The Downs Course

January has been a surprisingly warmer month than expected which has enabled the greens disease scars that have formed over the previous months to start to heal and grow in. Additional liquid feeds on the greens has helped and introducing carbohydrate feeds, which aids in the plant photosynthesis during the low light winter months, has really improved the health of the grass plant over the winter months.

Whilst on feeds we have continued to liquid feed the greens complexes and they now have a constant nice colour and improved sward density which improves playing surface quality. We will continue to do this every month for the foreseeable.

We have completed some maintenance on the 3rd fairway, as it was starting to get extremely worn. We have applied a liquid feed, seed and have top dressed it with 20 tonne of sand. As temperatures still remain low, it will take longer to achieve recovery. Therefore when playing the 3^rd, please take a strike mat with you and pick and place your ball on this, rather than taking a divot out of the fairway. Then drop off the strike mat by the sign at the back of the green. Doing this will help us achieve increased fairway condition for the upcoming playing season.

As from last months blog I would just like to mention traffic management again. I know this sometimes can be frustrating, but it is there to protect areas so that they have minimal damage for the upcoming season, meaning that these areas will be better to play off. Please be mindful of this and take a few more seconds to walk around the ropes, instead of under them. If the rope needs to be moved to play your shot, please replace when leaving the area. Please do not move or adjust any post and rope as it is there for a reason. You will then be able to reap the benefits of this when they come in. 

We have also started turfing some worn areas and pathway edges. These areas have been opened up ready for the turfs arrival at the beginning of March, please avoid walking over any of these areas where possible.

In February we will also be applying a spray to the natural long rough areas as part of our habitat plan to reduce the thickness, by removing the courser grasses, leaving more fine grasses and wild flowers in its place. Increasing bio-diversity and speed of play from a golfing point of view. I’m expecting these areas will turn a shade of orange for a while before new growth comes through.

We have also upgraded the agronomy team’s welfare facility, with a new canteen, changing room, drying room and toilet shower block.

Storm Eunice hit at the end of the month and some areas of the course have been hit quite hard. We have had some big trees down on the 3^rd and 15^th as well as some hung up trees along the left side of the 1^st hole. Also, we have had to clear up a lot of debris with lots of twigs and branches smothering the course.

We have had a few estate main line pipes burst along the 4^th hole in the previous month. These were fixed between the agronomy team and the plumbers on the estate. We have also spent some time leak detecting on our most troublesome irrigation pipe line finding six leaks on one stretch.

Look forward to seeing you on the course!

Rob Dyer, Head Greenkeeper, The Downs Course

The Park Course

The Course

A very productive but very challenging month. Sadly, the course had to be closed for six days due to 71mm of rainfall, 60mm in one week! And then came along Storm Eunice and then Storm Franklin giving us a mammoth task in clearing debris and fallen trees. Despite the adversity the team have been working hard on bunker re-shaping, woodland maintenance, planting trees, raising canopies and clearing unwanted growth which has given the bluebells and other wild flowers a chance to thrive.

When ground conditions allow, our focus will be once again turn to course presentation putting more definition and character back into the course with our various mowing regimes.

The greens are in good health. In the coming days, we hope to pencil tine the greens which will allow oxygen into the profile. We have kept up with our soil and foliar feeds to aid turf density and root strength.

Woodland Work and replanting

As part of our ecology plan, we continue to plant more trees around the course in rough areas and areas to define the holes like between 8th and 10th. The species consist of Beech, Oak, Cedar, Maple and disease-free Elm which was donated by the South Downs National Park.

Other

The forestry department will be thinning the copse on the right-hand side of 3rd and the copse between the 12th and 13th in the coming weeks. They will be removing all diseased Ash and dead trees, raising canopies and letting a lot more light and airflow through.

The bunkers on 4^th and 13^th had been misshaped through animal damage. So, we have installed a clean edge for better playability.

Look forward to seeing you on the course!

Simon Berry, Head Greenkeeper, The Park Course