Report Date: Wednesday 14th September 2016 Consultant: Emma Beggs

WITHINGTON GOLF CLUB

Advisory Report on the Golf Course

Making great sport happen

Withington Golf Club

Withington Golf Club

Date of Visit: Wednesday 14th September 2016

Visit Objective: To assess course condition and offer advice to support further progress.

Present: Ms Christine Kaleen – Green Committee Member Mr Colin Webb – Green Committee Member

Mr Gary Higgins – Head Greenkeeper Ms Emma Beggs – Turfgrass Agronomist STRI

Weather: Storms and heavy rainfall the night before the visit influenced course condition. The visit was carried out on a hot, sunny day with a temperature of 25 °C.

Headlines

• The course coped with the exceptionally wet winter very well and remained open with only the occasional day of closure. Main greens remained in play and this is very encouraging.

• Good putting surfaces were reportedly developed though the early part of the summer. However, over the past two months sward density, uniformity and playing quality on greens has declined. Anthracnose foliar blight turfgrass disease was identified during the visit and is likely to be responsible for areas of weakness seen.

• A greater amount of aeration and top dressing must be completed going forwards to dilute the organic matter present in the upper profiles. Firmer, faster and healthier turf surfaces will be the result.

• Tree management has been recommended in previous reports but it is now time to take this issue in hand. Appropriate tree removal around green and tee complexes is required on many holes to address several shade related issues.

Key Actions • Immediately make an application of a liquid fertiliser to all greens to be followed by the application of

Banner MAXX turf fungicide (propiconazole) to support recovery from anthracnose foliar blight on greens.

• Proceed with the Maintenance Week starting next Monday as planned, treating greens tees and fairways. Next year I would like the greens element of this work to be completed in August.

• Proceed with the purchase of a new pedestrian Toro Procore to replace the old existing tractor mounted unit. This is a key piece of equipment and will allow critical work to be completed more efficiently. A pedestrian unit is preferable, minimising tractor passes when surfaces are soft.

• Top dressing applications must be made more frequently and the total amount of sand applied increased from the current 90 tonnes to 140 – 150 tonnes. Current applications rates will not make progress in terms of organic matter reduction but will only maintain the current situation.

• A more specific fertiliser programme has been recommended, starting applications earlier in next spring to support more rapid spring recovery and ensuring enough nitrogen is being applied throughout the growing season. Insufficient nitrogen application is one of the key triggers for anthracnose foliar blight.

• Complete an independent tree management plan to allow important and necessary work to be phased over a 5-10 year winter programme. This should form part of the course development plan going forward.

Withington Golf Club

Photo Observations and Comments

Figure 1: The Putting Green showed evidence of both algae and anthracnose foliar blight through certain areas.

Figure 2: Soil profiles were very consistent around the course. Organic matter (thatch) levels are high through the upper 0 – 60 mm. This results in overly soft, slow surfaces especially after rain. Disease activity will also be higher.

Figure 3: The conifers behind the 5th green, mean this green is often in heavy shade, particularly in winter. This green needs to be opened up, early morning winter sunlight is critical for year round grass plant health.

Figure 4: Algae was widespread across the shaded 5th Green, this is due to the shaded environment where there is little air movement or sunlight.

Figure 5: The ditch to the right of the 5th green is to be reshaped and reinforced as a part of the winter programme. There are ongoing problems with partial ditch bank collapse.

Figure 6: The pond is heavily silted up and reportedly water depth is only 300 mm. The pond should be appropriately cleaned out and deepened before work to introduce natural planting goes ahead.

Withington Golf Club

Photo Observations and Comments (continued)

Figure 7: The 7th green was one of the worst for anthracnose foliar blight damage, mainly confined to the sandy top of the drain line. This disease will damage areas of already weak turf or turf that is under stress.

Figure 8: This winter look to level the existing 9th tee to increase the amount of useable space here. Re-use the existing soil and turf. Complete this autumn and finish turfing before Christmas.

Figure 9: Work this winter is to include the introduction of an open ditch at the 11th to address drainage issues highlighted by last winter.

Figure 10: The 14th green is typically in great condition but even here anthracnose foliar blight has damaged the wetter central section.

Figure 11: Areas on the 14th green remains dominated by the desirable ben grasses. Profile conditions show the high organic matter levels in the upper surface.

Figure 12: There is work planned at the back of the 17th green in respect of trees and the overhead pylon. Professional tree advice is warranted here in respect of the best way to proceed, tree trimming or removal and replanting.

Withington Golf Club

Recommendations

Anthracnose Foliar Blight Control

• Immediately make an application of a liquid fertiliser to all greens to promote growth and plant health. • Follow with an application of Banner MAXX turf fungicide (propiconazole) to support recovery ahead of

Maintenance Week work scheduled to start next week. • The aeration planned in the form of Verti-draining and the overseeding will also help support recovery

through weak areas. • Limit rolling and maintain a minimum height of cut of 4.0 – 4.5 mm until swards have fully recovered.

Organic Matter Reduction

• If the Club wish the year round condition of the greens to improve it is important that the top dressing frequency and the quantities of sand applied are increased from current levels.

• Proceed with the purchase of a new pedestrian Toro Procore to replace the old existing tractor mounted unit. A pedestrian unit is preferable, minimising tractor access when surfaces are soft.

• Ensure that slim solid tining is completed at least monthly February through to October. • Some slitting from October through until mid-December would be beneficial if surfaces stay firm. • Top dressing applications must be made more frequently and the total amount of sand applied

increased to 140 – 150 tonnes next season. This will further dilute remaining organic matter and firm up surfaces. This approach is likely to be needed for 3-5 years to see significant results.

• The Club have invested in the Dakota top dressing unit; it should be used more often. • Schedule light sand top dressing applications to immediately follow solid tining and the summer Verti-

draining. Try to top dress every 3 weeks from March into late June and then relax to 5-6 weekly though late summer. Schedule the last application in September or October – depending on the weather.

• Employing sand, it is possible under dry ground conditions if surfaces are firm enough to make the extra occasional top dressing in winter time to help achieve target volumes. See whether this is possible. In winter use a pedestrian spreader and the sand will need to be very dry. Do not use tractor mounted machinery when greens are soft.

Routine Greens Maintenance Programme

• Following on from discussion on the day please find an Excel spreadsheet which represents the routine work programme established over recent years in a new format. Hopefully this will be easy to follow for both Gary and the Green Committee.

Greens Fertiliser Programme

• A more specific fertiliser programme is proposed. It is important that sufficient nitrogen is applied to maintain steady growth between March and September. Start applications earlier. Continue to use both mini granular products early in the season and liquid products if necessary in summer.

• Make an application of lawn sand to all greens as soon as possible after mid-late February to coincide with the first warm spell. It should go on by mid March.

• Apply an 8:0:0 (N:P:K) or similar fine turf good quality mini granular product four weeks later in late March or early April. Schedule a repeat of this product in early June to coincide with showery weather, avoiding periods of very dry weather.

• If additional nitrogen is required use a good quality liquid N:K product at low rate. It is likely that an application will be needed in early August.

Withington Golf Club

• In early September finish off with a low nitrogen mini granular turf tonic of analysis 4:0:4 (N:P:K) or similar.

Tees

• A tee construction technical insert is included for additional information on the possible 9th tee levelling work.

• Continue with routine tees work including effective aeration and annual renovation to include top dressing and overseeding.

Woodland Management Plan

• I believe the Club would benefit from the involvement of an experienced ecologist familiar with the issues of tree and woodland management within the golf course environment.

• If the Club are interested in pursuing this service please contact Mr Bob Taylor, Senior Ecologist at STRI on 01274 565131. This report would provide an overarching plan for implementation by the greenkeeping team over a phased basis and should form part of the course development plan going forward.

Organic Matter Testing

• The Club would benefit from having organic matter analysis to help direct the intensity of necessary aeration and top dressing programmes. The Club would be able to objectively benchmark current levels and track future progress. The cost is £53.50 + VAT per green.

• It is usually helpful to test the worst, best and a mid-performing greens to cover the range of conditions found. If you would like this testing completed please let me know and I will arrange for a pack to be sent to the Club for soil sample collection. These would then be posted to and tested at the laboratories at Bingley.

Pond Management • There are plans to develop the pond in front of the 5th green and it is important that to develop a natural

looking feature that all planting should be done with appropriate indigenous species. • Please read the enclosed technical insert on Pond Vegetation Management for some important

additional information in respect of when pond work should be completed to avoid damage to any existing pond life.

• Before embarking on a planting scheme it is strongly recommended that the pond be redeveloped. At present it is silted up and incredibly shallow making for a poor quality water feature. The following information may be useful in planning winter work.

• Bank sides should be no steeper than 1:3 with shelves built around the perimeter at a depth of 300-450 mm to support anybody that should fall in. In addition make sure that some of the bottom of the pond is at least 1 m deep. The pond needs to be at least 1 m deep to give protection to overwintering frogs, fish, newts, etc. particularly during cold winters when the pond will freeze up.

• Where planting tall emergent species these can choke out ponds where water is not deep enough. Digging to 2 m depth provides some natural control to encroaching plants. Once the pond has been built, plant up the surround with appropriate indigenous species, planting in groups of a minimum of seven to retain an air of natural planting.

• I have included a list below of suitable pond plants for consideration.

Withington Golf Club

Marginals (to 300 mm)

Caltha palustris (Marsh marigold) Menyanthes trifoliate (Bogbean) Mimulus guttatus (Monkey flower) Myosotis scorploides (Water forget-me-not)

Emergents (to 1.5 metres) Alisma plantago-aquatica (Water-plantain) Apium nodiflorum (Fool’s watercress) Lythrum salicaria (Purple loosestrife) Mentha aquatica (Water mint) Emergents (to 2 metres) Acorus calamus (Sweet flag) Butomus umbelatus (Flowering rush) Glyceria maxima (Reed sweet-grass) Iris pseudacorus (Yellow flag) Sagittaria sagittifolia (Arrowhead) Scirpus lacustris (Bulrush) Sparganium erectum (Branched bur-reed) Typha latifolia (Common reedmace)

Signed

Emma Beggs, B.Sc. (Hons), MBPR Turfgrass Agronomist t. +44(0)7880 738801 e. emma.beggs@strigroup.com www.strigroup.com

STRI is completely independent and has no alliances to commercial products, services or contractors. This ensures that our design, project management and advisory services provide the best solutions for each individual client.

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P lease note t hat th is is only an example maintenance work programme. The t iming and frequency of t reatments must be d ictated by the weather, prevai l ing ground condit ions, labour and resourcing levels .

Example Work Programme for Withington Golf Club 2016/2017