Oswestry Golf Club
Greens Update Aug24
We are pleased to announce we have recruited a new member to the green staff.
Harvey DAVIES joined the team on Tuesday 27th August 2024.
Please join me in welcoming Harvey to the team.
Greens week was successfully completed the week beginning Monday 12th August 2024; this was one week later than normal. All 19 greens were verti-drained with 9 inch deep 19mm diameter solid tines.
This was a very invasive operation because of the depth and diameter of the tines.
A total of 30 tons of top dressing was applied to the greens, the most ever in greens week at Oswestry Golf Club. After top dressing, the greens were brushed with the Sarel rollers attached to the front of the brush to assist with getting the top dressing into the holes and greens profile.
The greens cut was heightened to winter height 6mm to keep the machine off the top dressing, this made the greens slow. Now the sand has entered the profile we are back cutting at 4mm. The greens iron was not used because of the lack of man power; this left them a little bumpy. They should be normal now.
For your information green speed classification:-
Category. Regular members. Tournament.
Slow 4.5 6.5
Med/Slow 5.5 7.5
Med 6.5 8.5
Med/Fast 7.5 9.5
Fast 8.5 10.5
We like OGC to be 9 to 9.5.
We have started cutting the fairways length ways; this is to reduce the number of turns the machine operator has to make in the semi and to make the stripes more visible.
This coming week the greens will be over seeded with a pure bent grass, weather permitting.
This will make a total of 110 tons of top dressing this year.
The aeration programme will continue.
In September a granular feed of Evolution Natuelle Micro Ronovate 434 @ 35g/m2 will be applied to the greens. This strengthens the grass and helps fight disease.
On Wednesday 16th October ALS will verti-drain the fairways. You will be notified of any restriction to play.
On Sunday 7.8.24. A low handicap golfer at Oswestry Golf Club was playing the front nine at Oswestry GC. He decided to repair as many pitch marks on the greens as he could.
Below are the pitch mark numbers he repaired.
1st 2
2nd 3
3rd 6
4th 32
5th 7
6th 8
7th 13
8th 6
9th 11
A total of 88.
Quite frankly this is not good enough.
As this member quoted, “We have a collective responsibility to look after the course as members. We can’t expect our greens team to do this as well as everything else on their itinerary”.
These pitch marks cannot all be blamed on visitors. Your green staffs work very hard, long hours to maintain your course in a great condition. They do need and deserve your help. Please repair your pitch marks Thanks.
Can I remind members and visitors to park their trolleys and buggies on the left of the path in front of the club house? Thank you.
We have a small group of low handicap golfers who are not using the BRS booking system but continually start half way down the 10th cutting in front of members who have used the booking system correctly. Please stop this practice.
The leaves have started to fall early; I am told this is partially due to the squirrels de-barking the trees. They do this to feed on the nutritious sap beneath and to build their nests.
We have an increase in mole hills on the course. I am told this is because the wet weather has kept the top depth of the soil moist so the worms are near the surface. When we have long sunny periods the earth bakes and goes hard and the worms remain deeper in the ground so the moles stay deeper.
Once again, if members have any reasonable suggestion on how we can improve your course and playing experience please let us know. Thanks.
Ian Pearce
Director of Course.
30.8.2024
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