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

 

Reservoir Project Update February 2024

 

 

Hi All,

I hope this update finds you well.

 

Weather

February 2023 was, if not the driest February on record with only 9mm recorded and something we could have really done with this year but as the low rainfall figures in February only happen every 90 years or so we might have to wait a while for that to happen again!

We experienced a fantastic few days at the end of January, the course had dried out enough for us to be able to cut all areas and in some of the afternoon sun we felt like spring was just around the corner. That bubble has burst (literally) with 55mm of rain already registered this month following another 87mm in January.

It’s really important we remember that this winter is record breaking for all the wrong reasons and we will need a significant dry period with high evaporation rates (days of high winds or high temperatures) to bring the water table down. When driving around you will see the local fields are full of water, the rivers are bursting and the roads are flooded. The knock on effect of this weather with crop yield being down for the farmers could be quite an issue come spring. 

 

On a positive note, the weather bloggers I follow are all saying the same thing. When the rain stops this year, that could be it and they are expecting a very, very hot one!

Out on the course it only taking a few millimetres of rain to push the water table up and make areas unplayable and unsafe. The 41mm of rain from the 8^th February to the 10^th set us back. The greens performance was actually pretty good during this period but the walkways and roughs were awful and a real highlight we need to do some more work in the areas with drainage and aeration.

2nd Green 2015 

In 2015 we started working the green surfaces hard and we added the drainage in the last three years, the same level of aeration works was then taken out onto the aprons to see these areas improve, then we started doing more to the tee surfaces, then we moved the same process out on to the fairways and due to the 2018 drought we had to be even more aggressive on the fairways and all this work has been paying off.

Fairways after the 2018 drought 

This year following the EGM we had to make cut backs on the budget and some of the works on fairways had to be postponed let alone moving some of these works into the roughs but our long term goal has to be improving with both drainage and aeration these pinch points and rough that are closing the course due to the ground being saturated. We will get there but for now we have to deal with hand we are being given by Mother Nature.

That’s enough of the weather I wanted to share a brief overview of the progress on the Reservoir Project and with what else has been happening on the course. 

 

Reservoir Project  

 

Heartwood Tree Surgeons Ltd were appointed our site clearance contractors following years of work with our Arboriculturalist, planning permissions from Test Valley and England Forestry and Natural England. You would have probably seen the size and scale of the equipment on site. Heartwood have just come off the HS2 project and are specialists in site clearance.

Heartwood have been working closely with up to four Ecologists daily who are working on behalf of Natural England to minimise any impacts to wildlife with particular attention  focusing on finding any Dormouse nests, with hand searches of all the ground areas ahead of the machinery. As you can imagine this is back breaking work but worth it to minimise the impact.

As a greenstaff we have had two to four members of the team working within the site at any one time trying to help the Ecologists by brush cutting and clearing areas for inspection with the aim to speed up the process and to keep the Heartwood team moving to aid finishing on the end date.

 

The works are around 50% complete with the recent weather causing us some issues with extraction. All the timber has been sold as part of the project costs with most being sold for Biomass and most of the remaining for logs due to then low value wood and scrub of Silver birch and Rhododendrons. Our aim is that stage of the process will finish around mid-March with all the clearing works completed by the end of February and the final extraction done by mid-March subject to weather.

 

The Natural England license is for a two stage cut meaning we will revisit the site in May to remove the stumps with other works taking place in April for infrastructure.  

Site surveys have been fun since the rain started again 

Although this make look alarming we have a very healthy Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) from the project, meaning when the project is complete the benefits of the works will out way the impact we are making now with thousands of native trees to be planted back around the reservoir and some planting to offset around the course too. We are expecting a huge rise in wildlife and a natural, sustainable water source for the clubs future using recycled materials to engineer the reservoir banks.

We will be putting up various wildlife aids too with Bird boxes, Dormouse Boxes, Bat Boxes are all part of the plans.

We will also end up with a pathway ‘Memory walk’ which lead down to the 10^th tee without having to go down the 18^th. This will allow staff to access the hut all year round, services like, cesspit emptying, defibrillator servicing and easier access for the cleaner along with a member route when finishing on the 9^th. This will also include benches for members to come and sit and overlook the Reservoir, allowing them to watch some golf and to see the wildlife.

Potential Car Park layout throughout the project

Car Park

As a large part of the project will be movement of lorries to help build the retaining banks of the Reservoir we will lose the roadway through the main car park and adjustments will need to be made to allow access to the car park for cars and delivery lorries.

 

We've appointed Authorn who carried out the tarmac work on the course to help us mark parking spaces within the overflow car park by concreting in blocks into the surface. They will also be making modifications to the main car park to allow the roadway to be built. Please start to park within the block worked T- shapes once they have been installed and opened. This will allow for more cars to get parked in the overflow car park. 

 

We will also be removing the old lines which you may have noticed the works have started but what we didn’t expect was the years and years of paint over the previous lines making a tougher job than previously thought. Once the car park is all cleared we will be relining with a new layout. The Committee bays will be greatly reduced with two disabled bays remaining. The lining works will be undertaken at night to minimise disruptions as much as possible to you the members.

The Nets 

Finally the new nets are Open. This was task we hadn't planned in undertaking this year but due to storm damage on the old ones we had no choice. This work had to fit in within the other works in the reservoir due to the restraints we had with the Natural England License, the bunker refurbishment program as we need to turf down and rooted by the end of February to allow for it to take ahead of the season and our staff being away at the greenkeepers conference for training. 

We had a couple of issues during the build as trying to use the existing foot print along with bigger, tougher timbers and because I wanted to use the same mats as we have on the range for consistency but these are bigger in size compared to the last ones gave us some challenges but we finally have overcome them. With other local clubs spending between 20-30k on new nets we felt that we could provide something just as good for nowhere near that price. 

Looking back I should have just started again in that area and built the entire area from scratch and not tried tying into the existing levels. I can only apologise for the delay, however I do think what we have now is far better than what we had and along with all the other things going on the team done a good job. We will give the frame and new screen another paint in the spring when the temperatures are warmer. 

Conclusion 

As you can see a lot of work is going in and around the club. All this work is essential to keep improving the club and to make us more sustainable. Water resources are going to be one of the biggest issues going forward and the work done by the club in the background to this is huge. For the club to be here in another 100 years we need to carry out the works today. If we lose a few parking spaces and have some inconvenience for a few months, its totally worth it. 

This is a great golf club and we should be proud we are investing in these sustainable projects and in the courses future.

Next blog I will have a catch up on the on course activities and I will keep you updated on the Reservoir project but that's enough from me. 

Keep the waterproofs out for now and I will see you all soon.

Matt  

 

A fresh start for 2024

 

Hi All,

 

Happy New Year to you! 

 

I wanted to do a quick blog on the various works that are being undertaken since the beginning of the year but before we do let’s talk about one of my favorite subjects… the weather! 

 

The Weather

The New Year started with a bang with one of the biggest flash floods we have experienced in Southampton with 34mm of rain coming down in a “violent” level rain rate (which if over 50+mm per hour) recorded on the 5th courtesy of the back end of Storm Henk. This combined with the already saturated ground and high tide caused areas to flash flood with cars left floating including Stoneham Lane. 

 

This created some challenges with 55mm of rain in the first five days of the year, on top of the wet year before. It’s worth remembering one good week isn’t enough to reduce the water table back to far and all eyes on the long distance forecasts to give us a glimmer of hope but it’s only going to take a small amount of rain to set us back again. 

 

For now this winter charm is embracing Stoneham with a mix of crisp mornings and mild afternoons thanks to an Omega Blocking Event. We are experiencing an El Nino (The boy) year. This can have a major effect on the worlds weather and is caused by rising temperatures in the central and pacific oceans. All the weather bloggers I follow are saying we are in for a very hot summer! For more information on El Nino’s see the link here:- What are El Niño and La Niña?

 

Looking ahead, the forecast predicts a week of intermittent sunshine, some clouds, and a chance of rain at the weekend but still very cold so make sure you wrap up warm. 

It’s made all the difference seeing the sunshine again though! 

I think we can all agree this weather is so much better than last few months of 2023’s rain. Our record breaking wettest year since records began with 2023 finishing at 1115mm of rain. 

Enough of the weather let’s have a look at the ongoing enhancements on the course.

 

Greens

We have managed to get the greens cut while holding back when too wet and delaying the cuts when the course is frozen but they are still in good condition for the time of year.

Our disease management strategies will continue as a priority until the good growth kicks in. For now the growth will be very limited and will come in waves between now and May. Having the right feeding program to take advantage of those waves will be as important as it is every year.

This week we started to slit tine greens. The knife type action will help move water and air down the profile without opening the surface to more rain. This will aid natures own aeration with the frosts! As the moisture in the soil expands and retracts between the frost and thaw this will help get air into the soil and this should link nicely with the slit tine.

You may have noticed we have added our second (frost holes as we call them) on the greens. This will allow us to move the flags between the different holes and to spread the wear during these frozen periods. This is all part of that disease management strategy. Weak and worn plants are more at risk of disease and giving areas a rest can make all the difference especially as we play on main greens all year round.

 

Wooden Nets Construction

Following the damaged sustained to our old nets making them unsafe we have been working with Steve White from Driveways a local landscape gardener on the construction of new nets made of wood. This is a popular golf club trend, using sustainable and environmentally friendly materials. We have used the same mats used on the driving range bays to give a consistent surface for you the members to practice on. We hope to open these as soon as possible.

Brush Cutting and Clearing Areas:

The team have been busy doing some extensive brush cutting and clearing activities during the frost. These efforts aim to enhance the visual appeal of the course, tidying up some of those out of reach areas but also saving others for ecology purposes. 

After

 

Debris Removal from High Winds

The aftermath of high winds has been addressed, with the club's team working tirelessly to collect and remove the debris. It always amazes me how many man hours we spend on this type of work following high winds.

 

Bunker Renovations at 2^nd, 5th and 9^th Holes

Bunker renovations continue at the 2nd and 5th holes. New revet turfs are being meticulously installed by the team as we look towards the 2024 season in good condition. The plan is to finish the 9^th fairway bunker in the coming days when our next turf deliveries arrive. Please don’t play from or against the newly laid turfs. All of these are GUR.

 

Bunkers

The team have been very busy working on the bunkers. Firstly, to repair the damage sustained following the flooding, pushing up the washdowns and then turning the sand over to help bulk this back up. Secondly, we have started edging these with edging irons to improve the aesthetics going into the new year.

We are aware that the sand levels in a few bunkers need to be addressed. We spent a lot of time last year looking at compatible sands as our current quarry had run out. Something we will be seeing more of as industry and something that will need to be addressed in the future by all golf clubs. Its more complicated than “just sand” and a whole different blog when we can look at particle size distribution, gradation testing, drainage and stability but we have found a new source and we will be topping up the bunkers when the course is dry enough for high volumes of weight to be driven around the course… watch this space.

 

Reservoir Project Commencement

A significant milestone for Stoneham Golf Club is the commencement of the Reservoir Project on January 22^nd with the ecologists and greenstaff starting to work in this area. The clearing company will mobilise on the following week, marking the beginning of a six-week period during which the top-end car park behind the clubhouse will be temporarily closed from the January 29^{th .}

Area of car park to be closed above

This project has taken years to pull together from an idea to having the amphibian digger clearing the rhododendrons for surveys to take place in 2019 and the bon fire crews help in removing them to all the planning and ecology work, the hydrology teams, Natural England and the Council.

I would like to thank TJ Transport for all their support and Mr Trant for aiding the club in making a water resource for the club’s future a viable objective.

Further updates will be made as further works progress.

 

Conclusion:

As we start the New Year the club continues its improvement works on and off the course. The mix of nature, sport, and sustainability makes it an exciting time for members. I am proud of what we are achieving and I am looking forward to a great 2024.

 

See you all soon.

 

Matt

 

 

Heading into the Holidays: Balancing Rest and Responsibility

 

Hi All,

 

As the Course Manager here at Stoneham I've seen first-hand the trials and triumphs nature throws our way. This year has been an exceptional year and now officially a record breaking year. We are currently at 1090mm of rain this year with some big numbers still forecast to come but more on that in a minute.

That level of rainfall makes 2023 our wettest year on record. I don’t think this will be a big shock to people but the data backs this up.

In 2020 we received 1067mm our first time we had gone into the thousands and in 2012 we had one of the wettest winters but only ended up 922mm.Looking back at the records since 1973 our wettest ever years looked like this:

 

·         1982 – 999mm

·         1993 – 957mm

·         1994 – 972mm

·         2012 -  922mm

·         2014 – 924mm

·         2020 - 1066mm

·         2023- 1090mm so far…

 

So another wet year but the regularity of the rainfall since October has been the thing I’ve not witnessed before. The lack of drying time and persistent rain has left an impact of a really high water table. Even the slightest rainfall triggers course flooding, compounded by a lack of evaporation. It's a delicate balance trying to keep play going, reducing damage and the most important, keeping people safe.

Working in the dark and cutting when we can 

The team and the members have all been doing all they can to help aid this situation.

The team as discussed in the last blog have used all the cultural practices and chemistries available to aid water flow through the profiles. The investment in drainage, blinder in the bunkers and the pathways have meant we have been playable quicker than in previous years meaning more golf getting played, even though it doesn’t feel like that at the moment. In 2016 (not even on the chart above for rainfall) we ended up only playing to the 10^th and up the 18^th for weeks due to flooding on the greens on 11, 13 and 14 along with unplayable fairways on 15 and 17.  

You the members have had to carry your bags with smaller sets of clubs, using mats on tees that get damaged every winter and just by following the roping off of areas are all helping to protect your course ready for the new season and for this I thank you!

 

 

 

Bunker Renovations and Leaf Clearing

 

Hopefully you would have seen the bunker renovations still taking place with the 9^th greenside, 4^th Right hand side and now all the bunkers on the 8^th complete and looking sharp.

 

The fairway bunker on the 9^th is still under construction. More work is being planned on this so please don’t think it’s finished like the turfs have been laid in attempt to stop the soil and revet turf from eroding over the Christmas period.

In January we will be continuing with works taking place on the 2^nd, 7^th and 5^th to complete this winter’s renovations.

 

Our team have also been diligently clearing leaves, ensuring our course maintains its playability. This is no mean feat and we will be attacking more areas within the woodlands in the New Year but the good news the leaves are down and the team are on top of the main areas. The huge piles of leaves in our composting areas are the proof of the work load.  

Leaf Clearing on the 11th 

A huge thank you to the team for that, over 1200 man hours already into leaf blowing and collection just shows the size of the task.

15th 

 

Leaf clearing the wet isn't always fun!

Heading into the Holidays

 

As we approach the Christmas period, our hardworking team prepares for a well-deserved break. However, our focus remains on combating the prime disease pressure—particularly combating threats like fusarium disease. Managing dew becomes paramount during this point of the year, the crucial element in safeguarding the health of our greens.

During the Christmas period the team are aware this is the priority. Damage from disease at this time of year can take months to recover. The team will be doing all they can daily to keep the course in good condition but areas like bunkers cannot get the same amount of attention as they would normally. Please help us to help you by repairing pitchmarks and raking bunkers after your shots.

If the forecast is correct we could be in for a tough Christmas period with heavy rain and high winds. The course will be inspected daily as normal but its import we prioritise the course and member safety at all times.

If the course is unplayable, it’s simply is unplayable. We cannot risk huge damage or an accident just because of the time of year. We have the two coldest months of the year to come, meaning we won’t get any recovery and with the already high water table, it won’t take much to push us over. Please bare that in mind, we have started the winter on our back foot. 

Hopefully the forecast will change yet but I thought it was worth reminding everyone where we are.

Considering all the rain we have had, I must say I think the course is holding up really well and the condition is the best I’ve seen it at the end of December. This is proving our strategy is right. 

I would like to thank you all for your kind comments and gifts for the greenstaff. I would also like to thank you for bearing with us during this awful period of weather. The days start to get lighter from now and spring will be here before we know it. Roll on 2024, I am ready for the spring/summer now!

 

The dream team 

 

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

See you soon

 

Matt

Matt Plested

 

The long nights of winter

 

Hi All,

 

As I sit here writing this blog in the darkness, you can really tell we are heading into the winter equinox. The good news is, within two weeks the darkest day would have passed and we will slowly move back towards spring, although this is still a long way off and feels it at the moment.

Last week saw a little rest bite from the relentless rain with days of frosts and sunshine in the afternoon. It was bitterly cold, especially compared with the predicted highs of the coming days. From -2 to 13c is a significant swing in temperatures that are playing havoc with Mother Nature. That short interlude was over to quickly and we’ve gone back to the relentless rain this week with another 54mm of rain in the last 6 days, that’s after 153mm in November and 169mm in October (all falling in the last two weeks of that month).

It’s safe to say, it’s wet in places but I am really pleased with how the greens are coping with all this rainfall following the installation of the drainage combined with the aeration and topdressing program.

 

Could be a record breaking year!

 

This year we look likely to break our wettest year record. Not a record we want to break with 1048mm so far YTD and 1069mm being our wettest year. Let’s see what the next three weeks brings!   

Hand mowing all main surfaces due to the wet conditions

Why are you closing the putting green?   

Here is a question I’ve been asked recently and thought I should remind everyone why we are doing this as mentioned in previous blogs.

 

At the start of 2021 we saw significant damage to the putting green that didn’t recover until the following June. The damage sustained over that winter from too much play (not only the normal pre warm up play, which would be the same as the course) but significant amounts of practicing from the same spot. 

This lead to thinning on the green and eventually grass coverage was lost in areas. The putting green is just too small to cope with that level of play and following a visit from the clubs Agronomist, his suggestion in his report was to spread the wear throughout the winter between the two practice greens we now have. This will allow one to recover for a week while other takes the damage. 

We trailed this in 2022 and the damage was significantly less and we went into the new season in a much better state. Long term we will need to look at increasing the size of the putting green to cope with the modern demands of a golf green along with the climate we are experiencing now. It’s worth remembering this green was built in 1908, designed for the golf being played at that time, on a clay base as they had no irrigation systems with lower levels of play. It would always struggle throughout winter.

The answer now is, we simply need to switch between the greens weekly to spread the wear. This will only happen through the low growth months and then we will be back to normal with both greens always open.

What can you do to help us keep these greens open more?

 

1.      Move- Simply when practicing drills on the putting green move after two or three putts.

2.      Don’t use strings in the winter- this encourages play from the same spot. This has a huge impact on the green.

3.      Don’t put towels down - towels don’t protect the surfaces. If I rubbed a towel on your skin for hours it would leave a mark. Same on greens…

4.      Divots – Try to refrain from taking divots around edges of the greens, especially at this time of year. They simply won’t recover and it’s ruining the facility for others.

5.      Repair any pitchmarks made from chipping on to the greens

6.      Enjoy your game!

 

 

Leaf Clearing:

 

With the Trilo now fixed (we had another hydraulic issue) and our dedicated team wielding backpack blowers, we've taken on the challenge of clearing leaves. In the last week the amount of drop from the trees has been persistent, with the team arriving daily to find these scattered across all surfaces, normally we have strong winds that mean we have bad areas but this last week the wind has been down meaning the drop has been wide spread.

In dry areas the use of the Pro force blower and tractor blower have aided this operation but for the most part this has been done by hand with back pack blowers.  

 

I think we are now 90% down, meaning that we are nearly there. The end is in sight and the team will be fully occupied on collecting until the majority is gone by Christmas.  

 

Bunker Renovations:

Our focus hasn't been solely on weather and the leaves. We're proud that our bunker renovations are in full swing with Jack Wills leading the team on this.

You may have noticed work taking place on the 4th, 8th, and 9th holes. These bunkers are undergoing re-revetting and turfing, ensuring not just aesthetics but also maintaining the integrity of the course's challenges. It's a labour-intensive process, but one that enhances our golfing experience as it gives the bunkers that crisp fresh look going into the season ahead.

 

Please don’t play from or against the new revetting. We need this to root and these areas are GUR.

 

Bunkers – You will notice this weekend that three bunkers on the 8^th and one on the 9^th fairway have been dug out and are GUR. We were due a delivery on Tuesday of more revet turf but due to flooding the turf company were unable to lift any turf. This has been moved to next Wednesday. We are taking advantage and getting bunkers prepared ready for the delivery to keep us on track to complete these within our time table. Please bear with us, these bunkers will be completed once the delivery arrives.

8th after renovations

Practice Nets:

During one of the recent storms the practice nets took some sustained damage with Adam Hickling having to close the nets on the day. Following further inspections these have been deemed unsafe and un-savable at this stage and age. Play from these is prohibited. 

These will need to be taken down in the coming weeks as quotes for replacements are being sorted and  given the timing with Christmas these will need to be built in the new year. 

We are sorry for any inconvenience.

Pot Holes:

We have all noticed the pot holes getting worse on the bridge and on the corner of the clubs driveway. 

It was hoped these would be repaired as part of the reservoir project when the lorries start but due to the delay of this we will be getting quotes to repair these in the coming weeks ourselves. Updates will be made once timescales and costs have been agreed. 

   

Thank You:

None of this would be possible without our fantastic team. The collective effort poured into leaf clearing, bunker renovations, and overall maintenance is awe-inspiring despite the challenges Mother Nature keeps throwing our way.

I'm incredibly proud of the strides we've made, the challenges we've faced, and the passion that drives this team forward. If you see them on the course please do pass on your thanks if you see them, in these dark, leafy, wet days that simple act goes along way!

Let’s hope for better weather and shorter nights soon. 

Enjoy your Christmas shopping!

 

See you soon

Matt