CLONTARF GOLF CLUB. Advisory Report on the Golf Course incorporating the STRI Programme. Making great sport happen

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1 Making great sport happen CLONTARF GOLF CLUB Advisory Report on the Golf Course incorporating the STRI Programme Report Date: 4 th September 2018 Consultant: Conor Nolan

2 Date of Visit: 24 th August 2018 Visit Objective: Present: Weather: To objectively measure greens playing quality in addition to review of overall course condition and provision of general advice on maintenance issues throughout the course. Data was collected in the afternoon due to heavy morning rain which will have affected the quality of the data. Mr C Murphy Course Convenor Mr P Murray General Manager Mr D O Malley Head Greenkeeper Conor Nolan STRI Ltd Sunshine with heavy showers. 18ᵒC. Headlines The putting surfaces had survived the summer drought very well at this point after an extremely difficult summer for all. Ball roll was within targets. The nitrogen status on the day was ideal to greens to favour pace and the bents. Sand topdressing of greens was missed for the month of August. You don t have that liberty if you can t sand during the autumn. Grass cover to the aprons was good. Better texture and evenness of grass height is desired in the years ahead. The approaches had not all recovered from the summer dryness. Tees vigour was good as was grass cover. Sand topdressing was behind the optimum. The fairways were recovering from the drought with some still patchy. The bowling green was better thanks to greater attention to water demands while pearlwort weed was finally hard to find. The garden green was poor and in need of attention that the main putting green receives. Key Actions It is critical that all measures are undertaken to protect greens from fusarium patch this autumn beginning on the 1 st of October. Include applications of Melspring Cu (copper) every 2-3 weeks at litre per hectare. Overseed the greens as agreed with browntop bentgrass seed using the Vredo disc seeder before the end of September. Sow at 25kg/hectare. Top up the sand based greens with Invigorator Plus 4:0:14 when needed. A treatment was due to the garden green now at 25g/m 2. And to the bowling green once the season ends. Rest the front nine greens as much as you can this late autumn/winter by starting from the 7 th. Overseed aprons and approaches now with fescue and dwarf perennial ryegrass if they are to progress. Deploy a contractor if necessary using the plant pot method (18mm diameter solid tines) to sow. Sand topdress the tees now at 25 tonnes per hectare and again in six weeks or so. Overseed the most drought affected fairways with fescue and some dwarf perennial ryegrass at 125kg/hectare in the next 2-3 weeks to take advantage of the gaps and establish better grasses. Address the lack of irrigation coverage to the central portion of the bowling green this autumn/winter.

3 Objective Measurements Measurement Average Target Range Soil Moisture (%) % ( ) 15-25% Hardness (Gravities) Gravities (87-94) g Smoothness (mm/m) mm/m <23 mm/m Trueness (mm/m) mm/m <8 mm/m Green Speed 7ft 11 in 8ft 6 in ft Key: In Target Marginal Variance Out of Target

4 Photo Observations and Comments Figure 1: The 17 th green, the very best of the old soil-based greens. Bentgrass was over 80% thanks to its size. The 2 nd was similar. It s been a great summer for bentgrass spread where traffic levels allowed it. Figure 2: Good bentgrass increase noted to the 3 rd green. While on the small side it offers a decent percentage of pin positions to help spread wear. No significant increase was noted to the 9 th green while the centre of the 5 th was predominantly meadowgrass unfortunately. Anthracnose disease was niggling to the edges of it and the odd other. The higher height of cut, bentgrass promotion and the sanding programme have helped counter it. the disease has been quite common in recent weeks elsewhere. Figure 3: The 12 th like the 13 th greens offered best ball roll thanks to the better more modern bents present. Moss population was down to both of the sand-based greens. Firmness could be better if sanding were optimised. Figure 4: Much reduced moss on the bowling green while pearlwort was hard to find thanks to two applications of selective herbicide. Grasses were somewhat separated where it is historically dry in the centre. Figure 5: The garden green was practically devoid of meadowgrass due to starvation. It was too mossy for the same reason. It can be much better if the right nitrogen level is presented. Figure 6: The 16 th apron presented grass separation to the front where there is more traffic. Hence the reason for overseeding with more durable and bettered textured ryegrasses.

5 Photo Observations and Comments (continued) Figure 7: Good cover noted to the 16 th tee which was typical. Sand topdressing can be better overall. Figure 8: Vigour to the main 11 th tee was affected by the neighbouring poplar tree roots. Figure 9: Decent vigour and gradual recovery of droughty turf on the 17 th. The 16 th was more affected. The 12 th and 13 th lacked vigour as they too suffered from moisture shortage but will recover soon.

6 Recommendations Greens Maintain nitrogen applications that supply 0.4g/m 2 every two weeks in to the autumn. Widen the interval as the autumn progresses but keep to an interval that maintains density, avoids separation of grasses but at the same time the annual meadowgrass is kept paler than the good grasses. Switch to applications of ammonium sulphate over the slower growing months to maintain that objective. Apply ammonium sulphate then when needed at 20-25kg/hectare in 400 litres of water once temperatures are between 6-13 Celsius in the middle of the day. Apply Invigorator Plus 4:0:14 plus 9% iron in addition to the 12 th and 13 th greens to maintain density and counter moss. Apply at 15-18g/m2. Repeat as needed. Apply Invigorator Plus 4:0:14 plus 9% iron to the garden green to build density and counter moss. Apply at 25g/m 2 immediately. Repeat as needed through the autumn to crowd out the moss. Raise the height of cut to 4.0mm (triplex) in early October. Afterwards gradually rise to reach a winter height of cut of mm by early November to help favour the finer grasses. If there are complaints next summer over lack of speed mow between 3.25mm and 3.5mm. Skip mowing once or even twice per week during the main season if you can get away with it in September. The less mowing one does the more the finer grasses spread. Avoid mowing the perimeters more than 2-3 times per week at any time with twice per week preferred. Aerate with 8mm tines every 7-8 weeks to 100mm depth. A weekly sand application frequency of 5-6 tonnes or so per hectare should occur from now until the end of September. Cease sanding during the most disease vulnerable months of October and November, and possibly December. Resume sanding in January at light rates of 3-5 tonnes per hectare. Apply once there is sufficient sward absorption. Submit samples from the three sample greens for organic matter testing at four depths now. Plug out as much pearlwort (e.g. 3 rd, 5 th and 16 th greens) and ryegrass (3 rd green) as you can before replacing with browntop bentgrass plugs from the garden green. Groom as little as possible. If necessary, groom on occasion during the autumn to control the leafiest old bentgrasses. Apply Coragen insecticide now to control leatherjackets. There is a lead in time of 3-4 weeks with the product which affects larvae at the 1 st and 2 nd instar stage only. Apply at the labelled rate of 0.6 litres per hectare. Water-in with 6mm of water, if dry. Sow browntop bentgrass at 20-25kg/hectare in September as planned with the Vredo disc seeder. Maintain a moisture content of 20% or slightly higher after. If necessary, irrigate post sowing to ensure good germination and seedling survival. Choose Bar All bent which includes the top rates Charles cultivar. The importance of practicing cultural controls to reduce fusarium patch disease incidence and the promotion of browntop bents is clear. The use of dew dispersal agents from November through until March while greens are being mown only once per week is encouraged as a means of keeping surfaces drier and reducing the risk of disease. Apply every two weeks then outside of frosty periods. Best results are achieved when applied to a dry leaf which may require blowing to remove dew first. Apply at 75% of the labelled rate if in doubt. Contact David Eager on for supplies of Magnum Recoil (Indigrow). Given the lack of a true knockdown fungicide product on the market you will need to apply fungicides preventively beginning in late September to control fusarium patch disease. Apply Instrata, Exteris Stressgard, Heritage, Headway or Banner Maxx II fungicides every three weeks through until December. If temperatures drop to between 7-12 Celsius use Instrata or Banner Maxx II. If the disease pressure is high narrow the interval to every 2.5 weeks (usually mid-october to mid-november). If there is no disease present in early December apply Medallion TL fungicide to help get you through that period. It is a contact material that only works before disease is seen, as it essentially causes disease spores to burst. It has no curative properties. Mow as little as you can during that period to obtain maximum duration of control from the fungicides.

7 In addition to the above apply Melspring Cu (Copper) every two weeks or so at litre per hectare from end of September through November to help suppress fusarium patch disease activity. Contact Sprayclear Environmental (a Unichem company) for supplies. It can be tank mixed with other fertilisers. Plug out any disease scars should they occur, with plugs of bentgrass from the nursery. As the autumn progresses look to reduce play to the more trafficked earlier holes by playing from the 7 th through to the 18 th when the course is shortened. It is necessary to assist spread of bentgrass. Greens Aprons, Surrounds and Approaches Maintain the current approach to mowing the aprons/approaches with the triplex mower set at 10mm height of cut. If we are not overseeding the aprons/approaches they will not progress. Sow in the coming weeks with 70% mid green coloured dwarf perennial ryegrass (e.g. Barolympic, Chardin, Claudine and Bargold) and 30% slender creeping red fescue seed. Use 18-19mm diameter solid tines set to a shallow depth to form plant pots. Sow at a rate of 60-80kg/hectare using a drop spreader to apply seed before working the seed to the pots with a turned upside-down tees mat. Do not use a brush to work in the seed or the dimple seeder to sow. Sand only once seedlings emerge. Deploy a contractor if there is lack of available hours in-house. Fertilise aprons and approaches when putting surfaces are being fed in the months ahead. Make the odd extra feed if uniformity begins to wane. Try and avoid applying a granular unless it s a low analysis e.g. 4:0:14. Apply 9:7:7 to any weaker or trafficked surrounds to maintain uniformity on an on-going basis to counter wear e.g. approach to 12 th and left side of the 8 th and 13th. When ground conditions allow make light applications (20-25 tonnes per hectare) of sand to paths and pinch points on surrounds (e.g. 13 th surrounds) in the coming months. Aim to make 2-3 applications by November. Erect the kite hawk to the 13 th green complex or other should any bird pecking of the greens be noticed in the coming months. Ensure to move it regularly. Plan to replace excess sand from sand splash to bunker edges this late autumn with topsoil before turfing with ryegrass/fescue imported turf. Tees Sand the tees and paths soon at tonnes. Repeat six weeks later or so. 5-6 applications are required during the year to avoid softening/ponding. Lighten the rate to tonnes per hectare in the low season when days are shorter and potentially damper. Apply liquid 30:0:0 at 35 litres per hectare each month. Application of 9:7:7 should be reserved for par threes. Remove the poplar trees affecting the vigour of the 11 th main tee this autumn. If all cannot be removed prune the tree roots instead. Fairways Overseeding of the fairways should be an annual event with 35% slender creeping red fescue, 30% chewings fescue and 30% dwarf perennial ryegrass (mid-green colour) if we are to improve the texture, ball support and turf/ball/club impact. And to discourage earthworm casts. The operation should be timed for the middle to end of September. The contractor should be engaged to do the works. Seed at rate of 125kg/hectare and sow at a depth of 6-8mm with a closely spaced disc seeder i.e. Vredo. If you cannot do all this year aim to do those most affected by the drought (e.g. 3 rd, 8 th, 16 th, 17 th and 18 th ) to take advantage of the gaps in the sward.

8 Fertilise the fairways now with 30:0:0 at 30 litres per hectare out through the sprayer to bring gentle recovery of grass cover and sward density. Repeat 6-7 weeks later. Sand topdressing of the new holes at light rates of tonnes/hectare is welcome this autumn. Apply twice before the end of October. The new holes should receive in the order of tonnes of sand in total per hectare per year to prevent deterioration of the overall drainage. Maintain the fairway at a height of 13-14mm for the main season. Raise to 17mm from the middle of the autumn or so. Address the dipped ground to one or two gully pots on the 12 th fairway by lifting the turf in November. Dress with good topsoil before replacing the turf. Bowling Green The poor automatic sprinkler irrigation coverage to the central area of the green needs to be rectified this winter. Maintain the height of cut at 4mm during the main season. Raise to 6mm once the playing season is over at the end of September. Fertilise as per the golf greens until the end of the season. Apply ICL Invigorator Plus (4:0:14 plus 8% iron) at 25-30g/m2 then to bring on density, the uniformity of the good grasses and to help crowd out moss. Repeat during the autumn when needed. Overseed the green once the season is ended with 40% slender creeping red fescue, 40% chewings fescue and 20% browntop bentgrass. Choose top rated cultivars. Sow with the plant pot method (13mm diameter tines) or with the dimple seeder at a rate of 100kg/hectare. Sand topdress to apply 6 tonnes of sand once closed. Follow up with lighter applications of sand (2-3 tonnes per hectare) during the autumn. Aim to deliver 12 tonnes before the year end. Signed Conor Nolan B.Agr.Sc (Land Hort), M.Sc, MPBR STRI Turf Agronomist for Ireland t. +44 (0) e. conor.nolan@strigroup.com

9 Objective Data Objective Data Graph 1: Objective Data Graph 2:

10 Objective Data Graph 3: Objective Data Graph 4:

11 Objective Data Graph 5: