12/11/2010

Friday 12th November Part 1 Links Report

LINKS SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT FOR OCTOBER 2010

WEATHER

October was an open month with mainly light to fresh winds, predominantly westerly, and near average noon temperatures (11.75○C). Rainfall was a little below normal at 42 mm. Slight early morning frost was experienced on four occasions.

WORK ON THE LINKS

Championship Course

Conditioner

Iron sulphate was applied to greens, approaches, tees and green surrounds at ¼ oz sq yd early in the month following the Dunhill Tournament.

Autumn Fertiliser

Certain fairway areas received a soluble potash application in October whilst weaker tees, walkways and traffic routes generally were treated with a 4-6-8 fertiliser. A 3 -10-5 fertiliser was applied at a light rate to greens to provide the required nutrition prior to the winter period.

Roughs

Roughs around the course were cut back to an appropriate 4” – 5” height using the Amazone flail mower as part of grass quality improvement work.

Aeration

The walkway from the 10th tee to the fairway was verti-drained early in the month whilst roughs were slit tined to a depth of 4”. Teeing grounds were slit tined to a depth of 6” – 7”. The main aeration work during the month involved hollow tining on fairways which were completed at the end of the month as arranged. A few fairways were top dressed following core clearance.


Overseeding

Overseeding work in the month on greens and “Hogan” tees involved shallow tining to create “plant pockets” as usual followed by seeding, top dressing and brushing in and rolling. The work involved sections of greens, usually lower parts and / or walk off sides, on the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th 11th and 16th . The two weaker greens, 1st and 7th were covered entirely. Areas on green approaches or walk offs where “Rescue” herbicide was previously applied were similarly treated. Overseeding on higher fairway spots and weaker areas was also carried out during the month using the Verti-Seeder.

Turf Repairs

Turf repairs were centred on plugging out divot scars on winter green areas prior to top dressing some.

Scarification

Fairway extensions on the 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th holes were scarified using the Graden machine following mowing. Resulting clippings were collected using the sweeper collector which was also used to collect leaves and pine needles as required.

Mowing

Mowing was relaxed as the month progressed with the slowing down of growth as normal. Greens rolling still continued during the month whilst mowing was reduced to three times per week generally.

Various

Miscellaneous jobs carried out during the month included filling pot holes in service roads, cleaning ditches, edging artificial turf matting, raising fairway sprinklers, mixing root zone, emptying grass heaps, dew removal etc.

Dunhill Links

The Dunhill Links was again a very successful event with all aspects of the course receiving the highest of praise from players and officials alike.

Burnside Course

Conditioners

An iron sulphate mixture was applied to approaches and a liquid seaweed product “Seapower” applied to the 10th and 17th greens along with the 2nd, 8th and 16th tees. The humic acid based liquid “Plantmax” was applied to greens early in the month primarily as an aid to seed establishment.

Fungicide Spray

The fungicide “Instrata” was applied to greens as a preventative treatment.

Leather Jacket / Worm Control

A worm suppressant and insecticide was sprayed on greens early in the month.

Aeration

The main focus of man power during October was the hollow tine aeration programme on fairways. Hollow tine cores were collected and stockpiled for future use and fairways brushed thereafter.

Scarification

Scarification treatment was carried out on the 1st and 16th tees.

13th Fairway Renovation

The planned work to raise and re-turf the low section on this fairway commenced with turf removal followed by a rich surface soil layer excavation down to the base sand. Stockpiled sand from last winter’s work at the 10th hole was then transported to the site to commence the build up of levels above the water table. The work is ongoing and it is hoped will be largely completed during the course closure period in the second half of November.

Buddon Links Course

Aeration

Teeing grounds and walkways were verti drained during October.

Grass Herbicide

“Rescue” selective grass herbicide was again applied to “Yorkshire” fog patches on greens as a follow up from September treatments.

Autumn Fertiliser / Conditioner

An autumn fertiliser (4–0–8) was applied to greens (including the practice green and 2nd tee) whilst an iron sulphate mix was spread on approaches.

Greens

Rolling and brushing on greens continued as required through the month and mowing frequency was reduced to 2 – 3 times per week as growth slowed.

Fungicide

Greens were sprayed with a preventative fungicide in the first half of the month.


Practice Tee and 1st Green

The Buddon Course team maintained the practice facility for the Dunhill event as usual. Nine pins were positioned as targets on the 2nd and 18th fairways while four were installed on the 1st green. Divots were swept up each morning on the 2nd tee and around the 1st green. Following the tournament, the damaged area on the 2nd tee was seeded and top dressed as required.

Leaf Collection

Leaves were swept up from the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th holes on several occasions during the month.

Steps At 10th Tee

New wooden steps were installed at the 10th tee.

11th Hole Bunkering

Work commenced as arranged on the bunkering adjustments on the 11th hole as described by Martin Ebert. Two new bunkers were constructed on the left side of the fairway while a new bunker was formed on the right green approach.

Environmental Work

Environmental work was again limited in October. Gorse roots were pulled out to the rear of the 15th tee on the Burnside Course and two dead birch trees were removed from the 7th hole on the Buddon Links Course.



John S Philp
Links Superintendent