“The course is a testament to all the hard work of my staff, members and committee”


Where necessary we have removed problem trees to improve sunlight and air-flow.


As the environment improved we overseeded with Bents. Over time we saw a massive increase which made it possible to further reduce the feed and water; then the environment was right for the introduction of fescue. With the nitrogen feed down to 25kg per hectare we will apply seaweed (Porthcawl)/ iron if, and when, required. Additional applications will include granular seaweed in autumn, systemic fungicide/ worm suppressants (carbendazim) every spring & autumn and a liquid wetting agent every month between March - September. The last contact fungicide used was in December 2004.


What was your maintenance regime through 2006?


Fertiliser: We used a strictly no Phosphate, low nitrogen based fertiliser with small quantities of iron. The current product used is a combination of a granular Lawnsand in the spring, liquid sulphate of ammonia nitrogen feed in the summer and 250kg (10bags) of 4:0:0 in the early autumn. Subsequent seaweed/ iron products are used throughout the year. In 2006 we used in total 25kg N / Ha. We applied seaweed four times.


Aeration: We used pencil tines to encourage moisture penetration and the deeper rooting grasses are aerated on a


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monthly basis during the growing season. In between we carried out star slitting and brushing. This meant that summer aeration was carried out every two weeks (weather permitting) followed by a top- dressing. Due to the dry summer and heavy fixture list we were unable to solid tine during July.


Deep vertidraining with half inch tines was undertaken in spring and autumn. We alternated the depth to avoid soil panning - twelve inches in Spring and eight inches in autumn. Deep slitting was carried out every two weeks during the winter months (weather permitting)


Topdressing: We started the season with a heavier dressing in early spring to get the levels back after the winter. Then we followed with a little and often approach between the spring and autumn We used an 80/20mix -at1kg sqm (½ ton a green) every two weeks. We continued through the approaches. We use 150 ton per year. We topdressed the tees with a 70/30 rootzone on three occasions last year. Recent core samples taken clearly showed the uniformity of the dressings applied which, in turn, have improved the permeability and stability of the greens. The combination of regular dressings and aeration practices has reduced black layer and anaerobic conditions on the greens. This also contributed to firmer faster greens, a recent stimp metre test recorded green speeds of up to 9ft in November, impressive when you consider they are being maintained at 6mm.


Overseeding: We have implemented an intensive over-seeding programme with pure fescue. We used both Chewings fescue and Slender creeping red fescue and sown four times this year at 25g sq metre each time. This year we used 1000kg of fescue seed. We did an additional overseeding with pure bents in August using 5g per square metre; 50kg in total


Watering: We hand water only, concentrating on high spots and avoiding meadow grass areas.


The results of all this work can clearly be seen in the condition of the course, particularly the greens. Especially when you consider the amount of play. We have 575 male member, 125 ladies, 155 juniors and welcome over 12,000 visitors a year. This means that we have in excess of 50,000 rounds each year. The course performed exceptionally well last year and is a testament to all the hard work of my staff, members and greens committee. Producing a sustainable golf course will not always be popular with golfers. Firm, fast greens are a challenge to us all. However, I believe that it is good for the game and the overall health and longevity of the golf course. Long rough and ecological areas are a hazard, especially for those of us who are prone to the odd stray shot or two. So, the next time you land a ball in the long rough, spare a thought for the environment, and the fact that ‘you’ have just missed a well maintained target!


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