Greens Report
March 2020 Greens Report
I said in my last report that it looked as though the conditions were getting drier and the rain was subsiding but I was wrong. This month has possibly been even wetter than previous ones resulting in course closures and boggy conditions. We can only hope that the predicted drier weather will now be with us and we can look forward to more acceptable conditions.
The main work on the course this month has been on the drainage and we are now seeing the benefit of the use of a digger, which greatly improves the rate of ditch clearing and digging. There are still areas which cannot be accessed due to the wet conditions and these will have to be addressed later in the season.
The ditch that runs from the pond on the 14th in front of the 15th tees and over to the lake on the 15th has been cleared. This allows the level of the 14th lake to be controlled and it is now 12 inches lower. The effect of this is that the areas surrounding the 14th green and the approach bridge areas should drain better, which will alleviate the issues we have seen on this hole. The ditch that runs behind the 13th green and then all the way along the far left of the 14th before finally discharging into the lake is being cleared. This should help the areas to the right of the 13th green which have traditionally been a problem.
The ditch that runs in front of the 8th tees is a key drainage channel for all the water coming from the lake to the right of the 18th, the lake on the 17th and all the high areas on the 18th. This has been cleared and water is running, although the ditch that runs across the 7th fairway still needs clearing when ground conditions allow. It is interesting to note that the whole of the 9th, including the green area and lake, drains into this ditch. The drains on the 9th and 18th have been renovated to help the drainage from the high areas, but more drains will be needed to solve the problems that we have seen there this year. The ditch that runs in front of the 18th tees and then across the course to the stream on the 7th has been extended into the lake on the 17th. Once again this allows the level in the 17th lake to be controlled and there has been a drop of about 6 inches here allowing more drainage from the very wet areas on the 17th.
As previously announced the early treatment will start next week with the hollow tining of the greens. Traditionally this has been followed by top dressing but it may not be possible to dress every green immediately due to the wet conditions preventing heavy loads in some areas. The purpose of hollow tining is not only to relieve compaction but also to allow air to permeate the greens, which is a benefit to their growth. If the top dressing is not done immediately this is not detrimental to the treatment, in fact it could be of benefit as leaving the holes open can allow more aeration. In total 60 tonnes of top dressing and 120kg of over seeding will be applied to the greens, which will enhance the healthy grass covering they already have. Hopefully we will also be able to cut them regularly soon.
You will have seen that trees and vegetation that have resulted from cutting areas on the course are being burned. This has been done with the necessary permission from the relevant authorities.
I have started the collection for bird boxes for the course and any donations that you wish to make can be done in the professionals shop. I thank you in advance for your support.
Brian Trenbirth
The main work on the course this month has been on the drainage and we are now seeing the benefit of the use of a digger, which greatly improves the rate of ditch clearing and digging. There are still areas which cannot be accessed due to the wet conditions and these will have to be addressed later in the season.
The ditch that runs from the pond on the 14th in front of the 15th tees and over to the lake on the 15th has been cleared. This allows the level of the 14th lake to be controlled and it is now 12 inches lower. The effect of this is that the areas surrounding the 14th green and the approach bridge areas should drain better, which will alleviate the issues we have seen on this hole. The ditch that runs behind the 13th green and then all the way along the far left of the 14th before finally discharging into the lake is being cleared. This should help the areas to the right of the 13th green which have traditionally been a problem.
The ditch that runs in front of the 8th tees is a key drainage channel for all the water coming from the lake to the right of the 18th, the lake on the 17th and all the high areas on the 18th. This has been cleared and water is running, although the ditch that runs across the 7th fairway still needs clearing when ground conditions allow. It is interesting to note that the whole of the 9th, including the green area and lake, drains into this ditch. The drains on the 9th and 18th have been renovated to help the drainage from the high areas, but more drains will be needed to solve the problems that we have seen there this year. The ditch that runs in front of the 18th tees and then across the course to the stream on the 7th has been extended into the lake on the 17th. Once again this allows the level in the 17th lake to be controlled and there has been a drop of about 6 inches here allowing more drainage from the very wet areas on the 17th.
As previously announced the early treatment will start next week with the hollow tining of the greens. Traditionally this has been followed by top dressing but it may not be possible to dress every green immediately due to the wet conditions preventing heavy loads in some areas. The purpose of hollow tining is not only to relieve compaction but also to allow air to permeate the greens, which is a benefit to their growth. If the top dressing is not done immediately this is not detrimental to the treatment, in fact it could be of benefit as leaving the holes open can allow more aeration. In total 60 tonnes of top dressing and 120kg of over seeding will be applied to the greens, which will enhance the healthy grass covering they already have. Hopefully we will also be able to cut them regularly soon.
You will have seen that trees and vegetation that have resulted from cutting areas on the course are being burned. This has been done with the necessary permission from the relevant authorities.
I have started the collection for bird boxes for the course and any donations that you wish to make can be done in the professionals shop. I thank you in advance for your support.
Brian Trenbirth