these Open Championship Clubs choose to relief grind - Pitchcare

However, in collaboration with the
superintendent, we have managed to
achieve this goal using a low fertility
programme and growth regulators. The
fertility programme is unique in that our
goal is to keep the plant as lean as
possible without sacrificing turf health.
Therefore, we constantly monitor soil test
reports and supplement accordingly
using custom nutrient blends from a
local distributor.
The use of growth regulators also
assists in our struggle to maintain
consistently smooth surfaces. In addition
to mowing frequency, growth regulators
are used to provide a horizontal growth
pattern, thereby reducing clipping yields
and preserving smoothness. Given the
unpredictable nature of the weather
patterns, growth regulators are probably
the most important weapon in our
arsenal.
Of all the struggles we encounter in
Same day, different weather!
“The fog has the potential
of being socked in all day
and night, or breaking at
12.00 midday”
our effort for superior putting surfaces,
the most significant is limiting the
establishment of Poa on the bentgrass
surfaces. In 2010, the existing USGA
greens were renovated from Poa annua to
bentgrass. The Poa surfaces were
stripped and the top four inches of sand
was removed. The surfaces were restored
with four inches of USGA specification
sand and a bentgrass blend of Tyee, T-1
and 007. Given the fact that the
microclimate of the San Francisco Bay
Area is conducive to Poa, the relentless
battle between Poa and the greenkeeping
staff continues to rage on daily.
I can safely say that the weather affects
our decisions by the hour during the
summer months. The fog has the
potential of being socked in all day and
night, or breaking at 12.00 midday,
which forces us to redirect our efforts of
the day to managing wilt.
The course is closed on a Monday of
Golf
each week, which allows us a
maintenance day, which is great. So, on a
Sunday around midday, I’ll set the
computer to perform an irrigation cycle
that night to soak the entire course,
sometimes applying more than 500,000
gallons of water to a property of just 136
acres. Deep and infrequent is the motto!
Then, on a Monday, I can cruise the
course and turn on irrigation heads
individually if any areas need more water
than others.
The crew is divided into sections. So we
have the guys who will take care of the
mowing, blowing and other machine
operated tasks, and then we have four
guys who look after their section. We have
the 18 holes and practice facilities divided
up into four sections. Each section
requires one maintenance employee who
is tasked with the management of every
inch of their section.
Amongst other things, these employees
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