The course is enjoying it's first taste of early season sun and is looking much better for it.  Work will move thick and fast now as we try and catch up with conditioning the golf course.  Late last week the Abbotts fairways were scarified to remove some of the dead material and moss.  This has left small balls of rubbish which will disappear as we continue cutting in the next week.  The fairways on Wednesday and Thursday will receive a mixture of fertilizer for growth, Iron for moss control, a growth regulator and selective herbicide to kill clover and weeds. 
  Unlike other years when we would simply throw on a granular fertilizer and watch the grass grow, we are now looking for better control of the plant, with the ultimate goal of cutting as little grass whilst creating the best possible surfaces.  So the sprayer will be much more in evidence on the fairways this summer.
  The product used on the 11th,12th and 14th fairways on the Abbotts to kill off the rye grass has done a great job but some of these areas need to be seeded which is being done on Thursday.  All this work on the fairways is aimed at improving the turf quality but equally as important, is enhancing definition which is something we always struggle with.
  Abbotts greens have been topdressed with .8  of a ton of sand on each green.  This will help fill in any imperfections.  The Priors is being topdressed early next week.




A picture of the improved definition on the Abbotts fairways.

Spring has finally shown it's hand with the last of the really bad weather behind us.  Now we have the job of forcing on the surfaces as quickly as possible.  Greens have received a light verti-cut and topdress on the Abbotts.  This will be followed up in the next week or two with a solid-tine and heavy dress on both courses.  Later in the week all greens are being sprayed with fertilizer, a light iron application to harden the grass against disease and seaweed to encourage root growth.  Along with this we will be spraying a product that slows the vertical growth rate of the grass thus improving the sward density by encouraging the energy from the plant to produce more shoots.  All these processes are part of our usual regimented pattern.  This will continue right through the growing season to enable consistency of surfaces on not just a daily but weekly basis.

Greens will be topdressed heavily in the next week or two to smooth out surfaces and increase sward density.

The weather looks finally to have turned a corner with warmer days on the way.  This week's focus has seen a good deal of cutting on the course and the new shrub bed taking shape by the Pro Shop.  All tees have received a tonic containing seaweed, this will give the roots a much needed boost and will help force on these important areas.  T-mats are being brought in and Yellows/Whites split.  Greens are in good shape and are ready to be pushed on.  Early next week we will verti-cut and dress Abbotts greens with a view to solid-tine and dress again within the next 2 weeks. 

Just a little picture to sum up my roll as a Course Manager!