Course Update
Course work week focuses on getting the greens ready for the season ahead
This week the greens team have been working hard to maintain the whole course whilst being particularly focused on the putting greens. The main process for the pre-season preparation of the greens has been scarification; This process uses a specialised machine which removes organic matter, or ‘thatch’, from the sub soil to a 10-15mm depth. The thatch if left unchecked can have detrimental effects upon the greens, These include, consistency of speed, the movement of water, and how effectively the grasses we want to grow absorb nutrients. As the gallery below shows this was intensive work and the team co-ordinated themselves really well to complete the stages of:
- Scarification with machinery 2. Verticutting to remove thatch from top layer (5mm and above) 3. Blowing debris off the green 4. Loading thatch debris into trailers for removal (Please note the quantity of thatch in the image which is from just a couple of greens)
There are many benefits of scarification. As the thatch is removed the surface becomes less attractive for insects such as leather jackets to lay larvae. Plus the sub soil is opened up so that aeration is improved encouraging the grasses we want to remain to thrive. Importantly the scarification process is less intrusive than hollow tining and the greens will recover relatively quickly. Another reason we expect strong recovery is that scarifying creates ideal seed beds for top dressing and over seeding. As the gallery below shows the team have followed up scarifying with sand top dressing and over seeding of the greens with pure bent grass.
Bent grass is preferred for putting greens for many reasons including:
- Shoot density that creates a smooth and resilient surface 2. It tolerates a variety of soil moisture levels 3. It can cope with being mown to very low heights (3mm)
It is really appreciated when golfers take care of the greens during play. Repairing pitch marks, your own and others you may see, makes a massive difference to the quality of the greens experienced by everyone during play. Please take a few seconds on every green to do this and the greens will be great for everyone this season!
Thank you