Dry Weather at Last!!

WELCOME TO THIS WEEKS COURSE INFORMATION BLOG

1.     WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES!! RAINFALL READING FOR THE LAST WEEK TOTALLED 67MM – THIS WEEK IT HAS BARELY REGISTERED A MARK ON THE RAIN GAUGE.

THIS HAS ALLOWED US TO CONTINUE OUR AUTUMN RENOVATION OF SAND INJECTION TO ALL OF THE GREENS.

YOU MAY ASK WHAT IS SAND INJECTION AND WHAT DOES IT DO? THIS IS A PROCESS WHERE WE SCARIFY TO AN APPROXIMATE DEPTH OF 25-30mm THIS IS IMMEDIATLEY FOLLOWED BY THE INJECTION OF DRIED KILN SAND DIRECTLY INTO THE SCARIFYING CHANNELS MADE BY THE 2mm THICK BLADES WHICH ARE SET AT 30mm APART – THIS COMPLIMENTS OUR DRILL AND FILL PROGRAMME THAT HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT OVER THE PAST 6 YEARS.

 

 

 

THE THEORY BEHIND SAND INJECTIOINS IS THAT AS RAIN FALLS THE SURFACE WATERFLOWS DOWN THE LATERALL SAND FILLED LINES, CONNECTS TO AND  FILTERS DOWN THE DRILL AND FILL VERTICAL CHANNELS, THE SURFACE WATER THEN FINALLY ENTERS THE EXISTING OR NATURAL DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
 

WE TRIALLED THIS MACHINE ON THE 18^TH GREEN IN OCTOBER 2011, OVER THE FOLLOWING 6 MONTHS THE GREEN WAS MONITORED.  FEEDBACK PROVED TO BE EXTREMELY POSITIVE  AND IN AUGUST THIS YEAR WE DECIDED TO PURCHASE THE MACHINE AS WE FEEL THAT IT MAKES BETTER FINANCIAL SENSE THAN CONTINUING TO HIRE IT.

 

 

HOPEFULLY THE DRY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE AND THIS WILL ALLOWS US TO COMPLETE ALL OF THE GREENS BY THE 26^TH October.  AS PART OF OUR WINTER PROGRAMME WE WILL CONTINUE SAND INJECTION TO THE TEE’S

 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON THE MACHINE:  www.kensettsport.co.uk

2.     FAIRWAY AERATION

AS OF MONDAY (22^ND), A LOCAL CONTRACTOR ‘SOUTARS’ BEGAN DEEP VERTIDRAINING OF THE FAIRWAYS WITH THE DEPTH VARYING DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF ROCK TO THE SURFACE.  HOPEFULLY WITH THE DRY WEATHER CONTINUING AND WITHOUT ANY MECHANICAL FAILURES THEY WILL BE FINISHED BY THE END OF THIS WEEK

VERTIDRAINING IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR AERATION PROGRAMME TO ENSURE THE COURSE STAYS PLAYABLE THROUGHOUT THE WINTER SEASON.

     

 

3.     FAIRWAY PROTECTION

WE WILL BE SHORTLY INTRODUCING WINTER FAIRWAY PROTECTION TO ALL OF THE FAIRWAYS THIS YEAR.  NORMALLY WE INSTALL BLUE POSTS TO SELECTED FAIRWAYS TO INDICATE THE START AND FINISH OF THE AREA WE ARE PROTECTING.  THIS YEAR BLUE POSTS ARE BEING WITHDRAWN HOWEVER BLUE LINES WILL STILL BE APPLIED TO INDICATE THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE PROTECTED AREAS.  THIS WILL MEAN IF YOU’RE BALL LANDS ON A PROTECTED AREA ON THE FAIRWAY YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO LIFT AND PLACE THE BALL IN THE SEMI ROUGH – THIS WILL APPLY TO ALL 18 FAIRWAYS.

 

I HOPE YOU AGREE AS WE ENTER THE WINTER PERIOD WHEN GROWTH IS RESTRICTED THAT PROTECTING THE TURF ON THE FAIRWAYS IS BOTH SENSIBLE AND REASONABLE.  THIS ACTION WILL ENSURE THAT THE FAIRWAYS WILL BE PRESENTED IN THE BEST CONDITION POSSIBLE IN SPRING 2013.

 

 

4.     G P AIR

 ON WEDNESDAY 24^TH I ORGANISED A LOCAL CONTRACTOR TO  VISIT THE COURSE AND ATTEMPT TO REMOVE SURFACE WATER THAT CONTINUES TO LIE IN THE LOWER AREAS OF THE COURSE AND TO TRY AND ALLEVIATE COMPACTED AREAS AROUND VARIOUS APRONS AND WALK OF AREAS.

THIS TYPE OF MACHINE IS EXTREMELY USEFUL IN INJECTING COMPRESSED AIR INTO THE GROUND WHERE TURF IS BEING AFFECTED BY ANEROBIC CONDITIONS.

AGAIN YOU CAN VIEW DETAILS OF THE MACHINE AT:   www.kensettsport.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

IT IS MY INTENTION ON A WEEKLY BASIS TO UPDATE MEMBERS VIA THE BLOG WITH INFORMATION ON THE PROGRESS OF CURRENT AND FUTURE WORKS BEING UNDERTAKEN.  I HOPE THAT ALL MEMBERS WILL FIND THIS USEFUL AND AS YOU KNOW WE ARE ALWAYS KEEN TO HAVE FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS REGARDING THE COURSE. 

PLEASE CONTACT US VIA  greens@cathkinbraesgolfclub.co.uk

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

DOUGLAS McINTOSH

COURSE MANAGER