FRIDAY 25TH JANUARY 2013





LINKS SUPERINTENDENT REPORT

DECEMBER 2012

 

 

 

WEATHER

The early part of December was very cold with the ground being frozen solid and the daytime temperature rarely above 2^oC. This all changed during the second week of the month with it becoming being very mild, warmer than average and at times particularly wet, especially so over the weekend 21^st – 23^rd when the culmination of prolonged heavy rain meant the Barry Burn burst its banks in a few areas causing large areas of standing water and for much debris to left deposited along its course. This period of heavy rain also meant the water table rose substantially meaning that the natural drainage of water across the courses, be it on turf or in bunkers, was severely affected.

WORK ON THE LINKS

The bulk of the work this month was continuing with the Winter Works Programs across the courses however the cold spell at the start of the month meant that the gorse management work commenced and the wet weather at the back end of the month meant that the bulk of our time was spent clearing flood water and tidying/repairing any resultant damage.

CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE

The greens were cut once and rolled twice during December and also received an application of fungicide and Iron Sulphate to prevent disease ingress. The approaches and surrounds received an application of Iron Sulphate.

From just before Christmas through to the New Year the bulk of the work involved removing water from the 10^th, 11^th and 17^th holes by pumping and verti-draining after they suffered from flooding from the Barry Burn.

Winter Works

·        Removing slabs etc from alongside 1^st tee and driving up-fill sand on to site

·        Mound in front of 4^th tee lowered and re-turfed

·        Turfing of mounds to right and rear of 9^th green completed

·        Preparation work to pathway at 8^th hole

·        Preparation of Island at 17^th including the installation of a new irrigation pipe network and the turfing of the RHS

·        Removal and turfing of another section of road along the right side of the 6^th green

·        Revetting bunker at LHS 5^th fairway and raising run-in

 

Gorse/Broom Removal

Gorse and Broom cutting took place at:

8^th carry, 9^th carry, RHS 14^th carry (broom removal also), LHS 14^th and LHS15^th

BURNSIDE

The greens were cut once and rolled twice in December and were sprayed selectively for disease with fungicide.

Verti-draining took place on approaches and fairways with ½” tines whilst the tees and walkways were slit tined.

Winter Works

·        Turfing of 6^th tee was completed

·        Bridge alterations at 3^rd and 4^th

·        Weeds and silt removed from burn at 3^rd/4^th

Gorse Management

Gorse cutting/removal took place at:

RHS 1^st, LHS 6^th, RHS 8^th, RHS 9^th, LHS 11^th, next to 15^th tee, in front of 16^th tee (roots also removed), LHS 18^th green and around various road edges/corners.

 

BUDDON LINKS

8mm solid tining on greens commenced and the 11^th and 14^th fairways were verti-drained.

Work commenced on and around the 4^th green to re-contour the left side of the green down to the lake edge. The bulk of the beach type area within the confines of the lake was removed during this time with the sand being used to raise the low area on the approach.

Four bunkers were revetted during December – 2 at the 8^th and 2 at the RHS of the 16^th green.

STAFF TRAINING

Stuart Kerr, Andrew Pickard, Mark Reynolds and Stephen Sutherland attended a course in Basic Irrigation Design at Elmwood College on the 12^th of the month.

 

Sandy Reid

Links Superintendent

8^th January 2013