It's supposed to be spring!!!

The weather outside today certainly doesn't feel like it, a strong easterly wind coupled with cold temperatures made it feel more like January than nearly April. There is also snow forecast for tonight! Work on the course is turning more towards preparation for the golfing season, this week we have edged all the brickwork around tees, bridges, steps, shelters and pathways. We have also completed cutting all the hedgerows, a long job which Will has made a fantastic job of. Machinery servicing is also coming to an end, with only one of our back up greens mowers to complete, again most of the winter servicing has been done 'in house' by Adam and Rob, with over 40 units to relief grind, change bottom blades and service they have worked well to ensure we are ready to go when the weather finally picks up. With the course drying and the forecast looking bleak we cut greens, with the triple mower at 4.5mm, surrounds at 10mm and started cutting fairways, currently set at 14mm. There is not much growth but tidies the course and adds definition.

As you can see on the last picture we are still having problems with badgers searching for food. In regards to this we are planning to apply the insecticide to effected areas at the start of April which should treat infestations of Chafer Grubs. During the next week we are going to tidy the area where the hedge was remove at 18 and 19 with adding soil and removing any high points that could prove difficult to cut. We are also going to solid tine the greens before they are dressed with sand for the first time this year. The tines are only 8mm diameter and are 200mm long, after this process you wont be able to see any effects of our work as sand is worked into the holes, creating a smooth surface. Although on the surface the work may not be seen, punching holes into the soil profile aerates the soil, opening up space for roots to develop and creates an environment for healthy growth. Aeration is an essential part of our maintenance program. Also during the next few weeks we will fertilise and sand the recently levelled tees, to ensure they remain level.