Course Information Blog for W/C 07/01/13
Welcome to the first blog of 2013 and on behalf of myself and all of the green staff may we wish you all a good new year and hope and pray this year will be an enjoyable playing season in more ways than just the weather.
This week and throughout the festive period our staff have been concentrating on installing the final phase of drainage to the rear and L/H/S of the 7th green.
Again rock has been a severe handicap for the staff and our work schedule of which has delayed us on installing new lateral drainage to the beginning of the 14th fairway. We hope to begin this week weather permitting, installing approx six lateral drains linking up to the recently installed main drain that runs adjacent to the course road, again weather permitting we hope to have this completed by end of this month.
On completion contractors will follow this with sand banding at 0.5m centres, right angles to the lateral drainage, this will assist surface water removal between the laterals.
This is the beginning of an extensive drainage installation plan proposed for this and additional fairways throughout the course in conjunction with our drainage consultants advice report. His report is now with us and is currently being discussed by our Greens Committee and the C.O.M. A report and plan will be available to view shortly once we have thoroughly investigated all options and advice available to us.
2. Pitch marks
Unfortunately this has been brought to my attention again that Pitch marks are still not being repaired properly on our greens despite my recent blog article and video illustration on how to repair them correctly.
It has been suggested that if we do not see an improvement to pitch marks then we will have no option but to remove these damaged greens from play. As I have mentioned in recent blogs that it is in our own interest to care for our greens especially throughout the winter period in order to allow us to produce reasonable putting surfaces come the start of the 2013 playing season.
I will be purchasing pitch mark fork tools from our professional; Steven Bree shortly and will have them located next to the ladies and gents markers at the first tee, so there is no excuse now!!
Please don't have me resorting to temporary greens as your club and our staff have invested a lot of money, time and effort insuring main greens are in play as much as possible throughout the year. Therefore, it would be annoying for everyone if main greens were off due to the damage caused by unrepaired pitch marks.
3. 5th Pond
As you are aware over the past few weeks we have saw a sharp rise in the water level of the pond and in addition flooding to the surrounding fairways.
Recent investigations revealed a blockage in the main pipe existing sluice gate located at the bottom end of the pond. We have been unsuccessful in locating this pipe due to its depth, however we have located existing clay tile drainage near the sluice gate, to which we have excavated a small ditch from the pond to the clay tile drains.
The level of the pond is now receding and should return to its original level within a few days, until then we will monitor it closely. As soon as the level has receded enough to allow our staff to repair the blockage, I will be looking at upgrading the current sluice gate and its workings to insure no further flooding occurs.
My work schedule for w/c/ 14/01/13
- Installation of lateral drainage to the first 50 yds of the 14th fairway.
- Completion of the final phase of drainage to L/H/S of the 7th green.
May I wish you "Awe the best" in the 2013 golfing season.
Douglas
