Season Getting Closer With spring now upon us and the coring and aeration work all but completed we can now look forward to the forthcoming playing season. The weather since the turn of the year has been extremely challenging for everyone and certainly effected both course playability and the ability for us to carry out essential improvement work to the course but hopefully this is in the past now and us greenkeepers can t wait to get the course back to its usual high standards in the coming months. Coring and Aeration Work It has been a productive few weeks completing this work. We did it over a 2 week period, not by choice but due to snow and rainfall delaying the process for a couple of days each week. As you know we started coring 2 weeks later than planned but this shouldn t affect the greens conditions for the start of the first competition too much. The results weren t as good as we had hoped mainly due to the greens being damper than ideal and some of the wetter greens (2nd,15th, 16th and putting green), all the cores did not come out which has left these greens a touch unsightly and uneven (this issue will be rectified). All this work will greatly help compaction, improve drainage, turf health, soil structure and lower organic matter levels.
Following this we top dressed around 40 tonnes of sand onto the greens to replace the spongy water holding thatch we took out when coring and replacing it with free draining sand. We brushed in the sand and hopefully the rainfall we are currently experiencing will wash in the sand to highlight and core holes that need to more dressing. We will continue with light dressings over the next few weeks to completely fill all the core holes to give best results from the coring process and leave greens as smooth as possible. The greens maintenance has gone well but with the soft conditions, machine traffic and disturbance that has occurred on the greens has resulted in them being uneven and bumpy. We have rolled them very slowly which has greatly improved conditions and we will follow on from this by adding limestone (improves ph level which in turns improves nutrient uptake), apply Spring fertiliser, apply a product which is called Rocastem which helps rootzones drain better and lastly continue to lightly top dress, roll and cut to get the best possible surfaces. We are happy with how the renovations have went and are confident green surfaces will greatly improve with a bit of heat and light on them. The 2 nd and 15 th greens are slightly problematic however as they have not responded well to the aeration work we completed on them (we and hoped this would have improved the drainage). They are still a bit wet and this has resulted in them being too wet for play and with winter greens in use on these holes. The 15 th green was due to have drainage work carried out on it this winter but time restraints stopped this sadly. The 2 nd green has started to get very wet in the last 6 months which is certainly a cause for concern and we will continue to monitor this problem along with the 15 th in the future and hopefully we will be able to alleviate the problems. There has been a thorough maintenance plan put in place for the greens for the coming season which will benefit the health and playability of their surfaces and we plan to achieve this by - reducing the amounts of granular feed and replacing with liquid inputs - diluting thatch with regular aeration and light top dressing programmes - over seeding to encourage finer turfgrasses - producing healthier turf, reducing the need for chemical use - monitoring ph levels, moisture content and organic matter levels - monitoring firmness, smoothness and trueness results - encouraging a denser sward and root development - producing desired green speeds without causing too much stress to the plant
Winter Program Right of 11 th Fairway In between coring and aeration work on the days we lost to the weather, we managed to improve the right side of the 11 th fairway by removing the blackthorn bushes, whins and gorse that was encroaching on the rough and effecting play, it also looked pretty poor on the eye. The improvement has been drastic and we will continue on the other side of the mound, but this work will probably be carried out next winter unless the opportunity arises. As with similar areas we have cleared this winter, we will try to maintain this area in the future to limit the chances of it returning to its former self. Slightly different view for the 11 th tee shot 8 th Walkway Turfed Since our last update we have completed the work to improve the muddy and uneven area at the 8 th tee. We have levelled, turfed and laid rubber matting. This area is not designed to be a path but this method was used as the grass will grow through the matting eventually in time and cover it. The turf will be provided with protection from wear from the matting and we hope in the long term this method will improve this highly trafficked area which had become dangerous under foot and very unsightly.
Tee Surrounds Cleared We have continued to clear unwanted growth and vegetation in compliance with our Ecological Management Plan, and have finished areas around 1 st tee and 13 th tee. The area around 13 th tee has been improved drastically with overhanging branches being limbed back and poor growth taken away. Great results have been achieved regarding the view from the 1 st tee after taking away gorse, bushes and trees from the banking to the left which was obscuring view towards 18 th tee. We have also managed to take away some dead, unhealthy and dangerous trees around the course (the leftover stumps will be ground down by a contractor at a later date). Your first tee shot is now safer, more open and better looking
Full Course The full course will be back in play by the time you read this, as it s back in place on Thursday 29 th, just in time for the singles and doubles matchplay competitions to begin. The course will be back on the main tees but the tee mats will still be in use on some tees as the current climate is not suitable for grass growth due to the low temperatures. The rainfall and snow that has accumulated since January has left some areas of the course quite muddy and damaged, but the restrictions and fencing in place has worked well so we don t have any areas that are past the point of no return and will be able to return to its former self in time. Some ropes and fences will still be out for the time being but will be brought in as soon as possible when conditions suit and we can get the place looking like a golf course again. In preparation for the course getting back to normal we have tidied up, brushed and cut the tees and the fairways have been scarified, brushed and cut. Our newly painted markers will be in place for the grand opening and it will be a sign that the season is just around the corner, the time when every golfer has dreams of what they are going to achieve this season. This confidence drains away when they go up 0.1 in their first medal however (well that s what usually happens to me anyway). The compulsory lift and drop areas at the 1 st and 18 th have been removed so you can now play from the fairway but can I remind everyone that the blue tee markers are in use for competition play only and general play is forbidden on these tees until May 1 st. The Greenstaff The past month or so has been an exciting and rewarding period for the greenstaff with a fantastic opportunity to represent Mortonhall at a golfing major and some further educational experiences which will encourage our already passionate and knowledgeable team to achieve and produce better results. Firstly when the British Open turns up at Carnoustie in July this year, we will be represented at this great event as Grant has luckily been selected to be part of the Bigga Open Support Team. This team will be on site to assist the Carnoustie greenstaff if necessary and each member of the team will be part of the rake squad that will follow the golfers. Each group has a designated greenkeeper with them and there is a major chance you will see our Grant on the TV coverage, so keep an eye out for him. This is the third British Open we have been involved in as Craig and myself have previously worked at St. Andrews and Royal Birkdale (whatever the Mortonhall Greenstaff are doing, it certainly works as we continue to get these opportunities and it can t always be luck). This will be a great experience for Grant and the networking he will encounter with other like minded individuals will benefit himself and Mortonhall.
I have just returned from a week away in Ipswich, where I was taking part in a Future Managers course which has been developed to prepare greenkeepers who want to take the next step and into course management. It certainly wasn t a holiday as the hours were long, stressful, challenging, but extremely rewarding, eye opening and interesting. My fellow greenkeepers who were also on the course were representing golf clubs that were a who s who of British golf, such as The Belfry, Royal Troon, St. Andrews, Sunningdale and Turnberry so I feel very privileged to have been a part of this unbelievable event and the chance to meet so many knowledgeable individuals, even though at some times it certainly put me out of my comfort zone (I am quite a confident chap in general but the 25 minute mock interview I had in front of 20 people certainly gave me some more grey hairs). This initiative will certainly help me in the future and hopefully my new found experiences will help Mortonhall too. Future Turf Managers Initiative Graduates 2018 Continuing with more education news, our newest recruit Gary has started his college SVQ Level 2 Course in the last month. He will undergo training and education at Elmwood that will help him gain the skills and knowledge he needs to work through his apprenticeship with us. So far it sounds like he enjoys it and can t wait to learn more. As long as he doesn t pick up any bad habits off us he will be fine. Shaun Cunningham.