GOLF


There is no artificial drainage in most greens and they’re all push-up greens, so the annual


meadow grass is inevitable bank towards the canal.”


“It’s stony at the back too, but that’s mixed with clay. Maybe surprisingly, the whole course drains really well, as long as the River Usk is running low.”


“When the river level rises, the lower half of the course gets a bit waterlogged, but as soon as the river drops, it dries out again very quickly. We haven’t had any flooding for four years.”


“I think we’re on our third irrigation system now. The first was installed in 1965, which was gravity-fed from the canal. Every morning, I’d open the main valve and one on each green.”


“That worked very well for the jobs we needed at the time. Because it came from so high up, through a two-inch pipe, the pressure was high and it started quickly.” “Then, when we started cutting the


greens more often in the mid-1970s, we replaced that with a Toro system, which was done on an upright controller with pins for starting times.”


“About ten years ago, we upgraded to a fully computerised Rainbird system with a weather station and the Freedom controller. It’s a massive difference to have that on your hip and walk around with full control. It’s a greens, tees and aprons


PC August/September 2018


39


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