Notes from the Head Greenkeeper January 2018
To say that it has been a tough winter would be an understatement, I don’t think we have strung 2 dry days together in the last 3 months, making any sort of major work or cutting impossible. We have been very fortunate to keep the course open for the majority of the winter, only 2 closed days to date, the main playing surfaces have generally stayed firm and in good condition. Unfortunately the rough just off the fairways has been wet. Due to not only a wet winter, but a mild one, the rough became very long and thick. However we have now managed to get some of the rough cut and as soon as we get a bit more dry weather we shall get the remainder cut, tidied and back to normal.
In spite of the weather we have continued making improvements to the course.
- The old first tee has been removed and is now ready for planting
- The men’s tee on the 5th has been extended back to the hedge
- New greenside bunker at the front of the 9th
- The back of the 18th green has been reshaped
- We have removed one bunker and repositioned the other bunker at the front of the 10th
- Tree and scrub clearance on holes 4, 5, 10 and 11
Unfortunately the weather did finally get the better of us, so we have decided to do the bunker on 11 and reshape of the 12th tee in the autumn.
All areas should be finished and turfed by the middle/end of February. Weather permitting the new bunkers will be in play for the beginning of March and the extension to the men’s 5th tee will be in play for April.
The greens have come through the winter very well and hopefully with some good spring weather soon upon us, they will be in great condition for the season. The week beginning 5/2 we will be solid tining the greens to help them recover from a long wet winter. After we had great success with the Vredo disc seeder in the autumn, we will be hiring it from Trevose GC this spring. The disc seeder will be onsite from the 19/2. The greens will be seeded twice, rolled and then top dressed with straight sand.
Tom Collings
Head Greenkeeper
