Golf
t’s not often you get an opportunity to reinstate a course you have worked on before, which is what makes returning to Birch Grove an even bigger privilege. It means we can put into practice all the lessons we learned from the first occasion. I think, when we talk about the course
I
here at Birch Grove, we have to remember the fact that we are currently talking about two very different 9 holes. The other major factors to consider are that the greens and tees are sand based (fendress) and the site is heavily wooded. The front 9 is currently maintained as a ‘course’, but has not received any attention, other than grass cutting and fertiliser applications for two years. This has seen the surfaces become very poor, with no root growth on the greens and very severe moss infestations on most surfaces. Of course, the back 9 is even worse, with all the areas having been silaged at the back end of last year! The renovations have taken a lot of planning, with the aim of bringing both the 9s together over the next few years.
The key for us has been to remember the mistakes from the past.
The biggest challenge with the site is that it is built in a heavily wooded valley, meaning that, for at least five months of the year, at least 75% of the greens do not see any direct sunlight and have very restricted airflow.
The planning of the renovations was
broken down into three key areas; the front 9 as one, the back 9 as another and the machinery required for both as the final area. I will start with the front 9. As I have stated, this 9 holes has not
received any maintenance, other than grass cutting, for at least two years; there has been no aeration, topdressing or seeding of any kind, whilst an occasional application of fertiliser was made, along with fungicide if necessary. The main problem, remaining from the first renovations, has been a severe moss infestation on all areas. The greens sward is a mixture of bent, fescue and dwarf rye with, luckily, very little poa annua. The key, as far as the greens were concerned, was to start a regular
programme of aeration to promote root growth, and scarification to remove mosses. The greens had responded well to some late season treatments, especially the dwarf rye and, as such, this was becoming a major part of my thinking. The tees and fairways are very much the same with, in some cases, 60-70 percent moss coverage. However, most of this is of the annual kind and, with regular scarification and overseeding, these should respond well.
The back 9 then started coming on to the radar and, having done the same work some six years ago, I know the best option would be to remove the surface of the greens with the Koro Field Topmaker, and, essentially, start again. With the fairways and rough areas, I also knew, from the experience of the last time, that the key with these areas was to remove as much of the grass as possible, and allow the seed bed which would have established, to come through. What, of course, we needed to factor in was removing and standing up the matted grasses that were stopping light and
“For at least five months of the year, at least 75% of the greens do not see any direct sunlight and have very restricted airflow”
APRIL/MAY 2012 PC 29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156