Stoneham Golf Club : The spring you didn't get last year!

Hi All,

I thought I would do a blog to look at what's been going on, I have so much to catch up as its only now I feel like I have the time to look back and recap but also look what's on the horizon for you our members. With the new irrigation system now complete and the last of our major projects completed we can spend time reflecting on them, learning from them and get back to the day job with renewed passion to keep moving the course forward but without major disruption. I will blog more on these projects and updates on what has been happening with them as the year goes on.

Frosty April

Where are we now?

We are truly at our transition phase between Winter and Spring. The course is slowly coming back to life but the days of frosts, the cold winds and days of rain reminding us its still only April and growth and recovery form the maintenance week is still slow.

Its worth remembering that in March 2020 we were locked down through April into May. In 2021 we were locked down and golf came back in April. Both of these times our maintenance weeks works and drainage works were completed and recovering before you returned.

This year we have gone through the winter, carried out the maintenance week and started our recovery and you have all witnessed it for the first time since 2019. April's are always a slow growth month, always a bumpy greens month as the different grass species on the greens grow at different rates. The bent grows at the lower temps and the Poa doesn't get going until its a bit higher. I have blogged about this many times but this year is more obvious for you the golfer because you have been away for the last two years and the Maintenance works were done deliberately in the Lockdown's so we maximised the time available for you the members.

Please find the link to the previous blog about the different grass species here :-

http://stonehamgolfclub.blogspot.com/2016/05/grass-species-on-greens.html?m=0

Masters Weekend

Also add into the mix that this weekend is the Masters weekend and the pressure this brings to golf courses in the UK that are still competing with frost's and a multi million pound budgets and huge crews. Please see the link to another previous blog here to reminded yourself of the big differences between us and the Masters. GDD wise (growth rates) they are in mid July compared to our April figures. Our course looks more inline with theirs in mid July too.

Masters blog :- http://stonehamgolfclub.blogspot.com/2016/04/augusta-syndrome.html?m=1

Like many of you I felt for Blandy as he missed making this years Masters by one week making it to number 48 in the world a week to late but wow what an achievement. When you look at the list of players below him and think of how many golfers in world that is mind blowing. Watching his swing over the last two years has been inspiring and a delight. I am happy to see Tiger back though and giving it a good go. He maybe the best ever!

Two club legends- Ian marked 35 years as Blandy makes top 48 in the world

Lots of work has been going on out on the course and off it over the last two weeks. Fertilisers have been applied to all the key playing surfaces. Another dressing on greens applied as we try to smooth these out as much as possible.

8mm solid tine on greens

Mini aeration's to aid recovery from the winter compaction, bunkers have been topped up, over seeding and topdressing weak areas along with seeding via the disc seeder in the weak areas. The course has started to be cut more often this is improving presentation. Winter mats and ropes are now in apart from areas we want to protect for seed establishment.

Bunkers looking better after topping up and strim

A full flymo and strimmer run has also been completed and the winter cobwebs on these areas blown away all this plus removal of fallen trees still on going and new ones coming down from damaged sustained in the storm.

We also had our Agronomist visit and MC strategic meetings taking place along with so much more regarding the new irrigation system it has been a busy period.

We also had members of the team visit BTME and attend the awards for the Project of the Year. unfortunately it wasn't to be as we were beaten by Loch Lomond's £7 million course revamp but I am so proud of the 'Academy Project' making the last three from projects all over the world.

We welcomed back Levi Pethick as our new Deputy Course Manager following Graham Hastie's departure to Knighton Heath as Course Manager. I am so happy for Graham getting that job and i am sure he will be amazing there and has my full support. He was superb for Stoneham and we wish him all the luck going forward.

At the same time I am delighted to welcome back Levi following a very thorough interviewing process. Levi was previously who our First Assistant, coming runner up in the greenkeeper of the year awards out of hundreds on students in the UK, he left to run his own landscape gardening business and realised his heart was still into greenkeeping shortly afterwards and his qualifications were not being used. He has gained new skills and comes back with a new enthusiasm to help drive the club onwards.

I feel we have a very strong team of greenkeepers now at the club with a big desire to be the best. The best for you the members and the best for ourselves within the industry.