The recent wet weather has highlighted a problem with the drainage system on the 9th fairway Hawk.The turf swelled up and water poured out running down across the fairway.On investigation by digging numerous inspection holes we found the pipe broken in one section,blocked by mud and sand across much of the fairway and the exit into the ditch collapsed and blocked.we cleared the exit into the ditch, flushed out the blocked pipe using our irrigation system ,and repaired the damaged pipe.

Water flowing across the fairway

Digging out ditch exit

We have recently completed deep tining on all the green,this will encourage deeper rooting  and help with drainage. If the weather allows we will complete this again before Christmas . 

 

We have completed the repair on the irrigation pipe at the front of the 1st tee heron and  just need to restore the ground back to normal

 

October is the time to plant bulbs for the spring and we have planted a few hundred daffodils and narcissi on the bank of the 1st tee vixen and bank near the car park. This follows on from those we planted last year and this will increase the amount and provide a better show next spring .

Craig planting  bulbs

 

We also planted alliums in the bed near the pond behind the clubhouse

One of the issues we have is those golfers who show no respect to the golf course and playing surface we work hard to provide.This is especially so on the greens when people miss-use there clubs taking divots off the green,damaging the surface for those who follow them.Please think of others and take more care it will be appreciated

It doesn't always rain in October ,I did see this sunlit sky across the putting green

The recent warm weather has encouraged plenty of growth to keep our mowers very busy.The tees have recovered very well  in no small part to the slow release fertilise which was applied in March.The cold spring and hot summer periods delayed the release of the feed  but this has now changed with the recent weather  and the tees have a good grass coverage going into the autumn.The Fairways have recovered quickly from the recent scarifing and the soluble feed has helped give them a boost and aided the recovery after the summer's hot weather.We are now into the routine of slitting all the fairways to aid root growth and relieve the compaction from all the golfer and machinery traffic.

Sam Cooke spraying the feed onto the 5th Vixen fairway

Two of our staff recently qualified as spray operators and are now gaining experience in using and applying various products,but inexperience can lead to mistakes which we hope are not to damaging as seen at the front of the 8th green Hawk where to much product applied in one area has scorched the turf.This will grow out.

 

Its easy to see Fairy Rings on the course,with there distinct green ring caused by the release of nitogen from the fungi which greens up the grass.The fruiting bodies of the fungus are also seen on the ring but as yet no Fairies have been spotted.

!st Vixen Fairy Rings

 

 After spraying the environmental rough with selective weed control its always good to see that the treatment has been effective.

Dying weeds 3rd vixen

At this time of year we bring in a contractor to cut and trim selected hedges around the course,this is to control there growth and also to allow golf to be played with out unfair restriction eg 3rd hole Hawk and 9th hole heron

Cutting hedge 7th Hawk

 

One of our staff members  Luke Herron has now moved on to join Hobbs Cross Golf Club ,we wish him well in his new Club

We have planted crocus bulbs into the front lawn of the clubhouse,as well as Alliums in some of the f;ower beds behind the clubhouse.These should give added interest in the spring.This was one of Lukes last jobs before leaving us

On the 7th ditch across the Vixen we have planted some cowslips which we grew from seed in keeping with  our natural native planting plan.Roger Horne our Senior Captain has given us some Lilys and Dahlia plants which again is within our remit of plants which attract pollinating insects.Our Operation Pollinator area has now shown signs of life with the seed from the spring sowing germinating after the recent wet warm weather .These will continue to grow and develop.Next summer  we should see some results.