The last couple of weeks has seen an increase in our agronomic activity on the course as the weather has been kinder to us. We have been able to take our mowers out and start presenting the course, which has given it a fresh manicured appearance after so many wet months.

 

Work on green aeration has been intensified to relieve the compaction and prolonged water flow. We have slit tined to 150mm,solid tined with 12mm tines to 75mm,and then after a couple of weeks we deep tined them.

 

We have just scarified all the greens to 10mm to remove moss, dead grass, and thatch from the surfaces and then apply sand dressing with the heron and hawk to finish soon.

 scarifying and mowing

 blowing off the debris

 switching the green after

 the scarify lines

and the scarify unit

 

Now that the tee mats and winter tees are not in use we have seeded and dressed the winter tees  to restore the surfaces after very intense play. A slow release fertiliser has been applied to all the tees to encourage steady growth recovery.

Moss has been very invasive this winter due to the very wet conditions so we will be using our quadraplay  on the fairways soon to help remove this .

4th rough Hawk

 

The new Raymonds triangle has been planted up with perennials and ornamental grasses which are bee friendly 

 

The daffodils are now in full glory and we are pleased with the showing around the clubhouse environs giving a good spring like feel to these areas

 

As mentioned in the previous blogs we have not replace two permanent staff members but we have taken on two summer staff, Mike Bartlett and David Morgan who have worked on other golf courses who will be helping us to present and maintain South Essex for you.

As with all good things that happen on the course there are downsides, and poor golfer etiquette

 is very frustrating to other golfers and greenstaff as well see examples below.

 

5th Hawk even though the area was roped off!!!!!

 

reminder  of those foggy mornings, thanks for your patience waiting  to go out to play ,it keeps my staff safe until conditions for playimprove.

A few drier days toward the end of February allowed us to complete some much need work on the course. We applied a granular feed with low nitrogen and potassium to  encourage and harden up the plant without any excessive growth ,and the product also had a high iron sulphate content which has given the greens a darkened colour, was used to help control the moss invasion due to all the wetness and lack of aeration.
 The greens were in much need of aeration after the constant rain and wet surfaces, so  they were slit tined and then we followed this with solid tining with close spacing to a depth of 75mm.All the tees were given there first cut of the year and even some fairways were cut ,although some remained to wet to put a mower across. Just as we got excited about doing some real green keeping the rain came back .

applying fertiliser

Our New ecological triple greens mower has arrived and was being evaluated and tested out on the course on the vixen 8th green ,this new idea? of mowing is unlikely to catch on as its virtually impossible to mow a straight live or get strips in the green.

On the 6th hole of the Hawk we investigated what we thought was a drainage issue in the  right bunker but as we dug  holes and poked and prodded around  we found the problem to be fibrous roots from the willow tree. These had grown in the pipe and blocked it in the last few metres where the drainage pipe exited into the pond. After much hand work it was cleared and repaired.

The crocus bulbs planted on the clubhouse lawn in the autumn have been giving there first display and looking very effective, as is the display outside our maintenance building. I also saw my first queen buff tailed bumblebee looking for a nest sight in february on our crocus .

 

The Daffidils planted on the banks of the 1st tee vixen, putting green and car park are  nearly ready to flower so spring is coming I don't know if that means less rain though!

clubhouse on a rare day of early morning sunlight inbetween rain showers