30/04/2010

Friday 30th April

Another nice day today and a little bit warmer.


This weekend see's the start of the spring meetings first up are:


Caledonia Golf Club




Mercantile Golf Club




New Taymouth Golf Club










Jobs today : greens cut @ 4mm then rolled behind, approaches hand cut @ 6mm, green surrounds cut @ 7mm and fairways cut @9mm.





Other jobs were cutting bunker run-ins and bunker heads @ 9mm, moving the markers, divotting tees (also picking up broken tees), changing holes, raking bunkers and strimming/feathering around the course.





Above, Margaret the Head Ranger placing out the ball scoops/looking for balls round the Barry Burn.


This week saw the arrival of some new machinery, with more expected to be delivered next week. Here's Eric (Head Maintenance Engineer) on the new Toro fairway mower and two new Toro triples.

http://www.toro.com/intl/uk_en/home/index.html



29/04/2010

This week started off with beautiful sunshine.

On Monday: Holes were changed, markers moved, newer turfed areas were sprayed with fungicide(azoxystobin), liquid fertiliser(premium n) and a dew preventative.

Sandy changing holes and Craig hiding in the shadow of the bunker.

Greens were cut @ 4.3mm, fairways cut @ 9mm and approaches/green surrounds cut @ 7mm.

On Tuesday: greens were cut and rolled, bunkers raked, areas around the course were sprayed with total weedkiller (roads, shelters, around the sheds etc) and the burn-wall was cleared of weeds and moss.

We also found time to core any areas that were affected with the floods. These areas were all top-dressed and over-seeded behind the corer.

Yesterday, bunkers were raked, greens were cut @ 4mm and green surrounds were cut @ 7mm.

Behind the cut, greens were applied with Scotts 16:0:16 spring start. The approaches and surrounds were applied with Vitax SSD.

supplied by http://www.aitkens.co.uk/

Little action shot.

Today, greens dewied then cut when it was dry with the boxes off, total weed killing work was on-going and the tee-banks were flymoed.

The last load of turf arrived for the nursery another 1400 sq m





Barry thinking what he's having for his piece.

Nearly there.

Finished.
Rain-train has a blocked nozzle....one less mouse in the world.


Sandy stands back and admires a good days work!!!

26/04/2010

Monday 26th April

Links Report For March


Weather
March provided a welcome improvement over February with a dry spell during the first half of the month and a doubling of average noon temperature to a 8C. A westerly airflow dominated and frost was experienced on six occasions. There was a sting in the tail however when high tides (5.9metres) aided by a strong onshore wind resulted in flooding on the 17th and 18th holes of the Championship course on the 30th of the month. Total rainfall was 41mm all falling in the latter half of the month.


Work On The Links


Aeration
Winter trafficked areas were verti-drained with 1/2" tines during the month whilst the hydroject was used on fairway areas and walkways generally with wetting agent added to the tank. Areas which were treated with the selective herbicide "Rescue" last autumn for ryegrass control were hollow tined and overseeded to aid recovery of the finer grasses in these areas.
2nd and 6th White Tees
These tees were turf stripped, rotavated and re-levelled, followed by turf replacement in the first half of the month to provide full use of the teeing area.
Temporary Tee -3rd Hole
The agreed area in the rough at the start of the 3rd fairway was stripped and the rough turf used elsewhere. The ground was levelled and suitable turf re-laid from the turf nursery.
Bunkers
Bunkers were topped up and sand firmed and shaped in the usual manner, concentrating initially on those bunkers rebuilt over the winter period. Grow sheets were removed from bunker faces and a mixture of granular wetting agent, seaweed and organic fertiliser spread on many bunker faces. By the end of the month, a number of bunkers required pumping followed by floor cultivation and/or topping up due to heavy rains and burn flooding (17th and 18th holes) on the 30th.
Roughs
Roughs on the course were brushed from green to tee to lift the grass and aerate the surface following the worse winter for many years. Close strimming of sea lyme in roughs continued from the previous month.
Bridges
Work was completed on rebuilding the stone walling underneath the bridge to the right of the 18th green approach and the decking replaced. Turf was relaid to the vehicle bridge to the left of the island on the 17th hole and decking repairs were carried out to the bridge to the front of the 18th tee Burnside. Some repairs were carried out to the Huxley matting at bridges and a suitable spectator bridge was installed over the ditch on the 6th hole of the Buddon course opposite to the crossing for the 7th fairway Championship.
Wetting Agent
The wetting agent and penetrant, Revolution was applied to the greens in the middle of the month.
Greens Nursery
Sand excavated from the 10th Burnside was transported to the nursery to raise levels as required in preperation for spring re-stocking.
Turf Repairs
Several minor turf repairs were carried out during March including low mounding to the left of the 16th hole for burn flood control as well as one or two gorse removal areas, left side of 15th, alongside 2nd tee roadside and rabbit scrapes generally.
Brushing/Rolling/Mowing
Greens and surrounds were drag brushed whilst tees were brushed using rotary powered brush units. Greens were rolled on several occasions with the green irons whilst re-laid tees were rolled with the heavier pedestrian roller. Greens and surrounds along with teeing grounds and fairways were mown during the month.
Top Dressing
Topdressing was restricted to newly laid tees.
Spring Fertiliser
The organic fertiliser OC2 was applied to weaker greens and weaker areas generally as well as certain tees whilst the putting green received a nitrogen/potash feed split into two halves with different products as part of an assessment.A mixture of lawn sand and a (3-10-5) fertiliser with seaweed was applied to greens and green surrounds. Teeing grounds were treated with lawn sand only.New turfed areas received an application of OC2, the organic fertiliser.
Public Putting Green
The area of turf removal on the unused area of the putting green was cleared and duly overseeded i four directions. Edges have recently been filled to perimeter grass level and seeded.
B.I.G.G.A. Conference
Four members of staff attended the Scottish Annual Conference at Dunfermline at the start of the month.
Sprinklers
Fairway sprinklers were raised to be flush with ground level where required.
Environmental Work
Gorse chipping was carried out during March following the clearance of burnt gorse on the 16th hole. Broom was removed from the left hand side of the 12th hole and the gorse clump behind the 14th winter tee was lowered.

23/04/2010

Friday 23rd April

Today, another load of turf from Inturf arrived for the nursery(on time).

Another 1400sqm.

This time it was the big tractor rolls that was delivered.

Turf all rolled out by 10am.

Here John checking to the nearest cm that we got the right amount of turf.

Other jobs today included: holes changed, bunkers raked, tees cupped and greens cupped with wetting agent.

22/04/2010

Thursday 22nd April

Yesterday, a six man team went round the bunkers


blowing faces





flymoing




strimming bases , cleaning out and raking. They managed to do all 113 bunkers.

Green surrounds and approaches were all top-dressed as well as Hogan (back) tees.

Holes were changed and the arcs on sprinklers were checked.

Today, greens were dewied then rolled and bunker run-ins were cut.

Most of the guys were out at the nursery laying down new turf (which was due at 6am but did nt arrive til 9am).


A good effort from the guys, we had managed to lay the load(1400sqm) by 11.15am. Load number 2 due at 6am tomorrow, fingers crossed.

20/04/2010

Tuesday 20th April

Looks like a cloud of ash behind the hotel!!





Today was really dry and windy so we took the chance to top-dress the greens. The sand was then brushed in, cut behind and rolled.

Other jobs today included:

raking bunkers, shifting the markers and getting our greens turf nursery ready for turf which is due in on Thursday.

We also tidied up the new Burnside carpark by adding our own bark chippings and getting the rest of the area ready for seed.