Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the
members who have supported me over the last few months. It is a great honour to
be appointed as Head Greenkeeper of Hexham Golf Club and I look forward to working
with the team to provide an enjoyable golf course for members and visitors.
I will look to bring a more contemporary approach to greenkeeping that
compliments the practices we have used previously and will also try to keep
members fully informed of the work that is carried out such as nutrient inputs,
water management, aeration procedures and other practices that go into managing
a golf course.
We have recently started taking the soil temperature of the greens
daily and as you will know it’s quite cold at the moment. This procedure is
important as in the Spring it allows us to see when the greens are emerging
from winter hibernation and which processes can be best applied.
On the course we have been busy with leaf clearing over the last
few months. We use a collector as well as a tractor mounted blower to keep the
course clean. Areas of scrub and long rough has been managed, helping aid pace
of play and making these areas look tidier. The photographs below show the work
that has been carried out but the real aim is for a longer term benefit to both
the playability of the course and ecology.
Left side of the 9th before and after
Right side of the 9th before and
after
Left side of the 15th before and
after
Other areas that have been targeted are the brambles on the left
side of the 1st and the bank at the back of the 9th tee. The scrub on this
bank was removed as this bank has the potential to be the most botanically
diverse area on the course but was being seriously affected by the growth of
the scrub. Coupled with some management of the rough we should see some
wildflower benefiting from this work in the summer.
The height of cut on the winter greens has been lowered from 9mm
to 7.5mm and they have received a treatment of iron sulphate. This will help make
the surfaces smoother. The height of cut on the main greens is up to 5.5
mm for the winter. They have been slit tined three times and weather permitting,
we will look to get three more passes in over the winter. To help prepare
the greens for different weather conditions and disease pressure two
applications of a tough turf package (iron, phosphate & potassium) have
been applied.
We are trialing a change to the winter policy over the coming
months. During the week temporary greens will be used if there is a frost until
the frost lifts when main greens may be brought back in play. At the weekend we
will leave the greens on when frosty and check what effect this has. This is a
hot topic in greenkeeping every year. Please understand that there are lots of
different frosts and variants so despite best efforts we will not always be
able to offer the main greens for play.
Finally, in my first blog as Head Greenkeeper, I would like to
thank all the staff at Hexham Golf Club, especially my team of Ashley, Tom and
Jamie who have given me great support over the last few months. I think this
has showed out on the course.
Have a great Christmas and New Year everyone.
