Whilst writing my last report, we hadn’t had any significant rainfall for approximately six weeks. Unfortunately, this continued for another two weeks, but finally, after 59 days without rain, we received a big dollop all in one go! The rain dance certainly worked, and we have now had some consistent rainfall over the last two weeks. This has already had a significant impact on the golf course, with the colour changing rapidly and the course starting to respond.

Despite this, the golf course still remains extremely patchy in areas, and it is going to take a little time and patience for it to fully recover. We experienced the driest and warmest summer for 50 years, so the effects of the drought will take some time to disappear.

To help with the recovery, we have hired an overseeder for the first week in October. We will be fully overseeding the tees, struggling fairways and any other areas that are still suffering from the effects of the drought.

Greens

The greens have been in excellent condition throughout the summer, and the positive comments from members and visitors alike certainly reflect that.

Following the recent rainfall, we have reduced the height of cut to 3mm, and you will have noticed that the greens have become slightly faster.

We remained disease-free throughout the summer, but we have now started to notice a few diseases appearing, including fusarium, dollar spot and thatch collapse. These are very common under the current warm and moist conditions, particularly with the heavy early-morning dews.

We applied a fungicide yesterday, which should help combat the disease and prevent it from spreading.

On Monday, we will be carrying out some light aeration on the greens. We will be pencil-tining to a depth of 3 inches before rolling the greens afterwards. This will help improve drainage and maintain good playability as we head into the winter months.

Tees & Aprons

The tees and aprons were fed last Monday in anticipation of the heavy rainfall we received on Tuesday. A controlled-release fertiliser was applied, which will continue to work over the coming months and provide nutrition into the winter.

Fairways

The fairways will be sprayed with a fertiliser next week, and we should start to see them recovering over the next month or so.

Tree Work

We have a tree surgeon coming in on Tuesday to remove some dangerous hangers, as well as continuing with the removal of some dead ash trees.

These works will be carried out by contractors, so please take extra care when playing in these areas. If your ball does put anyone at risk, please shout “FORE!”

The Greenkeeping Team

As always, the team have worked extremely hard throughout what has been a very challenging summer.

We would like to offer a massive congratulations to Rory, who has just passed his Level 2 Diploma in Sports Turf with a Distinction — a fantastic achievement.

Jacob is currently awaiting his final assessments for his Level 3 qualification, which should be completed very soon.

Finally, Ashley leaves for Surrey on Sunday, where he will be joining the Wentworth Greens Department for the week to help prepare for the BMW Championship. We wish him the very best of luck. It is a fantastic opportunity and a great experience for him to be part of.

A Few Polite Requests

We would like to finish with a few polite requests to help us keep the course in the best possible condition.

Firstly, we are still noticing a large number of golfers removing their ball from the hole whilst the flagstick is still in place. We have noticed a significant increase in damage to the edges of the holes since the flagstick rule was changed several years ago.

Please remove the flagstick before retrieving your ball from the hole.

When playing a bunker shot, please also ensure that you rake the sand back towards the middle of the bunker. At the moment, the majority of golfers are raking the sand towards the back of the bunker, leaving very little sand in the middle where it is needed most.

Once you have raked your bunker, please leave the rake flat in the middle of the bunker.

Finally, now that the ground is becoming softer, please remember to repair your pitchmarks. This makes a huge difference to the quality of the greens and helps us maintain the excellent surfaces you have enjoyed throughout the summer.

From all of us in the Greenkeeping Team, we would like to thank you for your patience and understanding during what has been an extremely challenging summer.

We hope you all enjoy your golf as we move into the autumn months.

Kind regards,

Kelvin & The Greenkeeping Team