Greenkeepers Blog April 2020
It seems like a distant bad dream, that’s turned into a never ending nightmare, casting our minds back not too far to the gloom of February when we recorded 143 mm of rain in the month, this fell over 14 days compared to the figures in 2019 when only 46 mm fell over only 5 days. As talk of Brexit started to become yesterday’s news who could have imagined what lay ahead for us all.
Well our brief here at BGC does not change and for those of you who follow us on Social Media, we’re hopeful that you are as excited as we are about the images we have published and the prospects for great course conditions for the remainder of 2020.
If you recall we have discussed previously how we have usually undertaken a vigorous greens maintenance program during March, this virtually always seems to affect the greens for many months to come, cold ground conditions and early season maintenance seem to come with a massive consequence.
Well, last year we decided to stop this program and step up the mid to end of year maintenance and then depending on favourable results we could miss out that exasperating early season program. Well, that is exactly what has happened, our annual agronomist reports proved that we were back on track and the greens as of today are a testament to that work.
A further light thatch removal has recently been undertaken this has also removed areas of treated moss. Greens have also been verti drained to a depth of 7-8 inches rolled and then a follow-up slit to continue the air exchange and to help with water penetration. We then followed up with a treatment of Rocastem and a feed of 5:4:12, further applications of Plant Max, Iron and the impressive Dew Clear are due. We are also investigating the use of Plant Growth Regulators, to try to helps us keep on top of the rapid growth and investigating taking some areas out of play to try and create more of a heathland impression, needless to say, this cannot impact on the pace of play.
We have taken this opportunity to re-shape some of the fairways trying to make them wider in places as we have with some of the collars and surrounds. We have had a good tidy up around the starters hut and a new exit path from the 18th green has been introduced. Current work recommendations from our NGB does not encourage work on bunkers so that is going to be our main challenge once we receive the green light to welcome you all back.
Hope to see you back at BGC in the near future.
Team BGC