WEATHER
June
was colder than average with the hours of sunshine also lower than normal. An
easterly flow of light winds was the norm with most of the 135mm of rainfall
falling in the 2nd half of the month with exceptional rain
experienced on the 22nd of the month with meant the Barry Burn burst
its banks at the 3rd Burnside and 17th Medal.
Similar
weather continued in the 1st half of July before it started to warm
up to nearer average temperatures in the last 2 weeks. Sunshine hours were
still below average and although the wind flow returned to a prevailing South
Westerly it wasn’t as strong as normal. A lot of very heavy showers were
experienced causing pools of water on the courses on many occasions.
WORK ON THE
LINKS
CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE
Greens
Top
dressed 4 times in total through June & July with the Primo Maxx and the
Wetting Agent and Conditioner programs continuing as normal. Two applications of
liquid seaweed were also made, one including a fungicide for disease
prevention.
During
July greens were brushed and groomed prior to being overseeded with fescue
using the new Dyna-seed units on a triplex mower.
Approaches/
surrounds
Weak/trafficked
areas and winter plug marks were given a granular feed. All
approaches/surrounds were top dressed twice.
Tees
·
Selective
weedkilling
·
18th
tee oversown with Bent seed
Fairways
Low
areas and areas turfed during the winter were top dressed with sand.
The
usual pockets of rogue grasses and sea lyme were strimmed during June with more
extensive work being carried out in July with on approximately 5-10yds of
intermediate rough (4”) being created around most holes.
Selective
weedkilling also took place as required.
Bunkers
Bunker
floors were loosened after heavy rain, along with routine maintenance.
Environmental
The
Operator Pollinator area at the LHS 4th hole was cleared and sown
out with a bespoke wildflower seed mix with an indigenous rough grass seed mix
being also sown to help stabilise the ground.
Other
work
·
Nursery
at LHS 5th hole was sown out into 3 sections (rough seed, greens
quality seed & Crested Hair grass/fescue)
·
Playing
mats at practice nets were replaced with Huxley mat the same as on practice tee
·
Removal
of weeds in burn took place on 2 occasions
·
Flooded/puddle
areas were solid tined to help remove surface water
·
The
Hydro-ject was used with wetting agent and fungicide to help control Fairy Ring
on Greens and tee’s
Starters
Box/1st tee
The
starter box was demolished by an outside contractor prior to the area being
levelled and turfed by the staff.
BURNSIDE
Greens
A
heavy program of work took place on the Burnside greens during this period
without detriment to the day to day quality of the putting surfaces. They were
verti-cut 4 times, pencil tined and top dressed twice and Hydro-jected once.
The
normal programs for wetting agent, seaweed and Primo Maxx continued along with 2
applications of fungicide to control disease activity. A liquid fertiliser was
applied in late July.
Approaches
Verti-cut
as required
Tees
·
Hydro-jected
with a wetting agent added to the water
·
Verti-cut
as required
Fairways
·
Selective
weedkilling
·
Wet
areas sprayed with a penetrating wetting agent to assist the percolation of
water through the soil profile
Roughs
Cutting
and strimming of rough to approx 4” was commenced
Bunkers
Floors
loosened after heavy rain.
Environmental
Soil
area in trees at LHS 16th was sown out with a bespoke wildflower
seed mix.
Other
work
·
Weeds
removed from burn as required
·
Top
dressing joins in turf around newly turfed bunker tops
·
Weed
removal around bedding plants at starters box
·
Pumping
water away from flooded areas on many occasions, especially so at the 3rd
hole after the Barry Burn burst its banks in late June
BUDDON LINKS
Greens
Were
verti-cut on two occasions to help control lateral growth and were given a light
granular feed in late July.
They
continued to receive their monthly wetting agent/seaweed program, received an
application of fungicide for disease control and were Hydro-jected to control
Fairy Ring and Thatch Fungi.
Approaches
Verti
cut and Hydro-jected during this period.
14th
Fairway
Verti
cut to control lateral growth.
Roughs
Thick
areas cut at 4” as required
Other
work
·
Extensive
filling of divots on 2nd tee with soil & seed after the British
Ladies Amateur
Championship
·
Ditch
bottoms at 4th and 5th holes cleaned
·
Selective
weedkilling as required
·
Weak
area of turf on 9th approach replaced
New
Holes
The
new holes on the Buddon are progressing nicely and some of the greenstaff have
been involved in some of the preparation work including:
·
Building
revetted bunkers
·
Stripping
turf from rear of left tee at 13th and laying on back tee for new 11th
hole
·
Removing
trees at the left of the current 12th hole where the hole is to
change to a dog-leg
Flooding
On
the 22nd June the Barry Burn burst its banks at the 3rd
of the Burnside and 17th of the Championship causing the 3rd
of the Burnside to be closed for 3 days and the Island at the 17th
to barely be passable for most of the day. A large 3” pump was hired to pump
the bulk of the flood water away from the 3rd/4th
Burnside & 10th Medal with our own pumps being used to clear the
water from the Island so that it was playable for the 1st Qualifying
round of the Links Championship that night.
British Ladies
Amateur Championship
During
the last week of June the British Ladies Amateur Championship was held on the
Championship course with Stephanie Meadow from Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland
beating Rocio Sanchez Lobato of Spain 4&3 in the final.
Open
Championship
This
year each of the other 8 Open venues supplied a member of staff for 2 weeks to
assist in the preparation and presentation of the Open at Royal Lytham & St
Annes, our representative was Malcolm Kydd. The feedback we received on his
performance over the 2 weeks was very positive with him being selected to be on
the greens cutting team during tournament week where his greens included the 18th.
He tells us that his stripes “were like bullets”! Well done to him.
Sandy
Reid
Links
Superintendent
8th
August 2012
