From Tee to Green ‑ October

The Downs Course

October saw us continue in our forward-thinking approach by trialling our first bunker liner which is a bonded rubber crumb on top of a type one base layer of the bunker. Below shows the subbase installed which consists of compacted type one material with the existing drain line exposed.

With the high cost of maintenance, bunkers have become hazards for both golf clubs and for players. Bunkers over time are unable to withstand the rigours of the elements and demands of the modern game. Common problems with bunkers are:

• Washdown and movement of sand from bunker faces
• Poor drainage resulting in flooded bunkers being classified ground under repair, causing disruption to players
• Stone and chalk contamination from the base level
• Base level disintegration from club strikes
• Burrowing animals and insects
• Exposure of the existing subbase of the bunker

Many bunker problems can be minimised by the installation of an engineered baseliner. A formed bunker liner engineered from recycled tyres mixed with a polyurethane binder which provides an efficient and long-lasting solution. Below shows the bonded rubber crumb laid on the type one base, this will then be filled with sand to the correct level to provide the finished product.

This liner is a permeable physical barrier which forms the base layer of the bunker. The powerful in situ resin bound rubberised bunker liner provides bunker protection from above and below and helps prevent saturation.

• Pores in the barrier allow moisture to drain away rapidly through to the drainage course and prevent water pooling in the bunker. Water flows between the rubber and the face of the bunker, rather than the sand and the face of the bunker. This drastically reduces sand washdown and movement after heavy rain, dramatically reducing those hours spent raking it back in to place.
• Forms a physical barrier that prevents the reshuffling of aggregates that always leads to the largest particles being on top such as drainage gravel and chalk.
• The tough resin bound bunker liner is strong enough to withstand club strikes that would disturb stones in the underlying strata while also blocking burrowing animals.

What is the Disease on our Greens?

Fusarium patch disease is the most common and one of the most damaging lawn and turf diseases in Europe and mainly occurs in the autumn and winter months. However, it can strike at any time of the year especially if the conditions are favourable. The disease attacks closely mown areas that contain a high percentage of annual meadow grass, which is another reason we are committed to changing the grass species on our greens to the more favourable bentgrass.

Identifying fusarium disease

Fusarium disease initially appears on the green or in areas of turf as small patches. The leaves turn an orangey - brown colour. Sometimes during early morning dews, white fungal threads appear this is called mycelium.

As the disease quickly spreads the patches increase in size into larger patches. As the severity of the attack increases, these patches can join together causing widespread damage to the green.

Conditions that favour fusarium disease:

• Fusarium patch disease is most active during the damp weather conditions typically associated with the autumn and winter months.
• Excess levels of nitrogen caused by late nitrogen feeds will encourage fusarium patch.
• Greens that suffer from the shade, lack of sunlight and air movement, encourage fusarium patch.
• An excessive layer of thatch or organic matter build-up encourages fusarium. 
• A green that contains a high percentage of annual meadow grass will always be at risk from an attack of Fusarium, as this grass species is very susceptible.

How is it being treated?

We have both cultural and chemical controls in trying to reduce the risk of disease. Removing dew and keeping the surface dry and having sufficient air movement helps. Apply sulphate of iron - This will help acidify the surface of the green which will help discourage the disease. Improve the surface drainage with aeration. Improve any sheltered areas by cutting back or pruning any vegetation which is causing a problem.

Looking ahead we have our long rough areas being cut and collected. This is a process that is carried out annually helping us continue to thin out these areas making them more aesthetically pleasing and playable with the encouragement of finer grass species. We have seen great success with this process over the years and it is key for our continued progression. 

On the course, the team continue to work on presentation and preparing for the winter conditions fast approaching. We are starting to see areas getting worn from the high levels of traffic and unfavourable weather conditions so please follow traffic routes and avoid roped off areas where possible to help us protect the course. 

See you on the course!

Tom Brearley, Head Greenkeeper The Downs Course

The Park Course

Greens:
It is important at this time of year that we go into the winter months with no disease scaring and a healthy thick sward. The maintenance carried out this month to help achieve this is:

• Sorrell rolling greens (pricking the top 20mm of the surface)
• Pencil tinning greens (using an 8mm tine going to the depth of 100mm)
• Folia feeding greens (spraying a fine mist onto the leaf so the plant nutrient uptake is maximised)
• Soil feeding greens (spraying a larger droplet size so to bypass the leaf and help increase the soil efficiency)

Tees:

We are constantly divioting tees this time of year to get as much grass coverage as possible going into the winter months. Seed will only germinate above a certain temperature so it is important that will fill any divots prior to the soil temperature dropping.

Fairways/surrounds

Brushing has been an important maintenance procedure to the fairways and surrounds, removing worm casts and standing the grass leaf up for a cleaner cut keeps the playing surface consistent and uniformed. We have had a warm October and the grass growth has not slowed down. We continue to have to blow off fairways and surrounds of grass clippings to make the course aesthetically pleasing.

Rough

As part of our on-going conservation/habitat management plan all the long natural rough areas around the course have been cut and collected. Although the course does look a little bare at the moment, the benefits of carrying out this task are:

• Thins out and removes unwanted weeds and course grasses
• Allows the natural fescue grasses a chance to grow by not being overpowered by courser species
• Gives the course definition whilst still maintaining its playability
• Carried out this time of year it doesn’t affect nesting birds or wildlife.

And remember to repair your pitch marks!

See you on the course!

Simon Berry, Head Greenkeeper Park Course