The Start Of A New Season

The start of a new season is almost upon us and the greenkeeping team are working hard preparing the course for the season ahead. One of the biggest challenges we have ahead of us is getting the new bunkers ready for play. When the bunkers were being refurbished in the winter some of the sand is removed and this now must be returned to the bunker. Before the sand goes back in it is screened to remove any debris then it is put in the bunker and shaped to form the ideal bunker base. Next it is compacted to try to reduce the likelihood of balls plugging in the sand then finally it is raked to provide the perfect finish.
All bunkers are raked on a daily basis, it takes around two hours each day and more if shaping work is carried out, add to this the weeding and cutting work that takes place and we soon find ourselves putting in well in excess of 1000 man hours of bunker maintenance annually. All this for an area of the golf course that everyone tries to avoid!

4th Hole Drainage

It has become clear in recent months that the drainage system under the 4th fairway was failing to do its job properly. There has been some debate amongst the course team as to the exact configuration of the drainage system and the reasons why it was failing. To address the problem the team set out to properly identify the location of the pipes, examine their condition and repair any damaged sections. Although old plans existed of the drain pipework it had been felt they were incomplete and did not tell the full story. Since accurate mapping was carried out on the golf course prior to the irrigation system being installed it is now possible for us to complete a more detailed plan of the drainage system.

More Tree Work

In keeping with our policy to manage the spread of the non-indigenous holm oak trees, we have embarked on the second phase of felling mature specimens.
Some trees have been removed from the bank that separates the 9th and 10th holes and more trees have been removed from the right hand side of the 18th hole. Due to the steep bank on the 18th a large excavator was used to move the felled trees into an area suitable for chipping to take place. Inevitably a certain amount of damage to the turf has occurred around the area where the excavator was working but this will be reinstated by course staff in the next few days.

Excavotor moving a felled tree into position

The areas around the felled trees will be scraped back to bare sand/soil to allow the indigenous plant species space to re-establish. Please click on the ECOLOGY label at the bottom of this post to learn more about why we cut down trees and what we are trying to acheive.

Winter Course Closures

The unusually cold weather recently has meant the golf course has had to remain closed for most of the past three weeks. Whilst this is obviously frustrating for the members who wish to play, it is worth reminding ourselves why play is restricted when frost arrives.

Surface frost is basically frozen dew that has crystallised on the grass, making it hard and brittle. A grass blade is actually 90 percent water, therefore it also freezes. Because of the short mowing height (6.5mm at this time of year) and fragile nature of the turf, putting greens are most affected by frost. Walking on frost-covered greens causes the plant to break and cell walls to rupture, thereby losing its ability to function normally. When the membrane is broken, much like an egg, it cannot be put back together.


The damage caused to the leaf of the grass plants during a surface frost is bad enough but the most devastating situation occurs following a hard penetrated frost when the grass blades and the upper portion of the soil profile has thawed, but the ground beneath their level remains frozen. Foot traffic on greens will create a shearing action of the roots and crown tissues and widespread plant death will occur. This is comparable to cutting the plant tissue from the underlying root system with a sod cutter.

Hopefully the worst of the winter weather is now behind us and frost delays will soon be just a memory. The course has been protected during this vulnerable period and should show no adverse effects. The course staff can at last resume the various projects being worked on around the course and we can look forward to an exciting season ahead.

Bunker Renovation

For the past few weeks we have been refubishing the bunkers around the course. So far we have focused our efforts on holes 16, 17 and 18 with a total of 12 bunkers completed so far.
When planning bunker renovations there are a number of factors we take into consideration. Firstly the existing style of course bunkering is examined. We currently have a mix of "rolled in" turf bunkers and also sod stacked/revetted bunkers. We aim to develop a consistant style throughout the course and have decided to use the revetted style in all future bunker refurbishments.
Next we look at the position of the bunkers. With the advances in golf ball and club technology bunkers can become obselete. Before rebuilding any bunker we must decide whether the bunker is still best placed from a strategic perspective. Is the bunker still doing the job it was originally designed to do?
Finally we look at the bunker from an architectual perspective. Is it in keeping with the surrounding ground and the hole in general?, Does the bunker contribute positively to the aesthetic appeal of the hole?
If we are satisfied the bunker is in the correct location then we proceed with the work. If we decide that significant alterations are required, we will engage our golf course architect to carry out a detailed assessment before we proceed.

Here is one of the bunkers from around the 18th green on the day worked commenced.

1. Stripping turf from around the bunker

2. Removing the old bunker face

3. Digging out and shaping the surrounding ground

4. Laying the first rows of turf to form the shape

5. The finished bunker

All refurbished bunkers will remain out of play through the winter months. In late February the bunkers will have sand added and packed firm before being shaped properly ready for play. Please be aware that the depth of the bunkers will reduce considerably when the sand is added thus making player access easier.

Holm Oak Clearance

This week we have contractors on site clearing holm oak trees on holes 17 and 18 and from around the chipping area. The holm oak is an aggressive species which colonises areas rapidly if left unchecked. Once it gains a foothold it can turn an open landscape into woodland in a remarkably short space of time.

Holes 15-18 at La Moye are blessed with some of the best views to be found anywhere in Jersey. Unfortunately, over the years the unchecked spread of the holm oak has all but eliminated these views in some areas. In conjunction with our Ecological Management Plan we have embarked on a phased programme of holm oak clearance to open up the beautiful vistas we are blessed with. Some of the results are quite startling.

View From 18th Tee Prior To Works

View From 18th Following Clearance

There will be a large amount of clearing up to do once the contractors have left the site. We will reinstate the ground by scraping back to bare earth then seeding lightly with appropriate grasses. Holm Oak saplings will be removed as they emerge to ensure the area does not succumb to infestation in the future.

Temporary Closure Of Holes 17 and 18

Monday 17th – Friday 21st November

Holes 17 and 18 will be closed for 5 days to allow an intensive bunker refurbishment programme to be undertaken. Whilst the bunker work is being carried out J le Maistre Tree Surgery Ltd. will be clearing Holm Oaks on the same holes. This measure has been taken to protect course staff while working in greenside bunkers and to allow the free movement of machinery without disruption to members. In the event of the work being completed early then the holes will reopen earlier than planned.

The course staff would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused but trust members will understand the importance of this work taking place in a safe and timely manner.

Robin Dagger

In an attempt to penetrate the layer of silt/clay material found under some of our greens we have been using a machine called a Robin Dagger. As can be seen in the video below, a single metal probe is driven into the soil profile to a depth of 50cm. Once fully inserted a burst of high pressure air is fired horizontally in two directions at the base of the hole. The air pressure used is around 135psi. This helps open the compacted silt/clay layer creating channels for water to drain into the sandy sub layer. We then fill the holes with sand to keep the channels open for as long as possible.

Tee Scarification

This week we are using the tractor mounted scarifier to remove thatch from tee surfaces. This job ideally requires dry weather so the vast amount of organic matter that we remove can be picked up from the tee surface easily. Two men are required to scrape the material up and then load onto trailers. The material is then added to the compost heap. The remaining material is then blown off the surface before finally the tee is cut to finsh the job off. We will top dress the tees with sand which will be worked into the grooves. This will help dilute the remaining thatch and will also level the playing surface. This process will be repeated on the 2nd and 4th fairways in the coming months to help improve firmness in these rather soft areas.

Winter Work On The Courses

"You'll not be as busy on the course now the season has finished"


Course staff here this comment from well intentioned players regularly but in fact nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, we are even busier in the winter than we are in the summer. As a young apprentice greenkeeper I recall my boss telling me "when the grass stops growing the real work can start" This seemed a strange comment to make, after all ,what could there be to do on a golf course in the winter? I was soon to learn that there are a number of vital tasks carried out every winter that go unnoticed by most people but are crucial for the long term health of the golf course.

Sub-Surface Aeration

This winter we will use a range of equipment designed to aerate the soil to varying depths. A slit tining machine will be used on greens, surrounds and approaches to make knife like cuts in the turf to a depth of around six inches. This task will be carried out around three times each month with the primary aim being to allow air and water penetrate into the soil profile helping keep the surface as dry as possible.


A slit tine machine


A verti-drain machine will be used on greens, tees, fairways and approaches. This machine punches holes in the turf to a depth of up to twelve inches. The main aim with this machine is to relieve compaction and improve the movement of water through the soil profile. Surfaces that are kept drier are much less prone to disease, compaction and general sward deterioration. In the longer term the holes made with the verti-drain will provide the perfect space for the grass roots to grow into. Long grass roots are needed to help the plants withstand periods of drought in summer.



The Verti-drain machine in action