soil encourages heathland habitats with plantations of Heather (Erica) and Hairbell (Campanula rotundifolia) happily thriving.
Craig is keen on improving
presentation to show the course in its best light, along with delivering consistent putting surfaces. Since his arrival he has added approaches to the greens. The greens themselves are hand mown through the winter months to reduce compaction and then vibrating rollers which helps reduce the pressure to cut them too low. Craig has also introduced new verticutting and feeding regimes along with tweaking the topdressing and overseeding programmes, resulting in a little and often approach to managing the course.
Mowing regimes
Greens are cut at 6mm in the winter, 4mm in the summer and 3mm for tournaments. Toro 3250D Greensmaster triples are used during the growing season and Dennis pedestrians at other times. Tees and approaches are cut at 12mm, all year round, fairways at 17mm all year round and semi rough at 50mm. A number of permanent rough grass
areas are cut, scarified and collected to improve sward quality to encourage the finer bents and fescues to establish. The cut and collect operations are undertaken in August and, if required, a follow up cut is undertaken in March.
Aeration
In spring, the greens are vertidrained, lightly topdressed with a 70/30 sand/soil mix. applying around thirty tonnes. In the autumn they are hollow cored and gradened to a depth of 25mm and topdressed with a 70/30 soil/sand mix, a total of thirty tonnes applied. They are then oversown with 100kg of pure bent grasses per year. A programme of slitting is carried out on the greens in between spring and autumn renovations, with further applications of topdressing. Craig applies around one hundred tonnes of topdressing to the greens each year. Tees are renovated twice a year - spring and autumn - using the graden and overseeded with dwarf rye grasses. They are also slit aerated at various times throughout the year. Fairways are scarified in spring and autumn, with a slitting programme
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carried out when conditions allow. Last year, Craig introduced veridraining of the fairways.
Fertiliser
Fertiliser programmes are kept fairly simple. Greens get a dose of spring NPK 7:0:14. followed by summer applications of either NPK 15:0:6 or 12:0:9 and, finally, an autumn feed of NPK 2:0:10+8%fe. Total N application in 2008 was 96.5 units (kg), which had reduced to 67 units (kg) in 2009. The aim is to increase the finer grasses
and reduce poa populations by controlling the feeding. A number of seaweed applications are applied to help balance the feeding regimes. Wetting agents (h2pro) are used on a monthly basis.
Pests and disease
Pest and disease controls are down to the extent of the problem and how quick early symptoms are recognised. Fusarium was a significant problem on
the greens in the past, due to high thatch content present some years ago. The combination of increased aeration, scarification and verticuting has reduced the need to spray fungicides so often. Yorkshire fog is undesirable as it is pale in colour, with unsightly disfiguring patches and hairy leaves and sheaths. This species also affects the speed of the greens. Craig has adopted a regular programme of verticutting, mechanical treatment i.e slashing with a knife, positioning pins near it with the aim to thin it out and promote desirable species within the sward.
Craig has been pleased with the
progress made so far, but says that even more will be achieved over the next couple of years.
The course has also had its fair share of badger and rabbit damage, particularly when the badgers are feeding on chafer grubs.
Winter work
The proposed winter work was put on hold during the cold spell. Snow and ice kept the course closed for several weeks but, during that time, he took the opportunity to remove lower branches from trees, vertidrain the fairways for the first time and replace worn sprinklers on tees.
Craig is keen to meet the Midlands Gingerbread Men in the coming months,
as he recognises the importance of networking with his fellow greenkeepers and looking at ways of improving his course.
However, although he believes their strategies are fundamental in producing a course to the highest level, he says that it is important to remember that we are here to provide a service to our customers and, therefore, a balance is required. But, he is keen to find out more.
Craig ensures he and his staff are kept up to speed with the latest industry news by attending relevant conferences, trade shows and reading trade magazines. He considers that good relationships with sales reps is one way this can be achieved, citing John Handley of ALS and Kevin Pugh of Turner Groundscare as being very supportive since his appointment. Kevin will be pleased to hear that he is looking to purchase a new vertidrain and spinning disc topdresser in the next couple of years!
The club also employ the services of the STRI to advise on course management, with recent visits from Richard Stuttard regarding ecology and environmental issues. These have been centred on tree, gorse, bracken, heather and grassland management regimes, with the aim of improving the aesthetics and biodiversity of the natural habitats.
What’s in the shed
Two Toro 3250D Greensmasters Toro 2300 Reelmaster Toro 3100D Sidewinder Toro 6500D Reelmaster fairway machine
John Deere X740 rotary Cushman
John Deere Gator John Deere utlity 2 x Iseki tractors Greentek high lift trailer Opico scarifier Hardi sprayer Pro seeder Greentek vibrating rollers Toro verticutting units Huxley slitter 2 Stihl strimmers 3 Stihl leaf blowers 3 Allen hover mowers
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