From Tee to Green ‑ April

The Downs Course

The greens have been fertilised this month with a 10:4:4 fertiliser. This was applied to increase the growth rate to assist in the uneven spring growth which we have seen this month. It also aids in filling in old disease scars which were present on a few greens.

The height of cut on the greens was reduced from 5mm to 4 mm. This will soon be reduced again to 3mm in the coming weeks and will stay at this height until the autumn.

We continue with our aeration program. We have sorrel rolled four times this month and pencil tined once. To micromanage our valley greens which lay wetter than the greens on top of the hill, we aerated holes 1 to 6 in the evening to allow the greens to dry that little bit more to hopefully become more consistent with the other greens on the course.

We have also applied two light dressings to improve surface trueness and green speed. This vital operation will be taking place until late autumn.

Currently, the grass species on the greens called Poa annua or annual meadow grass has started to seed. This can be unsightly and causes a slight problem with the greens trueness. It is a natural process this time of year for this grass. Our overseeding program with Bentgrass will help in the future as we start to have more of a monoculture and reduce the unwanted Poa grasses in the greens.

It was extremely pleasing to see the greens come out of the winter period in such a healthy position. We had a few small spots of disease this month due to the warm wet weather. We monitored this for a few days and felt it was unnecessary to apply a chemical. The disease grew out within a week, which proves that all the aeration work we have done has increased the good bacteria and fungi in the greens to aid them to fight off the disease naturally. Next month we will put down another fertiliser application, in conjunction with a growth regulator to slow the growth down after the initial hit. This will make the green become more consistent throughout the days play.  

Tees, Aprons and walk-offs have also been fertilised to aid in plant health and help any worn areas fill in. Again a growth regulator will be applied this month to make these areas more consistent.

The bunkers have been cut down and trimmed back tight to reduce the thickness of the eyelashes. These eyelashes have also been tine raked to reduce the clumpy grass and make it wispy for the future.

This month we had our first members walk. Four of my team and I were able to talk about what we are currently doing, our challenges and plans for the course. It was also an opportunity for members to ask us questions on areas they have any issues with. It also gave members a better understanding of what we actually do, have to think about and what we plan for. It was an extremely positive evening with a great bunch, who now have a more in-depth concept of what our job entails. I would personally like to thank for those who came and the passion they brought to the evening. In the future if you have anything you would like to bring up with us, please come out for one of these course walks with us. 

Looking at the ecology on the course, the first Orchids have now appeared, most of these can be found on the left side of the 14^th carry. Also after clearing the undergrowth between the 1^st, 17^th and 18^th we have had an array of bluebells spring up, which is nice to see. The area outside the pro shop, which has been heavily planted with wildflowers during the winter month has been a huge success and has a real impact walking over the bridge to the 1^st tee. 

Look forward to seeing you on the course!

Rob Dyer, Head Greenkeeper The Downs 

The Park Course

The course

The course is in a pleasing condition, warm temperatures and heavy rain has meant a boost in growth. The greens have had regular brushing, rolling and light aeration work to keep them healthy and the speeds consistent we have also continued with our folia feeds to improve grass density. The fairways are continuing to improve with brushing to stand the plant up and with a more frequent mowing schedule. The tees and aprons have both received a fertilize to help encourage a more consistent growth.

Projects

As I am sure you have seen, the bluebells and wild garlic throughout the golf course have flourished. All our hard work through the winter months has really paid off. Seeing such a thick carpet of colour really does compliment the golf course and as part of our ongoing conservation programme, we will be creating more wildflower areas.

All the team have worked hard on the bunkers through the month, redefining the edge, replacing and topping up the sand to give them a clean uncontaminated look for better playability.

See you on the course

Simon Berry, Head Greenkeeper The Park