COURSE MAINTENENCE
we are committed to improving our golf course
In 2018 we changed our club constitution and introduced a trustee management structure. At the same time we committed to a significant improvement programme which had the golf course at the centre of the plan. We began by bringing in sub-contractors to add drainage to our greens. All but one of our greens now have capillary drainage and this ensures that we have less temporary greens and that our groundsmen can carry out essential maintenance when needed.
Fairway Mowing
Our new fairway mower arrived in April 2019. The cutting units are much narrower which will allow us to cut deeper into our bumpy fairways. The machine is a top spec John Deere 7700A with rear powered brushes. The cutting heads are 22″ wide with spiral front rollers.
After the summer drought in 2018 we twice re-seeded our fairways in 2019 and we expect to have lush fairways in time for the 2020 season.
greens drainage
In all but one of our greens we have installed a greens drainage system based on Passive Capillary action. The system uses drainage pipes that are ‘ploughed’ into the soil. There is minimal disruption to the green and in some cases the green is usable just days after the installation.
With considerable help from volunteer members, the work was carried out by contractor D.Jukes Ltd. The new drainage system has meant that our greens are still usable after significant rainfall and our groundsmen can now carry out maintenance tasks when they are required, rather than having to wait for the green to dry out first.
greens roller
In March 2019 we purchased a set of vibratory greens rolllers from GreenTec. These have proven to substantially improve the quality of putting surfaces. They help to create smooth greens and fast green speeds whilst enabling the turf to be mown at a higher height of cut.
We use the vibratory roller to help fill the aeration holes with top dressing and to smooth the greens after verti-draining. We have seen a noticeable improvement in greens speed and smoothness since purchasing the equipment.
