Golf Course News

 

Golf Course News
If you are interested in the work being carried out on the course, this is the page to visit. We will keep this updated with information in regards to the course.

May 2022:

Following improved weather conditions the greens are now being regularly rolled (ironed), and verti-cutting program has started.

April 2022:

A lot of greens maintenance work this month. All greens to be Verti-Drained and Scarified as part of the spring aeration following the winter. Aeration is an essential process of greens management.

The greens are also to be over-seeded and top dressed. This needs to be done at the beginning of the growth season to enhance the seed germination. Once these processes have been completed the team will gradually re-introduce the greens iron and Verti-Cut the greens.

(Lack of growth on the greens from the cold dry weather this month has slowed recovery from the surface disruption work).

All fairways have been reshaped for the new season to enhance the playability of the holes, improve the cuts of the rough lines and reduce damage to greens machinery.

Newly constructed tees on holes 2,6,7,9,12 & 14 are now all in play. Hand mowing required currently on all these new tees. Tees have also been over-seeded and top-dressed.

Simulator Studio is nearing completion with some final tasks to be completed before opening.

02/02/2022:

Exciting projects underway with a new practice putting green and indoor golf simulator studio all under construction.

 

 

 

 

 

09/11/2021:

Clearing round the 2nd tee in preparation for new teeing area. Improved sunlight and airflow for the new tees.

 

08/11/2021:

14th tee construction nearing completion.

18/10/2021:

Long awaited removal of the mound on the 18th Hole. Originally formed the separation between the old 9th & 18th holes.

 

14/09/2021:

Turfing of the new 7th Tee:

 

1/09/2021:

Repairing Divots: Boxes currently on Holes 8,12 & 15. Please use to repair your divots and any others you see.

16/6/2021:

Reconstruction of the 7th Tees

10/05/2021:

Dakota Spreader top-dressing the greens.

28/04/2021:

Tree Canopy’s raised to enable mowers to get into the copses for cutting by the 2nd green and 3rd tee area.

05/03/2021:

Rough cutting and reshaping started. Greens are also being scarified, reducing lateral growth and removing dead foliage.

 

03/03/2021:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turfing of newly constructed 17th tee.

26/02/2021:

17th tee prepped and ready for turfing.

23/02/2021:

Some of the fairways have dried out enough to start cutting. (Hole 10 pictured).

This week, contractors from Western Power have also been onsite. They have been felling and trimming some of the trees that are getting too close to the power lines.

17/02/2021:

Pencil Tining Greens for more aeration. Greens have also been sprayed for protection from disease.

04/02/2021:

Revetted bunkers on hole 6 knitting in well.

03/02/2021:

Refurbed and extended path for new 17th Tee.

02/02/2021:

 

Some trimming of trees including this on the 1st fairway.

23/01/2021:

A Wishaw Winter Wonderland

12/01/2021:

Greens aeration work. Solid Tining.

04/01/2021:

Newly constructed 17th tee. Ready for laying in new irrigation piping.

10/8/2020:

Greens have been sprayed for protection against fusarium following some patches appearing over the weekend. With hot conditions and extra irrigation required, greens can become susceptible to this.

7/8/2020:

A members volunteer group has been set up for members wishing to take part in extra tasks on the golf course. Paul Baker and his team of volunteers have already been hard at it clearing out some of the ditches. If this is of interest to you please contact Paul Baker on 07706144548 or email paulkbaker {at} live.co(.)uk for more details.

3/8/2020:

Due to hot and dry conditions, the greens have been given a fertilizer application to give them a boost. This will initially slow the speed of the greens. Once this has application has taken good effect, and the greens recover their health we shall look to perform another verti-cut with the poa-buster units to speed them back up.

20/7/2020:

Following feedback from members and the committee, the club has pushed forward with our equipment “wish list” and purchased GreenTek Poa Buster Verti-Cut units to fit our John Deere 2500 greens mower. These units significantly thin out the greens, encourage more vertical growth and help with the removal of thatch. These units will help increase ball roll speed on the greens.

15/07/2020:

All fairways are being sprayed to reduce clover. Due to nature of the spray, application needs to be done under calm (not windy) conditions. It is also necessary to leave the application undisturbed by mowing for several days, so fairways will not be cut now until Monday 20th.

29/06/2020:

Greens continue to be cut at 4mm, with verti-cutting taking place on dry weeks. Tru-turf roller is being used in general 3 times per week, depending on conditions. All holes have new ball returners in. Please be careful with them. New flags and hole cups are on order.

There are still far too many pitch-marks not being repaired, and many players are clearly not attempting to smooth over their bunker marks with their feet. Please assist us in keeping the course in good condition.

 

10/6/2020:

Greens have been cross verti-cut, with general height cut down to 4mm. The club has ordered 30 bespoke ball-lifters to fit on our flag sticks. We have the original prototype on hole 18. 

Please repair your pitch-marks.

Please smooth over your bunker marks and footprints with your feet.

 

27/4/2020:

Images from the golf course over the last few weeks.

Approach to 10th Green
17th Approach and Green
Short Game Area and Practice Nets
Newly turfed 14th Tee
12th Green
View from the back of 14.

 

The Greens team are undertaking “Essential Work” in line with Government, England Golf, R & A and BIGGA guidelines, and we are ensuring they are working in a safe environment in keeping with the social distancing requirements.

Simon and the team are focusing on the following tasks:

Greens Maintenance to include spraying, irrigation and regular mowing. (Currently at a height of 6mm to minimize stress levels of delicate short height cutting).

Tees and Surrounds Maintenance to include extra irrigation of newly turfed tee areas on holes 2,11,14 and 17.

Regular mowing of golf course of fairways and rough, including reshaping some areas of fairways on holes 7 and 14.

Bunker care and maintenance

07/04/2020:

The team have spent the last couple of weeks performing essential course maintenance. Priority time has been spent on the greens. We have sprayed applications of iron and calcium, whilst also slitting and scarifying the greens. The tees have been top-dressed. The course is looking lovely, and we are biting at the bit to get you all out there.

05/02/2020: Spraying

The green keepers are today spraying a curative fungicide to quickly arrest the progress of the disease Fusarium. Fusarium, more correctly now referred to as Michrodochium nivale, is the pathogen for Fusarium patch, a fungus that attacks turf, particularly fine turf. Generally more active during the autumn due with conditions wet and mild. Continual rainfall, mild conditions and a lack of frosts have given the disease ideal conditions to attack the greens turf, despite several spray treatments throughout the autumn.

03 & 04/02/2020: Greens

All greens have been cut using the pedestrian mower

 

03/02/2020: New Huxley 11th Tee

The new back tee on the 11th hole will provide golfers with an all year round playing tee. The playing mat is a top of the range Huxley mat, which enables the golfer to peg up anywhere on the artificial tee turf.

 

 

Week Commencing 11th November:

With the severe and constant wet weather, the green keeping team are working extremely hard to get the course open when possible. Due to ground conditions it has not been possible to get the ride-on mowers nor leaf collector on the course. The team have been using pedestrian mowers and mobile leaf blowers to try to maintain a playable course as much as possible through this difficult period of extreme wet weather. They have also been continuing work when possible on the 11th tee for the new artificial all weather tee.

 

Week Commencing 28th October:

Once again, the course is wet following the severe wet weather. It is the time of year for the leaves so the team are busy on the blowers and the leaf collector trying to get them all up. Simon continues to be busy preparing the back 11th for the artificial all-weather tee.

Following the high levels of rain, fusarium has invariably attacked some of the greens. These will be sprayed for once the frost clears.

Week Commencing 21st October:

Course very wet following considerable rainfall. Greens draining well. Team will be verti-draining and top-dressing this week as part of our winter program for aeration and drainage.

Bunker maintenance hampered due to the amount of rainfall, several bunkers GUR’d.

Work has also commenced on the 11th Tee to incorporate a new artificial all-weather tee.

 

Week Commencing 30th September:

Thursday – Greens cut at raised height for winter conditions at 6mm. Other areas of course too wet to mow. New leaf collector is out on the course.

Tuesday & Wednesday – Micro-tining greens for aeration and drainage

Monday – Greens spayed with a potassium and manganese  mix as part of our greens health program. The mix includes a blue spray pattern indicator to ensure even coverage.

 

Week Commencing 23rd September:

Greens cut and verti-cut on Monday using new “Poa-Buster” units on demonstration to us from John Deere. Green staff busy Monday trying to get as much done as possible with severe wet weather due Tuesday, in preparartion for the Seniors Open on Wednesday.

Wednesday morning spent getting as much water off the course as possible for the Open to be playable.

Green keeping team have been using our new Wessex International Sweeper Collector to collect leaves off the course. It is the start of the fall so the new equipment should make a big difference in comparison to previous years.

Bunker maintenance is in progress, which will include the removal of the bunker on the RHS of the 17th fairway, and LHS of the 13th which will see the fairway reshaped to make the hole more playable for shorter hitters.

We would like to welcome our new apprentice green keeper Robert Powell to the club. He will be studying for his Greenkeeping NVQ’s whilst working here.

 

Week Commencing 9th September:

Wed 11th: Greens given a granular fertilizer feed. They will be left tomorrow, with the next cut on Friday.

Week Commencing 2nd September:

Greens given an application of iron. Leaves a darker leaf colour, however the main reason is nutrition; to strengthen the turf grass in preparation for fighting disease, particularly as we approach autumn/winter with lower daylight hours.

Greens verti-cut using new “Poa-Buster” units on demonstration to us from John Deere. The verti-cut was effective in removing a high quantity of lateral grasses on the greens, and immediately increased the stimp speed by almost a foot. Light top dressing applied afterwards to smooth the disrupted canopy.

 

Week Commencing 26th August:

Greens pencil-tined on Tuesday.

Aeration is such an important part of our greens maintenance program.

Although unpopular with golfers with holes all over the greens, it is essential work, with disruption now kept to an absolute minimum.

Key benefits of a thorough aeration program are:

  • Improvement of surface drainage
  • Alleviates soil compaction
  • Promotes the natural breakdown of organic matter at the turf base, physically removing thatch from the upper profile.
  • Reduces the incidence of disease.
  • Aids the absorption of top-dressing material into the upper profile.

Routine aeration through the main growing (and main playing) season has been based on based around a programme of shallow solid tining using micro tines to minimise disruption to the putting surfaces.

Light top-dressing to be applied the next week.

 

Week Commencing 12th August:

Please ensure you repair your pitch marks on the greens.

Can we also ask again that all buggies and trolley’s are kept away from the greens. Take them around the green side bunkers, NOT in between bunkers and greens. We can see this constantly happening on the 18th green.

16/08 – All areas cut up to date apart from main rough which has only been cut once this week following the heavy rainfall.

Greens cut height maintained at 4mm.

New greens sprayed to knock back take-all disease. (Disease common with newly seeded or turfed greens).

Surrounds of new greens have now settled, so we are preparing the turf to be sprayed to thin out the longer grass areas, taking the rye out and leaving the thinner fescue to grow back.

 

Week Commencing 5th August:

Weather permitting, the greens are due to be Verti-cut on Monday, lightly top-dressed on Tuesday and ironed on Wednesday.

Wednesday – Greens rolled with the Tru-Turf Roller

There’s more to rolling greens than increased ball speed!

The agronomic benefits of rolling greens can include reduced turf stress, disease suppression and a smoother surface which ultimately translates into a healthier putting green with increased green speeds.

 Rolling the greens will create a smoother, quicker putting surface. However the end-goal can differ between courses or be time dependent. Increasing ball-roll distance and a truer roll is a benefit we are looking for, but we are also very keen to improve the general health of the greens. Using the roller allows for a reduction in mowing frequency and height, which benefits the greens by reducing stress to the turfgrass plant.

The summer months are stressful for golf greens, so a program of alternating rolling and mowing, allowing for reasonable cutting heights should enable us to improve the turf quality, plant health whilst also providing a smoother, quicker putting surface.  

Tuesday – All greens lightly top-dressed (see below for meaning) using new Dakota.

Monday – All greens verti-cut (see below for meaning) and then mowed. Greens cut now lowered to 4mm. Length of first cut raised to 1.75mm. Introduction of new Presidents Lines on selected holes.

What is Verti-cutting (or Vertical Mowing)?

Vertical mowing is a maintenance practice periodically performed on greens to accomplish the following objectives:

  • Remove excessive leaf growth that contributes to puffy, spongy surface conditions.
  • Improve mowing quality and surface smoothness.
  • Cut laterally growing stolons and promote an upright growth habit.
  • Open grooves in the turf canopy for the incorporation of sand topdressing.
  • Dislodge and remove Poa annua seedheads.

The process involves using a putting green mower fitted with thin, tightly spaced blades that cut vertically into the turf. The depth of the blades is typically adjusted 1/64-inch to 1/8-inch below the effective cutting height so that the blades penetrate the turf canopy. The goal is to thin the turf canopy while maintaining a proper balance of leaf growth and turf density.

Top Dressing?

Regular light top dressing using the new Dakota Turf Tender. The green keeping team are moving to a more modern program of greens management. More regular lighter top dressing (using our new machine), rather than a heavy spring and autumn top dress after coring/aeration. The greens will improve with this program. The light top-dressing will produce a smooth, firm putting surface, help reduce the layer of thatch, protect the crown, allow for reduced mowing heights and deliver an increased ball-roll distance. This practice combined with a steady verti-cutting program will open the turf to enable the topdressing to easily settle in.

This new lighter frequent program will also provide members with little disruption, and avoid them playing on heavily sanded greens which can last for over a week. The light dressing will initially decrease ball-roll on day one but as it works into the canopy, the greens surface will smooth, firm up and ball-roll will then increase.

This new program has only been made possible following the acquisition of the new machinery – The Dakota Turf Tender and the new Pro-Gator. This kit allows one green keeper to perform a complete course top-dress in just over 2 hours, rather than 4 green keepers taking a complete day. It also delivers a significantly smoother job.

Week Commencing 29th July:

Back to cutting all greens at 4.5mm.

The height of the first rough cut has been lowered from 2mm to 1.5mm. Currently with just one stripe, this is to be increased to 2 stripes fairway side on selected holes, then blending into one round the greens.

Reshaping and defining work is continuing, with the long rough on the mound on the 9th moved backwards

Week Commencing July 22nd:

The greens are being treated with a spray to increase the levels of manganese and potassium, following the recent greens core analysis. We are cutting at a height of 4.5mm still, however we are temporarily raising the level on the new greens by 0.5mm with the pedestrian greens mower following some scarring and to reduce stress.

Clover  –  Has increased in some areas, so we have spayed these areas to knock it back. Should begin to subside.

 

Please email Richard for more information: golf {at} wishawgc.co(.)uk