Some changes to the schedule!

 

Hi All,

 

I thought I would give you an update on the plans this week regarding Maintenance Week and how we are going to move forward.

Due to the high levels of rainfall we are still experiencing we have decided to postpone this week’s Maintenance Week. The course is simply too wet for us to be able to drive around with large volumes of sand for topdressing.

It’s worth remembering we have a yearly target of 150 tons of sand on the greens to enable us to dilute the thatch levels/ organic matter along with improving the infiltration rates and to aid smoothness/firmness especially after a wet winter when the microbiology isn’t working as efficiently to be able to break down the thatch and OM. To achieve this level of sand we need to be using solid tines or hollow core tines that will allow sand to move down the tine hole into the profile.   

We plan to move the Maintenance Week in line with the Tees/ Aprons and Surrounds Maintenance week on the 11^th March 2024 . The March date was always our back up week in the club diary and we hope to get a dry spell leading up to this...

An updated program will be sent out nearer the time.

We like to carry out the greens maintenance earlier in the year to give us fully recovered greens by March giving us better playing surfaces for longer into the season. Unfortunately we will need to be a little more patient this year.

Although we are extremely frustrated by the current weather situation the requirements for the greens to get some air is still a major priority. It has been a long wet winter and we’ve kept the greens sealed up (low aeration) in attempt to keep the water out of the soil profile and running off the surface, this in turn to keeps play going but we are starting to see signs we need more aeration.  

Chisel Tines

We have taken the opportunity to change our plans this week and give the greens two types of aeration that is low impact to the surfaces. We plan to chisel tine greens, this is more of knife shape tine, or slit. This leaves the surface sealed with very little disturbance to the surface but creates openings within the soil profile for the greens to breath. This work will be carried on Monday and Tuesday. Today the Front 9 was closed to allow for some works to be done following the course inspection this morning. Tuesday morning the Back 9 will be closed but the Front 9 will be open. Please play from the 1st - 9th and then walk back up the 18th hole.  

Air2g2

From Tuesday we will be running the Air2g2 across greens and aprons to blow compressed air into the soil profile, again leaving the surface sealed but this will create fractures within the soil profile to help aid the drainage and to link up with the surface work completed on Monday and Tuesday.

We are also continuing our Verti-draining works as we have all winter on fairways to aid drainage and to give air to the roots. This machine will keep plodding around in areas that are dry enough as we aim to keep improving the fairways.

From Wednesday 21st February this week the course will return to open on all 18 holes as normal (subject to weather). Please check the Course Status each morning for updates.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused. Let’s hope for some drier weather soon!

See you soon

Matt