Hello all
We're now into the Autumn with leaves turning colour and slowly falling but at least we can say that the dry months of summer appear, at least visually, to have turned a corner
Certainly, the golf course is very green and it's now difficult to find many areas that still exhibit signs of drought stress. Whilst the recent rains have helped with this 'greening effect', other contributing factors (to fairway areas at least, has been the verticutting (done in September) and an application of fertiliser to most of the fairways (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9). This has been done to recover burned off areas and to offer more turf density/thickness as we head into the cooler months
The verticutting, done every September, is now carried out partly to refine the fairway grasses too. As some members (but not all) may be aware, the biggest headache challenge we face is the old agricultural ryegrass that can be found in clumps on the fairways. Some, like the 4th and 9th fairways, are infested with it to such an extent that it dictates our mowing and overall management of them
Being very coarse in texture with a very waxy leaf, it is often difficult for the mower blades to cut effectively. Only when conditions are dry does it actually cut ok, the reason being that it will hold less water in the leaf and shoot during drier conditions
The conditions that exacerbate this problem are multiple:
- A fertile soil
- Higher mowing heights
- Infrequent mowing
- Moisture
- Little to no surface refinement
Hence we are often forced to 'chop' it down to lower mowing heights to discourage it and to actually present a fairway that is defined and looks as though it has been cut. This is where we are now and so I understand the frustration of some golfers that would rather the fairways be a hybrid of fairway and semi rough but often, fairways with this grass species dominant can impact a golfer's ability to control an approach shot with backspin. Get enough grass between clubface and ball could lead to more topspin imparted from a shot. That aside, it is the simple aesthetics that is so unsightly as the photos attest
With this in mind, the approach to addressing this problem, short of ultra low mowing, is soil improvement via sanding, refinement via brushing and verticutting, and longer term, overseeding with fine grasses. Given the golf club's focus on other priorities right now, the purchase of the equipment necessary to achieve these aims might have to wait a few years
You'll also notice the worms have come out to play since the cooler, wet weather arrived. They really are quite something and the worm casts can often smear with mowing (photo above). It is the fact that the casts are produced from heavy, fertile soils that cause them to hold moisture and be quite claggy in texture. On better sites, worm casts are more crumbly and thus don't smear so much during mowing. It's all good fun - until it isn't !!
The foxes of doom continue to test our patience. We have a pest control expert who is helping us but the problem is not a quick fix. We've had to permanently GUR the 5th bunker as the fox/foxes have decimated this bunker with their digging. It makes little sense at this time to renovate and restore this bunker whilst the issue remains. All that would happen is that more fresh sand and the bunker face would continue to be affected - unnecessary expense and labour for no net-gain. Please understand that this problem might take some time to resolve
Although the dry, warm weather is behind us, we're still experiencing growth and so we're still able to present a defined golf course as we head into mid-October. The greens have now recovered from the dry summer conditions but boy have they been tough to pull back. Multiple applications of fertiliser have been required and a lot of effort has gone into turning them around. They now have good coverage and density as we head into the tougher months
It is fusarium patch, a turf disease, that now presents the ultimate Autumn curveball. A very destructive disease, it is characterised by a soaked small orange patch during its early stages, leading to a ring of mycelium (white fungal spores) as it progresses. Fusarium patch is exacerbated by:
- Heavy dew formation
- Alkaline surface conditions
- Mild, damp, cool weather
- Humidity and lack of wind/drying
- Too low or too high soil fertility
- Vulnerable turf species - mainly poa annua
In Summer, the disease will often grow out. Sun, warmth, growth, long daylight hours etc all enable this and so the issue resolves quickly. But the cooler months are conducive to attack as that re-growth and recovery is less certain. Often, we rely on fungicides to help combat the symptons
The principle behind the product chemistry is that the fungicides can be used preventatively or, sometimes, curatively. It is not ideal to have to apply a fungicide but a necessary evil. Since the EU (to which the UK was aligned) started to heavily regulate petro-chemicals as part of their increased overall regulatory framework, the greenkeeper's arsenal has become less potent. So much so that European greenkeepers now have zero fungicides to choose from. Not great for golf at all
Fungicides are now far less efficacious as a result of this regulation - in addition to being more expensive. We are limited to a handful of applications per year for the available product range and have to be quite precise in timing of applications
Hence why at this time of year, we're faced with the unsolvable conundrum: how to provide greens that have some speed for play but we're not mowing too much so as to mow out all of the product too soon. It's a perfect storm at the moment - mild enough for growth but also mild enough for high disease pressure. It's still many months before we can see Spring ahead and the chance for longer daylight hours and warmer weather ahead. So do understand that we're balancing presenting a green surface with maximising value out of expensive fungicides that offer, by legislation, mininmal applications. Expect some mowing at higher mowing heights with rolling, dew brushing in the mix. For a deeper dive into Fusarium, scroll through the blog and there is a post dedicated to it
As we head further into the Autumn, we have taken the opportunity to mole plough the carries on 7 & 8. Often damp, they are a source of frustration for members and greens' staff. The mole plough creates a 'mole run' in the soil - a conduit for water to move through. It's a temporary fix, lasting perhaps a year but maybe this could be a low-cost method of tackling some boggy areas on the course until such time as we install proper drainage systems into these areas
Talking of which, the drainage on the 9th fairway has settled in well. The dry summer didn't help the seed to establish quickly but it is now getting there. At least this fairway, the golfer's final impression of the course, will be much drier during wetter periods
Heading into winter, course improvement work will involve some tee renovations and some other small but effective renovations. I will update the blog in due course
Finally, the club have invested significantly in the machinery fleet as many of you are aware. The new greens mower and fairway mower are excellent and will offer subtle improvements but more reliability, less downtime for repairs and offer us more flexibility moving forward. Great news!
Enjoy the Autumn colours as you play!
Ben Allen
