Rainfall is currently the driving force, it is dictating both our trolley policy and our work schedules due to wet ground conditions. We saw over 140mm fall in January, almost twice the long term average. February gave us some respite before March fell back to southwest systems giving us both heavy snowfall in the first week of the month before continued rainfall since giving us almost 300mm year-to-date, well above average.
Our primary concern is course preservation before the upcoming season. Minimising wear and tear now through a carry-only policy, will pay dividends in a month’s time when growth tangibly begins and we can start mowing some definition into the course.
Greens renovation week went by without a hitch and the resulting surface has performed well since the work. Our focus was on moss thinning and removal. An initial granular treatment was applied before we thoroughly scarified the surfaces before topdressing and solid-tining. We have consciously left the height of cut at winter height over this recovery period to allow the most desirable grasses assert their position in the green surface. This week we will be reducing the height of mowing which will thicken the turf and help to close any gaps in the surface.
Following a spattering of positive feedback on the trial sand we placed in the eighteenth greenside bunker, the team are starting to sand exchange across the course. We will focus on greenside bunkers initially. This sand is coarser than our existing sand and certainly has a different colour. Enjoy playing from it.
See you on the course.
Jaey Goodchild
Head Greenkeeper
