19/08/2012

Sunday 19th August 2012


LINKS SUPERINTENDENT REPORT FOR JUNE &JULY 2012

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.

 Roughs

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

11/08/2012

Saturday 11th August 2012

Long time since my last post, don't worry i am still in the position!!

The course looks really nice when the sun is out,

the butterflies love it

and so do the wildflowers but

when it rains its

torrential!!!

The pencil tines were out to help get rid of some of the water.

1999 all over again.

We have been out cutting seriously thick areas of rough

to try and speed up play

plus let golfers find their ball a bit more easily.

Inbetween torrential showers we have been out top-dressing the greens, thats us now over the 100t/ha.
Over the last month i have had the chance to go to a few Championship tournaments. Well Done to Chris Haspell and his team at Castle Stuart (Scottish Open), Paul Smith and his team at Royal Lytham (The Open and Malcolm Kydd from our staff who helped out), Euan Grant and his team at Turnberry (Seniors British Open) and Good Luck to Neil Ballingall and his team at Fairmont St Andrews who is hosting the Scottish Seniors Open next week.

The dark nights are coming.

New holes on the Buddon Links are coming on leaps and bounds. View from the 12th tee.

Bunkers revetted at the 10th green.