To continually improve the greens we are changing our approach to aeration now we have finished the soil exchange programme we started 3 years ago. Last year, and the previous 2 we double passed the greens with 16mm hollow tines and filled the holes with sand to increase firmness and remove a thatch layer that had built up over a number of years. This work was crucial to providing firm surfaces year round even in the wettest of conditions. Now we are happy with the firmness we want to provide better greens longer into the playing season for the members. To do this we need to carry out our aeration earlier in the year, doing this we will have guaranteed higher soil temperatures which will help speed up recovery and ensure germination of newly sown seedlings. We are now concentrating on the lower profile of the soil structure so larger diameter tines are not needed, we are using 12mm tines to a depth of 250mm, at50mm x 50mm spacing. To ensure play is not unduly disrupted we plan to tine sections of greens leaving the pin on an unaffected part of the green. On 6 separate occasions we will tine 6 sections, covering all of 1-18 greens, 19-27 greens are scheduled to be tined 27th-30th Aug in one block, as there are less restrictions regarding competitions on this nine.
This morning we tined back 10th, front 12th, back 15th, back 16th, front 17th and the front putting green.
The greens were topdressed with straight sand, seeded with bent/fescue then left to dry completely before matted in.
Another dressing of sand was added, left to dry before matting in, then the greens were rolled and brushed to ensure all the holes were filled.
Weidenmann in action on the 16th. On the 16th and 17th greens we applied sand to the green before tining.
Also today we had a drainage consultant to inspect the course to help put a plan together to alleviate some of the drainage issue we suffer on holes 10-18. Scott and Rob dug several drainage inspection pits so David Hemstock could see the soil profile, existing drainage and associated problems.
