NEWARK 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 NEWARK GOLF CLUB Advisory Report on the Golf Course incorporating the STRI Programme Report Date: 29 th June 2017 Consultant: Adam Newton

2 Date of Visit: Wednesday 21 st June 2017 Visit Objective: Present: Weather: To provide an agronomic review of the golf course, collect greens performance data and confirm ongoing maintenance requirements. Andrew Chamberlain Greens Chairman Colin Horner Greens Committee Graeme McDonald Course Manager Alex Clarricoates Deputy Course Manager Gary Walters STRI Ltd Adam Newton STRI Ltd Hot and sunny with temperatures of 28 C. Headlines After a difficult spring, the course is faring well and receiving positive golfer feedback. Reduced staffing levels have placed pressure on course maintenance. High standards are still being achieved but understandably some of the wider areas of the course have received less attention. Greens performance was very acceptable, however an overly productive feeding programme through the spring has meant that intensive maintenance inputs are required to achieve this. The putting surfaces are currently too firm due to the presence of underlying soil compaction. Organic matter levels have increased in the top 20mm over the last year and remain too high. Rooting is relatively shallow due to excess fertiliser being applied, high levels of organic matter and prolonged close mowing. Improving rooting and reducing organic matter are key objectives. Bunker liner introduction on the 2 nd has been successful and already improving bunker quality. Rough grasslands look superb and should ideally be extended in lesser used areas. Key Actions Allow nitrogen levels to ease back to reduce sward productivity and density. Sustain good levels of refinement to optimise turf texture and ball roll performance. Lift mowing heights with immediate effect and sustain at an elevated height routinely (3.25 4mm). Micro solid tine all greens to reduce surface hardness and bring the Air2G2 application forward to late summer to loosen underlying tight soils. Graden sand inject the greens during summer renovations and increase annual sanding totals to 120 tonnes/ha. Both practices are essential to aid organic matter reduction. Adjust spring feeding to reduce nitrogen input and aim to lower annual N totals to 80 95kg/ha. Objective Measurements (Double cut & 2mm) Measurement Average Target Range Soil Moisture (%) 27% (range 23 30%) 15-30% Hardness (Gravities) 125 Gravities (range g) g Smoothness (mm/m) 24 mm/m <25 mm/m Trueness (mm/m) 11 mm/m <10 mm/m Green Speed 9 ft 2 in ft Organic Matter 0-20 mm (%) 8.3 % 4-6% Organic Matter mm (%) 5 % <4% Soil ph Phosphate (P2O 5) 8 mg/l >10 (mg/l) Potassium (K 2O) 134 mg/l >30 mg/l Key: In Target Marginal Variance Out of Target

3 Photo Observations and Comments Figure 1: The last year has been a real challenge, with a reduction in staffing levels and difficult growing conditions through the first part of The Greenstaff have coped well and player feedback has been very positive of late. Figure 2: The greens were showing a strong, dense carpet of grass with good consistency across the course. We agreed that nitrogen inputs have been too high through the spring, causing the surfaces to be very productive at present. Figure 3: Ball roll performance was generally good for routine play but the dense nature of the sward is meaning that a great deal of input is needed to achieve the desired performance. The greens were double cut at a low height of 2mm and rolled in order to achieve ball roll targets. Figure 4: The greens were becoming excessively firm in areas due to compaction in the underlying soils. The fine texture of the native soils means they will always be prone to tightening and so appropriate aeration input is essential. Figure 5: Organic matter levels have increased in the top 20mm over the last year in response to high nitrogen inputs and lower than desired sanding levels. Shallow rooting was also consistently observed and has resulted from prolonged close mowing, high N inputs and excess organic matter. Figure 6: I was pleased to hear that the poorer draining 14 th green is earmarked for pipe drainage installation this autumn following our previous discussions. A feasibility study is now required to identify a suitable outfall and system design.

4 Photo Observations and Comments (continued) Figure 7: The sycamore and oak trees to the back left of the 16 th green hinder turf quality on both the green and green surround. This is the main traffic route to the next tee and the turf is sparse and weak. Removing these trees would be advised. Figure 8: Installation of the Blinder bunker liner to the 2 nd greenside bunker has gone well and it will be interesting to see how this performs throughout the year. Stone and soil contamination is a key issue in the bunkers and lining is the most appropriate solution. Figure 9: Fairways were drying off but retaining cover. Some nutrition may be needed to aid recovery once the dry spell has passed. Growth has notably slowed of late and mowing frequencies understandably relaxed. This has resulted in ryegrass populations becoming quite stalky. Figure 10: The wispy fringing roughs are superb and autumn cutting and collection work is helping to manage their productivity. I feel there is certainly room to extend some of these grasslands into out-of-play areas to reduce unnecessary semi rough mowing inputs. Figure 11: The left of the 2 nd green is a prime example where a huge area of semi rough is unnecessarily mown. A ball yards left off this Par 3 tee is still in the semi cut! Figure 12: With staffing levels being reduced over the last year, there is understandably less time to finetune some of the wider areas. The texture of the collars and approaches have suffered a little and some verticutting is needed.

5 Recommendations Greens Allow nitrogen levels to reduce back over the coming weeks. The surfaces are currently very lush and succulent which is hindering ball roll and meaning that a great deal of maintenance is required to achieve the desired level of performance. Continue with verticutting as and when required during stronger periods of growth. This is important from a textural point of view but will also help reduce density. Avoid being too aggressive whilst temperatures remain high. Keep up with routine brushing during mowing operations to lift procumbent growth (as seen on the 4 th and 6 th greens) and improve trueness. The frequency of brushing will be dependent on growth and turf performance. With the Club currently trialling new greens mowers, we discussed the benefits of installing groomers to the machine to introduce grooming into the maintenance programme. This will be of benefit to sward texture, growth habit and blending. Lift the mowing heights with immediate effect. The actual height of cut on the prism was 2mm on the day of the visit which is far too low and placing the turf under immense pressure. Sustaining excessively low cutting heights will also limit root development and favour annual meadowgrass species only. The surfaces will also require elevated nutrient, water and pesticide inputs. Lift heights to 3mm (actual height) as soon as possible and gradually increase up to a more favourable 3.5mm as nitrogen levels ease back and the surfaces become leaner. The aim should be to maintain heights at around mm for much of the season and no lower for sustained periods of time. The new cutting height prism will be a great asset and allow for more accurate setting and monitoring of cutting heights. Continue with weekly sarel rolling and supplement with micro solid tining every 4 5 weeks. The next micro solid tine is scheduled next week, which will help take the sting out of the surfaces. Underlying soils beneath the greens are currently very tight and are causing the surfaces to become too firm. It was recommended that the Air2G2 application is brought forward from autumn and carried out over the next 4 6 weeks to help loosen soils. Verti-draining should continue in early autumn as planned to relieve deep seated compaction and repeated again in February/March alongside sand topdressing (providing that conditions are suitable). It is imperative that we maintain our focus on reducing organic matter levels in the top 20mm over the coming year (see appendix). The current levels are too high and currently providing a cushioning at the turfbase which is water retentive and more susceptible to disease. It is important that Graden sand injection goes ahead during this year s summer renovations, along with an increase in overall sand input to the greens through the course of the year. Our aim should be to increase sand totals to a minimum of 120 tonnes/ha (from around 80 tonnes last year). Continue the approach of regular, light sanding through the growing season but look to apply slightly heavier applications following routine micro solid tining, using the tine holes to key sand into the profile. I was delighted to hear that the Club are looking at installing pipe drainage to the troublesome low-lying 14 th green. A feasibility study has been commissioned to assess the surface levels and identify a suitable outfall. From here, a drainage system can be designed. Selecting the correct materials to backfill the drainage channels is crucial to achieve success, in particular ensuring that the gravel and rootzone bridge correctly. Laboratory testing of both materials should be carried out beforehand to determine this and I would be happy to help if needed. I have attached a technical leaflet on greens pipe drainage to the appendix for further reading.

6 Continue to be vigilant with moisture management, making full use of the moisture probe to inform irrigation requirements. Aim to keep moisture levels at 20 30% wherever possible, targeting localised dry spots with hand watering when needed. Ongoing upgrade to the irrigation system is a priority and it was good to hear that a sprinkler head replacement programme is being planned in the near future. Nutrition The greens nutritional programme was a key talking point during the visit with it being highlighted that nitrogen inputs are currently too high. This, coupled with ideal growing conditions of late, is causing the surfaces to be too productive, hence requiring considerable intervention to achieve the desired level of performance. A productive feeding programme will also accelerate organic matter accumulation and so clearly a balance must be met. As recommended above, nitrogen levels should be allowed to ease back over the coming weeks. There is certainly no need for any imminent nitrogen input. Look to keep growth quiet through the remainder of the season and adopt a leaner approach; sustaining turf health with seaweeds and light liquid feeds as required. Plant growth regulator (PGR) inputs should be mixed with iron (for colour) if it is felt that turf health is adequate and nitrogen is not needed. The K-Step granular feed is a good option for autumn but the rate of application could be reduced down to 25 30g/m 2 to keep both nitrogen and potassium inputs down. Our aim should be to keep annual nitrogen inputs at around 80 95kg/ha. Realistically, this may be nearer the 110kg/ha mark this year due to spring granular feeding having already applied in the region of 75kg/ha. Some adjustment to next year s spring feeding was discussed to help reduce nitrogen inputs. Spring is a challenging time and it is important that some nutrition is applied to kickstart the surfaces, however if the spring is particularly cold (like this year) it is easy to over apply nitrogen to try to force growth. This invariably doesn t work, as soil temperatures are too cold but when temperatures improve, the nitrogen kicks in. Looking to next year, we agreed a slightly different strategy, with either a low rate Invigorator 4:0:8 (at 20g/m 2 ) or lawn sand being applied in early March, followed by Coldstart in April at a reduced rate of 25g/m 2. This will lower N inputs to a more ideal 35.5kg/ha. The timing of these treatments are only a guideline and will depend on weather conditions and turf requirements at the time. This is down to your judgement at the time. Laboratory testing results highlighted that soil ph has remained stable over the last year and at an ideal average of 5.3. Phosphate levels are a little low on the 4 th, 6 th, 14 th and 16 th greens. This is not posing a real cause for concern but it will be important to include some phosphate in the feeding programme next spring (the Coldstart 11:5:5 will supply this). Potassium levels are high and there is no need for any further potassium input for the following year. Apart from the K-Step feed (6:0:27), no further K application should take place. The current hot weather will cause PGRs to break down quicker and I would suggest that this is responsible for some of the strong growth you are seeing at present. Effectively, the sward has come out of regulation and is in need of the next PGR application. Therefore, look to apply Primo again at the next opportunity and increase the frequency of PGR applications during warmer weather. Adopting the GDD model is good way of accurately monitoring this and informing when applications are required. Green Collars and Approaches The collars and approaches were a little coarse textured at the time of the visit and would benefit from verticutting over the next couple of weeks. This should be repeated as and when required during stronger periods of growth.

7 Bunkers Continue bunker liner installation to other bunkers as and when possible. It was highlighted that there are a number of bunkers on the course that are seldom used and play little or no part in course strategy or aesthetics. We discussed the potential to fill some of these bunkers in to reduce maintenance requirements. A grassy hollow or broken ground could be introduced in their place but this should be considered fully. Consulting a Golf Course Architect to advise on course bunkering alterations would be advised. Fairways Apply some rotary mowing to the fairways to tackle ryegrass stems and aim to keep routine mowing frequencies up to avoid ryegrass crowning and stem elongation. Growth is fairly minimal on the fairways at present due to droughty conditions and the effect of Primo Maxx application. Applying a small amount of water soluble urea in the coming weeks would be advisable to help the sward recover. Rates should be relatively low (25kg/ha in 400l/ha water) to avoid growth flushes and increased mowing requirements. Rough Look to reduce unnecessary semi rough mowing in out-of-play areas and extend wispy grasslands. A careful balance needs to be achieved between playability, speed of play and maintenance but I would suggest that there are several areas across the course where rough could be extended. This will reduce mowing requirements, whilst improving definition and biodiversity. The rough to the left of the 2 nd green (in the pine copse) is an example of where mowing could be relaxed this is 50 yards off line! Tree Removal Remove both the sycamore and oak trees to the back-left of the 16 th green at the nearest opportunity. These are hindering turf quality on the green and surround. Signed Adam Newton BSc (Hons), MBPR, FQA Regional Turfgrass Agronomist Official Agronomist to the R&A Championship Committee t. +44 (0) e. adam.newton@strigroup.com STRI is completely independent and has no alliances to commercial products, services or contractors. This ensures that our design, project management and advisory services provide the best solutions for each individual client.

8 Objective Data Objective Data Graph 1: Soil moisture content averaged at an ideal 27% on the indicator greens which highlights that irrigation inputs have been well-managed through the recent hot spell of weather. The 14 th and 17 th greens were retaining the most moisture, with localised areas holding up to 43% moisture e.g. centre-right 14 th. Checking the sprinkler head efficiency in these areas would be advised. Objective Data Graph 2: The surfaces were too firm, particularly the 2 nd, 6 th and 16 th greens. The greens at Newark are relatively small targets and this level of firmness will be unfair to play in some cases. Tight underlying soils are the main cause of the issue and the above-recommended aeration will help to take the sting out of the surfaces.

9 Objective Data (continued) Objective Data Graph 3: Smoothness values were the most consistent they have been since testing began and were situated in the top end of routine target ranges. This level of smoothness is perfectly adequate but the Greenstaff have had to double cut and roll at a low cutting height of 2mm in order to achieve this. Sustaining maintenance at this level is not feasible and will stress the turf, therefore our aim is for the surfaces to offer a more natural level of performance in future. Objective Data Graph 4: Trueness levels were outside of target range on all indicator greens. This can be attributed to the dense, lush and laid nature of the swards at present which are compromising trueness. Adopting a leaner feeding programme will help to avoid this in the future.

10 Objective Data (continued) Objective Data Graph 5: Green speeds were ideal for routine play (9ft 2 ) and very consistent between the greens.

11 Soils Laboratory Data Soils Laboratory Graph 1: Organic matter in the top 20mm has seen a notable increase over the last year with average values increasing from 6.4% (2016) to 8.2% this year. Elevated levels of feeding, coupled with a reduction in sand inputs last year are the main causes for this increase. We must reduce nitrogen inputs, increase sanding and apply Graden sand injection this year to get organic matter values back on track. Soils Laboratory Graph 2: Figures at 20 40mm depth have also seen an increase on all greens except 6 th and 17 th where values have remained relatively static. Values at this depth are more favourable but still require dilution.

12 Soils Laboratory Data (continued) Soils Laboratory Graph 3: There has been little change at 40 60mm depth, with organic matter remaining in target ranges. Soils Laboratory Graph 4: The same can be said for 60 80mm depth, where values remain ideal.

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