Golf
“We have an annual
Some parts of the course have been crafted into woodland areas
fescue/15% bent greens. We use either 50mm plugs, hole changing 138mm plugs or, occasionally, the Turf Doctor hexagonal cores to remove unwanted species. On average, we have cored (from our own turf nursery green) 4,000 per annum (200 plugs per green x 20 greens), and this has significantly helped to maintain the quality of the sward.” “I do believe that the quality of cut has a big impact as well. We use Toro mowers for all areas of the course (see What’s In The Shed for full list of major equipment), although one of my favourite pieces of equipment has to be my tractor mounted Agrimetal 3500 leaf blower. It has saved so much labour when it comes to blowing leaves from fairways and rough areas. It’s also great for blowing debris and worm casts from fine turf areas, and significantly reduces the time taken to blow the drive which leads from the entrance gate-house to the golf clubhouse.”
“Unfortunately, no new purchases have been made, but a recent capital expenditure ‘wish list’ includes grinders, Toro electric utility buggies (silent running instead of our petrol versions), greens rollers, for increased speed and trueness of surface, and large area rotary mowers for the extensive lawns around the estate.”
“It is our intention to offer play 365 days of the year. The drainage system installed during construction (three years ago) is extremely robust. Local wet areas are quickly tackled by my team, simply by ‘tagging’ pipework into the existing system.”
“With the golf course covering nearly every square inch of the estate, some parts have been crafted into woodland areas, giving rise to air flow and light issues. Along with our own chainsaw operatives, we employ a tree surgeon to help us with the woodland management programme of thinning selected areas. This has helped minimise disruption, and has considerably helped the fine turf areas growing in very shaded areas.” “As you can imagine, with such a massive estate, my team of ten is stretched considerably during the busy summer months, so we supplement them with seasonal workers; two for the golf course and two for the estate. Drainage, air flow, shade, lack of resources, staff, machinery can always pose problems, but our job is to overcome them and present the course in the best possible condition all year round.”
“I’m a strong believer in ongoing education and networking. As a team, we attend the BTME Harrogate trade show but, unfortunately, due to the busy
programme of physically removing any weed grass which has crept in”
nature of the estate workload, are only able to do so in alternate years. When there, we take full advantage of the free training and lectures available. For us, though, based in Oxfordshire, it would be more convenient for it to be located more centrally.”
“There have been major improvements in training, pay and greenkeeper status in the twenty years since I first embarked on my career, but I would like to see continued advancement in these areas for future generations of greenkeepers, thereby making it a more attractive career choice. It’s important that everybody works together to achieve this.”
With the formalities out of the way, Phil took me out on the course to get a true picture of the work he and his team are undertaking.
Our first port of call was the unique circular bowling green, which has remained unchanged since its construction in 1715, and the two croquet lawns at rear of the magnificent hall. “I’m planning to start the renovations this summer,” said Phil, “removing unwanted thatch, reseeding and topdressing to restore levels. They will then become part of the annual programme of work carried out on the greens. Once they have recovered and
View from the tees
Water is a major feature of the course JUNE/JULY 2012 PC 19
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