Drainage Update - Hole 4

Despite some challenging conditions good progress has been made on the drainage project on the 4^th hole.

We have installed 80mts of 160 mm diameter solid drainage pipe and begun backfilling the trench, weather permitting we should finish this section early next week.

While we have the main drainage trench open we intend to install another drain from in front of the 4^th green and connect this into the new pipe-work.  

Drainage 4th Fairway

Four years ago we replaced a section of the main drainage pipe down the left-hand side of the 4^th fairway that had become damaged by tree roots. The tree roots were restricting the flow of water and causing flooding to the main fairway landing area.

Recently we have been experiencing extensive flooding in front of the 4^th green and after further investigations we found that tree roots have now damaged and blocked a large section of drainage pipe alongside and behind the 4^th green.

To help alleviate this flooding we have decided to replace this damaged section of pipe-work with a new 160 mm diameter solid pipe.  

Line of new solid drainage pipe

Excavating new drainage track

Existing pipe damaged by roots

Close up of damaged pipe

Existing 160 mm perforated pipe almost completely blocked by tree roots

Air Injection

This week we have aerated the greens on both courses with the on hire Air2G2 air injection machine. Although the air2g2 machine is fairly new on the market, research and customer feedback has been extremely favourable.

The air2g2 has three 30cm probes, which are air driven into the green, these probes inject the soil with two blasts of compressed air. The air is injected both vertically and horizontally over an area of approx 1.5mts and to a depth of between 30-50cm.

These blasts of air causes a fracturing effect of the soil from the subsoil to the surface and helps relieve any deep rooted compaction.

Because the probes and the air break up the lower layers of soil, additional pathways for water and air are formed. This means water, air and nutrients can filter down to the roots faster. This should lead to a healthy water to air ratio within the soil, which will then increase the microbial activity that ultimately reduces bacteria and fungus in the root zone.

Although we will be monitoring the results over the winter months we have been extremely impressed with its performance and have already provisionally booked the machine for hire next spring.

You will see at the end of the video there is virtually no surface disturbance and play can resume immediately following the treatment.  

Air Injection Operations

Air Injection Operations

Monday October 26th


This week we have on hire the Air 2G2 Air Injector and today we intend to aerate greens 1 to 8 & 18.

The Air2G2 in operation

In order for this work to be completed as efficiently as possible temporary greens on these holes will be in play for a short time today.

This operation will cause very little surface disturbance and play on the green can be resumed immediately following the treatment.

Thanking you in advance for your patience and support.

Greens Sand Injection

Sand Injection  - Our consultant agronomist Mr Ian Craig from the Sports Turf Research Institute on a recent visit recommended that we implement graden sand injection operations on some of the greens on the bottom side of the course, particularly those with an high organic matter content.

By gradually reducing the amount of organic matter in these greens, will ultimately improve their performance and playability

This week we completed greens 12, 13 & 15. These greens were scarified to a depth of 20mm with 3mm diameter tine and at the same time injected with kiln dried sand.

Kiln dried sand being injected into the surface

Debris left behind

To help smooth and restore the putting surfaces, additional sand was applied with the top dresser before being rolled with the vibrating rollers.  During the next few weeks as recovery takes place and provided the surfaces are dry, we will continue to roll these greens daily to help promote smooth putting surfaces.

Additional sand being applied

A total of  5.5 tonnes of top dressing sand was applied to these three putting greens.

Sand Injection

Today we have been evaluating the Graden CSI sand injection machine. 

The Graden Contour Sand Injection machine is a scarifier/aerator with the ability to scarify to any depth from between 1mm to 40mm, whilst simultaneously backfilling the grooves with either sand or a combination of sand and seed to improve surface drainage and remove thatch.

We carried out the treatment on the putting green at two different depths to allow us to monitor and evaluate recovery times. 
Fitted with 2mm blades, set at 30mm spacing we impacted on 7% of the surface area and injected 520 kgs of kiln dried sand into the top 20 mm of the green.

Scarifing & Sand Injecting the putting green

Checking the depths

A close up showing the depth of the injected sand 

Another close up

Surface after clean up and rolling after sand injection to 20mm depth  

Surface after clean up and rolling after sand injection to 10mm depth 

Short Game Practice Area

I am delighted to inform members that the newly constructed short game practice area has opened and is now ready for limited play.

Some pictures of our progress:

July 2014 - Project commences

April 2015 - Bunker construction

July 2015 - Ready for play

August 2014

July 2015

Short game area opened for play - July 24th 2015

To allow the seeded green and its surrounds time to fully mature it has been decided that this year

the area will close in early November and re-open again next spring.

During the winter months we intend to implement further improvements in this area, details to follow.

I hope the members enjoy using the new facility just as much as we have enjoyed the constructing process and the growing in period. Well done and thanks to all..

Greens Maintenance Programme 2015

Next week, weather permitting, we intend to aerate the greens with 12mm diameter solid tines and on greens 9,10&11 with 12mm hollow tines. We also plan to apply 40 tonnes of top dressing sand to the putting surfaces once the aeration has been completed.

Twelve days ago we had a trial run on the putting green so we could measure and monitor the recovery time. After the green was aerated, sanded and brushed, an application of liquid seaweed/farmyard manure and nitrogen was applied to the green to assist and accelerate the recovery period.

Below I have included some post operation pictures

Day 1 Following aeration and sanding - soil temperature 14C

Day 4 - Ideal weather and growing conditions has advanced the recovery process 

Day 6 - Greens mowing recommences - height of cut 4.5mm

Day 10 - Height of cut 3.75mm

Day 12 - Surface levels restored

Greens Maintenance Programme 2015

This year we are implementing a number of changes to our greens maintenance programme that our consultant agronomist Jay Dobson has recommended. 

In his last report Mr Dobson was extremely complementary about the condition of the course and was particularly impressed with the improvements to the putting surfaces. In that report it was recommended that we should increase the amount of aeration and sanding and also the timing of these operations, primarily to reduce further the amount of organic matter in the putting surfaces.

Mr Dobson felt that if we could increase the amount of disruptive aeration and double the amount of sand top dressings to 120 tonnes annually, with a target amount of 150 tonnes within three years, the additional maintenance would in time further improve putting surfaces, increase playability and ultimately give us a longer playing season.

Normally, provided ground conditions are suitable the greens are aerated every three to four weeks with a slim 8mm diameter tine. This type of aeration is not disruptive and recovery is normally only a few days. Additional they are hollow cored in the spring with a small 8mm diameter tine and again in the autumn with a 12/14 mm tine.

In the autumn they are also deep tinned with 12mm diameter solid tines to a depth of 200mm. When we use the larger 12/14mm diameter solid and hollow tines, the disruption to the putting surfaces sometimes is considerable, but it does mean we can apply large quantities of sand, which is then worked down into the aeration holes.

Normally we apply approximately 60 tonnes of top dressing sand annually.

This spring as part of our revised programme the greens were hollow cored with 12mm diameter hollow tines and deep tined with 12mm solid tines, 40 tonnes of top dressing sand was also applied.

Although the recovery period was longer than we expected mainly because of the extended cold spring/early summer weather, it was the first time in many years that this type of maintenance work had been carried out on the putting surfaces at this time of year. I am quite confident that as we apply more sand over the next few years that recovery period will be shorter and hopefully less painful.

Our next disruptive aeration and sanding operation begins week commencing July 13th and on this occasion greens 1-8 and 12-18 will be solid tinned with 12 mm diameter tines to a depth of 100mm. Greens 9,10&11 will be hollow cored with 12mm diameter tines to a depth of 75mm.

Aerating & sanding the with 12mm diameter solid tines

Brushing in sand after aeration

In conjunction with the aeration we intend to apply another 40 tonnes of top dressing sand to the putting surfaces.

Because of the enhanced soil temperatures and sunlight at this time of the year we expect recovery within 7/10 days, on greens 9,10&11 the recovery might be slightly longer because we are removing a core/plug.

I have included a short video on why golf courses aerate 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=863Ix8czcoY

Two Post Turf Lift

Today engineers installed a two post turf lift in the workshop service bay. 

The two post lift will be used for assisting in maintaining and servicing our large and varied turf maintenance vehicle fleet. The arm design easily copes with either three or four wheel machines and the two post configuration provides safe access around and under the vehicle. 

The four ton load capacity lift means that any of our maintenance vehicles or tractors  including its attachment can be lifted safely. 

Course Update - March 27th 2015

During the winter we removed a number of dead and decaying trees from both courses and over the last few days we have been using a stump grinder to lower the stumps to below ground level so as not to trip golfers or cause injury if hit with a golf club and to avoid damaging grass cutting machinery.

A close up of the stump grinders cutting head

Below a short video of the stump grinder in action (between the 3rd & 8th fairways)

The Irrigation system, which this year includes the new short game area has been commissioned ahead of the new playing season.

We have also upgraded the irrigation sprinklers on tees 9 & 16. This will dramatically improve coverage and reduce water wastage on these teeing grounds.

Irrigation - Short game area chipping green

The spring bunker refurbishments have now been completed and all bunkers are in play except the newly renovated bunkers on hole 12, these bunkers will be open for play next weekend.

Greens 3 & 9 have been hollow cored and sand top-dressed this week. The greens that were hollow cored last week have received another application of sand to help fill the remaining core tine holes and to improve surface levels.

Greens 10 & 11 will be hollow cored and top dressed in early April when soil temperatures improve. The greens have also received a granular fertiliser to promote growth and accelerate recovery after the recent maintenance operations.    

Spring Bunker Refurbishment

We have recently been busy refurbishing the bunkers on both courses ahead of the new playing season. The bunkers have been edged, cleaned out and fresh sand added as and where required.

Before refurbishment

After refurbishment

For the bunkers where the sand is more compacted we have been using a small machine that we have recently purchased,which is called a Mantis. The Mantis is a lightweight cultivator that can tiller the sand to a depth of between 50mm/100mm and is a perfect solution to sand that has become compacted, particularly after heavy rain. 

Greens Spring Maintenance 2015

This week we began our Greens Spring Maintenance Program.

The green is first aerated  to a depth of 180mm with 12mm diameter tines.

The green is then hollow cored with 12mm diameter tines to a depth of 75mm

The 16th green being deep spiked and hollow cored

Approximately two tonnes of top dressing sand is then applied to each green

Finally, the sand is brushed into the putting surface

Greens (3,9,10, &11), which spend most of the winter under the shadow of Corstorphine Hill, will not be hollow cored and top dressed until soil temperatures and surface ground conditions on these greens improve. 

Practice Area - Access Road

We have now completed the upgrading of the first forty-meter section of the practice ground access roadway.

Recycled railway sleepers have been used to form a kerb edge along the roadway, which should help prevent washout of the surface and ultimately reduce wastage.

The surface has been dressed with a 100% recycled material called Ultitrec.
Ultitrec contains recycled asphalt, concrete, inert construction & demolition waste, natural and artificial aggregate, bricks, sand, ceramics and glass. Because the material has a wide range of particle sizes and shape (20mm down to dust), it packs down well and when rolled, produces a reasonably smooth surface.

The roadside bankings have been built up with excavated soil and spoil from this winter's drainage works on hole 12. It is our intention to seed these bankings in the spring with a wildflower seed mixture.

Some pictures of our progress

Excavating trench for railway sleeper kerb edge.

One of three kerbs that will be installed to divert surface water off the roadway 

Surface dressing applied

Looking back down the access roadway

Practice Nets

The practice nets beside the practice putting green have been receiving an makeover today. The rubber crumb base has been power washed, the bay enclosure netting and baffle nets have been replaced and new mats have been installed.

Tomorrow we will be removing some of the surrounding undergrowth and pruning back some of the low and overhanging branches. Hopefully, this will this allow a little more daylight into this rather gloomy area.

Power washing the rubber crumb base

Makeover completed

5th Green Re-Opens

Our tree surgeons felled the uprooted beech tree behind the 5th green today.

The tree surgeon attaching a pull-rope, which is used to tug the tree in the desired direction of fall

A second rope is being attached at right-angles to the direction of fall to help prevent the tree twisting and falling over the 5th green.

Something we didn't expect - massive decay through the centre of the tree

Tree Planting

This week we have been busy planting a number of young deciduous trees, on both courses.
Most of the trees are direct replacements for trees that have been removed because of disease, decay or storm damage. Others have been planted as long-term replacements for trees that only have a very limited life span remaining.

The trees that have been planted are all native and are of small leaf size, which should not only help to minimise leaf collection and removal operations but reduce lost golf balls. 

Some of the Oaks that have been planted between the 1st & 18th fairways

Oaks being planted on the left-hand side of the 14th fairway