Greens Update - March 2025

This week we took delivery of the new (to us) greens mower!

Those of you who have been playing this week, may have noticed Penny the robot mower back on the course. This week Penny’s two new bigger brothers have arrived (currently not been named as yet… Andy and Mongey?!). The Husqvana Ceora automated mowers - to give their proper title - will be used to cut fairways and rough on the top part of the course. Two extra reference stations have been fitted on the toilet block and the maintenance facility, which enables them to talk to the one fitted on the clubhouse, similar to Wi-Fi boosters around your home. One will charge up at the toilet block next to the 3rd tee, and the other will be outside the sheds. The mapping of the fairway and rough areas to be cut will be mapped on the Husqvana app early next week so they can start cutting straightaway.

There are many jobs still to be carried out over the next month or so all over the course and the greens staff will be working hard to carry out as much as possible before the season starts. Head Greenkeeper Steve has produced a long list of jobs to be done, and all the staff are working through them as efficiently as possible. As already illustrated in previous blogs, some of the work is finishing off jobs that have already been started, such as fixing the drainage to the bunkers on the 2nd fairway or installing a new gulley pot next to the 8th fairway bunkers. All the new bunkers have been lined, bar the 12th greensides, which will be done next week. Turf has been ordered so that as soon as the liner is in, those two bunkers will be the priority job to finish as soon as possible.

Other works includes carrying out work on holes 5 and 17 to clear a couple of drainage line blockages. The work on the 5th is now complete, and we have installed a rodding point to help us access to the drain when we need to clean it out. On 17 we found a blocked line just to the left front of the green. With the work done on the path, fresh drainage and a gulley pot fitted, this area should improve. On the top of the 13th path, we have fitted a soakaway at the top of the path. This should gather the water in heavy downpours. If as expected this works, we can then look at a long term fix to the path. Which will include the area around the 14th tee. Trees around the 8th and 17th greens have been removed. The trees were stopping the sun getting to the greens and surrounding areas. This will hopefully have the same effect the removal of trees has had on the 12th hole, with the green receiving much needed increased light and airflow.

As soon as soil conditions have improved, we will be spiking and scarifying the fairways. It is not a good idea to carry out the spiking work when the soils are wet, as it only leads to the soils softening like butter, meaning the ground will be softer. We need to wait for the soils to be dry in the season, so that when the aeration is performed, the soils fracture, leaving space for air and water to travel further down the profile. This will obviously help the water to travel to the drains quicker.

We hope to be able to carry this work out on a regular basis throughout the season, and obviously we would prioritise the wetter fairways such as 2nd to 7th.

There are lots of other works going on such as removal of logs from the course, returfing bare areas, clearing the 16th ditch, bunker weeding and adding new sand to them. We would like help from some volunteers to carry out a fairway divotting event, where we would get as many people as possible to sweep around the course and fill in unwanted divots prior to the season starting. Look out for info on this event.

Steve

Head Greenkeeper