potential increase in cost for winter mowing and maintenance.
The following diary notes
make interesting reading: Diary date 10th January 2007: Daytime temperatures forecasted to be up around 13 degrees Centigrade in the south of England (which coincidentally is the same as Portugal) and there is concern at a local golf club about when to send the mowers away for winter servicing because the grass is still growing.
Diary date 31st January 2007: As I stepped out on to a golf course in the Midlands, most of the golf course had been mown (due to necessity), and was well presented. The fairways were striped,
greens were striped, tees were striped - a far cry from my early days as a Greenkeeper when the mowers hardly came out to work until March.
In light of a promising 10- day weather forecast, it was agreed to schedule work so as to present the golf courses in tip top condition in accordance with the actual weather this year, rather than the calendar. Various presentation jobs would therefore be carried out two to four weeks ahead of last year’s programme.
Diary date 5th February 2007: I visited a top class Pay & Play course to see how the A4 Creeping Bentgrass greens were performing. It was a sunny day, albeit there was a cold nip in the air (3 degrees). Overnight frost had lifted by 9.00am on all open areas of the course. The greens were firm and putting was true and fast. The Course Manager told me that he was mowing the greens at a bench setting height below 3mm and the green speeds were between 9 and 10 feet.
affects of unmanaged wear and tear from traffic. But, more and more clubs have addressed these issues by investing in drainage schemes, tree clearance work, trolley paths, and reconstruction to enable the courses to remain open and playable throughout the year. Greenkeeping practices are also improving the duration of the playing season by using improved modern aeration techniques, more frequent and regular top dressings, and the improvement of drainage
systems, in order to achieve their goal of all year round golf on free draining surfaces.
Whether you take global warming seriously or not, it is clear to see that weather patterns have significantly changed in much of the UK to the point where it is possible to offer well presented courses much earlier in the year than was the norm a relatively short time ago. With this comes a new set of issues to deal with, such as when to book up for machinery services and the
Is this an indication of what will be expected as the norm in 5-10 years time? (Albeit that the budget required for a high level of maintenance for A4 is not affordable for the majority of U.K. courses). Maybe it won’t be the norm, but it will be difficult to argue that the Augusta Syndrome relates solely to weather in the U.S.A. when we have clubs managing to achieve similar standards in the London area.
And that’s not to mention many of the well drained
links, heathland and
downland courses in the U.K. where all-year-round play is achieved. Are maintenance costs set to rise here too, as standards of daily presentation increase? What other extraordinary situations might we expect in the future on British golf courses? If we are to believe the ‘facts’ we are told about climate change, an Apprentice Greenkeeper starting in the industry today could well see a some massive changes on UK golf courses in his or her lifetime. How much hope do we hold out for low-lying golf courses in East Anglia or in the Thames flood plane, that may be underwater in 50 years time as tides continue to rise and the South of England keeps sinking? Will the Thames Barrier be able to hold back the tidal waters from the courses in Central London, or is there a chance they could go the same way as New Orleans? And how many links golf courses will suffer from serious coastal erosion problems? So what of the Augusta
Syndrome? Is it already a thing of the past? If this year is anything to go by then the answer is Yes, particularly in the South of England. We are now able to achieve those presentational standards on golf courses, which meet our golfers expectations and keep the vast majority of the paying members and visitors happy. Giving golfers what they want (in terms of good presentation) is a key requirement at every golf course in this day and age.
Two simple tips for improving presentation in Winter
Hole changing, and bunker presentation.
Hole changing is one area in need of attention on the vast majority of golf courses, especially where more than one person is changing holes on the same course. It is not good to find hole changing plugs that have been scalped or are highly visible because they are too high or too low. If this is the case, then extra training is needed to ensure this becomes a thing of the past.
Bunker Maintenance
A simple tip for bunkers is to reap the benefits of getting 43
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