COURSE NEWS 27th OCTOBER
Tee Levelling underway
It’s been a pretty dry week, for a change which was fortunate given the heavy traffic that was involved in levelling the tees. The work went well, other than a hiccup when the contractor who was supposed to strip and shred the turf off the tees failed to show., resulting in some frantic activity to clear the 17th whilst the levelling contractors stood by - which is why there is a pile of material at the back of the tee awaiting disposal. Nevertheless levelling, using a laser and grader bar with the addition of rooting medium to make up the levels, was completed on schedule.
The turf, which comes from Yorkshire (this quality is not available everywhere; our other source is in Lincolnshire) arrived in large rolls. Gavin is more than pleased with the fine grass content. As of Friday afternoon the 18th (pictured) and half of 17 had been laid. It will all be completed by Monday other than hand-laying round the edges. The cost is coming out marginally below plan, at around £3000 per tee. We now need to keep off it until the new turf roots firmly into the root zone - and plan for a further 3 greens in 2025. It might seem slow, but £9000 and tying up the greens staff for a week is significant.
Gavin has also sorted out the irrigation around the extended chipping green. He had to trench round much of it to find the pipes and remake connections, which he has also tested. In his very early days before becoming a greenkeeper he was apprenticed as a plumber, learning skills that have been much used at Eaton.
Mowing throughout continues: the current temperatures are not slowing growth down much. The cut rough is being managed using the Ventrac.
This week we will be vertidraining the greens - solid steel pins are pushed down to the stone carpet and cranked to loosen up the root zone, which inevitably gets compacted during a season’s rolling. We know it is necessary from the ponds that currently form during heavy rains.
Still to come on Gavin’s to-do list will be draining some of the hollows that pond in heavy rain e.g. in front of the Black 8th tee. There are 3 locations where irrigation pipe joints have failed which will have to be dug out and repaired.
Course Committee
The turf, which comes from Yorkshire (this quality is not available everywhere; our other source is in Lincolnshire) arrived in large rolls. Gavin is more than pleased with the fine grass content. As of Friday afternoon the 18th (pictured) and half of 17 had been laid. It will all be completed by Monday other than hand-laying round the edges. The cost is coming out marginally below plan, at around £3000 per tee. We now need to keep off it until the new turf roots firmly into the root zone - and plan for a further 3 greens in 2025. It might seem slow, but £9000 and tying up the greens staff for a week is significant.
Gavin has also sorted out the irrigation around the extended chipping green. He had to trench round much of it to find the pipes and remake connections, which he has also tested. In his very early days before becoming a greenkeeper he was apprenticed as a plumber, learning skills that have been much used at Eaton.
Mowing throughout continues: the current temperatures are not slowing growth down much. The cut rough is being managed using the Ventrac.
This week we will be vertidraining the greens - solid steel pins are pushed down to the stone carpet and cranked to loosen up the root zone, which inevitably gets compacted during a season’s rolling. We know it is necessary from the ponds that currently form during heavy rains.
Still to come on Gavin’s to-do list will be draining some of the hollows that pond in heavy rain e.g. in front of the Black 8th tee. There are 3 locations where irrigation pipe joints have failed which will have to be dug out and repaired.
Course Committee