March has been a great month of weather for getting out on the course.
Very little rain and plenty of sunshine has led to very dry conditions and so much so preferred lies are no longer needed.
Work on the driving range is getting close to completion and this will be a huge relief once grass begins to grow.
The Course
Conditions are really good for early spring. The greens are a little worn from heavy play this winter, however we aren’t seeing any real signs of damage from leatherjackets, showing the application of Acelepryn last autumn has made a big difference.
Bunkers have been topped up with sand and we’ve begun to go round them again, mowing and strimming edges.
Tees are the one area that we will give some attention in April. A handful have weaker turf due to the current dry spell and we will be applying some extra fertiliser to these once we get some rain.
Those that have newly installed irrigation will benefit from this asap.
In April we hope to give areas of fringing rough a good cut and scarify, this will thin out the sward ahead of stronger growth.
New Equipment
As previously mentioned, we’re having to tailor our approach to course maintenance in rapidly changing economic times. Recruitment becomes ever more challenging for the industry as a whole, but combined with recent and large increases in taxes, we have been forced to look at alternatives.
Automation is coming, but for a small business like ours, the cost is still prohibitive.
We do have a great team though, so we have begun to increase our fleet of machinery so we can complete work faster and more efficiently. This will give our current team the capacity to not only maintain current standards, but to even surpass them.
Driving range
The huge project on the range field is closing in.
Work paused in the winter after storms caused damage and set back our efforts.
Ironically having resumed work in March, we have been faced with the opposite problem. Dry conditions and strong winds led to much of the sand blowing down the field.
However, drainage has been installed, sand has been spread across the whole field (1,200 tons of it!) and we have raked it all smooth.
Seeding has now begun using a hydroseeder.
Hydroseeding is a method of planting grass using a slurry mixture of seed, water, mulch, fertiliser, and sometimes other additives like soil stabilizers or tackifiers. The mixture is sprayed over the ground using specialized equipment.
Hydroseeding is particularly effective on sandy terrain due to:
- Erosion Control: Sandy soil has low cohesion, meaning it’s prone to erosion, especially on slopes or areas with heavy rainfall or wind. The mulch and tackifiers in hydroseeding help bind the soil together and reduce erosion by holding the seeds in place, protecting them from being washed or blown away.
- Moisture Retention: Sandy soil tends to drain water quickly, which can dry out seeds before they have a chance to germinate. The mulch in hydroseeding helps retain moisture around the seeds, creating a more favorable environment for germination. This reduces the need for frequent watering.
- Faster Germination: Since sandy soil often lacks the nutrients necessary for plant growth, the fertilizers mixed into the hydroseeding slurry provide the essential nutrients for healthy seed development, speeding up the establishment of the turf
Applying the mixture is a slow process though and is likely to take around two weeks to complete.
The final effort required is to keep it well watered and with the current dry spell looking set to continue, this is going to be crucial.
Irrigation
The time of year and the current dry spell has seen us open up the irrigation system in March. Recent upgrades have made this much more straightforward and it will certainly be put to the test in the coming weeks.
Repairs were carried out to the older part of the system in the winter as well as further upgrades, with irrigation added to the new tee on Walker’s Gully.
April
Maintenance planned will be to apply wetting agents to key areas.
Wetting agent is a surfactant that helps improve water absorption and distribution in the soil, making them a key tool in golf course maintenance. They reduce the surface tension of water, allowing it to spread more evenly, penetrate deeper, and reach the roots of the grass.
Why we use them:
- Even Water Distribution: Wetting agents prevent dry spots by ensuring water spreads uniformly across the turf, especially in areas of closely mown turf.
- Combating Hydrophobic Soil: Over time, soils can become water-repellent. Wetting agents break this resistance down, allowing water to soak in more effectively.
- Water Efficiency: They improve irrigation efficiency, helping the course use less water while maintaining healthy turf, which is important in dry conditions.
- Healthier Turf: By promoting better water penetration, wetting agents help maintain consistent moisture levels, leading to stronger, healthier grass.
- Better Fertilizer Absorption: They improve the effectiveness of fertilizers by ensuring they spread evenly and are absorbed by the soil.
This looks set to be our biggest challenge in April with the course rapidly drying.
More new machinery is also on the way, which will further bolster our ability to present the course to an increasingly high standard.
Thanks for reading. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any questions. gregf@hunleygolf.co.uk
Greg Fitzmaurice
General Manager
Thank you for the update.
Very informative as always Greg.