Week 29 Buckets Dont Grow on Trees
This week we managed to make a start on our winter works to do list, after losing just the one day to course clean up from the latest front and also the WA golf Junior event held on Wednesday. Remedial drainage work to the approach on 15 green and side of 14 green was completed this week, the front of 15 green has been consistently wet through winter over the years and also at times during the irrigation season, causing poor quality turf in the area. During the week we installed a mini herringbone drain pattern with 80mm slotted Ag pipe and a natural soak well to alleviate the problem.
Herringbone Drain line
After digging and discovering a 2 inch layer of Blue metal dust (road base) creating an impervious layer that prevents water draining freely under the whole area, and an heavily iron oxidised (irrigation water) upper soil profile from slow drainage, I am less confident the drain line in itself will be enough to solve the issue, though it will improve the situation presently experienced.
Profile - area in red blue metal dust
Wouldn't know we were there - completed work
Coring with removal of deposits and sanding to dilute the heavily oxidised profile during the growing season will be implemented as the next stage in improving all green approaches. This combined with the drain installation should overcome the issues experienced through winter. The 11th green approach is the next on the drain list.
Other jobs ticked off the list were the repair of pipe leaks and blockages on the back 9, (still more to do with the old pipes), and weed control in Sand Bunkers, this along with normal course set up and conditioning, the beautiful days on Thursday and Friday felt like a more constructive week rather than just cleaning up mess from the latest front. That said I don't think we will have such luck this coming week with thunderstorms and fronts predicted to pass through over the next 3 days, fingers crossed we are spared the worst minimising any required clean up so we can continue the drainage work.
Finally the course care / etiquette comment this week brings me back to the tittle of this post,
Buckets don't grow on Trees though
somebody thinks so
or In Gardens
They don't need a Car Spot or Two
and though effective certainly not designed to be an ashtray
We put 50 new sand buckets out 1 1/2 weeks ago with many disappearing, we hope as a result of members leaving them on the buggies in the lockers and not for any other unsavoury reason, we put another 50 out this week, hopefully most locker room buggies having their bucket already, these ones will stick around a bit longer.
By all means Please take a free sand bucket before you play, use it as you play with free sand provided, and return the bucket at completion of your round for others to share the joy of using the bucket with sand and caring for their course during their round.
Herringbone Drain line
Profile - area in red blue metal dust
Other jobs ticked off the list were the repair of pipe leaks and blockages on the back 9, (still more to do with the old pipes), and weed control in Sand Bunkers, this along with normal course set up and conditioning, the beautiful days on Thursday and Friday felt like a more constructive week rather than just cleaning up mess from the latest front. That said I don't think we will have such luck this coming week with thunderstorms and fronts predicted to pass through over the next 3 days, fingers crossed we are spared the worst minimising any required clean up so we can continue the drainage work.
Finally the course care / etiquette comment this week brings me back to the tittle of this post,
Buckets don't grow on Trees though
somebody thinks so
or In Gardens
They don't need a Car Spot or Two
and though effective certainly not designed to be an ashtray
By all means Please take a free sand bucket before you play, use it as you play with free sand provided, and return the bucket at completion of your round for others to share the joy of using the bucket with sand and caring for their course during their round.
If left anywhere else, we don't want anyone to kick the bucket!!!
We are working towards a new bucket return area on the 18th side to assist with this.
And that brings an end to this Bucket List...
