Christmas

As Christmas approaches the team have been tidying up and finishing any projects that need finishing before the Christmas break. The 12 th has been finished off, the bunker shaped and a drain installed, 3 open drains put in at the side of the 12th green where low spots were identified and the whole are topdressed to help blend in all new works. 

The area will be topdress regularly throughout winter to ensure the turf, especially on the green, blends in well and is put table for the start of the new season.

The course has been in reasonable good condition throughout this winter so far and a credit to the team. Overall this year a fantastic effort from the team and they deserve all the praise for there continued hard work with limited time. From all the greenkeeping staff have a merry Christmas and a happy new year and I will be back in 2015 with more blogging updates.

Bunker on 12

This week we are trying to finish on the 12 hole and get all tidied up before Christmas. The bunker has been dug and drainage is being installed and connected to the drainage system. On the back of the bunker we created a lip and contoured the soil to take run off water into an open drain. This has been turfed using turf from where the bunker has been dug. 

The bunker will be turfed in the new year and sand put in before the start of the season.

The good news is after some heavy rain we got last week the green drained fairly quickly after initially puddling. Work is to be continued throughout the year on this green to ensure water can drain freely into the drains.

We are also ensuring ditches are cleared so water can run freely once drained from the playing areas.

Water running from the new drainage.

We had some strong winds last week which caused slight damage, a willow tree on the path from 7 to 8 seeing the worst damage.

Debris clearance has continued in to this week, then the greens have been cut and  a slow release granular iron has been applied.

Finishing drainage on the 12th

As the weather turns colder, windy and wetter we are nearing completion of the drainage work on the 12th. All drains have now been dug and the majority filled back in. 

A total of 270m of drainage has been installed and should ensure the area around the 12th green is drier and the turf on the green is healthier. The drains will be top dressed regularly to blend them in with the surrounding turf. The last job on the 12th this winter is to dig out the green side bunker.

The turf has been stripped and reused to create the mound behind the bunker and the lip around the back edge. The bunker won't be too deep as the green is raised up already. When dug drainage will be added.

This week we had Eric Bell, a member of the club in to help us refelt the 2nd shelter shed and tidy out all of the other ones on the course. He also has been tidying up around the clubhouse and cleaning out some of the drains.

A great job, we appriciate his time to help do the smaller tasks.

Tidy up

This week the drainage continues on the 12th. Trenches being dug around the green and across the front to connect all the greens pipe work.

Trenches dug with the excavator are 225mm wide with 100mm pipe work. Back filled to 200mm of the surface with gravel before topping with root zone. 

The front section has had to be filled using wheel barrows as it is very wet. 

The weather gave us oppertunity to do some tidying around the course. The bunkers have been blown out and raked

The fairways, surrounds and greens have been cut and leaves rounded and collected. The course is looking in great shape for December. 

12th green drainage days 3-6

Thursday and Friday last week was miserable. Wet, damp and muddy, however the team battled through it to continue with the 12th drainage. A great effort by all.

All trenches dug and back filled, turf replaced and the surface of the green tidied. 

This week we are connecting all greens drains to the outlet via wet areas around the green. 

These are being dug by excavator as we want larger trenches. All trenches are laser levelled and once complete turf will be returned.