Greenkeeping Spring Blog

Following the announcement at the end of March by the government, the course was closed immediately. As greenkeepers we are permitted to work but must follow the guidelines for essential maintenance negotiated by the R&A and practice social distancing. Currently we are mowing greens, fairways, tees and rough during the week. Water management and nutrition to the greens is being carried out, with the objective of keeping the turf healthy and avoiding putting to much feed and water on. This blog though, is about the work that was carried out before the lockdown.   
               

The weather over this winter was horrendous for everyone involved with managing turf in the UK. The wettest February on record, coupled with consistent rainfall since September made it very challenging in presenting a golf course. As I write this blog we are currently in a dry spell and could do with a drop of rain. Who would have thought I would be saying that after this winter. It just goes to show that greenkeepers are never happy with what Mother Nature is doing. 


The course stood up really well to the extremes of this winter. The areas that suffered the most were the walkways that receive high levels of foot traffic. This is a perennial issue in areas like this every winter and they are beginning to recover now the grass has started growing. The winter program was completed despite the bad weather we encountered.  



Following work to the white & yellow teeing grounds last winter, the red 1^st tee has been levelled and then relayed.

New astroturf was put down on the 9^th and 10^th paths, with retaining boards being renewed on the 9^th.  A new path was also constructed next to the 11^th tee. 

Various bunker repairs around the course have been carried out. Whilst on the 4^th the bunker to the left of the green has been completely renovated. 



Rubber matting has been put down on high traffic areas and will be trialed to see if the damage around these areas is reduced.



The pines to the left of the 5^th hole have been lifted to allow more airflow to the green. With legislation ordering the withdrawal of various chemicals, increasing airflow and improving light to greens will help going forward. 

      

All machinery has been serviced and sharpened in house using the grinders.



The high winds over the winter brought down lots of debris; this was picked up and removed from the course. The paths were edged, weeded and tidied. When golf eventually resumes and we have some normality, all the bunkers will be topped up with sand. You will also see some new shapes have been marked out on tees, approaches and fairways.   




Tees   
    

A granular slow release fertiliser was applied to the tees, this lasts for about 24 weeks giving consistent growth. The tees will receive a monthly wetting agent program throughout the season, with small doses of nutrition. With not having irrigation to the tees, the performance is very much dependant on getting rainfall. The introduction of a wetting agent program is aimed at improving the tees. Wetting agents help by making the best use of water, giving a much more even spread and reducing surface run off.            



Greens 


The greens have stood up to the winter weather really well. The percolation rates are phenomenal considering all the rainfall we have had. This is down to the continuous aeration practices that are carried out and have been carried out over the years. Also, the low organic matter content (thatch) that we have in the greens at Hexham is a big positive, as the water moves through the profile quickly. Think of thatch as a bit like a sponge it holds water. Thatch is a layer of dead or decaying roots, shoots and stems which is caused when the rate of the dead decaying organic matter from the active growing turf, exceeds the rate of decomposition. When high levels of Nitrogen, which is the main nutrient for grass growth, are put down, then thatch can be produced as excessive growth increases accumulation rates. 
     

Before the lockdown the greens were verticut aggressively twice, this removes thatch and encourages a more upright growth habit. They were then vertidrained to a depth of about 250 mm, this was then followed up by a top dress and a solid tine to a depth of about 150mm. The last procedure was brushing the sand into the profile of the greens. This maintenance does knock the greens back a little regarding performance and looks, but it is essential and is why the greens perform so well for the rest of the year.





With temperatures rising and daylight increasing, the focus on the greens becomes nutrition. Ammonium sulphate is the Nitrogen source used this time of year and this will be dripped in when conditions allow in small amounts. Seaweed which is a plant biostimulant is added to the mix as well as other nutrients. Soil temperatures and moisture readings are taken on a regular basis, allowing us to keep check on the soils of the greens. People may be mowing their lawns and noticing the longer rough grasses growing, but fine turf takes a bit longer to fully get up to speed. Some grasses on the greens can have a more yellow appearance about them, compared to other species. This is the annual meadow grass coming out of its winter dormancy and is nothing to worry about. As explained in my previous blog, annual meadow grass is a hungrier grass compared to the fine grasses (bents). A good example to see this can be seen on the 3^rd green, the left side as you play the hole is predominantly annual meadow grass and looks a bit off colour, compared to the right side which has a lot more finer grasses and looks more healthier. The left side receives very little sunlight through the winter and any rainfall runs off the bank, making this part of the green ideal for annual meadow grass to thrive.         
                      



Staff


The greenkeeping team is now back to the full complement of five following the recent appointment of Craig Johnston. Craig emigrated to the UK from New Zealand recently with his family who originate from Northumberland. He has worked on cricket grounds around Auckland for a number of years and is passionate about golf, rugby (as you might expect) and cricket. Craig has settled in well.                                               



Hope you enjoyed the update about the course. All the greenkeeping team and I look forward to seeing our members returning to Hexham Golf Club soon.  




Stay safe. 




David and the lads.                                                                           

                             AUTUMN BLOG  

                            

Well what a wet autumn this has been compared to last year. There currently seems no let-up in the rain and the course is saturated. Let’s hope for some cold dry weather to dry the course out a little. I started recording weather a number of years ago, which allows us to look back at rainfall amounts. During November 2018 we received 30 mm of rainfall, whilst in November 2019 rainfall was 115.7 mm.

I know last year was dry but it just shows you the difference and 85 mm more in the same period this year is a significant amount more. The extra rainfall means that some areas of the course need extra protection during this wet spell. Members are politely requested to and should follow course signage and white lines. This helps protect these areas and makes them in their best condition possible going into the new season. Also with the greens being a little more receptive, there are more pitchmarks appearing. As per a previous communication from the Club Manager, members of golf clubs know what to do to alleviate this bug bear of golfers and greenkeepers alike. 

                       

Winter Work   

         

The long rough areas have been cut and collected with the flail mower, with some also bush bladed. This is part of the ongoing ecology plan, to encourage wildflowers and finer grasses. 

The battle with the leaves is still ongoing but nearly done. The bad weather and wet ground conditions have restricted access to the course and the use of the collector and tractor mounted blower. The leaves are nearly all down, so in a few weeks the battle will be won, until next year. 

In-house grinding of the cutting units has commenced. This gets them razor sharp ready for the new season.     

Work to reshape the bunker on the 4^th hole has begun. You will see from the photograph below that the bunker lost its shape and aesthetically did not look great. A rebuild similar to that constructed at the 2^nd hole last year will be carried out. 

Following the refurbishment of the Men’s Medal and yellow tees last year, this year, the Ladies 1^st tee will be levelled and new turf laid, completing the work done to the whole area.

Also planned within the winter work is the installation of new Astroturf on the 9^th and 10^th paths. 

                                                                                                                                                                   

Greens    

       

The greens are in really condition going into the winter. This year the performance of the greens throughout the season has been at a very consistent level. The feedback we have received from members and visitors has been very positive. 

The height of cut for winter is at 5.5mm and the cutting frequency is very much weather dependant. Growth on the greens has really slowed down lately and the grass plant now puts its energy into root development below the surface. Roots don’t actually grow in the soil they grow in the pore spaces which are created from aeration. Aeration work done at different depths helps provide space for better rooting.     

Throughout the winter the slit tiner goes over the greens every fortnight, weather permitting. This allows vital air down to get to the soil, causes the least lateral compaction and stimulates the roots. You can see the benefits from the photo below.  

The annual maintenance to the greens carried out in September went to plan. All greens were vertidrained and solid tined, giving two different depths of aeration. Approximately 30 tonnes of sand in total was applied and brushed in. 

The final procedure that is carried out is to overseed certain greens with bentgrass. The photograph taken 14 days after this task was carried out shows that the bentgrass had germinated during this short period. The species composition of the greens at Hexham is a mix of bent/meadow grass with a small amount of yorkshire fog. 

Annual meadow grass does produce a good playing surface when mowed tight. It is however, a hungry grass, that needs more water, is much more disease prone than bentgrass and produces seed heads. Complete eradication of annual meadow grass is not possible, but every year if a small percentage of bentgrass is added to the sward then this goes a long way in making the greens fine grass dominated.   

Diseases 

The two most common turfgrass diseases that attack greens are fusarium and anthracnose. Similarly to most golf courses we get both diseases here at Hexham. Following the greens maintenance in September there was a little flare up of fusarium on certain greens. This is stress related after the procedures are carried out with this stress allowing the fungal pathogen to attack. Fusarium predominately attacks annual meadow grass.  What was interesting this year was we hand seeded bentgrass into the fusarium. The photograph (A) below shows some great recovery and fine bentgrass replacing the weak diseased annual meadow grass. (photo B)

                                                  A)                                  B)

Anthracnose is a disease that is also stress related. This disease again favours the weaker annual meadow grass. Areas that are susceptible to anthracnose are walk off/on points of greens, that receive high volumes of traffic. Again, when anthracnose attacks the weaker meadow grass, bentgrass is hand seeded into these areas replacing the weaker meadow grass. 

Fungicides 

The fungicides on the market now must be used in a preventative way, before any disease is seen. All the fungicides that cured disease have now been banned under recent legislation. To meet the new guidelines the new fungicides are a lot weaker than their predecessors were. Where two or three of the old fungicdes were used previously, experts are now saying around eight of the newer ones will be needed for the same results. With this there is no guarantee to being disease free. My belief is to keep greens as healthy as possible and applying the right nutrition is the key going forward. Diseases will always hit weak stressed areas. A little like a human catching a cold when they are run down, it’s just how well they then recover. In November, when disease pressure was high, a preventative fungicide was applied to our greens.

I hope members have had a little insight into what we do as greenkeepers and enjoyed the read. There is a lot more goes into it than just cutting grass. I think the lads though would love to be sitting on a mower right now with the sun on their backs. 

On behalf of the team and myself can I thank the members for their support throughout the year. It is appreciated.

All the best. 

David and the lads  

                                                    

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