkwardly. Lots of debris also fell and the work collecting the material is still ongoing. Most of the trees that fell were all soft wood.     

Lots of animal damage is occurring on the 1^st, 2^nd and 15^th holes. Badgers are digging for worms and grubs on a daily basis. This is causing lots of damage very close to greens and tee boxes. Some disruption will occur until the temperature is warm enough for new grass seed to germinate. From a greenkeeping perspective this is really frustrating, with areas that we are trying to protect over the winter months are getting dug up. Unfortunately, there is nothing that we can do, as badgers are protected animals. The chemicals that were used to control worms and grubs were removed a number of years ago. Lots of sports turf facilities including horse racing venues are seeing the impact of these chemical bans. Hopefully the damage will ease as the ground becomes firmer.  

        

                                

A new Toro rough cutter will be arriving in the next few weeks. This machine covers the most ground out of all the machines, so gets well used. Another addition to the fleet is a charterhouse speed brush. This brush is used to work the sand into the greens when we topdress. Two excellent investments that will help massively help on course maintenance.

 

A kestrel and owl bird box were kindly donated recently. These have been put up and hopefully will attract these birds. Kestrels are often seen around the 6^th tee and owls heard around the clubhouse early in the mornings.  

      

                                        

Staff

The team are looking forward to a change in the weather and getting the golf course back to its summer best. Craig will be enrolled on a level 2 golf greenkeeping apprenticeship over the summer months. This will help his continual professional development.   

 

Finally, thanks to all the members who support myself and the team, it’s very much appreciated. We hope you have a great season.      

 

David and the lads