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. 

 
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... 

Popular posts from this blog

Saltene and Couch Grass

Image
I thought I would talk about this subject instead of what has been run of the mill course work updates lately, nothing like a bit of variety to keep it fresh... It is this time of year (summer if you didn't know better) the couch and saltene in the greens become more visible and start to out compete the bent grass. If you have been good students and followed the turf 101's on this blog you would know Bent is a cool season grass preferring cooler temps, Couch and Saltene both warm season grasses preferring hotter temps for optimum growth. So what happens when the two compete against each other year round ?   During the cooler months,  April through October the Bent grass out competes the Couch and Saltene, the Couch and Saltene are still there just not as pronounced as during the warmer months, thanks to their vigorous rhizomes even tho the bent has control of the top, the couch and saltene are waiting to pounce when warmer temps arrive due to their extensive rhizome syste
Read more

Hydraulic Oil Leak

Image
Over the weekend we had a Hydraulic Oil leak under the mower when mowing greens, unfortunately as it was pre-dawn mowing with a heavy dew, the operator only detected it when the sun came up after he was halfway through.   Of 13 greens mowed, 8 are effected of which 4 are cause for the most concern. Wishful thinking, I am wondering, and will find out soon enough, with the greens renovations only just completed whether the vigorous growth we have encourage to recover from Reno's and the higher cut we were mowing at will lessen the impact and we may be able to cut out most of it....Experience tells me IT IS wishful thinking. With this type of oil leak, it isn't so much the oil but the temperature of the oil that causes most of the damage, instantly killing the grass it contacts. We have applied Activated Charcoal, and a dilute detergent to deactivate and dilute the oil, there isn't much more we can do I am afraid.  We have sanded the 15th to see if that helps, unfo
Read more

Fairways, Saltine and Merry...Xmas

Image
The front 9  fairway renovation went well with strong growth occurring, alleviating some compaction and more importantly allowing the gases exchange from the root-zone,  this should hold them in good position for summer. You would have noticed the yellowing saltine in the greens I have taken advantage of the mild weather conditions being more aggressive with measures for Saltine and Crab grass in the greens than previous years. The Saltine will stand out more so than normal as it discolours with the herbicide effect, as a result it may appear there is more than usual in the greens, there isn't it just seems that way with the discolouration making it stand out more. Unfortunately due to the vigorous nature of the grass, control measures are more for   suppression and long term control than immediate eradication. Further due to the high risks of photo-toxicity to the bent grass in warmer weather, product applications are ceased during summer. The initial treatment a
Read more