The weather up until March has been fantastic and has certainly
helped with the practices that have been carried out on the course. We fully
cut the course in February which is normally unheard of as you can barely
travel, let alone cut grass. It was nice to get some definition on the course
during the winter months. The temperatures were well above 15 degrees on some
days meaning the daffodils flowered early and spring was in the air. March though
has been a very wet month to date and a reminder that winter can come back and
bite.
The bunker on the LHS of the 2nd hole is now
complete and will be open once the turf has fully established. The sand was
added to the required depth then whacker plated in to gain firmness. The fence
around the bunker is to stop animals digging the new turf.. All sand levels
will be checked in the bunkers on the course and topped up if needed before the
start of the season.
The turf on the 1st tee is establishing well and
will be open for the Captains Drive-In.
All tree work is now complete and a stump grinder hired to
remove the remaining stumps. Thanks to the members that made a donation to the
junior section fund from the wood that was collected from the course.
All the machines have been fully serviced and repairs
carried out. We will take delivery of a machine grinder in early April,
allowing us to sharpen all the cylinders so the course machinery is ready to go
for the season ahead. All the course furniture has been treated and will be to put
out ready for the season.
Tees/Fairways
The tees were aerated again with the Toro 648 Procore. This
method of aeration is a solid tine going to a depth of 100 mm. A sand dressing has
then been applied and brushed in. All
tees and approaches have received a granular based fertiliser which will help growth
on these areas going into the season.
The fairways have been slit tined and some areas
vertidrained. These are both great forms of aeration. The fairway over the hill
at the 1st, 5th and the 9th near the green are
the areas most affected from the winter and struggle every year. These areas will
recover again once the growth starts.
The area in front of the 7th tee that has never
recovered from last years drought was given a hit of Iron Sulphate to help
discourage the moss. This area was then vertidrained, verticut, seeded then
dressed with some sand. We aren’t expecting the seed to germinate yet, but
getting some seed into the ground now will help once the real spring comes.
Greens
The greens are in good shape going into the season. Height
of cut is now at 5 mm and they are currently cut weekly weather permitting. The
height of cut will be reduced and mowing more frequent once ground temperatures
rise. The moisture content and soil temperature of the greens is recorded every
week, allowing us to carry out procedures such as feeding and aeration at the
correct time. The greens were recently double verticut using our thatchway
units. This is quite an aggressive procedure that removes a lot of surface
organic matter, encouraging a more upright growth habit and helps to smooth
surfaces ahead of the playing season.
The nutrition on the greens has now switched to more Nitrogen
based feeds, when the weather allows. The main source of Nitrogen at this time
of year is Ammonium Sulphate (21-0-0). Once the soil temperatures increase and
the greens are up and running Urea (46-0-0) and Methylene Urea then become the
main Nitrogen sources. These are soluble fertilisers and are applied as foliar
feeds with the tractor mounted sprayer. A granular based fertiliser will also be
applied when the greens need it. I prefer to apply foliar based feeds as they allow
more control of growth and greater consistency.
The soils in the greens were recently tested and no
nutrient deficiencies were found. Here are some of the nutrients that are
tested in a soil report - Phosphorous, Potassium, Magnesium, Sulphur, Calcium,
Manganese and Iron. The organic matter (thatch) is very low on the greens. This
and a soil structure of predominately sand is what we strive. How the greens
putt and perform is the main thing for golfers but from an agronomy perspective
what’s going on beneath the surface is equally as important and it is good to be
able to report that the greens at Hexham are in good health.
Over the next few weeks once we get a window of weather all
the greens will be vertidrained to a depth of 200 mm. The greens will then be
top dressed and aerated with the Toro Procore 648 using a solid tine to a depth
of 100 mm. The greens will then be brushed and matted, working the sand into
the holes. This process is essential maintenance and whilst there will be some disruption,
the surfaces will recover quickly.
The artificial green in the Short Game Area will be treated
for moss, power-brushed and dressed with the correct sand which will return the
surface to the desired level.
Wildlife
Overnight the wildlife camera has caught our resident foxes
and we also have a close-up image of a young buck Roe Deer. An owl box was
built and put up in a woodland where Tawny Owls are often heard, lets hope they
use it for a future nest site. The badgers appear to have calmed down on the
digging front and the damage is a lot less severe than previously. The wildlife
is great to see and just shows how diverse the golf course environment is as it
supports lots of different species of wildlife.
Finally, thanks to all the members who support the team and
I. We hope you have a great season.
David
and the Greens staff
