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
