Coursework week 2

In the last two weeks of February we carried out some cultural practices on all the greens and aprons. 
The procedure was as follows:
1. Bi-directional verti-cutting with a Toro triplex with boxes fitted and clearing any remnants with backpack blowers
2. Hollow-coring with a Toro Procore
3. Picking up cores with a Jacobsen core-harvester fitted to a John Deere pro-gator and clearing any remnants with snow shovels and backpack blowers again
4. Verti-drain with 4mm solid tines
5.  Rolling the greens with a turf iron
6. Top dress with kiln dried sand
7. Drag the top dressing in with trailer mounted brushes
8. Brush  topdressing in further with a Toro triplex with fitted brushes

Active Fusarium

Today whilst carrying out morning course preparation I missed the clear signs of active Fusarium on one of the greens.  Our head greenkeeper took me to the green to show me what was quite clearly an infected turf surface.

From this I have learnt that it is important firstly to be on the lookout for disease and secondly to immediately report any signs of active disease to the head greenkeeper.  As an assistant it is important to be an extra set of eyes as the head greenkeeper cannot easily inspect every area of the course every day.

Tree pruning and thinning out growth in the rough

Thinning out growth in the rough

This week we have been carrying out tree maintenance by lifting the crowns as well as removing shrubs and trees where it required thinning out a bit. See the before and after pictures below.

Light snowfall

Yesterday morning we had a very light bit of snowfall. It was not sufficient to warrant stopping play however and quickly melted away.