The latest from both our Head Greenkeepers
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Tee to Green May
The Downs Course
Heading into May we had 15mm of rain in eight weeks. Since then we have had a fair few downpours, which really has improved the golf course. It has significantly greened up and has allowed us to get back to normality on the greens.
We applied a granular fertiliser on The Downs greens a few weeks back to allow the varied grass species to grow to the desired height. Unfortunately doing this leaves the greens inconsistent for a week. The greens perform well in the morning, however by the afternoon they have slowed down on the Stimp Meter by about a foot and a half. This is due to growth during the day from the fertiliser. We have now reduced our height of cut to 3.2mm with our turf groomers set 2mm below the surface, this is to stand up any lateral growth before it gets cut. We have also applied a growth regulator. Now that all the varied species of grasses are at the same height, this allow for more consistent greens throughout the day. The greens have now become truer and when they dry out from the rainfall we have had recently, speeds will increase. Thank you for your patience over the last couple of weeks.
Selective herbicide was delayed on the fairways prior to the rain, as applying this in drought conditions could have caused damage to the turf. This will now be applied in the last week of May, followed up by a foliar feed a week later. We also aim to brush and rotary cut our fairways to reduce the lateral growth of the coarser grasses.
We are consistently maintaining our irrigation system, which at times can be very problematic. Joe from our team has taken the lead role on this maintenance, which allows us to repair and fix most issues in house. This allows our team to gain vital knowledge on this subject and aids the club by not having to pay contractors to come in to do these repairs.
The 5th tee is now back in play. This will be cut slightly higher than our other tees and with a hand mower, rather than a ride on mower. This is to reduce the wear and allow us to keep it healthy.
The 3rd fairway has thickened up nicely with an application of granular fertiliser and has now had a growth regulator applied to keep the sward thick and not to grow excessively.
This month we welcomed two new members of staff to The Downs team. Dan Cornish is the new Deputy Head Greenkeeper and he comes to us with a wealth of experience and plays to an extremely good standard, having a current handicap of 1. We also welcome James Stemp, who will be starting his greenkeeping career with us. Please say hello if you see them on the course.
Look forward to seeing you on the course!
Rob Dyer, Head Greenkeeper, The Downs Course
The Park Course
On the greens, we have continued with our foliar feeds which results in the greens having a more uniform growth and consistent conditions. Foliar feeds are absorbed rapidly by the plant so it gets the nutrients it needs quickly and efficiently. We then apply a light sand top dressing of six tonnes every two weeks and brushed in to the sward. Some of the benefits of this is the sand dilutes the thatch layer and it helps aid trueness and speed.
The mowing heights on the greens have now been reduced to 3.5mm and with regular brushing and rolling. We are confident the speeds will stay consistent.
The tees and aprons have both received a fertiliser to help encourage a more consistent growth and help aid recovery.
Please continue to repair your pitchmarks!
Look forward to seeing you on the course!
Simon Berry, Head Greenkeeper, The Park Course
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