Top dressing greens

With perfect weather conditions on Thursday, we had no choice but to top dress the putting surfaces. This task has been delayed for some time due to the poor weather, and has also proved how important it is to apply top dressing. The clear benefits of top dressing are ;

- lowers disease severity
- controls thatch in the soil profile
- improves water and nutrient usage
- reduces compaction
- creates a smoother playing surface

Using a tractor attachment spreader we applied around 13 tonne of clean sand (0.25-0.5) to all 19 greens.

To work the top dressing into the canopy we firstly used a drag mat followed by a double brush using a tri plex. The next morning we set the groomers at 3mm followed by a double cut, and ran the irrigation heads behind to finish off the job.

Course up date

Well the course is finally starting to dry out, with the putting surfaces firming up nicely! We managed to get some work done on the putting green, we slit the green followed by a heavy top dress, finally adding a seaweed soil conditioner.

We've recently been brushing the greens before cut using a 'drag mat'. along with standing up the coarser grasses, removing the dew prior mowing improves the quality of cut.

We've also noticed new shoots on the tamarisks we cut down in the winter. We're looking forward to see them flourish!

Sammy was busy pumping the sitting water out of the new bunkers on the fourth, these are now in play. Pops and Tom also had to turf across the 3rd green following a hydraulic leak.

Other jobs included, top dressing newly turfed areas, hand watered greens, flymo and strimming bunkers, mowing greens, tees, surrounds and fairways.

This is more like it

It's been a busy few days for the team. Preparing the golf course last week for the Normans Open last Saturday. We verti-cut greens beginning of the week, the goal for this was to remove thatch, pick up any lateral growth and to firm up the surfaces. We increased our cutting frequency to twice a day, and included a roll to speed up the greens speed. Rolling the greens this time of the year is also a cultural practice to prevent any chafe grubs/leatherjackets. The greens are in good shape for this time of the year, however I am confident we can produce better playing surfaces within the next couple of weeks.

Last week Pops sprayed the paths with a total weedkiller, this has been long over due, however had to wait for the right weather to spray. This will kill all the weeds along the edges making them far more presentable.

This morning Goerge was out slitting fairways, this is an effective way to relieve compaction. Pops sprayed the greens with a contact fungicide to prevent any disease coming through. We also had an unusual task completed this afternoon, Mikey along with Sammy and Goerge had to get wet and clean the irrigation filters from the 17th lake.

We plan to complete more practices to the greens this week, grooming and top dressing on wednesday.

Look forward to seeing the results and report back in due course. If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact me lesmiellesgreens@gmail.com

Regards

New bunkers on hole 11

The new fairway bunkers on the 11th are now ready for play!

Goergie and Sammy have done a great job today, edging and adding sand to bunkers. It's also great to see our drainage working in this area.

Enjoy :)

Course Update

With the temperatures rising 'slowly but surely' we are starting to push our cultural practices on the putting surfaces. Brushing, grooming, double cutting along with some rolling the last week. Hoping to get some top dressing down early in the week if the weather helps us, this will stand the greens in good stead for the Normans Open on 20th April. We then plan on 'punching' the greens with the pencil tines the Monday after. Along with slitting tees and fairways, aeration is such an important task on our golf course it is vital we carry out these methods to improve and maintain all surfaces.

The course is shaping up nicely for the season, despite the wet weather. The remainder of bunkers have now been completed, fingers crossed they will all be in play for the 20th, I do have my doubts about the 4th hole as the water table is so high in that area, we have nowhere to pump the water to. On that note, water was somewhat 'flushing' out of our drainage lines we recently completed on hole 11. So these bunkers will be in play end of next week.

We also repaired the sink holes on the 1st approach. I have noticed this area getting worse over the last year, holding water along with making it impossible for the surrounds mower to get a good finish. Looks like we also be spraying for chafegrubs next week, these insects live off grass roots, therefore not helping our turf quality.

Other jobs this week included repairing the path along the 6th tee, fertilising greens (12-0-8), cutting tees, surrounds and fairways, changing holes (Mon & Thurs), strimmed path edges.

Enjoy The Masters, please don't expect the greens running at 14 on the stimp next week!

Regards

Spring?!? Course update

With the poor weather still hanging around, we have found it hard to get the course up to our high standards. This week we managed to finish the new bunkers on hole 11 and proceed to the 4th, this will be finished next week. Winter projects in April is totally out of the ordinary, however it does feel like mid January!

In between jobs or delayed with frost, we have been adding sand to some of the bunkers. We are aware that after the wet winter our bunkers will be inconsistent, so we will do our best to make sure there as consistent as they can be.

Once this is all complete we are just kind of hanging around waiting for the weather to warm up, so we can concentrate on course presentation.

Only a small post, but just to keep you up to date.

Shaping LHS fairway bunker on 11

Adding sand to 15th hole

Shaping up 11 RHS fairway bunker

11th hole construction works

The management decided to install a new bunker on the left hand side of the 11th fairway. Positioned in front of the existing bunker. All these bunkers now have drainage which will improve the playability to some extent. You may have noticed we have laid turf 'sward side down' covering the base of the bunker. This is to stop debris coming though the sand, and to also stop the sand/soil entering the drainage pipe.
The drainage around the green is progressing well, and should be completed before the weekend.
We then have some feeding to complete on tees surrounds and the greens.

Backfilling the trench across the fairway

Turves being laid upside down

The new bunker in need of some hand shaping