Scarifying on the Abbotts this week was in the main successful.  We had to raise the height on the machine to 18mm into the green and even then made large mistakes on 1 and 16, and a few other smaller scars.  We painstakingly put these back together like a jigsaw, and will monitor recovery over the weekend,  the rain and cooler weather will help these patches fill in.  If growth looks poor these areas will be turfed next week.  Scarifying otherwise was a major success.  Greens have returned to putting ok after 2 days and will quickly return to their normal summer setting.  Already they are feeling firmer and we will begin to push them after next week ready for the club championship.

1st green Abbotts

The worlds hardest jigsaw

excellent recovery

All the extra fertiliser, stress, machinery on the green and some amazing humidity has caused Fusarium, our normal autumn disease to push through the greens.  This is not unsurprising but will disappear without causing damage in the next few days. 

Fertilizer and humidity=disease

Scarifying on the Priors this week. 

 Below we have a before, during and 2 afters.  The second picture is the 1st green on the Priors with vertical lines 2mm wide and 25mm deep cut into the surface.  This is then blown, brushed, blown, cut and watered.  The last process is topdress with 1 ton of sand as seen in picture 3 followed finally by brushing and watering.  Each green takes around 1 hour from start to finish to produce the final surface.

1st Priors

Construction yard

Beach

Almost back to normal

Both courses have been fed in preparation for the aggressive nature of the work.  The Abbotts is having the same procedure next week with the course being CLOSED from 12o'clock next Monday.

Recovery will be quicker than hollow-tining, with half decent surfaces back within a week  Autumn aeration is early this year in the hope that strong growth in August will allow faster recovery meaning better greens for longer into early winter.