Captain's Drive-In course prep

It has been a great week for mowing and getting the golf course looking a bit sharper. We started the week with the aim of making sure it looks as good as possible for Captains Drive-In.

All greens were groomed earlier this week and then double cut Monday, Tuesday  and Wednesday. This really tightened them up and they started to look really good. 

It is now obvious to all that 2 years of thatch removal, aeration and topdressing has improved the greens considerably. Now we have the statistical data to back this up. Some recent soil samples have shown that all this work is now paying huge dividends.

The surface firmness is now perfect and the greens are rolling so much better than when I first started at PPGC 2 years ago. Next week is hollow coring and topdressing - soon, the greens will be really firm and getting pretty quick too!!

 

All tees, fairways, approaches and surrounds have been cut this week as well as continued bunker work - the 3rd fairway bunker was completed on Thursday and is now in play. It looks fantastic.

As the dry week progressed, we managed to continually cut the new tees turf and now, all the tees are in play with the new tee markers in their respective positions. They are looking good for the future!

The 1st tee area continues to improve and some nice rope & stakes really does finish off this area. It is nearly there!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish David McIntyre a great year as Captain. Enjoy your day tomorrow Mr C! A final thanks to Ryan & James for a good week of work! Well done guys!

Have a great weekend and enjoy your golf!

April = Showers

Another month, another glut of rain. If I hear about water restrictions in summer, I will lose the plot. 

We opened the new tees this week and put out the new tee markers. Thanks to Phil Lockett for the wood work and Jeff Perkin for the paint work! They look fresh and really visible.

The new tees have been topdressed to fill in any low spots and to help the tees to dry out and firm up. The winter and spring rainfall helped them to root in quickly but it has not helped with their firmness. Hence some tees are being eased in slowly with all sets of markers in the same place.

The greens have picked up in density and colour after a light application of lawn sand. We have started to get the groomer unit through most of them to help thin out the surfaces and discourage any disease that might be lurking around in wet, mild weather. Grooming is a form of surface aeration and it is very useful at this time of year.

We pressed on with more bunker work this week. The right hand greenside bunker on hole 3 was finished with sand and is now in play. It looks magnificent - really modern, aesthetically good on the eye and it sits really well into the green complex.

We also managed to drain and install drainage into the first fairway bunker on hole 3. It had a good 18 inches of clay in the base sat on top of very fine sand. Hence why it did not drain well this winter   following all the rain. 

The second delivery of bunker sand was delayed unfortunately but we are assured that it will arrive mid week next week and then we will get this bunker completed.

Generally we are pleased with the golf course. Ideally, it would be perfectly dry and have recovered fully from the winter by now. However, we have to face the fact that the weather really doesn't care much for golf or anything - and it will get nicer and warmer when it decides. Such is life!

In the meantime, have a great weekend and enjoy your golf!

A step forward and three back

As we approach mid April, the weather is trying its hardest to keep us frustrated. We thought that the recent dry spell was a sign of things to come but Mama N had other ideas!

We managed to get an early spring fertiliser into the greens to give them a shot of colour and help with a little growth. They look a little more like it now and they have remained resolutely firm and dry despite the wet weather.

This week has been one of tying up some loose ends and getting some bunker sand out. 2 out of 5 bunkers have been given fresh sand. The remaining 3 will be sorted out in the next 10 days. More bunker sand has been ordered to help us complete the restoration of our winter bunker renovations.

All fairways have been cut this week alongside the tees, approaches and surrounds. Although growth is not yet consistent, definition of closely mown turf areas is better. 

The new tees now need topdressing and regular mowing to bring them on. We have started this process this week. The new 13th tee has been heavily topdressed to dry it out, level out surface imperfections and help firm up the surface. 

In time, these new tees will look excellent. It is just a nuisance that the wet weather has prevented this essential maintenance from being carried out in March. That said, the turf has rooted in really well.

Jeff Perkin has finished off the herb garden this week with some decorative gravel and weed membrane. It looks superb. Thanks also to Dave Clark for planting these shrubs. 

We hope to get the new tees in play gradually over the next 2 weeks. It is important that they do not get batteries too much before Captain's Drive-In and that they remain looking good throughout the season.

Have a great weekend and enjoy your golf!

A dry spell at long last!!

It's been a long time since we were last able to get the mowers out. But a welcome dry spell gave us the chance to start giving the golf course some much needed definition. 

Tees, approaches, surrounds, new turf, fairways & rough were all cut this week to some degree. Understandably, a few fairways and roughs were long after a wet, mild winter. They need a few more cuts before they are back to how we would like them to be.

The greens have firmed up nicely after a couple of Vibro rolls. The cold, frosty weather of late has stunted any growth but maybe this is not all bad. It should give us a bit of breathing room before the mowing season really kicks off.

The raised beds that will become the new memorial garden by the 1st tee are now ready for planting. Jeff Perkin and Dave Clark are sourcing the lavender and rosemary for the beds. Great stuff guys!

The right hand green side bunker at the 3rd hole has been shaped and edged. It is ready for drainage and sand now. 40 tons of bunker sand has been ordered and will arrive in the next fortnight.

The 13th path is now looking really good. Big thanks to Phil Lockett and John Newns for helping with path work. It is a massive improvement on the previous path, looking cleaner, lighter and more defined. 

Quite a transformation really!

Many thanks also to Dave Asprey and Barry Barlow for collecting twigs this week. Also thanks to Tom and Len for burning a load of brash in the woodland between the 4th and 7th. Jeff Perkin had finished painting a complete new set of tee markers and they look brilliant! 

I am away for a week of holiday next week. Ryan has taken a few days off this week and James will take a few days off after Easter. We all need a break after a long, wet and tiring winter!! 

Have a great weekend and enjoy your golf!

Another busy week

What a busy week!! It is all systems go now with Spring just around the corner. We are now looking to tie up most of the winter work within the next few weeks.

Some greens were verti drained on Friday after having to suffer a long and very wet winter. We will finish the remaining greens on Monday. A nice roll with the Vibro rollers will restore the surface smoothness.

We have made great progress with the 13th path. John Newns and Phil Lockett installed all the timber edging which looks great. We added a bit more MOT to the base to fill in any low areas. Then the path was compacted with a wacker plate and mostly topped off with grey stock dust. We will finish this surface next week. 

This path will complete a fantastic transformation of this entire area from being dark, shady and unkempt into a light, modern and maintainable area.

We have also made a start with shaping the bunker bases. The left greenside bunker on Hole 3 has been graded, edged and new drainage installed.

It now looks a lot better than what it used to look like...

The bunkers should be shaped, edged and drained by the start of April. Bunker sand is on order and as soon as the paths have all been resurfaced, there will be room in the yard for a bunker sand delivery.

Further progress has also been made with the landscaping around the 1st tee. John Newns has made a great job of creating 2 raised beds that will look fantastic when they are planted. Dave Clark and Jeff Perkin are in charge of the planting.

We cleared the remaining logs that were left over at holes 4 & 7 and now, this area looks awesome. There will be less leaves and twigs to clear next autumn, less strimming (less trees to strim around!!) and most importantly, it is a lot fairer for golfers. Any golfer who drives slightly off target will now be able to play a proper recovery shot!

 

Finally, the 7th white tee has been turfed! This does not solve the wider problem of shade that affects this tee but at least the teeing area is better. Much more tree thinning in this whole area will have to be done so that the tee gets adequate sunlight required for good grass growth.

That said, we have now refurbished 12 tees (in one form or another) in 2 years. That is some going and stands us in good stead for the future.

Have a great weekend and enjoy your golf!

A monumental effort from Ryan & James

This week has been a back breaking week. Ryan & James (and me too!) have shifted nearly 25 trailer loads of logs from the 4th & 7th holes. In addition, we have shifted 8 piles of woodchips too. It's fair to say we are a bit tired this week!!

The logs had to be moved quickly and without causing too much damage to the course. Therefore, we have created a number of tidily stacked log piles in and around the woodland between 4, 6 and 7. They are out of play, have been moved away from holes 4 & 7 and will serve as habitats for insects and small animals.

It is interesting to see how the area between the 4th and 7th has developed over the last few weeks. Enjoy (or not!) the photos below:

We hope to clear the remaining debris next week. Most of the logs that remain are just too heavy to lift between us and so we will use the bucket of our front loader tractor to assist.

We have also turfed over the 4th fairway bunker and it looks pretty ok really.

All greens have been cut this week. Greens 1-7 and the chipping area green are in fairly decent order. Greens 8 and 9 are showing the effects of a wet winter due to their poorer drainage capabilities.

It was a welcome dry week - the first we have had all winter. Better late than never! Hopefully, we will get the chance to get some mowing done next week as long as it remains dry. We will also re-turf the 7th white tee next week.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the weather/your golf/both!

Breaking news....18th tee turfed!!!!

Well then. What can I say? We had a delivery of turf this week and we had a dry day after it which allowed us to get the turf laid without rain halting play.

I have felt that someone was having a bit of a laugh at our expense with regard to the 18th tee. The appalling weather of the last 2 months has continually scuppered our hopes of getting it turfed. However, it is now down and a good 4-6 weeks should get the turf rooted in nicely for the new season.

The ground frosts of late have helped counter the wet weather and enabled us to get golf out on the course. The temporary greens have been just too wet to cut so apologies for any inconvenience.

We have started work this Friday preparing the area by the 1st tee that will become a stunning memorial garden. Once complete, it will be a fitting tribute to founder members and those who are sadly no longer with us. 

Please be patient and we hope to get this finished soon.

I will keep my fingers crossed for a dry weekend of weather. If you do get chance to play, enjoy it (if that is possible!). Regardless, have a great weekend!

Path work started

This week we have taken the opportunity to start work on the new path by the 1st tee. We excavated the soil with a mini digger. 

As our tractor is away for repair, we have no trailer to load material into so we had to use our utility buggy. Doing this still gets the job done but it just takes more time. 

The need to press on with the work meant that one person was always using the mini digger and another was always tipping. Sometimes not having a useful bit of kit like the tractor & trailer can add so much extra time to a project.

Despite this, we managed to get much of the m.o.t. base down and we should finish this early next week.

We have been asked by members about course closure due to rain. Since January, we have not, until this week, had more than 2 consecutive dry days of weather without the third day being a day of rain.

Consider this with us being hit by 24-25 inches of rain this winter, it is hardly surprising why the course has been closed frequently and why we have been prevented from getting winter project work completed sooner.

We work in an uncontrolled environment that is exposed to the elements. There is no roof keeping the rain off. We are greenkeepers not miracle workers!!

We are also just as disappointed that we have to close the course and that the drainage capabilities of fairways & rough areas are not sufficient to deal with unprecedented rainfall. 

We hope dry weather arrives soon. It has really been the most miserable winter. 

If you do play this weekend, enjoy your golf!!!

Frost on golf greens - please watch & understand

http://youtu.be/zkoWWrHzuAg

Storms before the calm

The winter just gets, well, wetter. 24 inches have been bequeathed to our golf course from the very kind Mother Nature. 

So unfortunately, the golf course remains a tad wet. The greens have held up really well to the persistent cats & dogs. Getting to them is the challenge at the moment. 

We are just praying for a dry period at the moment so that our work can continue uninterrupted and also so that members can get out and play some golf.

In the meantime, the 4th hole has been much improved due to the tree felling carried out by a local contractor. The poplars that have been removed were coming to the end of their lifespan anyway. Now, this hole provides more bail out from both the 4th & 13th tees and it is hoped that golfers will enjoy the improved playability and fairness of this hole.

We will do our best with the clear up of logs and debris as soon as possible. There is a fair amount of clearing still remaining. 16 trailer loads of logs and all the original piles of wood chippings were cleared early this week. However, more arrived soon afterward!! 

The bunker between the fairway and approach on the 3rd hole has now been removed and levelled. This will now open up this side of the hole and encourage golfers to play more down the centre and right of this hole - and away from the houses on the left boundary edge.

We also managed to finish the turfing of the first fairway bunker on the 3rd hole. It looks absolutely fantastic and the bunkering that has been completed on the 3rd hole this winter really gives this hole a modern, strategic dimension.

Please rest assured that although the golf course still has work remaining to finish, this will be completed in due course and the improvements to the golf course over the last 2 years will undoubtedly transform the playability, maintenance and aesthetic appeal of the golf course.

Have a great weekend!