It's that time of year again and the Autumn treatment is underway. It looks as though conditions will be good as it is still warm and the grass is growing. As you will be aware the treatment will be hollow tining, top dressing and over seeding with bent grasses and the objective is to continue to provide good quality greens throughout the year. You will have noticed that there has been attack on the greens recently, which is particularly noticeable on the 6th and 9th. This was caused by a fungal disease called Anthracnose which has become prevalent in sports turf over the past 20 years. It can be treated with fungicide but this is less effective than with other diseases such as fusarium. It is best controlled by preventative measures and the promotion of healthy turf, which is why it has not been as bad on our greens. It attacks meadow grasses such as Poa Annua more than fine grasses so one positive note is that when we over seed with bents we will reduce the percentage of Poa on our greens and reduce its effect during the season.

We have experienced good quality fast greens and a course in good condition over the last 2 months, but the fairways have suffered from the lack of irrigation and there are many bare patches as a result. The decoders necessary for the completion of the irrigation system work have arrived so they will be installed soon and then hopefully the system will then be fully automated. However we can still expect some teething problems once it is in operation but hopefully these will be minor. This alongside a good water supply should protect the fairways during future dry periods. Alongside the Autumn treatment all the fairways are being verti drained, which will not only relieve compaction and promote growth but will also help the course drainage.

There has been much comment about the drainage on the course and how we should be tackling it in preparation for the winter but it is impossible to carry out real drainage work during the growing season with the resources we have and any work will start after the Autumn treatment is complete. There is no simple solution to the drainage issues and merely clearing the existing drains is insufficient on its own as it has been shown that very few of them have any obstruction in them. The problem appears to be that there is a compacted layer of impervious clay on top of the drains which prevents the surface water from reaching them. There are ways of alleviating this and alternatives are being assessed, with the help of drainage experts, before we start any remedial action.

We are involved in a trial with ICL to assess new fungicides and there is an area on the practice putting green that is being used. We have been chosen alongside premier courses such as Gleneagles, Carnoustie, Birkdale and Royal Liverpool to carry this out, a tribute to the reputation of our course. The trial involves the use of fungicides, alongside trace elements such as iron, to improve effectiveness against fungal disease. Hopefully it will pave the way for preventative treatments to help control fungal attacks that affect us throughout the year.

We now have a rack for divot bags outside the shop to encourage more members to repair divots as well as more bins around the course to refill your bags. Please endeavour to use them throughout the year as even in the winter the repairs will be effective.
We are all aware that the bunkers are not great but the situation is made worse by the reluctance of some members and visitors to rake their footprints. Please rake the bunkers after you have played and encourage your playing partners to do the same.

There will be more information available on the Winter programme once it has been finalised