I think it is fair to say this week has been all about moisture application and aiding retention on the golf course. The irrigation system has being doing overtime through the night however Adam and the team have had to top up water deficits in areas where it dries more quickly. Natural push up greens can have very different requirements for water, not only from one green to another but across the same green. The greens at Malton and Norton are over 60 years old and are managed to encourage the finer grasses to establish by low nutrient inputs, minimal watering and not too intense vertical cutting, however even finer grasses need water and a certain amount of nutrients to survive. These differences in water requirements cant be dealt with simply by use of the fixed sprinkler heads on the course, so hand watering tops up any deficiencies. Around a lot of the greens are bunkers that are close by to the putting surfaces which creates sand splash and dries out very quickly so these need to be watered daily, walk on/off areas also tend to require more water.
Drain installed last winter on the 9th
Bunker top next to 15th green
Else where the course still looks great if a little brown in places, greens cut, groomed and rolled, also tees, fairways, semi, surrounds cut and bunkers raked.
View back down the 1st
5th looking fantastic!
Finally a small detail but one Adam is delighted with, a 'mock orange' bush near the 15th ladies tee that was saved from near death by some judicial pruning a year or so ago, now looking in fine health.
