Windy

The last couple of days has seen winds of up to 40 mph whipping across the course, this has caused a lot of issues. Firstly the dry conditions has made it easy for sand to blow from shallow bunkers on to faces and fairways, this will need washing brushing back in to the bunkers next week before they are raked. The winds have spread debris across the course, fairways and semi has been covered in large branches and pine cones, greens covered in sticks and smaller debris which we have had to blow off with the back pack blower.

The fairways and semi have been cleared with the tractor mounted blower and collected up by hand.
Some trees have suffered worse damage than just loss of a few small branches. This maple at the 3rd hole has been split in two, again this has been removed with the chainsaw to ensure it is safe.

We have been continuing with the badger damage, collecting balls from the range, moving holes, cutting greens, tees and starting to put some stripes on the fairways, which look fantastic and nice to see some real definition on the course.

 7th

9th

The application of top dress is settling slowly, however with little natural rainfall growth is slow and the irrigation system cant be used when the winds have been as strong as they have in recent days. For the time of the year they seem to be running well given the weather we have been experiencing and the speed is acceptable taking in to account the current height of cut of 4mm(actual height). I feel that the work that has been done to the greens over the last few years has improved the 'playability' of the greens year round, meaning the natural pace, firmness, smoothness, organic matter, grass species and health(reduction in disease pressure) has improved from an agronomy point of view. There is no doubt we have still work to do but we are certainly taking them in the right direction.