From tee to green ‑ March

The Downs Course

In March we continued with the aeration programme with a variety of practices. This month we have verti-drained greens 1 & 13, 8mm solid tine, Air 2G2 deep aeration machine and sorrel rolled. We have applied a spring fertiliser to slightly thicken up the sward and recover some of the thin areas on the greens. We have also added an application of calcium to aid plant health, as this was low after our soil analysis came back from the laboratory. Soil profile results from the 1^st green were extremely pleasing to see, as the root zone amendment which we have applied has increased the C.E.C (Cation Exchange Capacity) which means the profile holds more nutrients available to the plant, therefore making the green stronger.

Next month we will start to apply our top dressing with the aim to reach 100 tonnes by the end of the year. Another granular will be applied in the middle of the month to increase growth so that all the grass species come into the same height and growing range, therefore improving the trueness of the green.

We will also be re-lining the bunkers on the 11^th and changing the sand over to the tested china clay sand. These bunkers will be GUR (ground under repair) for a month allowing the turf to knit in prior to the sand being installed. Also, we will be overseeding the poorer fairways to try and recover them as best as possible. 

Look forward to seeing you on the course,

Rob Dyer, Head Greenkeeper, The Downs Course

Aeration work this time of year is key with disease always threatening. We have been sorrel rolling the greens weekly to improve aeration by putting 1” spikes into the surface to help with airflow in the top layer and pencil tinning greens once a month with the aim to aerate a little deeper to help dry out the greens and to help aid drainage.

We continue with our spraying programme that consists of soil feeds which help root development and enhances nutrient uptake while our foliar feeds help to increase sward density and aid leaf strength. We have been hand mowing with brushing three times a week which has kept the greens well-presented and has kept them performing well with good smooth surfaces and modest green speeds are currently stimping at 9.5.

The tees have received some aeration work with a small tine to relieve compaction and help aid drainage. We have applied a granular fertiliser to aid strength and colour to help kick start the recovery after a winters use.                                                                                         

A less disruptive method of deep aeration is using tines to the depth of 12”, the Air2G2 releases compressed air into the soil which breaks up soil compaction. This will create more air flow through the soil profile and will encourage better drainage and deeper, stronger root growth. Along with our thatch removal programme, this will result in the playing surface having a stronger, healthier turf and in turn a more consistent, faster, firmer putting surface.

I won’t bore you with the details of all the different types of aeration work that we carried out not just on greens but to all surfaces on the golf course. Some are more labour intensive than others and some forms are less disruptive to the playing surface, such as pencil tining that was carried out on the greens last week. No surface disruption but beneficial to relieve turf stress and promoting oxygen levels in the soil.

Aeration is vital to keep the turf healthy it helps improve drainage, increases stronger, deeper root development, reduction of thatch levels, gas exchange and improves the effectiveness of fertilisation.

We understand that some aeration work can be disruptive but the benefits of aeration out way the short term disruption.

See you on the course!

Simon Berry, Head Greenkeeper, The Park Course

What is stimp?

A stimp or a “stimpmeter” is a device used to measure the speed of putting greens and how fast a ball rolls across the green surface.

Stimpmeters are three feet in length with a ball placed in a notch at one end. When the stimp is raised to 20 degrees, the ball releases down a metal ramp. This is then repeated three times in various different angles on a flat area of the green. The further the ball rolls, the faster the greens are. For example, during Club Championship week, the greens were running at 11 which means the ball rolled 11ft after being released from the stimp.

It would be easy to produce fast greens all the time by reducing the height of cut, constantly roll them, not fertilising or watering the greens. The firmer the surface the faster the greens, but you would have more like a cricket wicket than a decent putting surface, which wouldn’t survive long.

The trick is maintaining a healthy grass sward while producing a fast putting surface. Mowing height and frequency, grass species, thatch management, irrigation, verti cutting, ironing, top dressing, aeration to name a few, but all these tasks will help increase resiliency, smoothness, firmness and a uniformed finish to a fast putting surface.