In the time since the redevelopment of the East Course a number of areas have taken time in gaining maturity which has led to areas being quite lean and very tight surfaces to play from. Around the greens this can be an issue when the preferred shot may be with a lofted iron with less chance of getting the ball as clean as you would like.
These areas are a result of removing the older turf during the redevelopment that had built up a considerable amount of thatch.. The thatch plays a part in holding water and nutrients within the soil and in the absence of a decent thatch layer heavier fertility and water amounts are required to maintain constant growth as the products move away easily within our native sandy profile.
A great example of this process is evident on the West where a large percentage of surrounds for a long period after the courses re-build were lean and seemed thin. The turf density was still there although the surface was always hungry and in need of more frequent fertiliser applications. This was an area that was closely monitored in previous years and a great deal of time and effort was put into these areas to gain the constant growth and thatch that gives us the “spongy” lies. Traffic areas are also an area where this is noticed, growth is never as prolific due to constant foot traffic and compaction which in turn slows down the rate of growth then slowing organic breakdown and thatch accumulation. Thatch levels are what are required in these areas although as we see on both courses each year we go to great lengths to reduce our thatch levels because excessive thatch can have adverse effects also. The area below the canopy is known to harbor plant and insect pests and diseases, if levels become too great we risk limiting the amount of water, nutrient and oxygen to the root zone. Finding that balance is key and throughout the entire year all of programs (fertility/pesticide, irrigation, mowing, renovations) all revolve around finding that happy medium.
Renovation practices on the East this year were modified and aimed towards limiting thatch removal in areas like the 1st approach, 5th Surround, 7th approach and the 9th green traffic area. Members playing the East in the time following on from renovations would have noticed a larger size organic product being used in those areas. This has been incorporated into the profile while the core holes are still open to try and increase our water and nutrient retention. This will give us greater longevity with our fertility applications meaning the couch will have sustained growth and this growth will produce thatch faster over time. In the days following the application we allowed our irrigation practices to soften the product before breaking it up with our drag mats and mowing in into smaller granules or powder which then worked its way into the surfaces. We are hopeful over this growing season we will see some improvement in those areas, extra granular fertility to boost growth rates should also go a long way to giving us a little more uniformity across all playing surfaces.
Rowan Daymond
Course Superintendent