Course Walk

Recently club members were invited to participate in a course walk with Head Greenkeeper Andrew Ricketts. The aim of the walk is to communicate with the clubs membership the various types of works that are carried out by the greenkeeping team to maintain and develop the golf course and surrounding land. The topics covered on this particular walk included :- Winter program, bunker refurbishment, path/walkway renovations, irrigation upgrades, soil profile 10th fairway, Holm oak control and a demonstration on the repair of pitch marks. 

Newly installed grass and mat walkway at the 10th tee

Plug taken from 10th fairway

Rebuilt 13th bunker

Hole 7 Irrigation Changes

This week we finished installing extra irrigation heads and pipework into the two areas that were previously pathways on hole 7. The pipework and cable is pulled through the ground using a mole plough. The machine required for the job is hired in for the day from a local contractor.
With the pipe and cable installed the heads are then fitted in the desired locations, ensuring and even coveage of water will be possible when complete. These high wear areas require a relatively large amount of water to give sufficient growth to recover from the stress of constant foot traffic in a relatively tight space. Rope and posts will be used regularly here to direct traffic, spreading the wear as much as possible.

Spring Maintenance Week

We have almost completed the scheduled works for the maintenance week. Scarification, micro hollow tining, brushing and seeding operations have been undertaken on greens. Top dressing work will hopefully be completed before the weekend.

With the holes made in the greens we took the opportunity to apply our first application of wetting agent. This is a product that helps the soil hold onto moisture making our irrigation applications more efficient. We apply wetting agent once each month throughout the playing season.

Irrigation Priorities

We are currently experiencing exceptionally dry weather conditions. Since 1st March our weather station has recorded only 32mm of rainfall, which represents less than 25% of the average for this period. These dry conditions have very often been accompanied by sunny and breezy weather, this has meant that we have been heavily reliant on our irrigation system to deliver the water required to keep the turf healthy.

We have been losing between 20 and 30mm of moisture from the turf each week from a process called evapo-transpiration. Although this does not sound too bad, to replace 25mm of water across the whole course means that we must apply around 1 million gallons of water. Consequently, we have been abstracting large quantities of water from our boreholes to replenish the water pumped from our reservoir.

In recent days it has been noted that the yield from the boreholes has decreased to the extent that we have been pumping water out of the reservoir and onto the golf course faster than we have been able to replace it. You may have noticed the low water levels in the reservoir recently whilst standing on the 14th tee. This is obviously an unsustainable situation and as we are still in the first half of the season with potentially a lot more dry weather ahead of us, we must now adjust our irrigation output to a sustainable level.

Currently two thirds of the water we apply is to fairways so clearly this is the area where the greatest savings can be made. It makes sense to prioritise the watering of greens, tees and approaches whilst reducing the amount of water the fairways receive. Instead of watering fairways every night, from now and until the next significant rainfall, we will water these areas on 2 or 3 occasions each week. This will ensure we will have enough water for the priority areas for the remainder of what could be an extraordinarily dry season.

Monitoring Groundwater

Yesterday we were visited by two employees of the States of Jersey Environment Department, Environmental Protection Division. The purpose of the visit was to test the quality of the water in our boreholes and to ensure no contamination is taking place from pesticides or other chemicals. Testing is carried out twice each year and involves testing the water on site for pH, conductivity, temperature and alkalinity. Samples are then taken back to the lab for further microbiological and pesticide analysis.

The results of the latest testing can be viewed on a pdf file by clicking here for reference, our boreholes are numbered J128a and J128B
If you would like to find out more about this topic you can visit the States of Jersey website by clicking here

Using Water Wisely

Rainfall levels throughout 2010 have been very low with just 92 mm of rain falling between the start of April and the end of July – half of that total fell over two days in late May/early June! In the same period in 2009 we had 165mm of rain and in 2008 we saw 188 mm. As a result we have called upon the irrigation system more this year than at any time since it was installed in 2007/8. I am pleased to report that the system has up to now performed superbly in these trying times consistently delivering half a million litres of water in a 9 hour window throughout the night. The turf has thrived in the sun during the day having been properly irrigated during the night. Without the new system we would undoubtedly have experienced widespread turf thinning, walkways from tees to fairways would be dust and greens would likely have the mottled effect of localised dry patch. Unfortunately, due to the island wide demands being put on the ground water supplies, our borehole output is reducing. Of our six boreholes, two have run dry completely and three are working at a reduced level. We can now apply water to the course much quicker than we can draw it from the ground. The 1 million gallon reservoir would run dry in two to three weeks if we do not adjust our watering strategy. Irrigating of nursery areas will cease while fairways will be given only infrequent applications of water. This policy ensures greens, tees and surrounds are given priority and water supplies will last through the summer even if we get no more rain until October. Fairways can be expected to brown off in colour but we hope to be able to provide enough water to keep the turf healthy, if not green.

Still Dry

A grand total of 1.5mm or 0.059 of an inch of rain has fallen on the golf course since the first week in April. In the past week evapotranspiration levels have been in excess of 4mm per day leaving us with a large deficit which we fill with irrigation water.

 A screen shot of the weather station data. Note the two right hand columns for rainfall and ET. Click image to expand.

Just over 450000 litres of irrigation water was applied last night alone to try to replace the lost moisture. Of course there are areas on the course not covered by the irrigation system, these include some tee banks, walkways and roughs. These areas are suffering badly having not had proper growing conditions since spring 2009. Course staff are working hard to hand water areas which were turfed in the winter and also parts of the course which were seeded in the early spring but it is proving very difficult to keep up. The marram plugs on the 11th hole are struggling due to the weather conditions also. Again, hand watering is taking place but rain is desperately needed.

No Rain + Easterly Winds = Poor Growth

Jersey is officially in a period of drought. It is now 19 days since any rain has fallen on the golf course and our monthly running total currently stands at a shockingly low 9mm. The near constant easterly winds that we are experiencing have meant that the turf is extremely dry and grass growth is almost non existent. Although our irrigation system is fully operational, the persistent cool air and soil temperatures are preventing us from apply much water. A soil temperature of around 10C is required to enable good growing turf. Cold water landing on already cool soils only serves to further lower soil temperatures lessening the chance of any growth taking place. Irrigation is taking place during the warmest days but it is impossible to apply enough water without cooling the soil too much.
Evapotranspiration (ET) is a term used to describe the sum of evaporation of moisture and plant transpiration from the ground to the atmosphere. Evaporation accounts for the movement of water from the ground to the air while transpiration accounts for the loss of water from within the plant itself. We are currently seeing an ET rate of around 3mm per day, just over 70mm for the month so far. The 9mm of rainfall that has fallen and 26mm of irrigation that has been applied in the same period has left a large deficit.
We use wetting agents on the greens which help the soil particles hold onto available moisture for an extended period, because of this the moisture level in our greens is being maintained at an acceptable level despite the difficult conditions. We do not have enough moisture to promote strong growth but there is enough to at least ensure survival in this testing time. Of course ideally, at this time of year, we would like a more typical spring weather pattern with sunshine and regular showers. A cycle of sunshine and showers is ideal to promote grass growth and allow recovery from the harsh winter months we have experienced. Current conditions means that any fertilizer applications are compromised and frequent top dressing is impossible. Mechanical operations carried out to refine the turf texture and smooth the surface have been postponed until stronger grass growth comes. All this leaves playing surfaces in a less than perfect state for golf and makes the job of a greenkeeper a very difficult one. We can't fight mother nature, we must simply wait until conditions improve enough to allow us to work effectively on the surfaces once again.

Chipping Area Redesign

The chipping area behind the 1st green has been in need of refurbishment for some considerable time. With bunkers that are too deep, greens of poor quality and a generally uninspiring layout it was decided to try to make significant improvements to the area.

Just before work started 

Following a period of consultation to agree the new design, it was established that we needed to make more use of the limited space available. Long pitch shots and an array of short chip shots needed to be accommodated along with bunker practice .
We lifted the turf from the existing greens first and layed it out at the turf nursery area in the valley. Next we constructed the landing area for pitch shots. This area is around 350m2 in size and will allow shots to be hit from the practice tee around 65m away.

 The new landing area

We then began the construction of the teeing area. The area was cleared before stakes were put in to establish levels. A sand sub base was brought in then 100mm of rootzone was added to the top.

 Top soil is brought in to the correct levels

Irrigation pipes and heads were positioned next.
























The 250m2 tee was then turfed using sods from the centre of the chipping area. When open, play from this area will be restricted to marked sections between ropes so as to control wear.

We then cleared the rest of the turf from the new green site and rotovated the soil. An excavator was hired to shape the new green and green surround.

 Initial shaping of the new green begins

 For the green we tried to ensure there was enough flat areas to have around 5 pins at any one time. On the surround we created hollows, swales and banks so a large variety of chip shots can be practiced.

 

Once we were happy with the shape we used mechanical and manual means to firm and rake out the ground ready for turf.

 

With the final raking completed we were able to begin turfing the 550m2 green. 

Two new bunkers are currently being constructed on the south side of the practice area. These will play to a dedicated green away from the pitching and chipping areas. This will allow more people to safely use the facility at the same time.

Course Update

Maintenance Week

The greens have recovered well in the past few weeks from the hollow core aeration work that was carried out in early September. It was obviously rather painful for all players when there were so many holes in the greens, with putts bobbling and bouncing across the surface it was easy to forget just how important a robust aeration programme is to the future performance of the greens. The course team have worked hard to reinstate the surface, a total of 45 tonnes of top dressing was applied to greens in the three weeks following the coring work and this has had the desired effect. This amount represents almost half of the annual total top dressing used on greens, so to apply this in such a short space of time took considerable effort. Whilst the holes were in the greens the opportunity was taken to introduce more grass seed into the greens and it is pleasing to report that this has taken well. The severe disruption to golf this aeration event caused has been noted and as a consequence next year’s maintenance week has been moved to the end of September.

Irrigation

The rain has finally arrived after an extended dry period through August and September. Following comments from a number of members I would like to briefly outline once again our watering strategy for this summer past and for future years.
Whilst we aim to provide evenly moist soils with optimal growing conditions in the spring, early summer and autumn periods our approach changes in mid-summer. In order to impart drought stress on the undesirable broad leaved grass species in the greens, we make a conscious effort to allow the turf to dry out in the peak summer months, thus creating an environment in which the desirable grasses can thrive and gain the upper hand. It is crucial during the summer months that this happens otherwise the broad leaved, undesirable grass species will continue to dominate putting surfaces. It also allows us to present a firm and fast running golf course, just as one would expect from a links course in the middle of a dry summer. You might be surprised to learn that to keep the course as dry as it was actually took quite a bit of water. In the period 1st July to 30th September we used a total of 21,400m3 of water, that’s 21.4 million litres or 4.7 million gallons to water greens, tees, surrounds and fairways!

Broadleaved Grasses In Greens

Ryegrass and Yorkshire Fog grasses are present in many of our greens. These are wholly inappropriate putting green grass types that have proved notoriously difficult to eradicate. Thankfully a new chemical has been released to the amenity market that selectively controls these species, killing them off without harming other plants. We decided to trial this new product on the 4th and 6th greens and on the 4th yellow tee. Spraying took place on the 8th October and we expect to see the grasses start dying off within a few days. We may for a period have some thin areas of turf on these trial plots but the areas will be seeded and top-dressed until good grass cover is restored. If this trial proves successful we will roll out this program over larger areas in the future.

Upcoming Winter Work

The main project planned for this winter is the redesign of the chipping area. We plan to build a large green in the centre of the area to facilitate a range of short chip shots from a number of players simultaneously. To do this we will dig up three of the existing greens, re-shape the ground and then re-lay the existing turf. The green that is located nearest the 18th fairway will be left in its present position but will have another bunker added and the existing bunker enlarged. The chipping area will be closed while this work takes place and will remain closed until all the turf knits together properly.

More trees will be felled as per the ecology plan. White paint distinguishes the specimens due for removal this winter. The invasive Holm Oak will once again be targeted but also some of the Macrocarpa trees in the dunes between holes 11 and 13 will be felled. This policy of tree removal is in line with the States policy for the neighbouring land.

Also this winter we plan to refurbish a number of bunkers around the course and also extend the 5th tee. As usual, solid tine aeration will take place on greens, tees, surrounds and fairways.

Going forward, a monthly update will be published to keep members informed of what is happening as regards the golf course.

Irrigation

In the coming months one of the most important tools the course staff will use is the irrigation system. Our system was manufactured by Rainbird and was installed in 2007/8 by MJ Abbott. It covers all greens, tees, surrounds, fairways, some rough areas, turf nurseries and the chipping area. There are six boreholes which keep the 1 million gallon capacity reservoir topped up.

1 million gallon reservoir

Three large pumps distribute the water around the course at a pressure of 150 psi through a network of pipes up to the irrigation sprinkler heads. The system has been designed to ensure that water is applied accurately and wastage is kept to a minimum. Low trajectory sprinklers are used in the most exposed spots to ensure the wind has a minimal impact. A central computer located in the maintenance facility is used to program and run the system.

Mission control!

The course has been mapped using GPS with every sprinkler head, valve and pipe marked. Any sprinkler head can be turned on either at the base station, manually at the head or by using a remote control unit. The system can be programmed to run any number of heads in any sequence starting at any time.

Course map as seen on the system display

Zoomed in view of hole 1, chipping area, 9th green and 8th tee

Record keeping is made easy with this system as it automatically maintains detailed records of application timings and quantities giving weekly, monthly or annual aggregated totals. A weather station is also linked in to the system providing real time data of wind speed and direction, precipitation, humidity and temperature. From this information evapo-transpiration rates are calculated which the system can use to determine how much water should be applied to maintain optimum soil moisture levels.

Daily weather records are automatically maintained

As you can see, our system makes it easy for us to apply water accurately and at the rates we want. However, we must remember that this does not mean we always want the golf course to be green and lush. Inappropriate and overuse of the irrigation system can cause serious long term problems to turf which can take years to rectify. We aim to use the system only when the health of the desirable grass plants would otherwise suffer, not just to soften the greens so the ball is easier to control or to green up the fairways to make them look "nice".
In late winter and very early spring we rarely irrigate even in extended dry periods because the cold water only serves to lower soil temperatures causing what little growth we have at that time of the year to stop completely. Much better dry, firm and slow growth than moist, soft and no growth! We generally irrigate in all dry spells throughout the mid-spring/early summer period to ensure the turf has optimal growth conditions to recover from the stresses of winter. Once mid summer comes we will relax the irrigation to allow the turf to dry out somewhat in order to stress the undesirable grass species and to encourage the fine grasses to develop deep rooting. Without doing this the shallow rooting grass species - which also happen to be the least suitable grasses for golf - are allowed to colonise and take over the sward. In general terms we are trying to present firm and consistent surfaces which have a dense cover of fine grasses. Our watering strategy is tailored with this in mind so please don't be surprised if surfaces get a bit brown in colour come mid summer, it will not mean the irrigation system is broken, we will merely be letting nature take it's course!

For more information on this topic please click on the title word IRRIGATION at the top of this post.