ACCRINGTON & DISTRICT GOLF CLUB

Transcription

1 Making great sport happen ACCRINGTON & DISTRICT GOLF CLUB Advisory Report on the Golf Course incorporating the STRI Programme Report Date: 30 th May 2017 Consultant: Adam Newton

2 Date of Visit: Monday 15 th May 2017 Visit Objective: Present: Weather: The emphasis was on greens management with this visit, in particular looking at ways to improve agronomic conditioning and performance. Jason Ashworth Head Greenkeeper Dave Byrom- Director of Greens Adam Newton Turfgrass Agronomist, STRI Ltd Overcast and breezy with heavy showers and temperatures of 14 C. Headlines Cold, dry conditions have stalled grass growth and presented a real challenge to course maintenance. The greens suffered a notable fusarium attack in autumn and scars have been slow to recover through the unproductive spring weather. Many courses have experienced similar issues. The different grasses on the greens are currently growing and seeding at different rates. This is understandably impacting on surface smoothness and trueness levels. Organic matter content beneath the greens is too high and causing the surfaces to retain excess water and soften down. Reducing values will deliver improved year-round performance. Ongoing pipe drainage installation is crucial to allow water to bypass poor underlying soils. Improving the accuracy and delivery of liquid applications to the greens is a key objective. Tree removal is essential in key areas to increase sunlight and airflow to the playing surfaces. Key Actions Amplified sward refinement to refine seedheads and coarser bent species. Light sanding to smooth-out surface levels and improve ball roll. C-Complex application to boost sward health. Improve the accuracy of sprayer calibration and reduce water volumes where necessary. An increase in overall sand inputs to the greens, coupled with routine micro aeration. Hollow tining and sanding at August renovations to physically remove organic material. Pipe drainage installation to the remaining greens. Leylandii removal/thinning around 1 st, 2 nd, 14 th greens, along with other key areas. Introduction of verti-draining and scarification to fairways. Objective Measurements (No cut on the day) Measurement Average Target Range Soil Moisture (%) 35.5 % (range %) 15-30% Hardness (Gravities) 102 Gravities (range g) g Smoothness (mm/m) 35 mm/m <25 mm/m Trueness (mm/m) 10 mm/m <10 mm/m Green Speed 8 ft 2 in ft Organic Matter 0-20 mm (%) 7 % 4-6% Organic Matter mm (%) 7.2 % <4% Soil ph Phosphate (P2O 5) 6 mg/l >10 (mg/l) Potassium (K 2O) 60 mg/l >30 mg/l Key: In Target Marginal Variance Out of Target

3 Photo Observations and Comments Figure 1: The putting surfaces have been slow to get going through what has been a cold, dry spring. This has notably held back grass growth and led to a reliance on cold irrigation input earlier than normal. Figure 2: Differential growth between bentgrasses and annual meadowgrass biotypes is very apparent, along with the start of seedhead activity. This is leading to uneven surfaces and poor ball roll smoothness. Figure 3: The surfaces support relatively patchy populations of bentgrass which have been more productive through spring. Leaf texture on this species is relatively coarse at present and needs refining to optimise ball roll quality. Figure 4: The autumn presented some of the highest disease pressure for a number of years and the greens suffered a notable fusarium attack and the cold spring has led to slow recovery of scars. Leatherjacket grubs were also noted beneath the greens which are compounding scarring issues. Figure 5: Increasing bentgrass populations and creating a better blend between the component grasses should be a key longer-term goal. This will deliver improved year-round performance and resiliency. Turf at the front-right of the 14 th demonstrates an ideal bent dominant blend. Figure 6: The soil profiles beneath the greens show a considerable amount of layering through the upper 100mm, which highlights a need to be more consistent with sand delivery to the greens through the course of the year.

4 Photo Observations and Comments (continued) Figure 7: The soils at depth are fine textured and prone to natural compaction. Applying sufficient levels of aeration is essential. The 11 th green profile (pictured) was particularly tight. A mid-season Air2G2 treatment would be beneficial. Figure 8: Pipe drainage is essential to bypass these poorer underlying soils and I was pleased to see that the Club have made some real progress with this over recent years. The winter performance of the recently drained 10 th is reported to have transformed. Figure 9: It is imperative that the remaining greens are pipe drained as a matter of priority over the coming years. Plans to drain the 14 th and 15 th greens this winter are fully supported. Figure 10: Laboratory testing results highlighted that organic matter levels beneath the greens are too high. Notice from the picture how this is retaining excess water at the turf base. This will cause the surfaces to soften excessively and be an ideal environment for disease development. Reducing organic matter levels is a key agronomic objective. Figure 11: Clumpy ryegrass populations detract from aesthetics and present inconsistent lies and performance around the greens. Figure 12: The fairways were well grassed and generally fine textured. Introducing scarification and verti-draining in the future would be of real benefit.

5 Recommendations Greens Maintain cutting heights at 4mm at present, reducing down to mm if required over the coming weeks as growth strengthens. The aim should be to manage the greens no lower than 3.5mm through the season. Use the cutting height prism on a regular basis moving forward to inform the actual height of cut on the turf. There can often be a notable difference between the bench set height and the actual height depending on turf conditions and mower setting. The same person should be responsible for prism checks. Verticut the greens with immediate effect at -1mm below the cutting height. Follow this up with a light sanding application to smooth out surface indentations. Use the drag mat rather than the brush on this occasion to smooth the surfaces. Repeat this process over the next 2 4 weeks as required until surface levels and leaf texture are suitable. I would suggest that the greens will need at least 2 3 dressings through this time to perfect ball roll. Apply C-Complex 4:3:4 at a rate of 30g/m 2 as soon as the above operations are complete. Initiate regular grooming to the greens from now on, with the groomers set so that the faintest of lines can be seen on the tops of undulations. Grooming is very much a feel operation and should be adjusted in accordance with turf health, growth habit and sand inputs. During stronger periods of growth and seedhead activity, I would suggest that light grooming is applied on 2 3 occasions per week. Applying enough aeration the greens is absolutely essential to aid rooting, water movement and aerobic activity in the soil. With this in mind, it is crucial that frequent micro solid tining is carried out to varying depths through the profile on a 4 5 week basis through the season. Using 6 8mm needle tines will have very little impact on play but will achieve our agronomic goals. Look to increase the frequency of application to every 3-4 weeks through late summer/early autumn when anthracnose is often more problematic. Deeper aeration work can be mostly addressed through the autumn (which we can discuss in my next visit) but if funds allow, it would be beneficial to air inject the greens with the Air2G2 in mid-summer to avoid excessive hardness and help preventatively manage anthracnose. Sustain light sand applications to the greens throughout the growing season to dilute organic matter as it accumulates. This is essential. Creating a sandier, drier upper profile will retain better firmness through winter and will also aid botanical improvement by favouring bentgrass populations. The aim should be to apply a minimum total of 120 tonnes/ha this year. The greens renovation week in late summer should focus on reducing organic matter levels. Given that organic matter is high through the top 60mm (see appendix), I would recommend that a combination of verticutting and hollow tining is applied to help physically remove some organic material to depth. Firstly, double verticut the greens at acute angles (-2mm setting) before hollow tining using 12mm diameter tines to a depth of 80mm and at a tight tine spacing of 50x50mm. Following removal of the cores, the tine holes should then be fully-filled with sand. A further application of the C-Complex 4:3:4 feed would be ideal after the renovations to help speed up recovery of the surfaces. Moisture management is a fundamental part of managing good greens. Both under or overwatering will be detrimental to the agronomic condition and performance of the surfaces. Our aim should be to manage the greens at 20 30% moisture wherever possible through the year and I would strongly suggest that you invest in a decent moisture probe to help accurately assess moisture levels. This will then inform irrigation requirements and ensure that appropriate levels of water are being applied to the greens. Moisture testing during the visit highlighted some notable inconsistency in moisture across the greens

6 (depending on drainage) (see appendix) and so inevitably some areas will need more water than others. A moisture probe will help identify this. Please visit or for more information. Improving the botanical composition of the greens through increasing fine-leafed browntop bentgrass populations is a key objective in the future but organic matter levels need reducing and pipe drainage completing before we can make real progress and warrant investment in seed. The soils at depth beneath the greens are of poor quality and are not conducive to good drainage performance. Ongoing pipe drainage is essential to help improve the year-round performance of the surfaces. The recently drained 10 th green has seen a marked improvement since being drained, which further highlights the positive benefit of this investment. Plans to pipe drain the 14 th and 15 th greens this year are fully supported. These should be drained as before but with 2m lateral spacings and channels being backfilled with a 6 8mm diameter gravel and either a 60:40 or 70:30 sand:soil mix being used on top. Do not go with pure sand as before. This will drain well but will struggle to retain grass cover under drier summer conditions. Ensuring that the gravel and rootzone bridge correctly is fundamental to ensure that the drains sustain their integrity for years to come. This should be informed by laboratory analysis and I would be happy to help with this process. I have attached a pipe drainage leaflet to the appendix of this report for your interest. The fertiliser programme is now to focus on light liquid feeding through the summer on a 3 4 week basis (supplying 2 8kg/ha of N). Adjust nitrogen rates with each application according to growth and turf health and keep a close record of this. Our aim should be to keep annual nitrogen inputs at around the 85 95kg/ha mark this year. Chemical analysis results showed that soil phosphate levels are lower than ideal and need supplementing. The two 4:3:4 feeds mentioned above will be ideal for achieving this. Potassium levels were adequate and very consistent between the greens. There is no need to supplement potassium until autumn at the earliest. Soil ph was also very consistent and at an ideal average of ph 5.1. We discussed the current spraying methods and identified that water rates are too high for liquid feeding (approximately 600 litres of water to 0.6 hectares of greens which equals around 1000l/ha). Such high water rates will mean that much of the product is washed into the soil during application, therefore bypassing the grass plant. This will result in a reduced effect from applied fungicides and no foliar uptake during liquid feeding. Working on a hectare basis we should look to lower liquid feeding water rates down to l/ha. Fungicide water rates will vary depending on the product being applied and target disease. I have attached a leaflet on sprayer calibration to the appendix of the report for your interest and to help with future calibration. The new sprayer will be a fantastic addition and greatly improve the accuracy and efficiency of spray operations. I would highly recommend that you closely explore the different nozzle options so that you are using the correct nozzle for each operation. Liquid feeds, fungicides and wetting agents are all likely to require different sized nozzles. Green Collars, Surrounds and Approaches The collars and approaches were generally well grassed but were rather coarse in texture where clumpy ryegrasses were dominating. Verticut these areas over the next couple of weeks (-2mm setting) and repeat this treatment on occasion through the season during strong periods of growth or if texture becomes coarse. Look to extend greens maintenance practices into these areas wherever possible through the year e.g. aeration, sanding, light feeding. This will help achieve a higher standard of presentation and ball to turf interaction, which is important for the running approach shot and when playing around the greens.

7 Fairways I would highly recommend that the fairways are verti-drained on an annual basis moving forward to improve soil structure and drainage performance. Like the soils beneath the greens, the soils beneath the fairways are fine textured and require structural work routinely to enable them to perform suitably. The optimum time for this treatment is often early autumn prior to soils becoming too wet. There is a notable build-up of thatch at the base of turf on the fairways and this is something that needs addressing moving forward. This will retain excess water and cause the surfaces to soften (when wet). Tree Management There is a great deal of tree management work across the course to improve aesthetics and improve the growing environment around the playing surfaces. In particular, it is the removal of leylandii populations that is required. The Club have already started work on this but other areas I would suggest for work are as follows: o Removal/thinning of leylandiis behind the 1 st green (see image taken below) this would vastly increase airflow and sunlight to the putting surface but also expose the views behind. There are some strong silver birches in amongst the leylandii s which could be retained and allowed to flourish. o Reduce the height of leylandii s behind the 3 rd tee These are important from a protection point of view but are currently too high and are impacting turf quality at the back of the tee. o Removal of Leylandii s behind the 2 nd & 17 th greens These present a poor backdrop to two interesting green complexes. Some replanting with pines could be considered. o Thinning of silver birch trees to right of the 2 nd green The woodland to the right of the green is rather congested and encroaching close to the green. Some tree thinning in this area would help air circulation and light levels. o Removal of leylandii plantation behind the 14 th green This notably hinders winter sunlight to the green (see picture below) and presents a poor visual backdrop to the green. The natural undulations in this area are an interesting feature and some careful replanting with indigenous species would create a more natural backdrop.

8 Image taken using the SunSeeker app showing the leylandii s behind the 14 th green. The blue line shows the path of the sun in this area during late December. Notice how the trees block sunlight reaching the green for all but 1 hour of the day. This will have a real impact on turf quality and strength through the winter period and will also reduce the natural drying of the surface. SunSeeker image taken on the 1 st green. Note a similar story, with the leylandii s blocking sunlight to the surface throughout the day in December. This green therefore sits in shade and is therefore more susceptible to disease activity and prolonged frosting during the winter.

9 Signed Adam Newton BSc (Hons), MBPR, FQA Regional Turfgrass Agronomist Official Agronomist to the R&A Championship Committee t. +44 (0) e. 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.

10 Objective Data STRI Programme Measurement Protocols By taking measurements of the playing qualities we can accurately describe the standards being set and also compare the results against our target performance levels. Essentially, our aim is to produce a set of greens that receive approach shots correctly then provide smooth/true and well-paced surfaces for putting. It is important that the greens are performing consistently on any given day and as well as possible throughout the year. Soil Moisture Content The soil moisture content is measured using a Theta Probe Moisture Meter. Nine points are sampled on each green (3 x 3 grid pattern) and the average calculated. The Theta Probe measures volumetric water content (VWC) through the upper 60mm of the soil profile. The moisture content of the soil profile has a significant impact on the playing qualities of the greens and also the health of the turf. When the soil moisture content is too high, the surfaces can become soft and the turf health can also suffer. When the soil moisture content is too low the consistency and uniformity of the turf can become compromised. Surface Firmness/Hardness The firmness of the greens is measured using the Clegg Impact Hammer. A 9-point sampling grid was employed to allow us to calculate an average hardness reading for each green and also determine the level of consistency within the 9 readings. Green Speed The speed of the greens is measured using a Stimpmeter. The speed is expressed as the average distance rolled by 3 golf balls that are delivered from the Stimpmeter ramp on a flat area of the green and repeated in the opposite direction. The greater the distance the faster the surface is deemed to be. At least two readings are taken from each green then the results were calculated using the Brede equation to take out any slope effects. Smoothness/Trueness The smoothness and trueness of the selected greens is measured using the Trueness Meter. This device measures the smoothness (vertical deviation) and trueness (lateral deviation) of the putting surfaces with the level of deviation being expressed in millimeters per meter (mm/m). With these results, lower readings indicate a smoother or truer surface. Our aim when maintaining the greens is to produce surfaces that are smooth and true for putting for as long as possible throughout the year. We are aiming to create smooth and true surfaces for putting that do not deflect the ball from its intended path ( snaking ) or kill its momentum ( bobbling and chattering ). During the main playing season, our target range for smoothness is <25 mm/m of vertical deviation and for trueness <10 mm/m of lateral deflection. The lower end of these target ranges represents fantastic putting surfaces with the higher end providing really good standards for routine play. These target ranges are very challenging but we are striving to achieve the highest standards of play.

11 Objective Data Graph 1: Soil moisture levels were on the cusp of target ranges on the 10 th and 11 th greens but considerably higher on the 18 th green where surface ponding and water retention was apparent through the back section. Recent rainfall has now sufficiently rewet soils following the dry spell of weather. Careful irrigation management is now required through the summer with the aim to keep moisture within the ideal 20 30% range. Purchasing a soil moisture probe would be extremely beneficial for this. Objective Data Graph 2: Soil moisture was rather variable across both the 11 th and 18 th greens. This was mostly down to wet sections through the back of the 18 th and back-left of the 11 th. Interestingly, moisture content was far more consistent across the recently drained 10 th green highlighting the positive influence of pipe drainage.

12 Objective Data (continued) Objective Data Graph 3: Surface firmness levels were good and within target ranges on all 3 greens. The 11 th green presented the firmest values and I would suggest this is due to the underlying soils being notably tight and compact. The back of the 18 th presented much softer values than the rest of the green. Drainage and surface sealing is clearly an issue here. Objective Data Graph 4: The smoothness of ball roll is currently being impacted by differential growth, seedhead activity and the aftermath of autumn scarring. Values were very consistent between the 3 greens, highlighting that the same maintenance approach is required to all greens over the coming weeks. Sanding, refinement and feeding will improve smoothness levels considerably.

13 Objective Data (continued) Objective Data Graph 5: Trueness values were generally acceptable but could be improved. The 11 th green showed the best level of trueness. This coincides with the fact that it supports the best botanical blend of the 3 greens. Trueness is linked to leaf texture and so accelerating refinement inputs will see trueness improve. Objective Data Graph 6: The greens were running a little slower than ideal but much of this was down to heavy rainfall on the day. Given the notable undulations and small size of the greens, I would consider routine speeds of around 9ft as ideal.

14 Soils Laboratory Data ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT 0-20MM LOSS ON IGNITION (%) Target Range /05/2017 MONITORING PERIOD Soils Laboratory Graph 1: Organic matter content in the top 20mm of the profile is too high on the 11 th and 18 th greens but within target range on the 10 th. Clearly the pipe drainage installation on the 10 th has made all the difference. 9 ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT 20-40MM 8 7 LOSS ON IGNITION (%) Target Range /05/2017 MONITORING PERIOD Soils Laboratory Graph 2: Values at 20 40mm are excessive on all 3 indicator greens and much higher than ideal target ranges. Reducing these values considerably, is a key objective.

15 Soils Laboratory Data (continued) 8 ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT 40-60MM 7 6 LOSS ON IGNITION (%) Target Range /05/2017 MONITORING PERIOD Soils Laboratory Graph 3: Values are also too high at this depth, particularly on the 11 th. 6 ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT 60-80MM 5 LOSS ON IGNITION (%) Target Range /05/2017 MONITORING PERIOD Soils Laboratory Graph 4: At 60 80mm depth, organic matter is much more favourable and within target ranges. In summary, organic matter content is too high throughout the top 60mm on all greens and our key focus must be on reducing this accumulation. Hollow tining and sanding renovation, coupled with routine light sanding through the season is essential, along with ongoing pipe drainage installation.

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