Greens Update - April 25

As mentioned in the previous update, the greens are still waking up from their winter slumber, and it looks as though it won’t be until next week at the earliest before we see the onset of any real growth potential.

The main two different grass species in the greens, poa annua and bent grass, tend to react to temperature differently and so we encounter two different growing speeds. This, combined with the poa’s energy to produce a seed head, means that the greens can be bobbly at this time. It’s the same all over the country, especially where poa is the dominant species.

So, how do we counter this? It is a tricky time, as the obvious answer is to cut the greens as low as possible to take out the bumps, right? Wrong! By cutting too low adds stress, and with the dry weather already stressing the plant so much, this would be a bad idea. However, we must try and produce a good surface so we turn to cultural methods to try and help the greens along as much as we can through this period.

Topdressing, brushing, grooming are all tasks we are undertaking to try and help the issue, as well as aeration. Next week the greens will receive a grooming, like a very light verticut, as well as topdressing to help smooth out the surfaces. Please repair your pitchmarks too as this will help (and it is sadly not carried out by many golfers here).

This week we put the brush back on the greens mower and gave the greens a double cut. The mower’s cutting units are also being sharpened and lowered in height slightly. We will not be down to the main summer height just yet, especially with the hot temperatures coming next week, but close to it. All these factors should help with the smoothness, while we wait for the onset of growth.

The tees and approaches have responded very well to their granular feeds and are showing signs of growth at this time. The aim now is to bring their height of cuts down as soon as possible. We will also be using the cultural practices on them too. Initially we are going to have to bring the height of the approaches right down, in order to combat the leggy old coarse rye grasses in them. Constant brushing and disturbance on them will help, and it is a long-term goal to try and keep improving these surfaces, as well as the collars of the greens, which are in a poor state too.

Just a note on the machinery, notably the new greens mower that we purchased from Balmers. It quickly developed an electrical problem, meaning the cutting units would trip out intermittently. This obviously was unacceptable, and it has been taken back to Balmers for investigation and repair under the mower’s warranty. As soon as it is back, more work can begin on the approaches, as the old greens mower is back on greens for the time being.

We will continue to monitor the greens’ moisture levels with the pogo moisture meter, and will be watering accordingly, via the irrigation system, or through hand watering. The system is up and running, but as ever with old systems, there are one or two issues with some sprinklers on the greens, such as at the 3rd, 4th, and 9th greens. These issues will be rectified as soon as possible.