During the heaviest rain there was a lot of puddling on fairways, all the low spots were great collection points for surface run off. Thankfully at this time of the year the conditions are firm enough not to cause any long term damage with the amount of play during those conditions.
With wet and warm weather the course looks great, all areas are defined and dense. All the team are working hard to cover all cutting tasks, right down to the smaller jobs, such as edging and weeding.
At this time of the year we begin tidying all the tree bases, as grass grows there are certain areas we can't cut with machinery due to their position, all trees are cut around as part of the regular maintenance. Over time the grass around these areas, trees especially, becomes longer and longer. These become unsightly as all other areas are kept cut and tidy, there are simply too many trees on the course to cut around them all regularly so we try to start tidying them all during June. Doing them at this time of the year when the conditions are drier usually means the amount of grass which will grow back following the cut is more minimal, taking us through to the end of the season and the second and final cut of the year when all roughs are tidied before the onset of leaf collection.
This year we have a rough/ leaf collection machine. Previously due to time constraints we cut and collected all long rough at the end of the season, The only way we could cut and collect the rough was to cut it using a rotary machine which was tractor mounted. Due to its width and power took a very long time, also as the cut grass wasn't collected, it had to be then piled into heaps to be collected by hand onto trailers. Simply leaving the grass on the surface would lead to poor regrowth, difficult playing conditions and the likelihood it would decompose and block the leaf sucker once we started collecting leaves. The new machine we have, cuts, scarifies and collects all debris, whether its leaves or grass. Its also a LOT less labour intensive.
Every year I receive a lot of complaints that the rough is too thick and very difficult to play out from, if you can find your ball! As part of an ongoing maintenance plan we now have the equipment to start improving the thickness of the rough and the play-ability of the course. There are two factors which determine the thickness and play-ability of the longer grasses, firstly the type of grass is the most important factor, Coarse grasses grow a lot more aggressively compared to finer grasses, Secondly the nutrition and condition of the soil. Both we can try and improve, but cant be done quickly. Removing the grass every time we cut the long grass will, overtime reduce the nutrition and therefore the thick nature of its growth. There has been chemicals available to kill off the more aggressive grasses like what we have, such as Rye grass and Yorkshire Fog, leaving finer species like bents and fescues which are thinner and much more easy to play from. Unfortunately these chemicals have just been removed from the market but there's nothing to say they wont be replaced.
This week we have started the first cut to reduce the matted layer which has built up at the base over the past decade, As mentioned the previous method cut horizontally, removing only the top upright growth, this left a lot of laid grass that over time creates a mat of dead matter and thicker growth. To start thinning the rough and reducing growth long term this is something we need to do regularly, This year we are cutting the long rough down in June and then again in September/October when leaves begin to fall. The new machine cuts vertically as well as horizontally removing all matted grass and collects all top growth.
The long rough will be cut twice a year, following the first cut it will be left once again to grow up and give the definition, I'm sure over time when the rough begins to be more playable we will assess areas that can be changed or increased. Unfortunately there are some areas we are struggling to cut initially as the tractor needed to pull the collector is taller and will not fit under a lot of the trees on the course, these areas will have to be strimmed or cut with our smaller machine. I'm sure the first time we cut the rough down during summer will look different, however will not take too long before the definition returns to the long rough areas of the course. Finally to give you an idea of the time saved cutting and collecting roughs, Using the old tractor mounted rotary mower and collecting by hand took 480 man hours, a lot of those very physical. The new machine will take around 80 man hours each cut (160 annually), with a lot less physical work. Time that will be reinvested back into the course to make Malton and Norton Golf Club even better.
One area of maintenance that we are trying to improve, with thanks to our summer worker Lynsey Frost, is bunker presentation, we have started raking bunkers more regularly and are tidied daily, removing the worst of marks and all rabbit scrapes. Golfers can also help, following a visit into the sand please could all golfers ensure the sand is left raked, including where the shot has been played from. Its very disappointing to see this
only 2 hours since the bunkers have been completely raked. Its also the responsibility of golfers to ensure course etiquette is maintained, repairing pitchmarks, divots and abiding by simple rules will ensure Malton and Norton Golf Club remains one of the best course to play. Thank you
