After a very dry year September turned out to be the wettest month so far, with 109mm of rain recorded (over half of that in just one day!). This rainfall has made a real difference to the course, and the turf is finally looking healthier again.
September is always a busy month for the Greenkeeping team, as we wrap up the main playing season and begin preparing for the winter months. Here’s a round-up of what we’ve been working on, plus a look ahead at our winter projects.
Greens
At Hunley, we take a low input, low maintenance approach to managing the greens, encouraging slow-growing, finer perennial grass species. This means:
- Consistent year-round performance
- Minimal disruption from invasive maintenance
- Strong resilience to the most damaging turf diseases
- No temporary greens
That said, some targeted maintenance is still required. This September we completed micro hollow coring to all greens. This is the first time in over five years any greens renovations have been carried out. The work helps relieve tension in the turf canopy which has built up gradually over time, improving the efficacy of irrigation and surface drainage.
.
.
The process included:
- Removing 6mm cores at 25mm spacings
- Allowing cores to dry
- Brushing to break up the cores and return sand to the surface
- Blowing away the remaining dead plant material
- Collecting debris
- Mowing and rolling greens
While disruptive in the short term, this work was completed quickly and recovery was rapid, with good playing conditions restored almost immediately.
.
.
Fringing Rough
.
.
For many years we’ve been working to thin out the fringing rough, making it less dense and more playable. With the help of local farmer Terrance Welford, who uses the cuttings for his cattle, the results are visible year on year.
- Each autumn, large areas of rough are cut and collected, gradually reducing soil nutrients.
- Golfing areas are maintained by our team, while Terrance clears grass further afield.
- This year, investment in new equipment allowed us to complete the first cut earlier than usual and more rapidly.
The result is a course that now has excellent definition, with grasslands that provide both visual appeal and playability. Stray shots are easier to locate, while the course looks natural and the holes are beautifully framed.
.
.
Winter Tees
In order to rest and allow recovery of our main tees, we use winter tees from Mid October through to March.
Many of the tees have recently been moved closer to the main tees to give a more consistent playing experience all year round.
The all weather tees work really well, maintaining an authentic experience for the golfer, without compromising the quality of the turf on the main tees.
Irrigation
Our biggest winter task is the installation of a new irrigation tank. This project was scheduled for a future season, but the liner in the old tank has failed, causing persistent leaks.
Replacing the liner alone would cost thousands, so we’ve brought forward the full tank replacement as part of our long-term irrigation upgrade.
This is however a major undertaking and we are having to look at ways to both fund and complete the necessary work at a time we hadn’t anticipated.
The wheels are already in motion though and we will keep you updated on progress.
Tees
With a significant increase in play at Hunley over the last couple of years, some of the tees need upgrading. This was highlighted even more over the last year, as a lack of rain prevented effective divot repair and left many tees worn out.
This autumn, some of the smaller tees will be enlarged to cope with this. We had also planned to install more sprinklers on tees but at this time we just don’t have the funds.
Material for the extra teeing ground will come from a new pond creation on the right of Pennington’s. Working with the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust in recent years has proved very successful and they will again be supporting us with this new pond.
The ponds constructed in recent years have enhanced wildlife on the course, earning recognition from Natural England for the positive results achieved.
We have also been able to use the construction of the ponds to improve the courses as well. Benefits have included:
- Usable material for construction of course features such as greens extensions and new tees
- Playing surfaces have improved in the winter as water is diverted away from greens, approaches & fairways into the adjacent ponds
- A more natural environment to enjoy golf in, with the added bonus of wildlife to see while on the course
We aim to improve several tees if possible, but Cottage Corner and Brownies Bough are the priorities.
Catersty Bridge
With the bridge crossing on Catersty becoming unsafe and the cost of replacing it being excessive, we will be replacing it with a causeway.
Using a mixture of stone and soil already on site, an embankment will be constructed to allow golfers to cross the ponds from the tee to the fairway.
Course Repairs
At this time, our only other planned work is to repair damaged turf from the drought.
Tees, surrounds and walk ways have suffered the most and will receive a mixture of treatments from overseeding to re-turfing.
An area you can help is with areas in close proximity to the greens. When using buggies or trolleys, avoid running the same short cuts as this causes excessive wear and tear, as shown in the photo below.
.
October
It’s been a fantastic season and we aim to continue it into autumn and winter with the best conditions for you to enjoy. Autumn is a still a wonderful time of year to be on the course, as you can see from the photos in this Blog!
.
.
We appreciate all of your support and it has been a pleasure to receive your positive feedback on a regular basis this year.
Your feedback is always valued and it continues to help us target our efforts on further enhancing your experiences.
With Top Tracer also due to be installed in October, it certainly is an exciting time to be at Hunley for everyone!!
It was always good etiquette and widely know in the past that you never take a trolley between a green and a bunker. Why not put out a few does and don’t on the course.