Merry Christmas

As the year winds to a close this is my last blog of the year. Before staff numbers reduced due to holidays we managed to finish some outstanding jobs, ready to start a new year on the front foot. The remaining section of the 16th ditch was turfed leaving the walls just to do. This is looking great and the team have done a great job. 

All the leaves are now picked up and this again has been a long process but the course is looking really tidy. The recent windy weather will scatter some around the course again , however we will tidy any debris left from the storms when we return to work. 

The greens have all been tined using cross tines to a depth of 200mm. This will definately aid surface drainage, I had noticed slow water penetration during heavy rain. This could be due the use of the rollers which we have used more often instead of cutting which can help reduce stress on the plant during inclement weather. If we do get heavy rains over Christmas we will have a better chance of staying on the summer greens rather than using the winter holes. They were rolled twice following aeration to smooth the surface however I appreciate they won't be as smooth as they were before. Such as the 2nd green which was poor compared to the rest should certainly now see improvements following tining. 

Finally can I say a big thanks to my team for producing such a great course this year and for all the hard work that is put in to give Malton and Norton Golf Club members a course to be proud of. I hope all that have played here have a great Christmas and we will see you again in the new year. 

Fog

Over the last week the weather has been exceptionally mild for the time of the year, this with the combination of no wind and cool nights brings pockets of fog. The course is situated in a small valley, with rolling countryside all around us often leads to fog pockets which sits around the River Derwent and the low lying land. Sometimes only a few miles away the fog can be a lot less dense, if any at all. We currently have a fog policy which has been put in place to ensure safety of golfers and staff on the course is paramount. We cant have anyone being at an increased risk due to low visibility when playing golf here at Malton and Norton. The policy states that 'the course is deemed unplayable and golfers can't start their round if a specific point (the copper beech tree) 250yards from the men's white tee on the 10th is NOT CLEARLY VISIBLE'. If the circumstances are such that the course is playable when golfers start their round and then visibility reduces, the policy then states 'golfers can't continue their round if visibility reduces such that they cant see CLEARLY where their intended shot will finish'. I must reiterate that golfers must be able to see the tree and where they arte hitting the ball clearly, we have witnessed circumstances that we deem dangerous, once on the golf course its is the golfers responsibility to determine if they are playing safely or not, however if we feel these rules are not being followed we will report anyone that put the safety of staff or golfers at risk. Please speak to the pro shop before starting your round as they will advise the current situation regarding playability. Thank you

Elsewhere on the course we have been busy tidying the last of the leaves, with only a few piles left to collect we have just about come to the end of the leaf collection season, the team have done a fantastic job and the course is looking great for the time of year. We have vibrate rolled the greens and they are too holding up well for December, I would urge all golfers to repair as many pitch marks as possible, even if they are not your own, as any scars left by unrepaired pitch marks will remain until spring. The greens have been sprayed with a preventative fungicide to stop fusarium, which rife at the moment due to the unseasonal warm weather. This should help reduce disease activity until January.
Machine servicing is continuing, the majority of machines will be started on in the new year, as we may need them to cut the course before Christmas if growth continues.

The surrounds and approaches are being vertidrained, using 12mm x 200mm tines. The greens will also be vertidrained next week, we hope not too cause to much disruption, however I feel its vital we get some aeration to the wettest greens especially. We will use cross tines which are less disruptive to the surface, while providing good depth and decompaction. They were slit tined last week and we will hopefully do them again followed by the fairways should time allow around Christmas

Ditch work on the 16th

This week we have been turfing the 16th fairway drainage ditch. Due to the weather, frosty on Monday and Tuesday then heavy rain forecast for Thursday, we had to lay all 180 m2 of turf on Wednesday. The team have worked really well to get that section of the ditch complete. Please could I ask golfers NOT to step on the turf and to use the ball scoops provided to recover balls from the ditch until the turf has had chance to root. We now have to build the end walls using reclaimed stone from the course on this section, the other small section will be done hopefully before Christmas.

Hedge cutting has been progressing well with the leylandii being cut on holes 1-12. This will continue into the new year.

Please can I make all golfers aware that before any buggies are used on the course you must check in the pro shop as to weather restrictions for their use are being implemented for that day. For instance,when it is severely frosty, restrictions will be put in place to make users aware that they cant be taken onto fairways. This is to ensure long term damage is not done to any short cut turf on the course. Any traffic travelling over frozen turf will crush the cell walls of the plant leaving it exposed to the elements, this can be seen a couple of days after the damage has been done as blackening of the grass plants. Depending on the severity of the damage, plants can recovery if there is enough of the plant healthy enough to do so, long term damage is done when heavier traffic causes more damage and the plants are no longer able to recover. In the later instance the blackening would lead to brown, where the grass begins to die.
Here are a few examples of very poor use of buggies and the marks they leaves just 2 days later.

Not just the fact they have been driving down the fairway, they have also been taken very close to the greens edge, the general rule, not only when its frosty but at all times, is to keep a minimum distance of 5 meters from greens and tees to help prevent damage. This also applies to trollies.

We also implement restrictions in wet weather for the safety of golfers on the course, please also abide by any rules and restrictions for day to day use.
Else where leaf collection is coming to an end, with most of them collected up. We have applied a slow release iron to all the greens, tees, surrounds and approaches, this will help recovery from play during the winter months. We have now put all markers on to the winter tees, with most of the new mats in play.

Tree work

With hole closures more frequent, and very little growth we have started to carry out some of the jobs that have been waiting for this time of the year. Firstly all the winter tees have been turfed, following on from Eddie Ruddocks work. These will need a few weeks to allow the turf to root before golfers walk over it.

We have also had a tree surgeon to look at a few dangerous trees, firstly the willow at the rear of the 10th green was leaning quite badly.

After we had three tree surgeons to look at the tree, all three agreed it was not immediately going to fall but a section of decay within the trunk would spread weakening one side and eventually it would break off. I decided the safest option was to remove the tree, if it did go it is in an area where golfers pass constantly, also it would have fallen on to the leylandii hedge, ruining its shape. The tree surgeon took it down piece by piece, the only damage a bit of a muddy area where we were working. There was also two dying leylandii (of a different species to the rest of the hedge) that have been removed and will be replanted to match the rest of the hedge. The fence will also be replaced over the next few weeks.

Hers a picture of the rot spreading in the trunk, believed to be caused by an old branch which would have stemmed off the side of the tree.

And a section from higher up the tree, the dark area is the rot beginning to take effect.
We also took down two dead elm trees near the buggy/trolley shed which were dangerous. Whilst at the club I took him to see a number of other trees which I felt were effected by decay. Unfortunately a large ash tree near the 15th ladies tee also needs to be removed because of the angle at which it is leaning. Most of the others can be left with judicial removal of dead and decaying wood.

Finally we are now beginning to look at the irrigation installation, I visited Moortown and Sand moor golf clubs in Leeds to see their installations. Thanks to Steve, John and Rob for allowing me to look around their facilities. Moortown has had a full installation this Autumn and Sandmoor had a full installation 8 years ago. They have parts of their systems which are identical to that being installed at Malton and Norton Golf Club, it was good to see first hand what we are going to get for our money. The installations have been completed by Full Circle which are the contractors we are using. We hope to begin our installation in January 2017 with an approximate 10 week work schedule weather dependant.

This week we hope to get most of the leaves collected, a lot have now fallen and we are nearing the end. We are also going to start slit tining the greens and applying some iron to most surfaces. Next week we are beginning to turf the 16th ditch when we have hole closure on 10-18 Monday -Wednesday

Winter golf

With the recent wet, cold and wintery weather it feels like the winter golf season is upon us, last weekend we had a very wet Friday into Saturday which left the greens and surrounding areas saturated and unfortunately for the first time since the 16th April this year the course was closed for the day. Even though we battled to push off water and get the course playable there was going to be damaged caused that would be detrimental to the course long term. Thankfully the weather improved late Saturday and into Sunday and we could reopen. With more wet weather likely to be coming across the country over the coming months we will start installing the winter cups and cutting out winter holes which we can use on fairway areas should the greens not be fit for play.

After a couple of frosty mornings I have noticed some golfers are still not keeping to the semi during frost conditions, and knocking ice from shoes before walking onto the greens. We try to present greens in the best possible condition for this time of year, however after only a few golfers have played through the first hole the surface can look very poor due to ice impressions from footwear or buggy damage. Below are pictures taken after just one four-ball has played the 10th hole.

Leaf collection is still high on the daily agenda, however it does seem we are getting through the intense fall period. A number of trees are starting to become bare and in these areas we can thoroughly tidy the grass knowing we can keep it tidy for a while. The other areas are still being blown and rounded for collection.

The greens have been sprayed with a preventative fungicide, the current wet and warmer conditions are ideal for disease and left untreated can spread quickly. We noticed a little on a few greens before application, however weather windows for application are few and far between at this time of the year.

Eddie has now completed installation of winter tees for this winter. We now have winter tees on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 12th and 13th holes. Please give feed back to the sizes used and the playability of them during all conditions when in use.

Certain wet areas around the greens have been hand forked to alleviate compaction, these are usually the areas we cant access or work on very easily with the vertidrain due to ground conditions or slopes.

The path down to the 21st tee has now been re-stoned and covered with a cement based product which I'm hoping will stop the stone from being washed down the slope during heavy rainfall as it previously did.

This week due to leaves, rain and lack of growth we have cut the greens and surround only. Other areas are slowing in growth and do not warrant cutting yet.

The trial I did on the driving range regarding the worm cast irritant and leaving an area untreated to see its effects is now shown the effectiveness and need for worm control. The picture below is part of the area I did not spray compared to an area which has been treated (bottom picture). Although the treated area is still a little muddy from cutting there is very few new casts compared to the untreated area.

leaves and lots of them

Recently the daily maintenance centres around leaves, they are coming down thick and fast. The windy conditions over the weekend have spread them all over the course which doesn't make life easy for the staff. We have to concentrate on clearing the greens every day, weather its to cut, roll or simply just to ensure they are playable for golfers for the days play. Following on from that we then have to start rounding them up from tees, fairways and semi rough before collection continues and is ongoing between all other tasks.

Before the recent rain we managed to get all the tees and some of the surrounds vertidrained. We had a demo tractor thanks to Russells ground care, we are looking to replace at least one of the tractors this winter. It worked well on the vertidrain, and overall was a great improvement on our current vehicles. The vertuidrain has now gone off for repair and service as there was a number of issues after a years use. When it returns I hope to continue to vertidrain a number of problem wet areas.

Overall the course is looking good and most surfaces are coping well as we start to get a feel of winter arriving. At the next opportunity we will spray the greens with a preventative fungicide to help reduce the chance of fusarium disease attacking the turf. We are now reducing cut frequencies as growth has slowed due to a number of cold days and nights. Hand cutting is not needed as yet, other than the front putting green, when ground conditions deteriorate then we would look to cut by hand to reduce compaction and wear around greens and tees.

Over the last few days we have had a spell of wet weather which has caused a few problems, generally the course is hold up well, it is the usual wet spots that we have had to put hoops out to prevent long term damage, please do not move the traffic management aids, ie hoops and ropes to access areas of the course that are restricted. We put these in place to ensure the course is in reasonable condition in the spring.

We have washed off sand from the heavily used bunkers, up to 10cm of sand can accumulate over the course of the year, if this is not removed can build up over time and eventually the face will have to be replaced. After the sand is washed off the bunker is left to drain off and the debris is then collected before the sand is redistributed and raked.

Neville Maw the hedge cutting contractor has been to cut all the hedges that can be done by machine, following this the remaining sections are cut by hand over the next month or so.

Now growth is slowing we will aim to start turfing the 16th ditch that was excavated over a month ago. Its good to see the ditch is already running water to the outlet.

Eddie Ruddock and his team are going to install another 4 winter tees next week, we are to trial half sized sections on two tees to evaluate weather this would be feasible for future winter tees.

Worm problems

This time of the year always is the worst period for worm casts. I think this is due to the changing of temperatures and more importantly higher soil moisture content, which brings them closer to the surface. Recently the chemical we use to control casting of worms has been revoked, Carbendazim, used as a suppressant isn't great for the environment due to its hormone disruptive effects, carcinogenicity and its toxicity to micro organisms and aquatic life. This will no longer be available from August 2017.

This will have a massive impact on the way we and everyone else on a soil based sports playing surface can maintain and present their turf. There currently is NO other alternatives for controlling worm casts, we hope that something will be available within this coming year, but at present there is nothing that will effectively control casts for a long period of time.

Many may think that, or take it for granted we don't have a big problem with casts here at Malton and Norton Golf Club, below is an area I have not treated on the driving range to show how bad playing surfaces could get if we have no control.

In this instance there are sufficient casts that cutting alone would be severely effected, casts blunt mowers, build up on rollers and smother grass every time we try to cut. On the driving range, casts build up to a point we are unable to use the collection machine and have to pick balls by hand. From a golfers point of view preferred lies would have to be used a lot more and no golfer would be happy playing from a muddy lie or walking through muddy areas to access tees, greens and across fairways. With the end result of more course closures due to ground conditions. This is a serious issue that is going to have to be communicated throughout the sports industry and to members of this golf club, we are hopeful over time we will find an alternative but there is no guarantee.

We are talking to other clubs and trailing techniques and other products to see if we can reduce casts and improve presentation and cut quality without relying on Carbendazim. I will update the club with any progress or information on this matter over the coming months.

A day in the life of a greenkeeper

Times have been fairly busy over the last week or so and its been a while since I updated all progress and work on the course. I really would like to update this blog twice a week but I have been on a spraying marathon, coupled with falling leaves and darker mornings have left me with very little time. I thought I would just give all members an insight into a typical day in the life of a greenkeeper, from my viewpoint.

4.50am up and getting ready for work, checking for any problematic weather that would affect golf, course playability or scheduled work.

5.30am arrive at work/ schedule jobs for the day

6.00am quick briefing with the team to organise jobs, ensure vehicles are available and to work around golfers, for example on this particular day we were brushing greens and fairways, cutting greens, moving markers, cutting fairways, cutting teesides, cutting long rough and starting spraying for worm casts. Answerphone message updated and proshop/office email stating any restrictions for the day sent.

6.15am onto the course in the dark, working by torchlight and vehicle lights to complete tasks until light, the initial tasks on a daily basis are always to concentrate on greens and tees to ensure they are all playable, at the moment leaves are a real issue and most greens and tees are covered most days. To ensure we keep in front of golfers we have to start in the dark at this time of the year, as we have 27 holes we concentrate on 1-9 first then 10-18 then 19-27 as the welham course is the most popular for daily play. We would alter this pattern if competitions dictate. It takes one to brush, two to blow with back packs, two to cut greens, one to blow fairways with a tractor blower. The markers are moved until the light is sufficient to start cutting fairways. The fairway mowers and the surround/tees mowers are the only ones without lights currently.

7.15am sunrises and golfers are starting to tee off on the first tee, we are well underway with tasks, usually up around the 3/4/5 hole by this point.

10.00am break time

10.30am back onto the course on to secondary jobs, up to two staff cutting fairways to ensure we get them all cut in the day, teesides started, spraying started, long rough started, blowing fairways continues in front of cutting.

2.00pm start thinking of work schedule for the next day, again looking at weather forecast, receive updates from work done on the course, consider any delays/ breakdowns. Prioritise any initial/secondary tasks for the week. Speak with greens chairman regarding feedback/concerns on the course.

2.30pm finish

Still at this time of the year we are cutting fairly regularly, every day we cut we have to ensure the leaves are clear as they could damage the machines and the cut would be effected. This takes time, it may seem that we are not clearing areas of the course, but as mentioned previously there is a point where they are falling at such a rate. This IS that point. With 27 holes and as mentioned above the priority being greens and tees, other areas that are usually lower priority, we spend time on when the initial morning tasks are complete.

Initial tasks also include :
cutting surrounds/ approaches
moving holes
cutting tees
tidying around clubhouse/shop
servicing of machines
brushing and cutting greens
rolling greens
blowing leaves/debris
spraying greens
irrigating
topdressing
moving markers
emptying bins
clipping holes
checking/raking bunkers

We try to concentrate on any tasks that effect the playability of the course and that would effect us carry out the maintenance due to golf on the course. After 10.00am we are then able to work around competitions, busy periods that we know are weekly routine for our members to continue with secondary jobs. To ensure the above jobs are completed every week, some of them multiple times during the week we have to be organised and willing to start early and work in less than perfect conditions, when golfers come to Malton and Norton we want to ensure they get the best conditions weather they play at 7.30am or 3.00pm. When golfers come to play I hope this short blog highlights the daily routine we put in place to ensure the course is the best it can be with just 7 greenstaff.