Greens Blog (April 2017)

The Committee appreciate all the feedback/suggestions we have received relating to the course. Where appropriate, as well as financially viable for the club, we will endeavour to take your points forward or programme them for future works.

Following the redesign of the 14^th hole, construction of the new tee & bunkers are nearing completion. Outstanding works to flatten & lower the red tee will take place when the new tee has had the opportunity to bed in (hopefully early May).

Work on the 5^th hole has been completed with some trees being removed from the right hand side & the area being turfed over. We are also looking to tidy the area around the pond.

New timber steps have been built at the white tees on the 4^th & 7^th holes. These will be topped with a protective, non-skip surface Cover Lawn.

We have had to returf the white tee on the 6^th hole, due to a temporary  infestation of ‘leather jacket’ insects. A slightly forward tee will be in play for early medals & until the newly laid turf takes.

With the exception of par 3’s all medal tees have been placed. In addition, we now have a blue junior course which has been measured & marked.

There have been several near misses on the course over the last 12 months. Therefore the Committee ask members to please pay attention to the safety notices displayed around course. Most importantly, please shout ‘fore’ clearly for any stray golf balls from your game.

Finally members are reminded there is absolutely no play permitted when the ‘course closed’ signs are displayed at the club & on the website.

Jane Lees

Greens Convenor

Greens Blog 1st February 2017

Dear Members

On behalf of the greens staff and myself I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy new year and hopefully a successful playing season.

This is an update on the Course winter programme so far:

New 14^th gents tee.

Construction began in November 2016 with 30 trees being removed to prepare the site and provide access routes for materials. To date 400 tonnes of material has been installed consisting of 80-100mm stone base layer covered by a 20mm gravel layer acting as a drainage carpet , followed by 12 inches of sand/soil root zone mix to get to the final level required similar to the existing tee. The surface has now been re turfed using the existing turf from the old medal tee. The theory being that the root system will develop quicker plus the turf will survive better in this shaded area. The new measurement of the hole is now 501 yards extending by some 20 yards. The tee bankings shall be turfed shortly followed by the installation of a new footpath.

RHS of 5^th Green.

Five large Sitka spruce trees have been removed from the right hand side of the green .The purpose of this is to allow additional sunlight and air movement into this area to improve turf quality not only for this area but for the green also , especially during the winter months. Approximately 150 tonnes of soil has been installed and landscaped to include a small winter green removing it from its current position on the 6^th tee. Final shaping and landscaping will continue with turfing commencing from 6^th February.

Tree removal LHS 10^th Green.

Approximately 40 large Sitka spruce trees have been removed from the large tree plantation to L/H/S of the 10^th green. Similar to the project at the 5^th the principals are the same to improve turf quality not only to the 10^th green but to surrounding areas as well also to the existing trees within the plantation. It is our intention to continue this work on an annual basis to areas required throughout the course.

14^th Fairway Bunkers

Work is almost completed on the first of 3 bunkers on this hole. We are continuing with the re-vetted style bunker face to all 3 bunkers but at a lower height. Work will continue on the bunkers once we have completed work on the 5^th green and 14^th tee.

Timber Tee Steps.

For safety and aesthetic reasons the rotten timber steps have been removed from the 4^th and 7^th tees. New treated timber steps have been installed at the 7^th and the 4^th should be completed by mid February . Green staff will continue to assess the condition of existing steps and will repair and replace when required.

Air Compressor / Shoe Cleaner.

A new machine has now been installed at the 18^th pathway leading from the course.

Douglas McIntosh

Course Manager

greens blog 22/2/16

Greens blog for w/c 22/2/16

Welcome back to our course blog after a long absence, however its my intention to resume informing members of the ongoing activities and future plans for our course.Apologies on my behalf for the absence.

So whats been going on lately??

Firstly, details of this years winter programme as follows:~

1) Improve/repair drainage on 2nd fairway
2) Path renovation at the 1st tee
3) Extension to the entrance and exit to the 2nd path
4) Green side bunker renovation at the 10th and 17th holes
5) 3rd ladies tee- re level existing tee to include an AstroTurf winter tee to l/h/s of main tee
6) 3rd ditch- repair to timber edging and grass banking mainly to the r/h/s near hawthorn tree
7) Improve drainage on the r/h/s of the 14th apron/fringe
8) r/h/s of the 5th hole- Planned removal of 5 trees to maximise light and air circulation, pipe and infill of narrow ditch leading to pond, install soil and landscape area where trees were to provide a improve landing area more so from the new tee direction.
9) Investigate drainage problem to the l/h/s of the 10th rough

COMPLETED PROJECTS TO DATE :-
1) 2nd fairway drainage
2) Path renovation at the 1st and 2nd tee's
3) Vertidraining and disc slitting to all fairways
4) Hollow coring and collection of cores to all main teeing areas

 MAINTENANCE WORK TO DATE :-
1) Following hurricanes Gertrude and Henry earlier this year and combined with higher rainfall levels, certain winter projects have had to be temporally postponed until ground conditions improve in order for our machinery to access these area's with the minimal amount of damage to the course.
During periods of high rainfall and the postponement of winter projects our green staff have been busy 'crown lifting' (cutting tree branches from the base upwards) trees throughout the whole course. This will allow access around the base of the tree for golf shots and easier maintenance for our green staff.

WINTER PROJECTS OUTSTANDING :- 
1) 10th and 17th green side bunkers - Final turfing was delayed to allow the new soil and bunker sand to compact. Greenstaff will return within the next couple of weeks to complete the rest of work required to complete the project. Once the new turf has completely rooted into the new soil then play will resume from the bunkers but until then these area's will be treated as GUR.
2) 3rd ladies tee - Construction is almost complete, however hard frost and snow have hampered the re turfing process. hopefully there will be break in the weather to allow us to complete this project by the end February.
3) 5th hole renovation- This project will unfortunately be postponed to later in the year approx OCT/NOV due to the deterioration in the turf on the 6th medal tee. After numerous treatments and with considerable periods of rest, the surface had shown signs of recovery during last season and into early autumn, however as temperatures and daylight decreased and as we approached into winter, grass coverage began to deteriorate significantly. After consultation with our committee it was agreed that the 6th medal tee is now more of a priority now than the 5th hole project. Factors in the deterioration of the surface have been a considerable lack of sunlight and air circulation, acidic rain droplets from pine needles from over hanging tree branches, plus soil tests have identified high levels of sulphur found in the root zone (cause unknown). A solution has been agreed to crown lift all trees surrounding the tee to maximise the air and sunlight issue, of which tree contractors are currently carrying out. For budgeting purposes we have decided to repair only the first third of the 6th medal tee just now, leaving the additional two thirds for Oct/Nov, once the competition season has come to an end. Hopefully the new turfed section will be ready for the first competition in April, however if not the white medal markers will be located to the rear of the gents tee until the new turf has completely established.

3RD DITCH
Due to deterioration in the timber edging sections of the ditch it will be necessary to renew these timber sections which are located mainly to the r/h/s near the hawthorn tree. Repair work will begin when we have completed all our outstanding projects. This I have scheduled for late March. If left unrepaired this could have serious flooding issues within and around this area.This could also affect holes 3, 4, 6, and 14,therefore it is essential this repair is carried out as soon as possible.

R/H/S OF14TH APRON/FRINGE
As rainfall records keep getting broken, this area has been gradually been deteriorating for a number of years now, therefore new drainage was required to improve the quality of turf especially so close to the green. New pipe drainage has now been installed with final turfing required to complete project, again final turfing had been purposely delayed to allow new root zone to compact further. Turfing is scheduled for the w/c 8/3/16.   
 
 I hope this keeps you up to date so far with all the goings on within our winter programme however if you require further information then you can email us at Greens@cathkinbraesgolfclub.co.uk.

The greens committee, greens staff and myself would like to wish you all a great golfing season and hopefully we will all be basking in sunshine this summer !!! wishful thinking LOL !!

Finally, i would like to thank Lyndsay Ross for his time, effort and enthusiasum during his reign as Greens convenor and welcome Kenny Alexander who replaces Lyndsay as Greens convenor. I hope you will join me in wishing Kenny the very best of luck in his new position. He will need it working with us !! LOL.

Thank you for your attention
Douglas        

Greens Blog August 2015

Greens Blog – 2nd August 2015

First of all apologies for the absence of the blog over the past few months. The Greens team has been pretty busy on the course as you can see but it’s our intention to publish a more regular blog on the website telling you  what’s happening on the course.

Practice Area

Following a risk assessment of the practice area some changes have been made to the practice area on the grounds of health and safety. The practice area has now been segmented into a number of smaller areas each with a defined purpose and these are set out below:

Main Practice Area - when practising from this area members must play from within the ropes hitting in the direction of the distance markers.

Short game Area - to the left of the practice area flags have been set at 30, 50 and 80 yards for you to tune up your short game, all shots played must be confined to the area marked out by the white stakes

Chipping Area – to the right of the practice area a green has been prepared together with a bunker to allow members to work on their skills in and around the green, all shots must be played from within the blue staked area. Longer range chipping onto this green is prohibited.

Teaching Bay – an area has been segregated to allow the Pro and his assistant to give lessons in privacy and members must not use this area unless accompanied by the Pro or his assistant.

Over Flow Area – when the main practice area is busy there is an additional area located to the right of the teaching bay which you can used however there are no ropes or stakes to define where shots should be taken from so members must be careful when using this area paying particular attention to members who are retrieving balls from within the main area.

The following rules must be adhered to when practising within this area:

Never hit balls to towards the club house unless you are within the blue staked Chipping Area.

When going retrieve balls members must walk on the outside of the white stakes.

When a member is retrieving balls other members using the main area must refrain from hitting shots in the interest of member safety.

We hope you enjoy the practice area but please take care and remember to show consideration to other members sharing the area.

New 5^th Tee

     

Captain Frank playing the new 5^th tee on member and guest day.

The addition of the new teeing area tee has made what was already a good hole in to a great hole!

2^nd fairway split drain

We have a problem on the second fairway with a drain that has split and if we try and repair it at this time the hole would have to be closed for health and safety reasons while remedial work was carried out. At this time of year when there are on-going competitions it’s not feasible for the hole to be closed and so for the time being the affected area has been marked with blue lines and declared GUR and will remain like that until the completion of all the competitions for this season.

Your patience and understanding during this time is much appreciated.

Ladies 18^th Tee

The ladies tee on the 18^th has been completely re-laid and will be top dressed soon with the intention being that it will be available for use in the Ladies club championship.

Course Aesthetics – Ongoing Maintenance

In addition to the scheduled cutting and maintenance programme that is necessary over the ‘summer’ months we are working on improving the overall appearance of the course especially areas that are bare, rocky or worn. Particular attention being given to areas close to greens or tees to ensure these areas are playable and look good. There is nothing worse than being faced with a bare or unkempt lie when attempting a delicate pitch onto the green.
 This will take some time to complete throughout the whole course but we believe it is something that our members consider important. We have prioritised certain areas such as the area around the 5^th green and the zone in front of the Ladies 1^st tee. We will continue to work on other areas that require remedial work with care being taken to ensure minimal impact to members playing the course.
It is attention to this sort of detail will be well received by members as this will improve the overall appearance of the golf course. 
The larger areas needing repair will be dealt with during the 2015/16 winter programme.

We wish you good golf for the rest of the season.

Greens.

.               

Course managers blog for w/c 1/12/14

Summer has sadly been and gone however I hope you've all had an enjoyable season not only at cathkin braes but had been fortunate to play at various local clubs in our area and also courses further afield as well. Simarly my staff and I have also enjoyed one of our best seasons for sometime thanks to some great weather we've had throughout the summer months this year.
On behalf of the greenstaff,greens committee and myself we would like to thankyou all for your positive feedback and kind comments regarding the condition of the course this year. It has been extremely encouraging to hear members enjoying the course and their golf this season and I do hope this continues for many seasons to come.
Continuing with some more thank you's is to my temporary staff this year of Andrew Galbraith and Stuart Cameron for their hard work and effort they have put in this to ensure the course is kept tidy especially divoting of the fairways which I can a sure you is an extremely monotonous task but never the less essential of which I think we have all seen and still seeing the benefits of regular divoting of the tees and fairways. Andrew and Stuart have recently left us and I do hope they can return to cathkin braes in the spring next year.

Let me update you on what's been happening on the course so far

Myself and the committee have finalised and agreed our forthcoming winter programme and is as follows:-

1) The renovation and upgrading of pathways adjacent to tees at the 6th,8th and 9th continuing with the rubber matting specification as of previous paths installed. Paths at the 6th and 8th are now complete. I have delayed the 9th path so that I can concentrate on green side bunker renovation at the 6th,9th and 15th holes. This will allow me to transport large quantities of material to these bunker while the ground is still relatively firm therefore minimising compaction and turf damage to access routes and landing areas.

2) Greeenside bunker renovation at 6th, 9th, 15th, 17th and 5th holes still continuing with the revetting style construction. During construction temporary greens will be in play Mon - Fri unless notified otherwise. The 5th hole may be closed during construction to allow greenstaff to work safely and efficiently again Mon - Fri unless otherwise notified.

3) The construction of additional teeing area to the 5th hole located to the r/h/s of the 4th green. Work has begun and will continue throughout the winter period. Hopefully the spring of 2015 will be kind to us as I intend to have you playing from the new tee at some time in May!! weather and temperature  will determine opening the new tee.
End of winter programme.

Course maintenance to date :-
TEES- All main teeing ares have now been hollowcored and left open (not sand top dressed ) by doing so this will allow air and surface moisture to pass through the root zone quicker therefore keeping the turf drier and healthier throughout the winter months. Sand topdressings will be applied in March prior to the competition season starting.

GREENS- All main greens have now been closely hollowcored with the exception of the 18th. Weather  deteriorated around the time of proposed greens renovation therefore garden sand injection was not an option at that particular time, however both operations do similar work and benefits for the turf - remove thatch and incorporate sand into holes and grooves providing firmer free draining turf. As weather improved later that week I decided to garden sand inject the last green that had to be done-18th , this way I can monitor what operation is more effective.

6TH MEDAL TEE
You may of noticed this season the quality of turf on this tee has been sub standard due to few factors such as shade and a possible root zone issue. Recently we have hollowcored and applied a sand top dressing incorporating grass seed and soil conditioners to aid recovery. To assist in the recovery it is proposed that we crown lift branches on all trees on the l/h/s of the tee to allow additional light and air around the teeing area. I hope to see an improvement in turf quality next season, if not tree removal and tee construction may be required.

PITCHMARKS
It is with great delight I report that there has been an improvement in the repair of pitchmarks on our greens recently considering the difficulty in identifying them due to the topdressing sand on the greens at present. Regular applications of sand top dressings will effectively make the putting surfaces firmer which of course is our main objective, however the colour of sand makes it difficult to identify ballmarks, therefore could take an extra few minutes to seek out ballmarks especially
throughout the winter as this has an effect on how our greens perform come the start of the 2015 season. Thankyou and keep up the good repair work.

MEMBERS TOILET
We have a new security code for the members toilet at the greenkeeping building - C1234
This is a less complicated code and hopefully easily remembered.

Hopefully I will have another blog for you before we break for Christmas, however if not can I take this opportunity on behalf of the greenstaff,greens committee and myself to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year also good luck for the 2015 season

Regards
Douglas

Blog 30/06/14

Course Information Blog W/C 30/6/14

Apologies for the absent blog info and I take responsibility for this, although we are now in summer mowing maintenance, however there are a few items for updating.

16/17th Drainage
Drainage work is well underway and will continue throughout the forthcoming months and i can report is working well. Approx 80% of the main drainage has been
installed and surprisingly only 6m of rock removal was required (thankfully) although large tree roots have been an issue, but expected !!. Recent rain fall has
put this area to the test and can say we have seen a significant improvement in surface water removal, however i am sure there is more to follow!!.
Unfortunately we could not link this drainage into the new drainage that contractors installed last year due to level issues, therefore we had no option but to
direct flow down towards the 18th fairway whereby linking into new drainage our staff installed last winter this includes the small open area on the 18th fairway
approx 100ydsfrom the 18th green. We will continue to work on this area as and when labour becomes available.We are now on regular course maintenance throughout
the course,therefore i cannot commit to a finishing date at present but will update you on any progress we make.


6th Medal Tee
As you may have noticed recently the back half of the 6th Medal tee is showing signs of deteration again, considering this was returfed recently with shade
tolerant turf last winter. A couple of theories we are looking into are removing a small quantity of tree's surrounding the tee to allow additional air and light
to circulate around the tee, also i will be taking samples of the existing rootzone for analysis in case there are any deficiencies or other issues preventing grass
growth. If the rootzone is at fault then I suggest to returf the surface to see it through this season and then address the rootzone problem as part of our Winter
Programme.This is worst case scenario. Test results may indicate in balances or deficiencies that can be resolved by application of products. We await results.
In the meantime play will continue from or around the front of the tee.

13th Tee
Now that the construction of the new tee and bunkers are complete I would like to thank you all for your positive comments and
feedback on the construction and the improvement it has made to this hole.
Thoughts are already underway on similar work to various holes throughout the course and if agreed will be included in our forth coming winter programme.
There is however a few minor improvements outstanding:-
1)astroturf to be installed to the wooden sleeper steps to prevent slipping during wet conditions.
2)A small post and rope fence running along the top of the sleepers to prevent accidental falls and also to encourage you to use the steps provided.
Delivery of the rope and posts are scheduled for delivery W/C 30/6/14 and will install on delivery.
Yellow gents tee markers have now been returned to the new main tee and will mainly be positioned to the l/h/s where the original turf was laid.the original turf
is more harder wearing compared to the new turf on the r/h/s where the ladies red markers will remain for the rest of the season.This will limit the wear and allow
the new turf to establish and mature over the next couple of seasons.

1st green
As you may have noticed recently on various greens especially the first, bare areas appearing mainly to the l/h/s of the green. An aggressive weed which can withstand
low height of cut called "chickweed" had begun to dominate this area of the green. Weedkiller has been applied and has now taken effect.Our next stage will be to
over seed the bare areas with the appropriate green seed and sand mixture. We will regularly monitor the progress of germination and hopefully have these areas filled in
over the next three to four weeks.


Practise Net
Over the winter period high winds have affected the stability and main support of the frame work, therefore requiring a new metal structure. John Currie
(Facilities Manager) - Gardener LOL ! has temporally stabilised the framework until a new one is sourced,in the meantime please exercise care when
swinging near the net. If it deteriorates further we will have no option but to close it until a new frame is installed.

8th bridge
You may have noticed recently we have made a slight improvement to the surface on and around the bridge.Astroturf is now installed and new rubber matting either side of
the bridge too.This is a short term tidy up until the autumn/winter as we intend to resurface the whole of the 9th path to similar specification as the new 16th and
13th paths.This will also be included in our winter programme of course improvements.


Proposed New 5th Tee
Blue posts will be installed shortly outlining the site for the proposed new 5th Tee to the R/H/S of the 4th green. A painting is located in the entrance of the
clubhouse showing the view from where the proposed new tee will be constructed, if it has been moved you are welcome to stand at the site within the blue posts to view
how the new hole will play, yardage will similar to what it is at present. A small number of trees will require to be removed, in addition bunker renovation similar to the
the front bunker will also be carried out.Construction will start in the autumn as part of our winter programme. I hope you agree that these proposed improvements will
not only aesthetically but from a playability point of view too enhance one of our best par 3's on the course.  


Finally I would like to congratulate all of the winners on club championship finals day last Saturday and commiserations to the runners up. Having watched most of the match's in the afternoon i saw some quality golf shots being displayed from both young and old. What is more refreshing to see is the attendance from members & friends who came out to lend support to make what is a great day in the golfing calendar at Cathkin Braes. Well done to all.              



Thank you for your attention
Douglas

Course Managers Blog for W/C 10/03/14

 5th, 11th and 13th bunkers during construction












                                                                                                                                                                       



 

Winter Programme Update

 

13th Tee

 

 

Winter Programme Update

 

13th Tee

 

I have purposely left turfing as late as possible to allow the new rootzone to consolidate as much as possible, this will identify any subsidence that has occurred over the winter period. Also releveling that may be required prior to turfing. The original turf was laid pre Christmas and is now showing signs of rooting due to the milder temps of late, however if the new turf has not rooted sufficiently in time for the April competitions we will install a temporary tee mat until the new turf has rooted sufficiently to take normal play.

Rooting will only occur as the temperature increases to approx. 6oC upwards, (Hopefully Spring will be kind to us !!). Regular sand topdressings will be applied to ensure turf stays dry, firm and level. Non competition play will continue from the astroturf or small grass winter tee's on the R/H/S. I am sure you will agree that once all the renovation is complete this will be of significant improvement to the hole and well worth the money and effort spent on it's upgrade.

 

Bunker Renovation

 

We have recently began the reconstruction to various greenside bunkers throughout the course at holes 5,11,13 & 16. I have chosen a revetting style bunker face due to the steep severity of these bunker faces and I am aware this style of bunkering is common practise on links style courses, however this type of construction encourages the balls to roll into the middle of bunker and not having them stuck up the face and in some cases no shots!. This type of construction is not for life and will require refacing in the future approx 5-7 years, however it has labour saving benefits from a maintenance level.

I am expecting delivery of new turf w/c 10/03/14 and will have bunkers at 5 & 16th complete by the end of this week, however construction to the 11th and 13th is still on going although progress is being hampered by poor weather of late. I expect to have them complete by end of w/c 17/03/14. New turf around the bunkers will require some time to root in, therefore in the meantime bunkers will be marked GUR. Long handled ball scoops will be provided to retrieve your ball from the bunker. Please exercise extreme care not to stand on the newly land turf as this will only hamper it's recovery. Thank you.

 

Drainage

R/H/S 18th

 

New drainage is now installed and has been significantly tested over the last month, I can positively report it is working well. I have purposely left a small inspection area near the 18th greenside as we intend to install new drainage to the front of the 17th gents tee connecting it into this pipe. Once all turfing to bunkers, tee's and drainage areas are complete we will be attending to the front of 17th gents tee area. As I have mentioned in previous blog reports we do have high thatch problem areas and I have outlined necessary control methods to aid drainage throughout the course, however these controls ie. hollowcoring, scarifying & sand topdressings can only be carried out until we have the appropriate main & lateral drainage in place to remove high quantities of surface water, which in this climate is essential.

 

Hole closures

2nd 15th and 16th holes

 

Q - Why has it been necessary to close these holes?

A - It has been noted & commented that the course has held up particularly well this winter especially our greens. This of course is due to the investment in aereation equipment and the hard work carried out by the staff to ensure our putting surfaces remain in play and in the best condition possible and I thank you for all your positive comments.

 

Regrettably it has been necessary to bring in some control measures to protect certain areas of the course that are under severe pressure to drain properly. 2nd hole in particular is low lying fairway therefore rain water will naturally accumulate here. With rain fall increasing it is now identifying faults in our older clay tile drainage system  incapable of supporting this amount of water, also and unknown to us the new irrigation pipes has cut through older clay tiles causing areas to flood. Unfortunately no plans of clay tile drainage exist. Our green staff are now attending to these bursts, therefore it is for health and safety reasons we require this hole to be closed until repairs are complete.

This will also give the small landing area some rest bite/ recovery prior to the onset of a busy season ahead. I anticipate these repairs to last for approx a few weeks, however if the high rain fall continues and there is no improvement surface water drainage then the hole may remain closed until further notice. Information on hole closures via course info sign & tee signage, pro shop website. As you know the club has invested heavily in new drainage system to 14th & 16th fairways and as you have noticed this has been extremely successful throughout last summer and certainly put to the test this winter.

Unfortunately the areas to the right and especially the L/H/S of the 16th green and in front of 17th tee are now becoming impossible, therefore to prevent further damage to the ground surface and personal injury we have implemented these control measures. Additional drainage to the L/H/S 16th & 17th gents tee is required. We will be directing the flow of water towards the 18th fairway connecting to the new drainage mentioned earlier, unfortunately these areas are lower than the new drainage on the 16th otherwise we could have connected into this. Tree removal will be inevitable to allow new main drainage through these areas. Damage to the turf will be kept to a minimal.

Work on this area will begin once all the renovation to the bunkers is complete, hopefully by wc 24/03/14. I will update you via the course information sign, pro shop and website.

 

Flagpole

 

We have recently taken delivery of the new 8m fibre glass flagpole. A large concrete foundation has to be installed prior to erecting the flag pole. Installation will start once I have completed all the bunker renovation and our aim is to have it installed in time for our competition session beginning on the 5th April.

 

 

Thank you,

Douglas