the competition did aid recovery. We verti-cut fortnightly to
keep the sward standing up. Marking out a court can take up to an hour, we always use string lines, using the 50mm transfer wheel marker for the tramlines and the 100mm one for the base lines. We have recently changed paints to a Pitchmarker B plus, it’s excellent, not only is it brighter than anything we have used before but is also rain fast.
In addition to the grass courts the team look after 27 Plexipave (8 indoor, 19 outdoor) non-porous courts. It is important to keep them clean and free from algae and moss problems. We power wash them usually twice a year, with a regular daily, or as required, brushing to remove surface debris. We are very happy with the way things are going. However, on my wish list, I would like to get more inflatable court covers to add to the three we already have. They have been a godsend, once they are up we can continue with our regular maintenance regimes underneath them. With flat sheets we are constantly having to put them up and down, and they encourage turf grass diseases when left on too long. I have three full time staff to help me, Dan Dixon, who has been at the club for about fifteen months now and previously worked with me at Nottingham University, Ryan Middleton and Clive Holmes who have each been at the club for around ten years. They are a great team of dedicated groundstaff who work long hours to produce the quality playing surfaces that the players are now acknowledging as the best they have played on for many years.
I firmly believe it is important to have a good rapport with the end users, i.e. the players. We need to find out how the courts are performing and what they expect from them. We carry out a number of tests, ball bounce, Clegg hammer and also have the STRI in to monitor the performance and condition of our courts. It is very rewarding when all the hard work and endeavour is recognised by the users, and that the courts look and perform well.
Dan Dixon with the GreenMech VertiCutter
Toro irrigation system at work
“Greens are constructed using exactly the same loam and grass as Wimbledon”
The Ecosol Aero-fil System
PROVIDING STATE-OF-THE-ART AERATION AND DRAINAGE
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• Drill, extract and backfill all in one action! • Improve infiltration, percolation and gas exchange up to 18" deep.
• Bypass wet, spongy upper areas into freer draining, more structured soil beneath greens, tees and fairways.
ALL THIS WITH NO DISRUPTION TO PLAY!
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info@ecosolve.co.uk
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