Greens & Facilities Report January 2025
We have had lots of questions recently about various aspects of greens and facilities, so have decided to adopt a Q&A approach to this newsletter having spent some time discussing all the various points with our Head Greenkeeper Matt Lock. If you have a question that isn't covered by all means reply to this email and we will get back to you!
Q Why are our greens so wet?
A Thatch is dead organic matter that sits just below the surface of the soil (see black layer in pic from 18th green) and acts like a sponge, preventing drainage. We are 1 year in to a 2-3 year plan to reduce thatch through aeration (hollow tining) and dressing. I know it’s a word people are probably sick of hearing, but the thatch is real and it is a problem, but the war on it is well under way!
Q Does running heavy machines over wet greens damage them?
A It pushes air out of the ground and can cause ruts, so we keep off them as much as we can, especially the tractor. When it comes to fungicidal treatment however this has to be carefully applied without over-spraying the same areas twice, which would damage the plant – this is easier to achieve with 2 or 3 tractor passes than it would be a knapsack sprayer.
Q Could we use hand mowers?
A We have them, but there is a good reason we aren’t using them at present. On wet greens given their weight and point loading on a small area there isn’t enough traction so it is almost impossible to steer straight and cut efficiently. There is no other reason for not using them!
Q Do tees need resting in winter?
A It is advantageous, as can be seen in the improved condition of the tees turf now.
Q Do we have a temporary greens policy?
A “Policy” is probably the wrong word, but the greens committee, club manager and head greenkeeper agreed on a statement of intent freom the executive Committee last October, which was minuted as follows:
Guidance for winter 2024/2025: In the interests of retaining as many members as possible and regaining new members by showing improvements made to winter playability we should err on the side of playing “normal” greens (max 2 temps) whenever possible and not wreckless. It is acknowledge that playing real greens when borderline will make them less true as the day goes on but is preferable to putting on temps all day.
Q Who decides which greens we play on?
A The Head Greenkeeper makes this decision, or his deputy on days off or non-duty weekends with regular communication.
Q How and when is the decision made?
A Greens are assessed every morning first thing, often in the dark with torchlight or machine headlights. For a Saturday the initial decision is made at 2.45 on a Friday afternoon based on conditions at the time and the overnight forecast. Should conditions unexpectedly change overnight (this will only ever be a worsening rather than an improvement) the duty greenkeeper will review the decision.
Q Have we been over-protective of greens lately?
A There has been no deliberate intention to keep members and visitors off the greens. We do however recognise that decisions need to be consistent and are working hard on improving this. In the winter it is worth noting that it can only take 1mm of rain or even a heavy dew overnight to take a green from borderline playable to far too wet. These pictures were taken on christmas and new year's eve at the same spot on the 1st green, and show the effect of overplaying wet greens.
Q Why do we play off mats?
A This is simply to avoid heavy wear on the ground, thinking back to the 7th tee last winter for example. The mats offera a flat, level area that does not impact enjoyment of play significantly, or in some people’s eyes at all, so protection of the tees and allowing them recovery time is important.
Q Will we be off mats all winter?
A We will rootzone (premium sand/soil mix) and seed the tees in February. The cut height is raised ½ an inch and we will also verti-drain them when firmer. The mats will be beneficial until them, and the tees are visibly looking better off for the rest.
Q Why do we have some “temporary temporaries”?
A Some of the smaller temporaries were felt to be unfair so we wanted to offer a larger green area, but we accept the slopes meant these were not necessarily fairer in the end and we have now reviewed this. Being so small, and with high traffic, they will wear and compact very quickly though.
Q Why are our temps so short?
A The grass is lying flat and does get heavy use over a small area, making them appear shorter than they actually are.
Q Why are 4,5,6 temps so sandy?
A The soil/sand mix used when we did the work, and the turf, were not in fact the best choice. It saved money at the time when we were doing the locker room upgrade and the fact of the matter is we have suffered as a result of using cheaper materials.
Q Why are our greens getting smaller?
A There are several greens that have very wet areas that the greens mower would struggle to cut even in summer wet conditions. This is something that we will address in the spring, by “reclaiming” some greens areas for the season ahead. It has nothing to do with saving time cutting greens.
Q How much does playing on wet greens really affect next season?
A Recovery in the spring will be slower, yes they will come back but it could be a month later than it would otherwise take.
Q What happens when a pitch mark isn't repaired?
A An improperly repaired pitchmark will take 3 weeks to heal. Here’s a reminder on the correct method. (Check out Ben Pill’s recently video, and take up the offer of a free repairer from the pro shop!)
- Discard the loose piece of turf taken out by the ball
- Insert the pitch mark repairer tool just outside of the back of the pitch mark
- Lever the turf towards the centre of the pitch mark
- Repeat this motion from all sides of the pitch mark
- Gently tap the repaired area with your putter. This action stretches undamaged turf over the pitch mark, providing instant recovery
- Never pry up the centre of a depression, it exposes the soil and delays the healing.
Q How many Greenkeepers do we have?
A We have 4 full time greenkeepers (Matt, Dave, Neil, Brad), plus Keith who works part time on Tues/Weds/Thurs and our amazing volunteer Sharky who works up to 4 days a week, including every Sunday mornings to help pick balls on the range. All our greenkeepers either play, or have been a member of a golf club at some point.
Q Why is the new 16th still so wet?
A The work on 16 was never a drainage solution, it was for aesthetics and to take away the sand from the bunker affecting the greens. It is still inherently a bowl.
Q Why are 13 and 14 among the first to be on temps after all that work done?
A It was to prevent large amounts of water from sitting on the green in a pool like it did before, held there by the bank as the photo shows. The ground conditions remain such that they will still not drain as well as we would like.
Q What have we done on the 13th fairway?
A The area should no longer flood like it has been, by putting in drains and raising the area slightly and turfing to the drains such that the mower will pass over the top of the drains without damaging them. The drains have a 1 in 50 fall taking surface water away, with turf delivery soon to finish the job.
Q Why is the driving range so wet?
A It is made up of compacted shale that is almost impermeable, with some bare areas and some areas of fluffy soil covering that holds water until it evaporates rather than drains.
Q Have we done enough to sort the driving range drainage?
A We could not have done any more than we have done, to have tried would have been a waste of money based on the independent expert advice received. The only long-term solution is to layer a foot of topsoil across the whole area through which water can traverse the ground. We have just re-dug our drainage channels removing 40 tonnes of turf and silt and put fresh clean stone in them which was low cost and should make a small difference.
Q Why haven't we used 10a?
A We are bringing this back over the next week, lowering the cut height gradually over the next 7 days.
Q Do we get any independent agronomy advice?
A Our seed/feed/chemical advice comes from our partner in building our routine programme. He is well respected and we know it is tailored to our needs, and we only purchase what is required. Additional advice comes at a cost, and is not necessary at present.
Q Why are bunkers GUR for so long after rain?
A It takes 2 people one day to bring the bunkers back into play, so sometimes if more rain is forecast it makes more sense to wait. We can however and will focus on bringing back the ones in play for the temporaries.
Q Can we use bigger holes on temporaries?
A We are looking into larger cups, and a large diameter hole cutter.
Q How is the bunker renovation going?
A We are continuing to re-edge when the opportunity arise, and all bunkers will be done by the end of February.
A final word from Matt
- "Since the new year I have been overwhelmed by the support from our members in the efforts we make on a daily basis. I have been in and around golf for 40 years and it is the greatest sport in the world. Pleasing everybody is impossible but we are doing our best for the members so let's try and stay positive over the coming weeks and remember why we do what we do when we do."
Happy golfing, Matt.