The West greens renovation went off really well this week with nice dry sunny weather which resulted in the perfect renovation conditions.  The greens actually kicked along a bit last weekend with the warmer temperatures but I still didn't consider them healthy enough to work them really hard.  They received a double de-thatching which compares to a quadruple scarify and double de-thatch last year so surface disruption was at a minimum. They were then hollow tine aerated which means a core is removed and then the cores were rubbed back in to the surface.  The remaining dry thatchy remnants were then blown off before amended sand was applied to fill the holes.  The sand is amended with gypsum and organic humate.  A 12:10:11 (NPK) granular fertiliser with additional magnesium was then applied to all greens.  On Tuesday afternoon about all you could see was sand but already today the turf leaves are pushing back through.

Some of the ''chaff'' extracted from the West greens.

 

I mentioned last week about the sudden dry snap and it being severe enough for drainage lines to start showing.  Well that continued this week with many more showing up including two that I have never seen before.  A herringbone drainage system has ''appeared'' on 16W fairway and the rising sewer main from the clubhouse has shown up on 9W fairway together with a drainage line from the front of the maintenance shed.  I don't think the drainage lines on 16W work as that was our wettest section of fairway this year!!

 

Herringbone drainage @ 16W.

Sewer main at the top and drainage line below.

If the weather co-operates next week we will be lifting some turf on the edge of River greens 3 and 12 where the collar has built up and is now preventing water from running off the green causing water to pool and injure the turf.  They are only quite minor adjustments but very necessary.  I say ''if the weather co-operates'' as there is a fair bit of rain in the forecast and to be honest we could do with a good drop!!