Tuesday 10 September 2013

Bunker maintenance

This week we are edging all bunkers, probably for the last time during the season, they will be tidied, washed down and checked before winter sets in but now growth is slowing this work will see them into early November. Once again the team is doing a sterling job to get all 70 bunkers done this week, weather permitting.

We are also spraying surrounds approaches and tees with carbendazim and soluble iron to supress worm activity in these wetter conditions. Plus the greens are being treated with a small amount of growth regulator to thicken the sward, these is now a decreasing element within our maintenance approach as soil temperatures are decreasing slowly.
This year we have applied around 160 tonnes of sand to the greens to help build up a drainage medium near the surface. We are to reduce the application of sand over the next couple of years as we are reaching our target of firmness, however we will monitor the impact of reducing amounts as we don't want organic matter to rise once more giving the need to disrupt the surfaces unduly.