Very wet times

Some areas of the course are suffering more than others, I have documented that we have had the worst winter for some time but the issue at this time of the year is the grass isnt growing to recover from any damage. The greens are a real point of contention at the moment, understandably so as golfers are keen to play golf and take advantage of the lengthening days. Play on the greens has and is heavily restricted at the moment due to the incredible amount of wet weather we have had. There are several points to consider when deeming the greens fit for play and the factors which effect the condition of them during wet weather.

Drainage- Drainage is one of the most important areas for consideration when trying to maintain and present good playing surfaces, good drainage gives firm and dry surfaces which are easier to maintain but also satisfy golfers demands and expectations. The greens at Malton and Norton have no drainage installed, are built of the natural soil and are irregularly shaped leading to collection points. When the course was built, the demand for a 12 month golfing season was less, there would have been less demand for quality playing surfaces during winter and therefore the maintenance needed was less. Unfortunately the current weather patterns, coupled with the demand for golf at this time of year is not a great combination for over used, wet soils. To improve the general use of the summer greens during poor conditions we could install a comprehensive drainage system to each and every green on the course, unfortunately this would be very expensive, and something that is simply not affordable at the current time. Some greens are blessed with more free draining soils from the site, such as the 26th, however some like the 16th and 17th are constructed of very heavy soils which will not drain at all well. These greens are only 40 yards apart, however their characteristics are very different.

Shape-Shape has less significance than drainage however can be a factor which leads to detrimental wear if the wrong conditions prevail. Such as the 10th green, it is shaped poorly, leading to collection points where water tends to sit. Excess water and high frequency of 'wetness' will deteriorate the turf, if wear from maintenance or foot traffic was added to the equation the turf would be damaged permanently Other factors, such as access to and from the green/ tee has to be monitored, traffic management aids are used help us spread wear and increase safety.

Weather patterns- The weather obviously is what makes or breaks the condition of the course, the staff plan and implement the maintenance as best practice on an annual basis, however we often have to adapt our strategies to suit the weather. The weather will do what the weather will, annually we monitor the condition of all aspects of the course and focus on the areas which need priority. The greens are of highest priority and have the most money and time spent on them. If the weather is wet we need to protect them from long term damage. The soil needs to have a balance of moisture and air for the grass to grow healthily. Too much moisture during winter the soil reaches saturation point ( where there are no air air spaces and physically cant hold any more water), leading to surface puddling. Foot traffic on the turf at this point would create instability and damage to the root structure. This is why we use the winter greens. If that moisture in the soil then freezes, there is a high chance of permanent root and/or tissue damage, caused by root shear or crushing of leaf tissue during play.

I appreciate this means very little when when golfers simply want to get out on to the course to play and enjoy Malton and Norton. However the decision whether to play on the greens or not is not taken lightly, we more than anyone want the course to be at its best. The decisions are based on the long term playability, and plans are in place to improve the drainage characteristics of certain areas. In the meantime we are going to continue to use the winter cups when necessary. As these are being more common we are putting more work into improving the areas where they are placed. This is going to come at a cost. Time and materials will have to be used, as we do on the greens and surrounding areas. Aeration, sanding and fertilisation will be needed to ensure the turf can withstand the winter wear that they will face. This will not change them dramatically this winter however we hope over the next few winters they will show some improvements. I will stress and reiterate previous comments I have made on this blog, the winter cups are only a means to keep the course open.

There are some areas on the course which are really deteriorating due to the poor conditions, fortunately these are well out of normal play areas, generally between tree lines and at the outer edges of tees and green complexes. The time and money that would be needed to improve these areas isn't an effective use of the resources we have, when the areas I have previously spoken about, need work first. Below are a few examples of areas we are struggling with the most.

Hopefully the weather is heading in the right direction for an improving golf course.

.

13th hedge replacement

Since the last update we have made great progress on course work, especially the hedge changes, the weather update is sounding like a broken record, more rain, wind with the occasional dry spell in between.

We had to pick our moment to start the 13th hedge removal, as the area around the 13th tee and the 10th green is saturated and working during poor conditions would only deteriorate the ground further.

Finally we had our chance, the forecast was frosty and dry for two days, this could of been our only chance for a while so we took it. 

Access to the area was limited as we were only taking out one side of the double row. This was to allow the new hedge row to establish before removing the second side, the hedge in this particular area of the course serves a purpose, visually protecting the 13th tee from the 10th green which is very close, it also directs traffic from the 12th green to the 13th tee.

We protected the grass by laying boards which were old drainage boards that were due to be burnt anyhow. The amount of work that would have been done in the area would have soon have damaged the turf once the frost started to come out of the ground. Once set we removed the tee side leylandii.

Once removed the stump grinder we had on hire removed the stumps from the area and then we brought in soil to fill in the remaining holes. The excess dead limbs were trimmed and we lowered the remaining section to allow the new hedge to grow as healthily as possible.

29 new leylandii plants were purchased and have been planted and staked. The new plants will be watered using the sprinkler system on the 13th tee during dry conditions. Leylandii aren't the most suitable of choice for a golf course but they do serve a purpose in this instance. They are quick growing, evergreen and will make a reasonable hedge. If time of establishment and cost wasn't such a factor then ewe, box or laurel would be more subtle options.

Other work has also continued on the 7th tee area where the leylandii was completely removed. The leylandii was removed a couple of weeks ago, so all was to do was remove the stumps and tidy with soil. Trying to get soil up to the 7th tee has been an issue due to the wet ground however we have had a couple of hard frosts which has allowed us to travel with a couple of loads of top soil. We have also started planting 2 pine trees and 2 laurels near the 7th tee just to fill in a couple of areas where we felt it would benefit from more separation from the 6th hole, without compromising the line of sight issue we previously had. The remaining area will be turfed, as will the soil area at the 13th.

Elsewhere the team have been busy with the stump grinder, we have done a lot of tee work over the last 2 months, which have left a number of stumps. We hired in a stump grinder from Beaver Plant Hire and ground down all the stumps, these will then need some soil and the in play areas will be turfed. The other areas will be seeded.

One large tree that needed removing due to poor health was the large ash tree to the left of the 18th hole. The tree showed signs of dieback in summer and we were monitoring the health of the tree for the rest of the year. Unfortunately the tree showed no signs of recovery and was becoming dangerous. It was agreed to remove the tree, once we cut it down it was obvious that the tree had issues for some time, with a large amount of rot inside the main trunk, a lot like the ash near the 15th ladies tee that had to be removed. Once down the tree was cleared, with the hole left to tidy and turf

We have also put out the first application of sand to approaches, worn areas and some surrounds, this is in an attempt to improve the presentation and quality of the approaches where the winter cups sit. Topdressing, fertiliser and aeration is needed regularly to get them in better condition. The winter cup areas then will be able to be made more playable.

Lastly I bring disappointing news, our Deputy Head Greenkeeper Adam Newell is leaving the club after 15 years service. Adam will be a great loss to the club and also to the team, as he has been passionate about his job, dedicated, a great friend and will be difficult to replace. He says 'its been the hardest decision of his life but is now looking forward to a fresh start'. Adam will be leaving on the 9th of March.

STRI info on course closures

Below is some information provided by the STRI which can help understand the challenges turf professionals face and why each course is different.

by @striturf_paulw

For part three of our series of “Golfers’ Grumbles”, I will be looking at the practical issues surrounding course closures and inspections. A significant headache year-on-year, however particularly relevant during the autumn and winter.

Once again if you’ve got a comment about course closures and inspections, feel free to drop me a Tweet or post on STRI’s Facebook page. I want to hear your opinion.

If you missed part one of Golfer’s Grumbles, where I discussed top dressing following aeration, it’s still available if you click the link. You can also access part two on bunkers. For now let’s get on with part three.

“The course up the road is open so why aren’t we?”

Managing a golf course throughout the last few years has been a challenge to say the least. Periods of extended closure due to prolonged snow coverage often tests golfers’ patience to the limit, let alone the frustrations and annual debate of whether to use the main greens during frost.

Perhaps the only thing we can conclude from climate change is that the extreme weather patterns witnessed in recent years will become more of a regular occurrence, including unpredictable, localised weather and flash flooding.

Assessing whether the course is fit for play is most commonly in the hands of the course manager or trusted senior staff. They will have a whole range of factors to consider. Most importantly the course should be safe to play. It is rare that a course will be closed for safety reasons other than in poor visibility, lightening or extreme high winds, but conditions should be inspected throughout the course and no judgement calls made from the comforting view of the club house window!

Perhaps the worst scenario for the greenkeeper is when the course has been subjected to heavy rainfall just before dawn and the sun is shining brightly when the golfers pull up at the car park. Yet again the view from the club house presents a wonderful vista, but on-course conditions require a period of closure while surface water drains and greenstaff repair key areas.

Frustrations run high when snow covers the course and as soon as a thaw sets in golfers expect to be out. Remember snow is water and all of that water needs time to drain away. Sub-surface freezing may very well restrict drainage and extend the closure period.

Managing frost conditions is however the most difficult one. Clubs come under increasing pressure when a neighbouring course decides on a policy of playing on main greens during frost. The winter of 2016/17 has seen numerous frosts and several before Christmas, which has been against the norm in recent years. Frost policies have subsequently become a hot topic in Clubhouse and Committee room discussion.

Many Clubs have boxed themselves in to policies using the main greens for longer periods, solely on the basis that this is what the course up the road does. And the course up the road does so because their neighbour does. These policies are driven by business models and financial requirements. It does not necessarily make them correct.

The most common policy seems to be to allow play on greens when frozen solid but to restrict play at times of white frost and when thawing is taking place. The latter situation is when most damage is likely to occur as roots can be sheared under the pressure of feet on a soft surface with frozen soils just below. The trouble is that not all greens will thaw at the same point so returning greens to play is a difficult policy to implement.

Periods of extended frost have caused some concern at courses of late. Especially when the hole cup cannot be moved because the ground is too frozen. Concentrated doughnuts of wear around the hole cup has damaged sward and soils. This will recover but the green could be weaker heading into the spring.

A clear policy needs to be written by the Club and communicated to the members in an understanding manner. The policy also needs to be practical. Just because one green starts to thaw it doesn’t mean that all will. The depth of thaw is also critically important as most damage occurs if play resumes too early and only the surface has thawed.

The course should not be wrapped in cotton wool for the winter. Clubs need to maintain play whenever possible because essential income is generated, but sensible decisions must be taken. The following points therefore need to be considered when formulating a plan for winter play:

• Courses cannot be compared against each other – issues such as construction, and topography will be different

• Understand your ‘economic threshold’ of expected damage (short and long term) when considering opening your course or greens

• Inspections should not be carried out in the dark even with the aid of a torch

• A thorough inspection may take at least 45 mins to an hour to complete

• Consult the weather forecast for the rest of the day

• Policies are there for a reason – communicate them effectively