Green keepers News

FEB COURSE REPORT

FEB 2014

January Review

Wow! What a month and a start to a new year.  We have had over 100mm of rain this month, which is roughly 4”.  This has spoiled our good run this winter, with over 2.5 days lost to course closures.  We had to implement a few things to assist the course this month, for example: carry only, an 8 hole loop, more roping off and moving tees around in attempt to find drier areas.  I understand some golfers may not approve of these implementations, but I have to consider the long term determent to the course. With the course being so wet, it has limited the duties we can undertake, it has seen us doing some work on the 15^th fairway, levelling the hollows out in the centre of the fairway, also, we have filled in the fairway bunker.  The bunker is now ready for turfing.  We are also working on the 7^th fairway, levelling the hollows on the apron.  We have sanded large areas on the course to assist the drying out of the areas.  We have hand cut all greens this month.  Work has been carried on out ditches to enable better drainage and to encourage the water to run off quicker.

February 2014

Greens:

We hope to continue our aeration programme as and when the weather permits.  We intend to do some spraying of a fungicide/worm suppressant on all greens this month.  We will also continue to hand cut greens this month. 

Tees:

We will spray tees with a worm suppressant this month.  All tees will be divoted in preparation for the forthcoming season.  We will continue with our aeration programme on tees, as and when weather permits.  We will continue our relocation of tees to look after the areas.

Surrounds:

We will continue our traffic management of surrounds.  We will continue our aeration programme for surrounds, as and when weather allows.  We will re-turf some of our bare areas.

Fairways:

We will attempt to continue to verti-drain fairways, if the weather allows.  Fairways will be divoted this month.

Other:

We will carry on maintaining bunkers this month, some bunkers will be topped up and the 15^th fairway bunker will be turfed.  The area on the 7^th fairway will be levelled and turfed and some of the drain lines will have a dressing of sand applied in an attempt to level the areas.  Wet areas will be sanded in the hope that this will assist the drying out of the areas and ensure no further deterioration of the areas. 

Chris Webb Course Manager

JANUARY COURSE REPORT

JAN 2014

November & December Review

Greens:

We managed to continue with our aeration programme on greens.  We slit and solid tined greens to ensure the free passage of water and oxygen to the root zone, as well as relieving any surface compaction that may arise.  This will enable the roots to go deeper, the deeper the root system, the more able the grass can withstand wear, drought and other stress related problems.  We continued to cut greens as and when the weather permited.  Sometimes the issue we encounter with cutting is accessing the areas on the course with our machines.  Our machines do not have tyre treads¸ this makes accessing certain areas difficult.  Also, if we were to fit tyres with tread, it would damage the putting surface. We continued our fertiliser programme, with an application of a couple of liquid feeds.  We have also sprayed a couple of times with a fungicide.   

Tees:

We continued with cutting as and when we were able.  The main tees were taken off and put on winter tees.  Tees were also aerated twice during this period.

Surrounds:

We continued our traffic management of surrounds.  We aerated surrounds in this period.

Fairways:

We continued to verti-drain fairways.  Due to the wet weather, this is now on hold.

Other:

We continued chasing leaves in this period then the heavy winds came to our rescue and cleared the remaining leaves for us.  Unfortunately, it brought a few trees down on the course.  These then had to be cleared. As the weather has been so wet this has made the bunkers a nightmare to maintain, with them being either washed out or flooded.  Over the period we have had unwanted visitors to the course.  Thieves broke into the green keepers shed and stole strimmers, blowers and chain saws.  We have already had a spate of poachers on the course, who show no regard for the surfaces they are driving on.

Jan 2014

Greens:

We will carry on our aeration programme this month.  We will look to apply some iron to the putting surface to attack the ingression of moss. We will continue to cut this month when weather permits, but only with hand mowers.

Tees:

We will carry on with aeration of the tees and spray with iron where possible.

Surrounds:

We will carry on with traffic management and aeration programme.

Fairways:

Weather permitting, we will continue verti-draining.

Other:

We will carry on maintaining bunkers, through this month.  Some bunkers with be topped up.  The 15^th fairway bunker will be filled in, weather permitting.  Some path ends will be re-turfed.  Wet areas will be ‘sanded’, this will dry out these areas and stop them deteriorating any further.­­­

Chris Webb Course Manager

OCTOBER COURSE REPORT

NOV2013

October Review

October turned out to be a wet month registering over 120mm of rain; this caused some of our plans to have to be placed on the back burner as the ground was too wet to verti-drain, if we had continued it would have caused more harm.  One of the biggest problems this time of year are leaves, we are blowing leaves daily from the greens, tees and fairways.  Our normal practice is to blow the main surfaces, such as greens and tees and mulch them up with our semi rough mower, however, with the ground conditions the way they are, we haven’t done so yet, but we are hoping to do some pretty soon.  With such a wet month, we have introduced roping-off to some areas around the course.  After the vandalism to the 1^st tee, we took the opportunity to widen some of the path.  We also re-turfed some areas around the tee.  You may have noticed we have installed a new bridge on the 2^nd fairway and the two old sleeper bridges have been removed and the areas where the bridges were have been re-turfed.  We have also widened the right hand bridge on the 11^th fairway, so it is wide enough to take a buggy across.  Cutting has been reduced this month with the combination of the wet weather and the lower temperatures coming in.  Also, with the amount of rain we have had, it has made it difficult for us to maintain the bunkers with them suffering from wash out and compaction. 

November

Greens:

We hope to continue our aeration programme as and when the weather permits, we will apply a soil amendment; this will help the greens through the winter.  We will also spray a worm suppressant. We will carry on cutting greens at 5mm through the winter months.

Tees:

The tees will be cut as and when we can.  Tees will be put on mats when deemed necessary.

Surrounds:

This month will see some further areas ‘roped off’ as part of our traffic management programme.  We will continue aeration to our surrounds and continue re-turfing some of our bare areas in and around the greens.  Cutting will continue as and when the weather will allow.

Fairways:

We will continue to verti-drain fairways as and when the weather and ground condition permit. We will carry on divoting fairways.  Cutting will be carried out when weather allows.  Bare areas on fairways will be re-turfed.

Other:

We will continue chasing leaves this month keeping ditches tidy and any other areas that are heavy with leaves.  Further areas of rough will be cut back, bunkers will be de-stoned and sand movement will be corrected when weather allows.  We will be re-turfing areas around the course where there are bare of damaged areas.  Some path ends will be either re-turfed or have astro turf laid to repair damaged areas.  Some drainage lines will be lifted and levelled.  Hopefully, weather and leaves permitting, we will start the filling and re-shaping of the 15^th fairway bunker.

Chris Webb Course Manager

MID YORKSHIRE GOLF CLUB

Sept 2013

September Review

In the early part of September, we continued with light top dressing on greens to get levels back after course maintenance.  We continued to roll greens to keep speed and trueness on the greens.  We applied a granular feed to the greens to promote some growth.  September saw the commencement of the preparation of winter greens, they were cut to 7mm and heavily top dressed and fed with a liquid fertiliser.  Tees were overseeded in the early part of September to get a fresh variety of seed that will be more wear tolerant.  Tees have been regularly divoted and so were landing areas.  We commenced verti-draining fairways in late September, firstly tackling some of the ‘wettest’ fairways, before the weather turns against us.  We have continued with the de-stoning and sand movement in our bunkers and cutting back longer rough areas,

October

Greens:

We will be lifting the height of cut at some point this month, dependent on the weather, probably when the first frost arrives.  We hope to get a light dressing of sand on this month too and will also apply a granular feed at the back end of this month to promote plant health and to harden the leaf in preparation for the rigours of winter.  We will also apply a worm suppressant on greens, to deter worm casting and we will also apply a fungicide to combat any disease.  Greens will also be aerated in October.

Tees:

The height of cut will be raised this month.  We will only cut once per week, continue divoting and will solid tine tees, top dress and apply a granular feed.

Surrounds:

This month will see some areas ‘roped off’ as part of our traffic management programme.  We will continue aeration to our surrounds and will commence re-turfing some of our bare areas in and around the greens.  Height of cut will be raised and we will cut once per week.

Fairways:

We will continue to verti-drain fairways 3,4,5,6 and 11 first, members will be aware these fairways have a tendency to be our most problematic. So, we intend to work on these first before the weather turns against us. We will carry on divoting fairways.  Height of cut will be raised and we will cut once per week.  Bare areas on fairways will be re-turfed.

Other:

Further areas of rough will be cut back, bunkers will be de-stoned and sand movement will be corrected.  We will be re-turfing areas around the course where there are bare of damaged areas.  We will widen the pathway at the first tee.  We will build a new bridge at the second ditch and re-turf where the two old sleeper bridges are.  Some path ends will be either re-turfed or have astro turf laid to repair damaged areas.  Some drainage lines will be lifted and levelled.  Some of this work will be commenced during October and may continue all through the winter season.

October’s weather forecast looks good so far, but in the not too distant future, we will be going on to hedgehog/winter wheels.  The reason we do this, is to protect the course.  We introduced winter wheels last year and it was very successful as we felt it benefited the course during the past season.

Chris Webb

Course Manager

Sept 2013

August Review

Oh, how things change, from July the hottest month of this year to August the wettest, with around 90mm of rain falling.   I­­­n the early part of this month, we continued with our vert-cutting/brushing operations to maintain speed and regular rolling.  We brought our course maintenance forward to August, with the hollow coring of greens down to 1.5” with the core being removed and then the cores removed from the putting surface.  We top dressed all greens with a medium grade sand, we used approximately 60 tons of sand, this was then worked in to the core holes and then we over-seeded with a bent seed.  We applied a liquid feed to the greens.   Tees were sprayed with a wetting agent and regularly divoted.  Further areas of rough were cut back.  Bunkers became a big factor in August with the bunkers being washed out several times.  Sand was moved around and thrown back up the bunker faces, which exposed stones.  We have started to sieve the sand and remove stones and de-compact the sand.

September

Greens:

We will continue doing light dressings to improve the putting surfaces during the month.  We will also apply a granular fertiliser towards the end of the month.  We will keep rolling greens to maintain speed.  We will start to prepare winter greens towards the end of the month.  Greens will be cut to 7mm and top-dressed.

Tees:

Tees will be brushed to improve the quality of the cut, also tees will be over-seeded and top-dressed.  We will continue divoting tees, aeration will commence at end of this month.

Surrounds:

Having monitored surrounds for high traffic areas, we are going to use white lines to try and ease some wear areas.  If our members could follow the white lines, we will all benefit from this in the short and long term.  No golfer likes playing from a bare area.  We will also commence aeration of surrounds towards the end of this month.

Fairways:

We will be commencing verti-draining fairways at the end of the month.  We will start on some of our wet fairways before they become too wet to work on.

Other:

Further areas of rough are to be cut back.  Some bunkers that require sand movement, will be attended to.  Flymo and strimming will continue.

Chris Webb

Course Manager

MID YORKSHIRE GOLF CLUB

Aug 2013

July Review

July, was another very busy month for Mid Yorkshire.  With the temperatures regularly at 28-29 degrees, watering had been an essential task as was the application of a wetting agent to retain moisture.  We had over 20 days without rain, we had to lift the height of cut on all areas to help the grass survive the intense heat and daily traffic.  Unfortunately, some areas did suffer. But once the rain arrived the areas recovered very well.  At the beginning of the month, we verti-cut, tined and top-dressed the greens in preparation for the Club Championship. Once the hot weather broke, we fed the tees with liquid feed and plant growth regulator.  Tees were regularly divoted, however the seed did not germinate due to intense heat.  The continuation of the spraying of selective weed killer, was halted during the hot weather, due to weed killer not only scorching the weeds but also damaging the grass also. This month we commenced cutting the heavy rough back, in certain areas, to enable speeding up play by being able to locate wayward golf balls.  After the heavy rain washed out bunkers, we are now replacing sand and de-compacting and removing stones from bunkers.   

August

Greens:

The plan for this month is to verti cut/brush to maintain the speed on the greens.  Also, we will continue to roll the greens to assist this.  We will be commencing course maintenance this month.  Hollow coring, top-dressing will take place with a straight sand to enable free drainage of the greens.  We will over-seed the greens with a colonial bent seed to encourage a stronger sward of grass.  Greens will be fed after course maintenance is completed. 

Tees:

Tees were fed in July.  So, we expect to apply another wetting agent and we hope to over-seed the tees this month to promote a stronger sward after a punishing season so far.  We will carry on divoting tees.

Surrounds:

These are being monitored to determine whether feeding and over-seeding is necessary.  High traffic areas, will be roped off where necessary this month, to enable recovery.  They are regularly divoted and cut twice per week.

Fairways:

They are to be regularly divoted and cut twice per week.  Fairways are to be monitored for weeds and spot treated were necessary.

Other:

Further area of rough are to be cut back. Tree area spraying program for weeds will continue.  Some bunkers that require sand movement, will be attended to.  Flymo and strimming will continue.

Course Manager

June Review

June was a very busy month for us at Mid Yorkshire Golf Club, with many players on the course and with staff holidays.  We had over 40mm of rain during the month, we had problems with the irrigation system and a major leak on the 14^th fairway.  Following the leak and due to problems in the pump house, the irrigation system was out of action for over a week.  We managed to verti-cut three times during June, however we suspended aeration of greens to keep the putting surfaces in good condition.  We were fortunate enough to commence the spraying of tees, surrounds, fairways and rough with selective herbicide.  We applied a feed and plant growth regulator to the greens and also, cut some tree plantations.  Some of the tree plantation areas have been sprayed with selective herbicide. 

July

Greens:

The plan for this month is to regularly verti cut/brush to maintain the speed on the greens.  Also, we will continue to roll the greens to assist this.  Just after club championship we will aerate the greens, top dress, then roll to minimise surface disturbance.  Greens will be fed again this month, with a PGR added.  An application of iron will also be carried out, this will help to harden the grass off against disease and assist in bringing down the PH on the greens. A wetting agent will be applied to aid moisture retention with a liquid seaweed added, this will assist with plant health.

Tees:

We hope to feed the tees this month, with a liquid nitrogen feed, with a PGR added.  We will possibly apply a wetting agent, which will help with moisture retention.  We will carry on divoting tees, we also hope to over seed the tee surfaces during July.

Surrounds:

These are being monitored for wear and acted on where necessary.  They are regularly divoted and cut twice per week.

Fairways:

They are to be regularly divoted and cut twice per week.  Fairways are to be monitored for weeds and spot treated were necessary.

Other:

Some rough areas are to be cut back. Tree area spraying program for weeds will continue.  Some bunkers that require sand movement, will be attended to.  Flymo and strimming will continue.

Chris Webb

Course Manager

MID YORKSHIRE GOLF CLUB

Green Keepers Monthly News Letter

June 2013

May Review

May was a very frustrating month again, with regular frosts which has affected growth of the grass all over the course.  The grass only started growing in the last week of the month.  We managed to lower the height of cut down to 4mm and also managed to get the greens top dressed and verti cut/brushed.  All greens were aerated.  But, due to bad weather we were unable to put our plant growth regulators on and liquid feed.  We were also unable to apply our selective herbicide to regulate the clover.

June

Greens:

The plan for this month is to regularly verti cut/brush to increase the speed on the greens.  Also, regular rolling will assist this.  We plan to aerate again, followed by a light top dressing.  Earlier in the month, we intend to apply light foliar feed with a tank mix of plant growth regulator (PGR).  An application of wetting agent will be applied this will help in retention of moisture. 

Tees:

They will be tined and top dressed with sand.  Also, we have applied a foliar feed and plant growth regulator (PGR).  The tees are now being regularly divoted and cut twice per week.

Surrounds:

We are using traffic management on some surrounds.  We will be applying a foliar feed to the surrounds and they will be cut twice per week.

Fairways:

We intend to apply a selective herbicide this month, weather permitting.  The fairways are being divoted regularly and are being cut twice per week, to help improve definition.

Other:

Rough will also have a selective herbicide applied, weather permitting. 

Bunkers, ditches etc will be regularly fly-mowed and strimmed. 

For Information:  Course maintenance week had been scheduled for October 2013.  We have decided to bring this forward to week commencing Monday 19 August 2013.  The reason being, this is the right time when soil temperatures are high, surfaces are drier, the recovery period is at its best and we can get a good germination on the seeds we intend to sow.  In the future we plan to do only one course maintenance week each year.

Chris Webb

Course Manager

Following on from our November presentation regarding our proposed Winter Work schedule I am updating our progress so far. Recent weather has held us back, but fingers crossed we should be able to complete all our commitments in time for the new season.

The first tee project is almost completed, which only requires turfing, decorative posts and a couple more Trees pruned.
The 40 sprinkler heads on Tees and Greens are now being replaced and will be completed for the new season.
Due to recent weather patterns we have not been able to get the verti-draining underway for Fairways and surrounds. Fingers crossed if the weather remains kind we will be starting Vertidrainign all tees in the coming fortnight.

Tee Signs are ordered and will be in place for the new season. (anyone wanting to place an advert for a year on a tee sign please contact the office)

Bunkers on 13 and 17 are now nearing completion for new bunker sand test. Once completed a form will be placed in the proshop for all members to tick, which they prefer.

Turfing all coalboard damage areas will commence once grounds allow for turfing as all prep work is finished.

Hopefully the weather improves and we have a better summer and no course surprises hit us in the near future.

I will keep the updates coming on our progress.

Chris Webb
Head GreenKeeper

Our main aim at all times is to ensure the course remains open for our members whenever possible.  We know the winter months are very testing and keeping the course open over the last few years has been extremely challenging.

Bearing in mind, the annual rainfall for our area is between 650mm and 750mm, at present with two months of the year left, 840mm of Rain has already fallen this year.

We are currently finalising our winter work plans and will be presenting our plans for the coming months on an evening in November to be confirmed to all members. However yet again weather dictates what can and cannot be done during this period and I am hopeful for a dryish winter.

I will try to keep you all updated on the progress being made over the coming months in preparing the course for next season.

Chris Webb Head Green keeper


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