Organic matter test have been conducted on 4 greens.  We now have data going back 3 years on 2 of the greens.  The graphs show significant improvement in 12 months and will help shape our future dressing and aeration strategy.

The 3 columns represent Organic Matter(dead grass, root, or any carbon based lifeform) concentrations across 3 different depths.  All of the samples have seen huge OM reductions within 1 year thanks in no small part to nearly 6 tons of sand per green across the year.  The only slight worry is the increased amounts of OM in 3 of the samples at 50 mm.  Greens have all been dressed with 1.25 ton of sand followed by tinning down to a depth of 75 mm, all greens are now completed ahead of the rain.  We are planning to go that extra bit deeper this season just to avoid a potential pan forming around the 50-60 mm zone, which may explain increased OM at the lower depths

OM concentrations have a direct impact on the playing surface.  More OM means softer, wetter, bumpier and more disease potential to the turf, so reduction down below 5% is an important step to better greens.

Notwithstanding the horrible wet weather with yet more snow on the ground we have been busy on the course in the last 2 weeks.  Lots of tree trimming around the course letting light into these hard to reach places with this area below being the 16th Tee Upper.

More light please

More drain lines have been cleared.  This one is behind the 14th green Upper in a particularly wet area.  We have also cleared in front of the 9th, 1st and 6th greens, raising the dip created by old drainage.

14th Upper

 Final large batch of turf has arrived and now been all used up.  Picture below is the 12th Tee upper with a newly tidied up edge.  We have turfed the new bunker on the 9th Upper, finished the new Tee on the 10th Lower and used about 100 turf in all manner of areas.  Small patches on collars, small repairs and general tidying up.

12th Tee Upper

9th Upper

10th Tee Lower

Lots of lovely pictures of snow below.  No great surprise there.  These are taken on the 12th hole Lower where extensive tree work was undertaken to improve the play ability of the hole.  6 trees were removed, 3 on the right of the fairway and a further 3 around the green.  This will improve light and airflow at the green end and allow a fairer shot into this green from the fairway.

Before

During

Can't really see the difference in this light.

We are trying to catch up on other work on the course,  ditches on 5 and 15th of the lower have now been cleared with the 5th especially uncovering all manner of drains.  Yippee.

5th Lower

15th Lower

 Finishing of soil prep across both courses and we now await some half decent weather with over 600 turf still to be laid including the bunker on 9 and the 10th Tee.

1 of many unfinished jobs

 We are trying to open up old drain lines with a turf cutter.  These will be topped up with sand and reseeded although areas across the fairways will be re-turfed.  The picture below is the 12th Upper but we will also attempt the 1st and 9th aprons.

Turf cutting old drainlines