29/06/2012

Friday 29th June 2012

Well the Ladies Amateur is still being played. Last round tomorrow.
Today is John Philps last day.

The sheds were turned into a function suite.

The tee box is ready for the grand opening

and so is the the cake.

Mr Chairman - Gordon Wilson saying a few words. His jokes are getting a little bit better!!

Be the ball John.

Holy Christ, what a finish.( i wont tell you where the first ball went)

Well Done John, Have A Happy Retirement From All The Greenstaff.

28/06/2012

Thursday 28th June 2012

Well Monday has been the best day of the week so far - sunny.

Everyday we have most of the guys from the other two courses. Fairways cut everyday along with approaches and surrounds and of course greens.

 Rolling behind the cutters to firm up the greens and give us a little more speed. All this rain has meant we have had to take the height of cut down from our normal 4mm to 3.25mm.

Divot squad make sure the fairways are in tip top condition. 


Strimming/feathering around the greens.

As i said earlier the weather has not been kind to us. A few bunkers mainly down the far end of the course have been topped up with sand. So far we are up to 129mm of rain in June and 356mm for the season with more to come.

The only one liking this is the Northern Marsh Orchid.

26/06/2012

Tuesday 26th June 2012

As the rapper Jay Z says
"If you're having water problems i feel bad for you son, i got 99 problems but the ditch ain't one, hit me"

The build up week to the Ladies British Amateur Championship was going well up until Thursday night when over 42mm of rain fell.

The Burnside course being the worst hit. The 3rd hole was under water when the Barry Burn burst its banks.

A few puddles on some of the greens were brushed off before the hand cutters arrived.

The 17th fairway on the Championship was flooded and the incoming tide did not help things.

Once the burn level went down the pumps were out all day Friday and the fairway was up and running for the Caledonia Club Championship at night.

The ducks had a rare day out!

By Sunday night the weather was back to normal for the guys who were all in.



Head Tee Starter Bob and Head Ranger talk tactics.

Flags ready to go out for the practice day on Monday. More pictures to follow.
Flooding at the 10th of the Championship and 3rd Burnside.

15/06/2012

Friday 15th June 2012

Since the last update, we have had and celebrated the Queen's Jubilee.

A commemorative flag was put on the 18th greens of all courses.



Chips is back!!!
He is feeling the cold, as it is not as warm as Australia.


BMX riders are becoming a bit of a problem on the course, skidding on the greens and through the bunkers.

The starters box at the 1st was demolished to make way for phase two of redevelopment.


Turf replacement after the demolition.

Sandy watering the turf.

In the last two weeks the greens have been top-dressed twice.


Not long now till the Ladies Amateur Championship.
Weedkilling was started as well.

New turf nursery was seeded out and  new trial seed plots to be seeded out next week.

Clearance work still continuing on the Buddon Links.


08/06/2012

Friday 8th June 2012






Well here is The Godfathers last report before he retires - emotional

LINKS SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT FOR MAY 2012



WEATHER



May continued where April left off, generally cloudy and cool with a wet spell in the middle of the month.  A dry spell ensued from the 19th and temperatures improved gradually with 21 ° C reached on the 27th, until 20 mm of rain fell in the last 2 days!  Winds were variable in the first half whilst the second half was dominated by an easterly flow.  Total rainfall was 64 mm and average noon temperature was 11.5 ° C. 





WORK ON THE LINKS



CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE



Greens



The greens were lightly fed early in the month with a spray mix of Sulphate of Ammonia, Seaweed and Iron.  They were given their main spring feed later in the month witrh a homemade mix of organic nitrogen and seaweed.   



Cutting and rolling were alternated for the first half of the month whilst growth was slow but after the hot week experienced from the 21st along with the reaction to the spring feed, cutting and rolling was intensified, sometimes double cutting, to produce suitable smoothness and pace.  The growth regulator programme of Primo Maxx was also commenced to help maintain speeds whilst also benefitting the plant roots. 



Greens were lightly top dressed on 2 occasions, received their monthly application of wetting agent and were Hydro-jected during the last week with seaweed being added. 



Approaches / Surrounds



Approaches were fed with the same granular mix as the greens. 



Tees



Tees were top dressed and were treated with a selective herbicide for the control of weeds.



Fairways



Bumps and weak areas were fed with an organic liquid feed; fairway extensions from recent years were hollow tined and top dressed.  Similar areas were also Hydro-jected with water and wetting agent. 



All areas containing the weed Pearlwort were aprayed with a selective herbicide. 



After discussion with our agronomist, Richard Windows, the height of cut on the fairways has been raised to 10 mm from 9 mm.  It is our aim to produce a slightly denser sward which will limit the ingression of Pearlwort and reduce the amount of extremely tight lies without affecting ball reaction. 



Walkways



Weak walkways were fed with a 12:0:9 compound fertiliser. 



Roughs  



Areas of rogue, unwanted grasses were sprayed with Rescue; the rough over the ditch at the left of the 4th was sprayed with Glyphosate so that it can be prepared for the Wild Flower seed mix. 



2 – 4 yards of rough outwith the semi-rough was cut at 4” with isolated pockets of thick growth also being strimmed. 



Weeds were spot sprayed in roughs around greens and tees. 



 

General Work



  • Public Putting Green was opened at the beginning of the month.
  • Ditch bank was repaired at the 3rd green along with any rabbit scrapes that were noticed around the course.
  • An irrigation pipe was replaced that crosses the burn at the 18th green.
  • Plastic “Grass-Crete” was inserted alongside path on topside of putting green to help prevent damage to the turf from delivery vehicles.  



Agronomist



Richard Windows made his spring visit on the 16th of the month.




BURNSIDE COURSE



Aeration



Hydroject aeration involved greens, fairways and green walk-offs.  Mini hollow-tining was carried out on the new turf on the 3rd green rear perimeter, on newly turfed bunker heads and several repair patches as required.  This work was followed with top dressing.



Top Dressing



Greens and approaches were top dressed twice during the month along with the re-built 14th tees. 



Primo Maxx



The top growth retardant, Primo Maxx was applied twice to greens during May as part of the routine summer programme. 



Wetting Agent



The monthly application of Revolution was carried out in the middle of the month.  Approaches were treated with the inclusion of liquid iron and liquid nitrogen. 



Fertiliser



A nitrogen / potash fertiliser was applied to tees (12:0:11) and a similar material was spread on the re-seeded area to the right of the 10th hole.  A nitrogenous fertiliser was applied around the 5th green to encourage growth. 



Weedkilling:  Selective:



Selective weedkiller was applied around greens, on tees and locally on fairways. 



Total Weedkiller



Total weedkiller was applied to the usual areas involving: around the Starters’ Box, Public Putting Green border, car park and around the maintenance buildings. 



Bunker Maintenance



The usual bunker maintenance was carried out during the month including sand shaping. 



Irrigation : Hand Watering



Some hand watering was required to local areas on greens as well as new turf in the second half of the month.  Sprinklers on greens and tees were trimmed round during the month. 




Mowing



Greens mowing was intensified through the month and regular weekend mowing was established from the beginning of May.  Greens were verti cut in the middle of the month to control prostrate growth and a cutting height of 4 mm was established by the end of May.  Greens were rolled as required following brushing and top dressing.  Strimming was underway generally round the course and roughs were mown as required.  Lower lying fairway areas were mown at 7 mm using Triplex mowers near the end of the month.   



BUDDON LINKS COURSE



Aeration



Green surrounds and tees received solid tine aeration using 8 mm tines as did the 14th fairway, early in the month. 



Wetting Agent



The monthly treatment with Revolution was applied to greens in the first half of the month.



Top Dressing



Greens and approaches were top dressed twice during the month in the usual manner.  The dragmat was used to work in the second dressing to minimise seed head disturbance. 



Overseeding



The 2nd tee was again seeded and top dressed along with the 18th walkway and 3rd tee bank.  Worn areas and flood damaged sections on the 10th and 14th holes were verti seeded.  The turf removed section in the junior area was prepared for seed. 



Turf Conditioner Spray



Greens were sprayed with a tank mix comprising liquid seaweed and liquid iron early in the month. 



Fertiliser



A Spring / Summer fertiliser (14:0:9) was applied around greens, as well as the 7th and 11th fairways and 2nd, 4th and 10th walkways. 



Weedkilling



Selective weedkilling was carried out on the 2nd and 18th fairways as well as the “tented village” area beside the 1st hole. 



Contractor’s Area



The “Open” contractors compound was levelled to fill low areas especially in the southernmost section in preparation for the construction company 1st Golf. 



Turf Repairs



Turf repairs during the month involved narrowing the service road in front of the 15th tee and stripping the poor turf from the 1st tee.  



Mowing



Greens were mown more regularly during the month as well as rolled and brushed as needed.  Debris was blown from greens as necessary and the temporary green on the 12th fairway was prepared.  A ditch crossing was formed for future player movement to the 13th tee round the new 10th construction works. 



The area within the trees either side of the 7th hole was cut as were ditch and tee banks. Strimming was carried out generally round the course. 



CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HOLES – 1ST GOLF



Marcus Terry arrived to set up his base at the “Open” Contractors’ site on the 22nd of the month.  Consultations were held with Douglas Shearer and Richard Stuttard (S T R I ecology) thereafter to establish health and safety and construction boundary requirements.  Vegetarian stripping was underway as soon as machinery arrived and the wetland area front right of the new 12th teeing area was excavated and shaped to act as a trial area for soft rush transplanting when the specially designed translocation machine arrives.  The north – south ditch was excavated and stumps removed.  A fresh water supply to the compound was established from the Buddon toilet block behind the 8th green. 



ENVIRONMENTAL WORK



Marram was planted in the rough to the left of the 5th hole of the Championship Course and on the mound surrounding the Golf Centre.  Young broom and gorse growing in the heather on the 8th hole was strimmed.  



Young broom regrowth, particularly in heather was cut back early in the month on the Burnside Course.  Tidying up following further stump grinding was carried out on the

6 – 7 – 16 triangle and a soil and seed mix applied at relevant sites.  The burn was cleared of weed at the 5th and 17th holes. 



On the Buddon Course trees and scrub felled in the new 12th green site and surrounding area were cut up and removed, smaller cuttings being chipped.  Further gorse clearance was carried out to the right of the new 12th hole in particular, followed by chipping.  Vegetation was cut away in the line of the new core path route to the left of the 12th hole through the pine tree block, branches again being chipped.  The spoil heap was tidied up. 





.







John S. Philp

Links Superintendent