Summer Blog

                               Summer Blog

This summer is remarkably different to 2018, lots more rainfall has kept the grass healthy and the course has a green appearance as opposed to the burnt off look we endured last year. The wet weather has been needed and has helped the areas out that struggled massively in last year’s drought. 

Fig 1: Drone shot 2019

                                             Fig 2: Drone shot 2018

Greens

This year’s aim was to have the greens performing at a consistent standard for members and visitors. To achieve this, a regular spoon feeding program is carried out on a weekly or fortnightly basis. This form of plant nutrition allows a much more precise application, which regulates growth and keeps the plant healthy. No granular fertiliser has been applied this year, all nutrition is applied as a liquid (foliar) through the sprayer. The main nutrients that are applied at this time of year are Nitrogen either in the form of Sulphate of Ammonia or Urea. Biostimulants are applied with every spray, with the two used regularly being Seaweed and Fulvic acid.

The height of cut on the greens is 3.5mm and when conditions allow we do go to 3mm. The lower cut height does however put a lot of stress on the plant and is not sustainable all season. Half a millimetre may not seem much but when mowed so tightly every day this can have a huge impact on greens.

The greens are also sarel rolled on a regular basis. This puts a small prick in the surface of the green dispersing surface water and moisture. Very little disruption occurs and ball roll is not affected. Light topdressing applications are carried out when the greens need it. This helps dilute any organic matter and achieves an improved ball roll through smoother putting surfaces.   

Only one chemical has been applied to the golf course this year to date, a selective herbicide targeting weeds on fairways, tees and roughs. A fungicide will be applied in the Autumn/Winter if needed, to protect against fusarium. The fungicides now are all preventative, they have to be applied before disease occurs. I will provide more information about fungicides in the autumn blog.       

                  

Members may have noticed numerous greens irons on demo this season. We are having a look at various machines on the market with consideration being given to purchasing a one in the future. The iron improves the smoothness and trueness of the putting surfaces. 

                                        Fig 3: Tom rolling the 17th green 

Greens maintenance week commencing 9^th September

All greens will be vertidrained to a depth of 230mm. A heavy topdressing will then be applied using the Toro Propass. The greens will then be solid tined using the Toro Procore 648 to a depth of 100mm. This helps work more topdressing into the profile. A lighter topdressing will then be applied if needed to top the holes up with more material. This is essential work to the greens and keeps them healthy in the short and longer term. The process is carried out more efficiently than in previous years and golfers will therefore not be affected as much. 

Ecology 

All the long rough areas we have managed over the last couple of years have really improved. The cut and collect procedure that is carried out is slowly improving the grass species from rank grasses to more finer grasses. Wildflower numbers are also improving with this work. The best bank on the course is behind the 9^th tee, lots of wildflower can be seen here. Numerous species of wildlife, ranging from small insects to larger mammals, have been spotted out on the course. A bat box was installed in our yard as bats can often be seen flying around on late evenings. Thanks to all the members who kindly donated or made a bird box.       

Staff

Michael Dent has recently joined our greenkeeping team. Michael is a fully qualified mechanic having been part of the staff at Slaley Hall for the past three years. Michael has settled in well, already putting his touch on the workshop and is also gaining his greenkeeping certificates through Myerscough College. 

Ashley Marshall recently worked the Irish Open at Lahinch Golf Club. Another fantastic experience for Ashley working at a top tournament. 

Finally, myself and the team want to thank members for the continued support and wish you all the best for the remainder of the season. 

David and the lads.                              

                                                                                

           

                Hexham Golf Club Spring Blog 2019

  

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 2^nd 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 1^st 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 1^st, 5^th and the 9^th 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 7^th 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                                          

Head Greenkeeper’s Blog – Winter 2018

The drought of the summer is now a distant memory and normal service has resumed with the weather. November has been wet, but the course has stood up well to the change in conditions. To date December has been dry which has provided us with the opportunity to carry out some of the planned winter projects.

Winter Projects

The first tees (yellow and white) have been levelled and new turf laid. The turf is made up of the following grass species: 25% chewings fescue, 25% slender creeping red fescue, 20% smooth stalked meadow grass & 30% perennial rye grass. 

This work will both improve the playability and aesthetics of the area, our first impression to members and their guests. The final stage to complete the project will be to level and turf the Ladies tee which will take place next winter.

Bunker LHS 2^nd green

The left hand 2^nd bunker has been rebuilt and turfed. The photograph immediately below illustrates how the old bunker lost its shape with a sand face. The second photograph shows the reshaping of the bunker with a grass face construction. Bunker sand will be added at a later date, however the area will remain out of play as G.U.R. until it is ready to be reintroduced.

Bunkers on any golf course take up a huge amount of time and resources. This is the case whether they are grass faced like the majority of our bunkers, or sand faced. The depth of sand in a particular area of a bunker can be affected by the way the bunkers are raked or by high winds if the bunker is exposed. Sand levels are regularly checked and topped up if needed. During the winter the sand may also become more compacted with rain water.   

Greens   

 

The greens are in really good shape for the time of year and feedback from members is extremely positive and greatly appreciated. The coverage and overall plant health is strong, which is desired by greenkeepers across the U.K. for the extremities of winter. The height of cut is currently at 5mm and it is intended that this will soon be raised to 5.5mm. 

The greens have been sprayed monthly with a tough turf package. This consists of chelated iron, phosphate and potassium.  Applying these products hardens the grass plant for the winter.

Soil temperature on the greens continues to be recorded on a weekly basis. Currently as I write this the temperature of the soil on the 11^th green is 4 degrees Celsius. This time of year there is little growth on the greens but the grass plant puts a lot of resources into root development. This root development is encouraged by aeration. Slit tining is carried out on a regular basis when weather conditions allow. This is a great form of aeration during the winter months, with very little surface disruption.                 

Walled Garden green

The green in the Walled Garden has made a great recovery from last year’s take all patch disease. This disease attacks new greens, mainly bent grasses that have high pH values. This disease can be devastating as shown in the photo. Lots of hand seeding and some TLC made sure the green has made a full recovery. Spoon feeding every two weeks using sulphur-based products and some manganese helped prevent any repeat attack of take all patch this year.  

 

     

Tees/ Approaches        

Winter tee positions are now in use, allowing the main tees a chance to recover from the tough summer they endured. All tees have been solid tined using the Procore 648 aerator. An intensive wetting agent was applied to the tees allowing water to infiltrate into the soil profile more easily and speeds up the recovery process.

All approaches have been solid tined using the Procore 648 aerator and vertidrained. Like the tees an intensive wetting agent was applied to all approaches.

Bare areas on approaches that were affected from the drought will be turfed. Parts of the 11^th and 16^th tees will also be turfed. These areas will be not be in use until the turf to become established.

General maintenance

All course furniture is brought in over the winter and given maintenance. The seats, ball washers, bins, marker poles, yardage posts and tee signs will all be treated ready for the season.

Our maintenance and storage facility, the sheds, receives a de clutter during the winter months. All machines are serviced in house and any repairs carried out by our latest team member, greenkeeper/mechanic Paul Walton. All machines are deep cleaned which gets them looking nearly new. Below is a before and after photo of cylinders from a greensmower.

The pending purchase of a grinder which will arrive in the next couple of months is a great addition to the fleet. This will allow us to sharpen cylinders on site and therefore do so more regularly. Mowing greens is one of the most important maintenance practices carried out on sports turf. Healthier turf is produced from sharper cutting units. The grinder will provide the facility for our mowers to be sharper.

Rough

All long areas of rough have been cut with our Amazone flail mower or strimmed. This management of scrub and rank grasses encourages flowers and finer grasses to thrive in these areas. This is repeated every year.        

Wildlife

Recently there have been some areas of damage to the course caused by wildlife. I have recently had use of a remote wildlife camera, so installed it close to one of the areas that was being damaged. The camera caught the culprit confirming what we thought. Badgers are protected under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. They are digging for worms in the turf, so some damage will be inevitable. I have recently read that they are not as active during the winter months, so let’s hope for a cold winter to keep them below ground.       

Finally, I would like to thank all the members of Hexham Golf Club who have supported the team and I throughout my first year as Head Greenkeeper. The extremes in weather conditions at times made it a difficult one but I hope you would agree that the course has stood up well, thanks to the efforts of the team.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

David and the Greenstaff                   

     

                                                              Blog – Summer 2018

Well what a challenging year it has been so far for growing fine turf. The extremes of the hot spell we experienced in June and July was a testing time to keep moisture in the greens. The greens staff worked split shifts to apply water to the greens in both the morning and evenings. This was essential work to help keep the greens to a good standard. A monthly wetting agent program has also been carried out, this helps reduce dry patch and maximises grass health. Some members were intrigued as to why we were hand watering as opposed to using the automatic system. Hand watering is the best method of applying water, although time consuming, the hot spot areas are targeted more effectively. The automatic system was also used but this method concentrates the water mainly to the centre of the greens with the edges of greens therefore receiving less. Although ultimately it coped, our irrigation system was really tested during the drought conditions, highlighting repairs that were needed to maintain the aging system. These were eventually completed once we could allow for the 48 hour downtime the system needed to allow repairs to be carried out.

One of the first tools I requested following my appointment as Head Greenkeeper was a moisture meter. This has proved to be a valuable tool with readings from the greens recorded every day allowing water to be used more efficiently. Below is a graph showing some data for Volumetric Water Content (VWC) from the greens.

                              

                                          Fig 1: VWC averages recorded from the 11^th green

Greens

During the hot spell the height of cut (HOC) on the greens was raised to reduce stress on surfaces. Our everyday HOC throughout the season is 3.5 mm reduced to 3.0 mm for events such as the Club Championship, Captains’ Days etc. Golfers often enquire as to why the greens cannot be cut at 3.0 mm all season. From a performance point of view lowering to 3.0 mm does increase speed on surfaces. From an agronomic perspective this is unsustainable. That extra half millimeter may not appear to be much but in fine turf this is huge. Added stress to the grass plant with the lower cutting height brings more risk of turfgrass diseases such as fusarium and anthracnose. More inputs are required i.e. fertilsers, topdressings, water use and fungicides. More organic matter (thatch) will be accumulated from the increased inputs. I will use the example of a marathon runner who can only reach peak fitness about 4 times a year. I have used this example as greens will be peaked for certain points in the Club calendar. The greens have been very consistent throughout the season and have stood up well to the extremes of mother nature.

The rest of the course really suffered during the drought, particularly the tees and approaches. The fairways were burnt off but are recovering well after the recent rainfall. A tractor mounted over seeder will be brought in at the beginning of September to over seed selected tees and the areas that have suffered the most. All these areas will also be aerated. Both processes will help the recovery on these areas as we go from the close of the season into winter.

                                               Fig 2: Drone shot taken on the 29^th June 2018

Greens maintenance

The week commencing 10^th September greens maintenance will be carried out. The tasks include: 

·         Double verticut

·         Vertidraining

·         Solid tining

·         Topdressing  

This essential process is very beneficial in promoting good putting surfaces and overall longer term health of the greens. The process will take 2-3 days, weather permitting, hopefully allowing us to be back on the main greens before the end of the week.

The Open

I was privileged to be asked to work the Open Championship at Carnoustie in July. To be part of the team was a great experience and to see what goes into the worlds biggest golf event was amazing. I spent 10 days with a great bunch of fellow greenkeepers from all the other Open venues and one lad from Royal Adelaide in Australia. It certainly put Hexham on the map, as these guys were asking about the Club and what it was like. My answer was come and play it you will not be disappointed, which some of them will do in the future.    

              

Fig 3: At the Barry Burn, Carnoustie from left to right. Members of greenstaff from Hexham, Royal St Georges, Royal Adelaide, Trump Turnberry, Royal Portrush, Royal Liverpool, Muirfield, Royal Birkdale      

I would just like to finish by saying a big thank you to all the members that have supported myself and my team this year and enjoy the rest of the golf season.

David Thompson

Head Greenkeeper                                           

                                                                        

Spring Blog

As I write this blog we have had a week of warm weather. This winter has been a test for the golf course as we have experienced some harsh weather conditions. The course was under heavy snow for eight days after the beast from the east, followed by lots of frosts, then heavy rain which saturated the course on more than a few occasions. The experts in the sports turf industry say we are a month behind this year compared to last year in terms of growth and soil temperatures.

We were asked to, and delivered improved winter greens this year and the feedback to this has been very positive. Like the majority of golfers I don’t enjoy playing on winter greens but having them allows the course to stay open when conditions are at their worst.

The aim now, with the cold weather hopefully behind us, is to improve the course aesthetically. A full cut of the course was carried out last week. The majority of tees were put back onto main tee boxes. New flags and hole cups and all golf course furniture was put out. Unfortunately the majority of ropes and hoops will be staying out for the time being as the course needs some protection and the traffic still needs to be managed around walkways and slopes.    

Greens maintenance

We took advantage of a break in the weather, which allowed us to get our maintenance done to the greens. A double verticut was carried out in March. This removes any thatch that has built up over the winter months and smooths the surfaces out long term.

                         

A week later the greens were vertidrained, solid tined and 30 ton of topdressing was applied. An application of sulphate of ammonia and ferrosol (liquid iron) was applied as doing this mechanical work can put added stress on the grass plant. A granular fertiliser was applied two weeks ago and got watered in nicely as the forecast was right, it never stopped raining. The height of cut on the greens is now 4.5 mm and I will be bringing that down as cutting frequency increases.  

                                             

The benefits from the ecology work carried out recently can clearly be seen around the course. Lots of colour is now visible on banksides which were previously thick of scrub. A big thank you to all members who donated bird boxes as part of the national nest box week. They have been put up in various locations around the course and many are already in use.    

                             

We were pleased to welcome Paul Walton, who joined our team a few weeks ago and he has settled in well. Paul is a greenkeeper/mechanic and is a great addition to the team. He has already fixed some machines which would have been done in the past by an outside mechanic. Paul is also very keen on the turf side of things. We are now up to a full-strength team of five, ready for the season.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone for their support and patience over recent months and wish all our members a great golfing season.

David Thompson

Head Greenkeeper