Course Update - March 2nd 2012

This time last year we had just experienced one of the wettest February’s for many years. 

During that month we were closed more than we were open, mainly because of flooding. In fact the beginning of March 2011 was little better.

The mild dry weather we have experienced recently has necessitated the need to mow the fairways and greens on both courses. Normally, we don’t have to commence fairway mowing until late March or early April.

Because of the improved conditions we have removed play from fairway mats and have introduced preferred lies on both courses.

At the beginning of the week we applied an organic based fertiliser to the greens. This type of  fertiliser  includes composed cow manure, seaweed and a rich source of humic acid, which will help promote root and shoot development.

The construction of the two drainage inspection manholes on the 16^th hole is progressing well and scheduled to be completed by the end of next week. This will complete all of this winters drainage projects.

This week some of the staff have begun cleaning out and shaping the bases of the new bunkers on the 17^th hole.

In some of the bunkers we have laid turf upside down to act as a barrier to help prevent stone and dirty soil coming up and mixing with the sand.

I have included some pictures below of the progress.

Final shaping and grading completed

Turfing bunker base

Sand being added

Ready for play

Drainage 16th Hole - Update

Yesterday we lowered the final section of drainage pipe-work into place, this pipe connects the open ditch outlet into the new drainage outlet from the 16^th fairway.

The final section of pipework in place (black pipe)

We are at present constructing two inspection manholes, when these works have been completed the excavations will be backfilled and made ready for seeding in the spring

Aeration - Spring 2012

Aeration is key at this time of the year, its important with the spring and the new playing season ahead that we open up the putting surfaces and allow more air into the soil profile.

Over the winter the soil and putting surfaces become quite compacted, particularly under the saturated conditions that we have experienced this winter.

On the greens that have higher accumulations of thatch (organic matter) it is extremely important that we increase the oxygen availability to the grass plant to help counter surface anaerobic conditions.  

With this in mind we have been Verti-draining the greens on both courses with 12mm diameter tine to a depth of 125mm.

Verti-drain set up with 12 mm diameter tines

After the green has been aerated it is lightly rolled, this helps considerably in restoring surface levels.

Greens rolling on Ravelston 2nd

Drainage Update

Drainage - 16th Fairway

We have recently addressed another problem area prone to flooding on the 16th fairway.

On the left-hand side of the fairway at approximately 150/200 metres, we had a hollow that was always one of the first areas to flood and last to clear.

Flooding August 2011

We have installed 35 mts of 80mm diameter perforated drainage pipe.

The pipe-work has been linked into a refurbished lateral pipe, which runs across the fairway and connects into the manhole housing our new drainage outlet.

Work in progress

The drain track has now been backfilled, re-turfed and marked as Ground Under Repair.