Technical
Within days the green had a green tinge
But, as we headed into the final period, we wanted to control growth so that the green would be suitable for play. A lean, mean sward was needed!
With this in mind, we ceased granular
applications, but increased the foliar applications to weekly. We wanted to really control the growth in the final stages. Interestingly, at this stage, we included the growth suppressant trinexapac-ethyl with the programme, but quickly removed it as it seemed to knock back the top growth slightly. Heavy hand dressings were replaced with
lighter, more frequent ones. We found that using a drop spreader with kiln-dried sand in 25 kilo bags worked very well. 150 kilos per application was a perfect spread for us and was applied three times a week. Cutting regimes also increased and the
height of cut came down from 6mm in week one to 3mm by week ten. We had to be careful, as the green design is very undulating to give it some character and challenge needed for a chipping green. With the interesting slopes on the green, we found the Flex 21 with floating heads worked very well. Finally, the irrigation was reduced
dramatically. From approximately 10mm a day of water in week one, we were down to 1 or 2mm at night if our moisture meter said it was required. We set the volumetric water content at 20% for this green (10% lower than our clay based ones). Anything under would require an application of water through the sprinkler system.
Wes at work giving the green a heavy dressing As we headed in to the final phase,
everything looked great and the green was performing to the required standard.
Conclusion
From the first conversation with the Course Director in April to the finished product in September, everything worked out really well on this green. Everyone involved put in a huge effort. The Poa cores had a slow start but, once they got going, their performance far exceeded my expectations. The original plan was for the green to open
for play in September and October, but shut for the winter to give it a rest and allow maturity. However, as we headed into November, it looked great and we have kept it open all winter so far. With the area being very shady, I don’t think there is any other grass that could handle this sort of intensity and pressure. Creating a top quality green or adding to an
existing green is always hard. For each situation, many factors will dictate what goes down. I feel that this method has a place and, if you require an instant Poa surface, laying down cores is certainly an option. The great thing is that it’s cheap as no turf or seed is required and, if you give it some fuel (feed and water), it will be off and running.
Greg Evans MG is Course Manager at Ealing Golf Club and runs an Agronomy business, advising clubs across the UK and Ireland. He can be contacted via his website
www.gregevansmg.com or by phone on 07951 157208
If you require an instant Poa surface, laying down cores is certainly an option. The great thing is that it’s cheap as no turf or seed is required and, if you give it some fuel (feed and water), it will be off and running
” Putting surface after six weeks Opening day, just ten weeks after construction began PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 I 113
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