Bunker renovation

The head greenkeeper has initiated the renovation of all the green-side bunkers on the course. This is being carried out by an external contractor. Their team currently comprises three men who all live on the course in caravans.

The renovation includes the removal of all the sand, right to the base and the top of the drainage. Once they reach the base they also remove a layer of gravel on top of the drainage. It appears that this layer is usually contaminated with layers of silt and/or clay. This inhibits free movement of water into the drain and results in flooding in the bunkers.

Grass colour after Iron application

In this picture you can clearly see the wheel marks of where the spray technician need to make a return pass to get a section that may have been missed. This in turn has caused the iron solution to come off the leaf blade of the turf.

This has given us the opportunity to see what colour the grass would have been if it were not sprayed with iron, a much lighter shade of green. It also shows how important it is to get full coverage and the impact of doubling back over an area that has already been sprayed.

Drainage ditch clearing

Since last week we have been focusing on clearing all the autumn leaves from the drainage ditches.

This is quite a labour intensive job and very time consuming and our head greenkeeper believes that the drainage ditches should actually be piped and covered. I understand this point of view, but I also believe that these ditches provide habitat for certain fauna, particularly frogs and dragonflies. They also provide an opportunity to create ponds around the course that could enhance aesthetics, create added challenge and interest to the golfer and possibly invite biodiversity.

Iron on greens and aprons

Yesterday we sprayed the greens and aprons with an Iron fertiliser, Everris Sierrasol Iron Soluble Fertiliser < http://www.pitchcare.com/shop/soluble-iron-and-turf-hardeners/scotts-sierrasol-iron.html > and today all the treated areas are quite noticeably darker green in colour.

Disease on the tee box

This appears to be rust that has quite severely affected one of the tee boxes on the course.

Frost and ice

The course has been very frosty over the past weeks, so much so that the ground has become frozen. As a damage-preventative measure we have placed 'frost holes' onto the aprons. These holes are only in play when the flag is placed in them as we did this morning even though there was no sign of any frost. Our deputy head greenkeeper mentioned that the most damage occurs if the turfgrass carrirs traffic while the surface start to thaw. He elaborates on this by saying that the traffic can cause the soft upper surface to tear away from the frozen layer beneath it.