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 29th 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.
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.
