A poor few weeks weather with no rain for nearly 5 weeks.  Greens have been feed, dressed, tined, dressed, feed, heavily watered and still refuse to significantly improve.  

This week we have verti-cut both courses followed by a light dress, 18 ton across both courses, rolled and finally cut.  We are now at a turning point and the warm weather next week will finally see some growth but only on watered areas of the course.  For the rest, spring is slowly slipping by which is a real worry.  

Broken irrigation boxes are being replaced and lots of sprinklers are being straightened, reset or even replaced ready for the upcoming summer.

The picture below is a core pulled from the 14th green lower.  You can clearly see the seam of fresh sand from spring tining which is very encouraging but also the browner, dryer, thatchy area below, so much is still to be done to firm up surfaces ready for the wetter months. 

14th Lower Core

                                                    

One of the old buggies has been fixed, painted and reconditioned. This gives us an extra machine to run around on during busy times.

Before

After

Tee plinths around the course and fairway markers have been cleaned.  Sprinklers are all being trimmed.

Tee Plinths

A poor spring for Bluebells with the cold dry weather spoiling the colour and bloom

Bluebells

                                                       

More sand and tining this week on the Lower.  Half a ton of sand per green followed by 10mm solid tines at 1/2 inch centres.  The greens are slowly filling in and we are irrigating on a regular basis to force growth.  Off the green the weather has made the course look more like August than April with tees particularly suffering with the dry weather.

More Sand Honeyman

More Holes

 As the irrigation gets woken up breaks, faults and general problems begin to show themselves.  As we move through the season these jobs are prioritised and will be fixed in order of importance.

13th Green Lower

 Our facility is slowly being organised and by the winter we will have a tidier barn with a place for everything.

Organising

As always after a great weekend of golf, the reality of the game in the UK is our weather.  All the money in the world, all the staff and a great course but Augusta would not be possible without the climate to create good playing surfaces.  The weather has been warm during the day here but 3 of the last 6 mornings has seen a light frost in the mornings.  Together with the fact there has been no rain for 3 weeks.  Of the green all areas are filling in and the course is looking ok.  On the green with sandier surfaces growth is minimal.  Disease scars are slowly filling in and we are getting there, just not as fast as we want.

Its all about the weather

Some old tee steps are being taken away and filled although the remainder will be left till autumn.

Old steps

Improved definition