Gareth's Report

Another month is about to pass with limited rainfall. As I write this report, less than an inch (23.5mm) of rain has fallen in May. Consequently, the irrigation has been working regularly with only one or two troublesome sprinklers giving us a few headaches. This combined with windy conditions and the course is playing firm, dry and in places, the land is showing signs of cracking. All this and we have yet to reach the summer temperatures of June and July. However, growth has been sufficient to keep us busy mowing all areas of the course.

Just to re-cap on our schedule:

• Greens cut or Ironed daily.
  
• Tees cut twice a week.
  
• Surrounds twice a week.
  
• Fairways twice a week.
  
• Semi-rough twice a week.
  
• Rough three days to complete.
  

We have verti-cut the greens this month followed by a light dressing of sand (five tons approx.) to help dilute any thatch build up and smooth the surfaces. To induce some growth a granular feed was applied at 25g/m2. Marathon Golf Summer is a slow release granular feed lasting 8 – 12 weeks that gives steady growth without excessive clipping yield. We have also applied two liquid feeds including seaweed, phosphites and iron to maintain a healthy plant.

Other tasks completed this month include flymo and edging bunkers and mowing ditch and pond banks. Trees have been strimmed around and several copses have been maintained. The scarring on the first and second greens have been seeded and dressed and showing signs of recovery. The area around the halfway house has been seeded with fescue grasses and wildflowers. It was raked into the profile, rolled and watered. Red shale has been added to the path at the 16th tee, not the ideal grade of aggregate required but for now, it will suffice.

Gareth Williams, Course Director