April 2022

Greens:

As we enter the time of year where the plant starts to require more nutrition, the greens have been helped along with a liquid mineral feed late in the month, consisting just Nitrogen.  With the relatively dry spell continuing through Spring, the greens also benefitted from their second application of wetting agent and seaweed, along with another dose of beneficial plant extracts, organic acids and natural chelators. This mix helps prevent nutrient ties ups, whilst bolstering wear tolerance and promoting growth in cooler temperatures.

We also gave the greens a light top dress this month, whilst continuing with our intensive aeration program. Our new Verti Drain spiker has now arrived, which will allow us to solid tine more efficiently and to a greater depth.  The height of cut on the greens has come down to 4mm and they continue to be rolled whenever possible.

Tees & Approaches & Fairways:

A decent month for the tees, as they received their first liquid feed and wetting agent, followed by a really good hand-water, divots are repaired as regularly as possible.  It is the plan to really bring these surfaces along this year! The program used, starts to mirror the one of the greens, albeit with slightly lower quality products to keep expenses manageable, and a height of cut set at around double the greens.

Much like the tees, our approaches are also in need of improvement, with some of the coarser grasses needing thinning out. Some spot spraying with selective herbicide will rid them of clover and other unsightly weeds.  There is also some badly worn areas around some bunkers, which we will try and remedy. 

The collar around the greens gets fed and watered indirectly, with residues from the greens program.  On the approach up to the green only the weaker areas will be treated with products, again to keep budgets manageable.  The improvements here should really start to show early in May as we receive and start to use our dedicated surrounds mower.  This piece of equipment is basically a greens mower, but with 3 wheel drive and just 8 blades on the cutting cylinders to cope with the undulations and slightly longer grass respectively.  They will be first cut at 12mm, but could get as low as 8mm like the tees, so you can imagine they should really start to look something come Summer time.

Other than cutting, fairways remain low input, they will be sprayed again for weeds this year as soon as they are all out.

Machinery:

We have had some fantastic additions to the fleet recently, including a utility vehicle (below) donated by a lady member who wished to thank the greens team for all their hard work over the last two years, we thank you sincerely. This vehicle will make movement for two staff with tools, far more efficient around the course, speeding up jobs like strimming, divotting, changing holes, raking bunkers, whilst also making travel safer.

Our new spiker and mower arrived right at the end of the month, we will be using these early in May to pencil tine the greens and cut surrounds and approaches respectively.

Work to Do In May:

The growth spurt has left us chasing our tails a little, particularly toward the end of the month whilst holiday time was used, and we suffered breakdowns on two main machines (now repaired), whilst also dealing with a temperamental flymo and strimmer (repairs ongoing).

Early in the month of May we will be out strimming and clearing the ditch of the 11th and 12th. Selective weed control on some of our more unsightly parts will commence, for instance the areas in front of the new white 8th tee and new 13th tee are particularly bad for dandelion and plantains amongst others. Divotting tees will also be a priority.

As the water table has now dropped off, true to form the stubborn wet areas around the course have now dried up, exposing just one potential irrigation leak, by the side of the new white 6th tee. Repairs to this and a couple of sprinklers suffering faulty solenoid valves (meaning they weep water constantly), notably 10th tees and front right of 13th greens, should see an end to our woes here for the time being at least.

Now ground temperatures are rising, we will attempt to finish off some of the winter projects that still look a little tatty around the edges with a soil and seed mix, and remedy other worn areas from winter in a similar fashion.

Thank you to Jack and Gordon for persevering through a difficult month, along with Ali, Amanda, Sam, the board, officials and directors for all their help and support. Thanks to all volunteers again offering time to help, notably Austin this month on hand for a couple of repairs and Liam helping us out each Monday, along with Bill doing a sterling job keeping the moles under control.

Best wishes, Peter, Jack & Gordon.