Glorious weather

After the rain we had on fri the weather is looking drier for the next few days. The rain has increased growth slightly and when we get cut up the course is looking great. The mornings can still be quite cold but there has been some heat in the sun giving us a chance to get a good dry cut.

The conditions are now ideal to start applying some selective herbicide to control weeds. This will be applied to the tees and the teesides tomorrow. Before they get sprayed we are cutting them with our second new machine which came on Friday last week. This is a great addition to our fleet that we have needed for sometime. 

Elsewhere aeration continues on surrounds and tees. We have also deep tined the back of the 10th and 16th greens as they have been slightly wetter than we would have liked during the recent rainfall. Pins will be located away from these areas until they recover, which should be a matter of days. Next week we will deep tine the back of 2nd, 5th and 12th as these greens have similar issues. 

We have cut bunker faces and raked bunkers today, cut surrounds and clipped green side sprinkler heads. 

We have a number of members who have put there name down for the divoting day/night, there is still time to volunteer, all help is appreciated. 

Solid tining

The word 'tining' is not a favourite one for golfers. The thought of all those holes in the turf leaves them hating greenkeepers. We have been out with the weidenmann using solid tines starting on the tees and surrounds, this was started early in the week and we completed all on 1-18.

The soil beneath the surface was very dry so the irrigation was put on directly behind tining to get water down into the roots. 

Micro tining of the greens will be done over the next couple of weeks in conjunction with a light topdress. 

After an application of fertiliser early in the week the greens are picking up nicely, another application of primo will be applied next week. 

This year we are relying on volunteers to maintain the shrub borders around the clubhouse, our first eager members were Mo and Vic Thornton. They have edged weeded and pruned the borders and they look great. We owe a lot to them and all who volunteer their time this year, as we need and want members to care for there course, and to help the green staff to concentrate on other areas of the course. 

Speaking of volunteers, we are holding a divot afternoon and night on the 30th April. Free food will be provided afterwards. We would like as many as possible to take part, it is also an oppertunty to question the green staff and discuss course works. A sheet is in the locker rooms to place your name on to which time slot you would be willing to take part in. 

Stumpgrinding

Start of another short week but we have a lot to do. The weather over the weekend was dry and reasonably warm, so areas of the course are beginning to dry out. Begging for rain I thought we were due some today, however we seem to miss every rain filled cloud going. Only a few spots fell and certainly didn't go anyway to watering the dry areas.

The irrigation has been used for the last couple of nights to keep moisture levels adequate and prevent crusty surfaces. 

When the surface is dry for long periods of time a hydrophobic film seems to develop, slowing ingress of water to the soil. Seen here to the left of the nearest sprinkler. Water tends to run on the surface for a short period before it penetrates. To aid water penetration we spray a wetter which reduces the surface tension of the water and allows it to enter the soil. This morning we applied a wetter, followed by a granular fertiliser application providing 10 kg N per hect on the greens and surrounds. 

We also started solid tining tees and surrounds with used 12mm tines to a depth of 150mm. 

We had a stump grinder from Beaver Plant Hire to grind all stumps left from winter tree work. Adam spent most of the day grinding, with good progress made any only 4 stumps remaining at the end of the day. 

Easter weekend

How time flies, it doesn't seem that long ago since we were gearing our selves up for spring and we are already at the first big bank holiday weekend of the year. 

For the green staff we find this is one of the most difficult times to get the course prepared and looking good for a 4 day weekend. Staff numbers are usually reduced and two 4 day working weeks either side of the holiday means everyday is full on. 

The team have worked hard and the weather has been on our side and the course is looking great. Everything has been cut, bunkers raked, holes moved and a few finishing off jobs have been squeezed in too. 

The bunker at the 26th which was drained this winter was filled with sand and brought back into play. 

We also have led sand to the 20th bunker for when the turf is ready. 

The old bunker at the 19th has been seeded and hopefully with a bit of warm weather will fill in soon. 

We spent a little time tidying the 10/13/14 ditch, strimmed, edged and brushed down. 

Greens have been sprayed with growth regulator to thicken the sward, tees sprayed with growth regulator, fertiliser and iron to aid recovery and thicken the sward. 

With temperatures cooler growth will not be as vigorous over the weekend. However the team will be in cutting greens daily(weather dependant). 

Preferred lies are now off 

Let's hope the sun shines for a great golfing weekend. 

Tree surgery

Today Gary Liversedge a tree surgeon came to do some work on trees that had dead material and natural decay and also some that needed limbs removing that we're effecting the playability of some holes. Limbs were carefully selected to ensure the shape of the trees were not compromised and an ongoing tree management plan will ensure limbs that need to be removed are done so over a period of time which allows new material to grow. We started at the 18th where 2 limbs were removed which were hanging over the green (pictured above).

We then moved on to the 27th where 3 limbs were removed from the oak on the fairway to allow a better view of the green , including 2 rotten limbs. 

Then on to another oak right of the 15th fairway. This suffered storm damage and lost a limb which needed tidying up.

Also another limb had evidence of initial decay, as a result of the other limb removing bark on the branch when falling. This had to to have some end loading removed to protect it from breaking in the future. Also some small new growth removed from around the trunk.

We then removed some lateral branches from poplar trees left of the 12th. These were effecting tee shots from the tee. 

Not an easy job as they had to be hand winched down. With the help of my assistant for the day, Colin Webster, we managed to avoid the fence and hedge, just!

Last on the list was a low willow branch at the back of the 10th green

The greens team cleared all debris away to ensure the job was completed today. A great job by all.

Tree work

The end of this week has involved pruning and removal of of specific branches that are effecting play of holes. Over time the canopy of trees can obstruct and interfere with the way a hole should be played, they also limit usage of tee areas and cause turf thinning and sometimes loss where the light getting to the grass plants is heavily restricted. We monitor ingress of trees and decide on suitable solutions to keep the playability of the course and so it plays fairly.

Holes that we have been working on this week are 4, 5, 8, 12, 18 and 27. On Monday Gary Liversedge the tree surgeon is coming to continue with tree work, removing limbs that we can't reach. For safety reasons holes 10-18 will be closed all day. 

We have also been fixing an irrigation leak at the side of the 17th green, a join in the pipe had cracked, probably from the weight of a tractor when vertidraining.  Adam exposed the leak and repaired it before testing. 

Finally all the course has been cut, ready for another busy weekend. 

That time of year again

As soil temperatures are warming up, soil biology is coming to life, a perfect time to apply the first brew of the year. For those who aren't familiar with the compost tea process there is a lot more information on my blog from April 2013. Basically a 24-36 hour brew or agitation of aerated compost in water creates benifical fungi that is then sprayed on the greens. Around 8 applications will be applied throughout the year. 

We also cut the range for the first time 

We have great facilities at the golf club, which are available to members and visitors, why not give them a go?

Also we gave bunker faces their first cut before raking. Tees have been divoted to fill in all winter wear and play.

End of a busy week

We have been busy this week, not that we aren't usually ; ) but with cutting and preparing the course for the start of the golfing calendar. April is normally what we would consider the real start of the summer season, although golf is a year round sport and some times it feels like the season never ends. We always try and get in to some sort of normal course ate up for the beginning of April. Some times this isn't always achievable due to Mother Nature. It also doesn't help any greenkeepers or golf courses when Augusta National is plastered all over television in all it's glory when the UK is just warming up. Golfer expectations are always far higher and sometimes have an unrealistic view of their own course when they return to play in the next medal. Of course we endeavour to bring the best conditions for Malton and Norton that we can within our budget.

Since the start of the week we have been working on cutting all areas of the course to tidy the uneven growth, especially on fairways and semi. Tees have been brushed, cut and sprayed with carbendazim, primo and ferrous sulphate. This is to reduce worm casts and to even out and reduce growth. Greens have been groomed, cut daily and sprayed with carbendazim and primo, again for worm casts and to reduce growth and thicken the sward. 

Adam early out spraying

Fairways, semi, teesides and copses have also been cut along with bunker raking and checking sand levels and pushing up to faces. 

After all that effort the course is taking shape and looks good for the start of April. 

4th

11th

7th

8th

A great effort by the team, plus we have completed staining tee benches and bins, sanded and rolled the 16th green drainage, tidied up ropes and stakes on the 10th track, fertilised 19-27 fairways and completed the 17th turfing job. 

Start of the season

Another downpour this morning set the first medal of the season back around an hour and a half. Once the clouds cleared a beautiful day was followed, quite different from first thing. We had to push a little water from the greens and move holes for the days play. Each time we suffer due to rain we learn where we need to improve. The area around and the 12th green is certainly now the weakest area on the course. Plans to drain this area are now priority for the coming winter. 

One success of this spring is the drainage we completed on the 16th green. This morning after the rain there was no water stood in the area of the drainage. 

The area was hand forked and sanded yesterday and will be sanded and rolled before the end of the week.

Other areas we have been working on are the rear of the 17th green where drains had sunk leaving uneven turf near the green. 

The effected turf was marked, lifted and root zone added to flatten out the area.

Staining of bins and seats continues, hopefully we will have these finished before the end of the week.

The range grass tee is now open for general play, but please ensure play is from between the white markers only. Also general play from white tees on the course is now permitted. Tomorrow the height of cut on greens will be lowered to 4.25mm bench setting, and we will be also treating the greens, tees, surrounds and approaches with carbendazim, iron and primo to control worm casts and help regulate growth now temperatures are rising.