Winter Projects 2012

Winter works started Monday 29th October, the main priority is re building the green side bunkers on holes 3 and 5. The third hole had 3 bunkers in the front with a small pot hole bunker at the back of the green. Working alongside ex European Tour Professional Wayne Stephens, it was decided to turn the 3 bunkers into 2 and position them more strategically. Also bringing in more slopes around the bunkers to protect the short par 4. It was also felt that the small bunker at the rear needed to be filled, bearing in mind the maintenance and upkeep of bunkers around the course.

Hole 3 before renovation

There will be a new bunker on the  front left hand side, the center of the bunker will be roughly where the rake is. And the other center being roughly on the walkway on the right hand side. We believe these two new bunkers can hold the same penalty as the previous three, but provide us with easier upkeep and look far better visually.

As you can see in the picture for hole 5, this bunker is in need with some TLC. We have designs to make this large narrow bunker into two smaller bunkers.

Hole 5 before

The first bunker will be brought into the surround by two meters, with a smaller bunker hiding up against the left hand surround. Halfway stage and completion pictures will follow, this was just an update as there looked to be many puzzled faces out there today. 

With golf ball and club technology improving, it is also our aim to fill in some now 'out of place' bunkers around the course, this will start later on in the season along with turfing path ends, and tree work. The crew will be busy this winter and we hope you can appreciate we are trying to improve the course for everyones benefits.

We also had a welcome delivery today, the staff have kindly been provided with new waterproof suits. 

Tom looking professional?!?!

#Thatchmowroll

This morning we verti-cut the greens to a depth of 2mm below flush. We then followed this practice with a single mow at 4mm and a roll to smooth the surface. Our idea for this is also to encourage new growth within the disease scars. Other jobs this morning included cutting tees and surrounds, cut semi-rough.

Verti cutting units attached to a Jacobson tri-plex

Benefits of Verti cutting

- Thatch removal or reduction

- To reduce lateral growth

- Improve putting speeds

- Thins out the sward

Wednesday 24th October 2012

View from the back of 7th green this morning

This morning was the final round of the Pro-Am, the crew were in early to get the mowing and bunkers prepared for the tournament. Congratulations to Les Mielles Professional Wayne Stephens on his win.

Tom double cutting the putting green this morning

The new cups have arrived, a bit later than hoped due to the fog. However they were in action today and have already made an improvement. Just to remind the players, these are inter-locking cups and ferrels, and need to be placed back properly for the flag sticks not to fall out in the winds.

We took advantage of the nice weather this afternoon and applied a systemic fungicide 'Instrata' to all 19 greens. This is part of our disease prevention program, and will stand our surfaces in good stead throughout the winter months. We apologise to members playing this afternoon, for the tyre marks on the greens, as you can understand the greens are on the soft side, however the marks should be gone by tomorrow.

Jack spraying the 7th green

Course Update Monday 22nd October 2012

Pro-Am starts tomorrow morning, and despite the wet weather, the course looks fine. Greens are obviously going to be running slower than we hoped, they stimped just under 9 this morning. I went out with Sam from the PGA today, for the hole locations, he was happy with the condition of the course.

Tuesday morning duties -  raking/shaping bunkers, single cutting greens, rolled greens, change holes
Afternoon duties - cut fairways (anti-clock direction), single cut greens, cut tees and surrounds, mow semi rough.

Wednesday morning we will follow the same routine as Tuesday morning, And then clean the worksheds and do some painting work etc.

We noticed some fusarium patch this morning, so weather permitting we can apply a fungicide later this week, keep you up to date with how that goes.

Job Allocation

To keep the team organised and myself clear with the day to day operations on the course, I find a 'jobs board' a valuable tool. I also believe it maximises the tasks and work loads, We also run through the tasks in a morning brief so everyone is clear with what we are trying to achieve.

I like to rotate the tasks between the staff members on a regular basis, this keeps everyone well trained/experienced. And also keeps them interested in the description. This week however I have signed staff up to specific tasks. This is so it almost becomes second nature to them for preparing the course to a high standard for the Pro-Am. As always in these parts of the world, it's always weather depending!

Golf Course update 16th October 2012

Luckily with little rain last night and high winds, the course is holding up well. This morning we managed to brush greens, at a right to left angle, brushing into the grain, with a single cut after at left to right angle. We've been following this practice throughout the summer, and have seen some improvements to the putting surfaces. The weather forecast is looking clear this afternoon, so fingers crossed we can apply our winter feed to the tees and surrounds.

Benefits of brushing the greens prior mowing - Removes dew to give a better quality of cut

                                                                    - Stands up the blade (better finish)

                                                                    - Clears any debris

Tom brushing the 16th green

A new machine also arrived this morning, the management have purchased a McConnel 'swing trim' hedge cutter. This tractor attachment will benefit labor costs drastically.

Breakdown - 

Up to 3.5m reach

Unique swingover - enables us to work either side of the tractor

Low power requirement

Three point linkage system

Eliminates white finger

PGA South Region Pro-Am Course Prep

This week we will be preparing the course presentation for this years Pro-Am. We haven't had the best start to the week, with constant rain all night Sunday. However the crew have made some good progress with a few detail jobs today.

Goerge mowing the 18th approach

Shaped bunkers and added sand where we needed to

Changed holes, the hole locations will be placed in easier positions this week to save the tougher pins

Tom managed to get some much needed 'patching and plugging'

 And, if we get some more of this weather, the course will be playing well!

Tomorrow we're hoping to get fairways cut, as it was too wet this morning. Greens double cut, and get on top of some tee banks and path edges.

Winter feeding program

Today we started our winter feeding program, we applied 2-0-15 to all 19 greens. We will apply this feed on a monthly basis through to march. This feed will develop root growth and keep the plant strong through the winter months.

If you wish to know more details about our feeding programs please do not hesitate to contact me via email - lesmiellesgreens@gmail.com

Golf Course Course Etiquette

To keep our golf course healthy and in good condition through the winter months, it is important we throw out a few reminders regards to course etiquette.

-Diverted Traffic | To keep our greens surrounds in good order, we have white lined traffic routes for golfers to follow around the greens.

-Pitchmarks | With the greens becoming damper, it is important every golfer repairs their own ball mark correctly. For information to repair a pitchmark correctly please follow the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1UWnpv3woU&feature=related

-Bunkers | It has come to our attention that some bunkers are not being raked appropriately. Please ensure your footprints and divot has been smoothed over and raked, this way each golfer has a fair test of golf.

-Ground Under Repair | We have marked areas that need help with growth and prevent any risk of any further damage. These areas are marked with white paint along with G.U.R, please drop at least one club length no nearer the hole.

-Roped off areas | Please avoid going through these areas, if you need to retrieve a ball, please make sure the rope and stakes are in place when done.

New Grinders at Les Mielles

To continue with the improvement on the golf course, it is vital all our mowing equipment is set up correctly. We have recently purchased the Bernhard 'Anglemaster 3000MC' and 'Dual Master 3000iR' grinding machines.  

Not will this only improve the finish and play ability of the surfaces, it will provide us with healthier turf grass.

Breakdown

-Poorly sharpened mowers will tear the blade, rather than cut. This making the sward more prone to disease.
-Having the option to grind when we need to.
-Cost effective.
-Provide a quality cut.

Drainage

Drainage is an important topic, when it comes to golf course maintenance. The past week, has seen us install new drainage to two areas on the course. Firstly the 11th Fairway, being a low area has caused some serious waterlogging. We installed a new grade, going into a 6 inch perforated pipe, running into the near by lake. We used 1'' washed gravel as backfill and turfed the area to finish.

Secondly the 16th surround, had been victim of a blocked drain. We located the drain, cleared the line, and installed a new grade in the lowest/wettest spot. This should now prevent sitting water, and keep the turf clean and healthy.