July Greenkeeper Update
The weather for June was the hottest on record and it looked for a short time during the first two weeks that we were heading for a prolonged dry spell. As we stand now we have seen some colder spells and some rain and the course has recovered well for the moment! We still have a few months of summer and we could still see a prolonged heat wave and the familiar browning of the course.
Players may have noticed the plantains on and around the greens more in the last few weeks this is due to the weed killer which turns the weeds lighter in colour in in turn and contrasts against the green of the sward, shortly they will shrivel and die and the grass will grow back into the vacant areas.
There are a few wet patches around the greens which are due to the amount of water that is being irrigated during the dry spells, the majority of them are where the surrounding ground is higher and the water has difficulty in draining away. Inevitably though some wet patches appear due to irrigation heads and pipes leaking. The irrigation system is the original system and takes a lot of management and investment to keep it operational, as it waters overnight in the early hours the system can just stop or individual greens, tees or approaches can malfunction as each one has a valve box that is individually controlled within the system. Being vigilant and recognising the signs is very important as just a couple of days without water can take a while to repair.
Fairways and tees have responded well to the lower temperatures and are greening up well with the spells of rain, we are currently cutting at full height in order to keep the grass growing while we can.
During July we will be re dressing some of the greens in order to smooth out the surfaces but also to level out the drainage channels on the first green. Regular spiking and will take place during July along with the spraying of compost teas and fertilisers.
If the cooler temperatures remain for the month then we will be fertilising the fairways again with nitrogen rich fertiliser.
If the weather gets hotter a drier in July we will be replacing the steps on the 10th tee with new treads and new anti slip treads.