Greens and Facilities – April

Welcome to the New Look Greens & Facilites Report for April!

With the changing of the guard and reorganisation of the roles & responsibilities on the Executive Committee, we are relaunching the greens report to incorporate the facilites to give a more comprehensive overview to you as a member of St Austell Golf Club. Our Head Greenkeeper, Matt Lock will continue to give his update on ‘all things green’ and additional information about the facilities at the club such as the driving range will be featured. We hope you like the new look report.

Ross Facey & Shaun Harvey
Greens & Facilities

Marquee

The Marquee finally got a makeover after having served the club so well. A new canvas was ordered from Roder and replaced at the end of April by a local company. The structure was dismantled, pressure-washed, and resurrected before the canvas was fitted. The marquee now has a dual aspect over the 9th and the 18th which improves the view and the aesthetic of the area itself for future functions. Going forward the marquee will be taken down at thend of the season (October time) and stored locally until the start of the new season (March/April) the following year. The aim is to increase its longevity and the return on investment until a more permanent colution can be achieved.

Driving Range

As you will all be aware the course was not the only area affected by the inordinate amount of rain that we encountered over the winter. The driving range unfortunately suffered to the point of being closed until such times as it was possible to retrieve all the range balls that were plugged and in a lot of cases buried. The ground conditions were such that the area was a quagmire and that made it impossible to use the ball collector without it churning up the mud and causing more damage. As a result, this cost the club not only a loss of revenue but also man hours trying to keep the range functioning when it was an impossible task. 

The changing weather has forced us to seriously look at adapting to accommodate this, so investigations began into what drainage we currently have, does it work, and how we move forward. Over the coming months, we will be looking at the various drainage options that suit the soil composition, their placement to get the maximum efficiency, and the cost. To ensure that we do not find ourselves in the same position, the work is scheduled to take place in October so that we can maximise the use of the range in the summer before closing for a short period to complete the necessary groundworks. This is a project that we hope will ensure the range can withstand the wetter winter conditions and remain an important facility for you as members and the wider public.

Course Report

As we have become accustomed to lately, April did not disappoint where the heavy downpours were concerned and we wondered if the rain would ever end but the weather did turn a corner and gave us a glimmer of hope!

Greens

The course maintenance that was scheduled for the beginning of April was delayed until the end of April going into May to give the course a chance to dry out and firm up. The hollow coring, top dressing, feed and seed was carried out on the greens during this week. This was crucial in allowing the plants to breathe and decompact the surface enabling water infiltration after the worst winter I have ever encountered in my 33 years in the industry. Following on from this micro-tining will be carried out during the playing season to increase thatch removal and improve the playing surfaces. And another renovation week will be carried out in October. This will be a yearly occurrence as we cannot fix the problem overnight.

18th Green

fix the problem overnight. Unfortunately, the 18th green remained closed after the course maintenance. The combination of hollow coring, the two days of rain during the greens renovation and the still high water content in the subsoil meant that the playing surface became saturated and unstable once again. At this point, the only course of action we could take was to let the green dry out as much as possible, before we could cut it, roll it and get it back in play. Just to reiterate, going forward the maintenance that we have planned should help to improve this going forward.

13th & 14th Projects

The areas behind the greens were reshaped towards the end of last year to assist with draining the water away from the greens as the banks were holding all the moisture leaving the playing surfaces essentially waterlogged. In addition drainage channels were installed on the right handside of the 13th green with a soakaway pipe diverting the water. We did encounter some issues with the supply of topsoil which delayed us from replacing the turf. However, since the areas in and around the 13th and 14th greens was completed they have settled nicely. We cannot rush these areas back into play, so we are slowly reducing the height of the cut so we don’t over stress the grasses and kill them. Weather dependent, I hope to have these areas back in play by the end of the month. 

Secondary Cut

We have struggled to maintain these areas in the way we would wish to due to the machinery needing to be replaced, so I am excited to announce the addition of a new mower for these areas. It will make a big difference in many ways, firstly the grass health because of the type of mower and it’s application. Secondly, we can stripe these areas as the machine has rear rollers which helps to give the desired effect. We will also be able to achieve a more consistent height over the undulating areas of the course making it more pleasing to the eye overall.

Tees, Collars & Fairways

As the growth is still somewhat slow due to the ground temperatures a mid week cut is carried out to keep a consistent playing surface. Again the cutting continues on a weekly basis with some fairways requiring two cuts creating the beautiful diamond pattern that is now a staple in our programme.

Bunker Renovations

The bunker renovations on the 14th and the 18th are nearing completion. The bunker on the left of the green was finished during our course maintenance week and has now settled nicely and now back in play. The 14th will be back in play imminently.

Wildflower Zones

These areas around the 6th, 9th and 14th have now been seeded with a wildflower mix called Carnival for the keen horticulturists. So we can look forward to seeing some beautiful colours over the summer period…good work Dave.

Divoting Evening 

To continue with the good work we are arranging another divoting evening. So if you would like to lend a hand and give a little something back to the club, we would for you to join us on Thursday 23rd May at 5.00pm, by the first tee. You supply the bucket and some gloves, we’ll supply a pasty and a drink! Please sign up via the noticeboard in reception, send the office an email or give them a call to register your interest.

 Final Thoughts

I would like to start by saying thank you to the Seniors Section who volunteered during the driving range closure to retrieve the balls from the banking and replenish the ball machine, it made our job so much easier and it was very much appreciated!
2024 has been extremely tough for us so far as a team, frustration would be what we have all felt, but hopefully we can have a few good months of decent weather to reward all of you for sticking by us. All of the team will continue to give 100% to present you with a most enjoyable time while out on the course.

Happy Golfing!

Matt