Notes from the Course Manager

David Murdoch has been keeping a diary of the work done by his team in maintaining the course.

Summer diary

It only seems like a few weeks ago we were all complaining (well, me actually) about the incredibly dry spring, worrying about how the course was going to suffer from another drought summer. Need I say any more?

From the back end of May it did nothing but rain and it has been one of the wettest summers since accurate record keeping began – some time back in the 1600s. This has played havoc with our golfing enjoyment; what has it meant for the condition of the course?

The Course

As I’ve mentioned I was concerned about the weather during April and May; however, in hindsight the dry spring was a blessing in disguise and I’ll use the fairways as an example. During this period soil temperatures begin to rise and this is when grass starts to grow. However, certain grasses require more water than others and this is where the weather was to our benefit. While the fine fescues and bents thrived and sent their roots searching deeper for moisture, the annual meadow grass [amg] struggled, became sickly and stressed and set its seed early in order to try and survive. This in turn allowed the finer grasses to become more dominant. By the time the wet weather arrived it was the finer grasses that benefited.

At the moment the fairways are greener and fuller than I’ve ever seen them at this time of the year. However, while it’s nice to see better grass coverage we should not be striving for green, striped fairways during the course of a normal hot, dry summer. This is a heathland course and as such the fairways should be dry, hard and fast, certainly during the summer months.

Even if we had fairway irrigation we should not be using it to create “green” conditions but merely to keep the fine turf alive (before it reaches permanent wilting point) and to starve out the amg. In the event of drought conditions, water would be used primarily at the back end of the summer to ensure seed germination and recovery before the onset of the winter months, thus eliminating the vicious cycle of drought – bare patches – moss – weeds – amg colonisation – and then back to drought again.

Many thanks to the members, again, for their patience, during our greens aeration week in August. This is not an ideal situation at a particularly good golfing time of the year but it is vitally important that we do the work in order to ensure that we have good, well-recovered and durable greens leading in to the winter months and for the following season ahead. This is now the seventh year that we’ve done the work in August and it’s interesting to see how many other Clubs have since followed suit.

One downside to the wet summer is the effect that it has had on the rough; while the heather has looked pleasing to the eye, it has also been severe and punishing. I’m more concerned about the amount of grass amongst it - this is not ideal and something that we would like to try and rectify. For this reason, heathland management plays a significant part in the 5 year plan.

Bunkers will also feature significantly in the 5 year plan. This year we have had a lot of problems trying to maintain consistency due to continuous washouts during June and July. Severe washouts cause silt and stones from bunker bottoms and edges to be washed amongst the sand, as well as causing inconsistent depth of sand. We shall be looking for ways to remedy this as well as making modifications to certain bunkers in order that they are more in keeping with this type of course.

We have a busy winter ahead of us, with routine course maintenance and work from the 5 year plan, let’s hope all the rain has fallen during the summer and that we get a nice, dry winter!!

Finally …

Alistair Macdonald driving the new Toro Workman sprayer.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my green staff for their continued hard work, commitment and endeavour, but I would like to single out one of them for a special mention. Alistair Macdonald has worked for the Club for more than 11 years now. I first employed him as an apprentice back in 1996 (we pinched him from Old Thorns) and he has since worked his way through the ranks to become my Deputy. I’ve worked with many different people since I was sixteen on a total of four golf courses and during that time I’ve never met anyone as honest, committed, hard working and adaptable to change as Alistair. Anyway, well done Al, keep up the good work.

I Alistair Macdonald driving the new Toro Workman sprayer.

Editor’s note. Alistair is also a registered first-aider and I, for one, was more than grateful, following a fall beside the 7th green which broke my leg, to see Alistair arrive, complete with blankets, to wrap and cheer me up whilst waiting for an ambulance to ship me off to hospital.

Winter diary

The weather is the big issue at the moment. We experienced the driest, warmest April (the warm part is fine) since records began way back in 1659; this along with cold evenings and mornings didn’t do too much to encourage spring growth. In total we had 4.5mm of rainfall during April, all of which fell in a one hour spell during the afternoon of Monday 16th. The course conditions at the moment are more akin to July than early May. However, things did change and we had 66mm of rain between the 8th and 17th May (it never rains but it pours). The forecast for June is more dry, hot weather.

It is a stark contrast to late autumn and early winter.

The course was very wet on a number of occasions. However, we only closed once due to wet conditions and never used temporary greens during frosty or wet conditions. Fog and snow played the biggest part in course closures; we lost four days due to snow and two full days to fog, with the course being closed in the morning, until the fog lifted, on a handful of other occasions.

Winter Programme

We carried out an extensive programme of work during the winter months, details of which were on the noticeboard. Some of the work was hampered by the wet weather; however, we completed most of the programme, the exception being that we didn’t get around to thinning the trees along the right hand side of the 12th hole.

The main items were the drainage projects on the 11th and 12th greens and the woodland management work in the area between the 8th, 13th and 14th holes. We had some wet weather to test the newly installed drains on both greens and there were some teething problems, namely, puddles on the greens following heavy rain. However, those problems were quickly rectified by digging out the low areas and installing more drainage to connect into the main drain lines. The type of drainage that we have installed speeds up percolation and removes water more quickly from the surface thus improving the playability in keeping with the rest of the course, it is also between 10% and 15% of the cost of ripping up and starting again.

In addition to the above tasks the course was also regularly cleared of leaves, very laborious and time-consuming but, as we are a heathland course with a big population of deciduous trees, then needs must. All areas of heather were trimmed and had seed and brashings collected. The seed and brashings have been used on the cleared areas at 11th and 8th/13th/14th. The ditches/streams around the course were strimmed and cleaned out. Insecticide was applied in order to combat leatherjacket damage; the fairways were verti-drained (deep tined), selected worn areas were re-turfed as well as carrying out the many miscellaneous day to day tasks.

Recently we have aerated and top dressed the greens, the tees have been hollow cored, scarified and comprehensively divoted, some have had an application of charcoal, which not only adds carbon but also improves the porosity and soil structure, others have had and application of humus in order to give them a bit more body. Some of the tees were in quite poor condition prior to this work and moss had become a problem. This highlights the importance of regular aeration and the tees had been a bit neglected in this department.

As I’ve mentioned we didn’t have many closures during the winter months. In order that members could enjoy unrestricted golf we had no trolley bans and only two days when buggies weren’t allowed on the course; this meant there was no respite from the constant wear and tear at a time when there is no growth for recovery –. This is why we rely on having a wet, warm spring in order that we can aid the recovery from the winter wear and tear.

Happy golfing summer to all.

David Murdoch

Summer diary (2006)

Now that summer is here, attention will be diverted from getting rid of moss to trying to keep grass alive during this period of hot weather. The June was very hot and dry following over 4 inches of rain during May. It goes from one extreme to the other - I don’t think that I’ll ever be content with the weather. Anyway, my main topic today is grass – grass that we want to get rid of.

The Course

The Course is now beginning to play quite fast and everything is growing like mad (particularly where we don’t want it to grow). I like it when the Course starts to firm up and look more like an inland links, this, is when it is at its most testing – playing shorter but much more difficult. Having said that, I do welcome occasional rainfall so that the fairways don’t disappear completely. The grass in the rough and amongst the heather has gone mad; following the Club Championship these areas were cut back. However, the amount of grass in the heather is a concern and has been for sometime.

It is essential, if we want to maintain a heathland identity, that more trees are removed, especially deciduous trees. I love oak trees as much as anyone but their numbers must be limited on site like this, otherwise the heather will, ultimately, disappear completely; the West Course at Wentworth (once predominantly heathland) is a classic example. Some say that the West at Wentworth is great as it is; however, wooded, parkland Courses are ten-a-penny – prestigious heathland Courses are a far rarer commodity.

Hopefully over the next few years we will be able to remove more trees and carry out more ground-scraping in specific areas to remove the organic matter which has been built up predominantly from tree leaves over a long period and which nourishes undesirable grasses and weed species. This is not to say that we want to go back to completely open heathland, more of a happy medium between that and what the Course is now.

Have a happy golfing summer!

Spring diary

We asked David to share some of the knowledge which makes the fairways and greens at Liphook the envy of amateur gardeners

“This is the time of year when you might be looking at your lawns and contemplating what to do next. Here are some problems we have in common: How to get rid of this damned moss? Molehills everywhere how to get rid of them? What if there’s a hosepipe ban?”

Moss

At this time of year moss is prevalent on fairways and lawns. There are three types of moss which can affect turf – cushion, trailing and upright. The most common is upright moss which occurs on sandy, acidic soils; we had quite an invasion in our fairways following the summer of 2003. Here are three easy steps for you in how to eradicate it from your lawns – ready for some hard work?
1. Apply sulphate of iron at between 5g/m2 – 15g/m2 depending on the severity of the problem. Dissolve it first in hot water. Don’t apply until early April and warmer temperatures.
2. Wait for at least one week. The grass should be very dark and the moss black; when it is wilting it’s time for the hard work. Get yourself a springbok rake and go for it – raking vigorously until all the moss is removed. Chances are that you now have a very bare lawn - at least you have plenty of hanging basket material! Don’t be alarmed if your lawn is very bare, if you do the next step correctly all will be fine.
3. Get yourself a small amount of organic top soil, preferably composted garden waste, and mix with grass seed (amenity mix will do). 15g/m2 – 20g.m2 of seed should suffice. Spread the mixture over all the bare patches and firm down. Now all you have to do is keep the surface relatively moist – light watering everyday if required, especially when the seed starts to germinate. A light feed with an organic based NPK fertiliser (low salt index) is now required. Soon you will have an excellent lawn and this winter apply some sulphate of iron in October to stop the moss getting a hold first.

Moles

Lovely little creatures, but they can make a terrible mess. Moles are very territorial and don’t like to share their ground; however, if you get rid of one of them it won’t be long before another invades its patch. They are problematic at this time of the year as their food source, worms, are much higher in the soil profile. I’ve heard of many ways to try and get rid of moles but the only sure way is to use DEFRA regulated methods of trapping (humanely) and poisoning (strychnine is still approved). Not very nice but the only way to rid your lawn of moles. (Should you not want to kill them you could leave the unsightly molehills and then spread them evenly over your lawn as a top dressing in the spring….)

Moisture

Another dry winter and already there is talk of water shortages and bans during the summer. Some the reservoirs in the South east of England are more than half empty and that is not promising. On the course we use water sparingly on Greens and Tees and can only hope that there won’t be any restrictions on our borehole extraction licence which has happened on other courses during the past few years and could happen to us in the future. Good aeration, decent rooting, hardy turf and adequate application of soil surfactants are necessary to keep the turf as healthy as possible while using minimal amounts of water. In the case of your gardens it would be prudent to find ways of collecting rainwater and storing in water butts or containers – even old bath tubs, so that you still have a supply of water for your garden plants and lawns.

Winter Work on the Course

Another golfing season is nearly upon us and this is a good time to reflect and summarise on what has taken place on the Course this winter. Most of the work in the winter programme has been carried out with some woodland management and fairway verti-draining the key things still to be completed.

I would like to go back to a project which took place during late September and early October last year – the installation of drainage at the 5th, 15th and 16th Greens and surrounds.

5th, 15th and 16th

Golf Courses these days are almost as busy in the winter months as they are during the summer, effectively giving no rest period – possibly the only sport played on turf where the turf does not have some rest period during the year. It is essential, then, that we carry out maintenance throughout the year, with at least one or two major aerations and other important remedial work on the Greens, our main bash being in August. One of the key benefits is the improvement in the playability and sustainability of the turf leading into and throughout the winter months, when there is very little or no growth, threat of disease and constant play in often poor conditions such as frost. Thatch removal and improved drainage are crucial in order to prevent wet and boggy conditions which can have a detrimental affect on the turf leading to poor greens in the spring and summer. However, if the underlying soil structure doesn’t allow the water to gravitate this just isn’t enough, which was the case on our three worst performing greens. So the decision was taken to bite the bullet and install comprehensive drainage systems into them and the surrounding areas.

It was important that the greens be out of action for as short a period of time as possible so the turf would have to be laid and settled immediately after the work so that play could continue as soon as possible.

All three Greens were dug out, drained and had the turf re-laid in two weeks. They were all back in play within a month and have continued to be in play all winter. The results of installing the drains have been magnificent, the only drawbacks being slight sinkage on the 5th, which will be easily put right and poor germination of seed on the surrounds. In hindsight and with time I feel it would have been better to have returfed the surrounds in the same way we did the Greens, however, that aside the project has been a major success.

Perparing the course for the English Girls Championship, July 2005

Introduction

Hosting such a prestigious event is always a good test for a Golf Club to showcase itself and to see if it can perform well in all departments. Our Club certainly distinguished itself in every area and was a credit to everyone involved in making it such a success, both Staff and Members alike.

As Head Greenkeeper it was a great honour for my Staff and me to have the opportunity of preparing and setting up the Course for the Championship.

The key is of course preparation – “if you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail”. The main objective for any Greenkeeper is to prepare the Greens well for such an event, everything else is very much secondary. Having a well presented Course with poor Greens is no good whatsoever, however, having a poorly conditioned Course with fantastic Greens is much more acceptable. Having everything in good condition is obviously the ultimate goal.

So with that in mind here is a brief report on how the Course was conditioned for the event:

Greens

The objectives for the Greens for any big tournament or competition are as follows.

1. Uniformity.

2. Speed - fast as possible but must be consistent.

3. Firmness.

4. Presentation.

Good preparation is essential leading up to an event in order to achieve all of the above factors; the weather can also play a pivotal role. Two weeks before the event the Greens were fertilised with Nitrogen and Potash in very small amounts in order to create a bit of density and resiliency for the low cutting heights that were required. Too much fertiliser before a tournament is a disaster as it will lead to too much growth and inconsistency throughout the day, resulting in much slower Greens.

The Greens were also verti-cut and top-dressed ten days before the event in order to make them uniform and true. The top-dressing also affords some protection to the crown of the grass plant, therefore making it less prone to scalping. The key is to have the top-dressing on (long enough before the event) and worked well enough into the surface so as not to collect on the ball when wet (during the event).

The only thing that can’t be guaranteed is the weather! However, if all the proper preparation has been carried out then bad weather (to a certain extent) can be overcome. All that should be taking place for the event is cutting and rolling – everything else should have been taken care of.

Tees and Green surrounds

Tees and surrounds should be neat and well presented. The Tees will invariably take a battering (during the event) and they must be tidied, divoted and presentable for play the following day. The Green surrounds or fringes should be about twice the height of the Greens and be in good enough condition to be putted from.

Fairways

On this type of Course mother nature plays a big part as to how the fairways play and what condition they will be in. The main objective is to make sure that all divots are filled and that the surfaces are as good as the weather conditions have allowed them to be.

Bunkers

They must be raked everyday during the event. They must be tidy and presentable and as consistent as possible. Bunkers are generally a contentious issue, and it’s impossible to please everyone.

Miscellaneous

The Course must look as well presented as possible. All the flymo and strimming work around the Course has to be completed and look neat and tidy. Posts (150yards etc.) and signage should all be in place and look presentable, bins need to be emptied and ballwashers filled. The Course has to be gone over with a fine toothcomb to ensure that everything is in order.

Summary

The key factor is having all the preparation and presentation work done before the event commences. All that should be taking place during the tournament is Greens cutting (with pedestrian mowers) and rolling, bunker raking and a general check of the Course, which must be completed between the hours of 5am and 9am. The Staff work split shifts (but are on call to push water from the Greens in the event of rain) and the second shift is after play from 5pm – 9pm, during this period tees and surrounds are cut, fairways and semi-rough are cut if required, holes positions are changed, tees and fairways are divoted and bins and ballwashers are checked.

July

Cutting the rough and boundary posts

The machine in the photos is cutting the rough. The idea of this machine is to cut the grass without actually interfering with too much the heather.	It also has a suction attachment in order to vacuum the cut grass. This eliminates the problem of mown grass laying on the heather and eventually building up the organic matter levels in the soil.
The machine can also be used to collect heather seed (to spread elsewhere on the Course) at the end of the season.
	The out of bounds posts between the 15th and 16th fairways form a fixed boundary and as such they are immovable obstructions. Golfers must not remove them in order to gain relief. Follow rule 24.2b (i).

May

Over-seeding, top-dressing and brushing greens

During late spring or early summer it is often necessary to over-seed greens with favourable fine grass species in order to fill in weak, sparse or bare patches (and to compete with annual meadow grass); these are sometimes the result of a lot of winter play, particularly in wet or frosty conditions.

Overseeding (above) can take place throughout the growing season providing the soil temperatures are high enough to allow for successful germination and establishment.

Following this they are top-dressed with a suitable sandy dressing (conforming to USGA specification). Not only does the top-dressing make the surface more uniform (the greens can be top-dressed throughout the summer in order to achieve true, firm surfaces) but it also creates an ideal bed for the grass seed to germinate and achieve root anchorage. The final process is brushing to work everything into the surface.