In the first two weeks of September, the greenkeepers have been busy reseeding a large part of the course's total playing areas. First came the greens and green surroundings, then the tees and finally the fairways. Thanks to the fine weather, it is clear to see the little grass sprouts peeking out in their thousands on the reseeded areas – especially on the greens. Before long, it will be time for the paths and the large practice tee on the driving range.
Week 38 (16-22/9): Before we get to the final seeding routines, the course must be ready for the club championship. This week, all bunkers will be prepared again, i.e. edges will be cut and sand will be moved around or refilled.
Week 39 (23-29/9): At the beginning of this week there will be some excavation work on the driving range at our new putting green.
Our new putting green got off to a great start last year, but has struggled at times this year. It is not unusual for a new green to take a few seasons to settle in when greenkeepers and players wear it out daily. The challenge with this putting green is that a lot of surface water runs onto it from the driving range. It drains well as it is, but at times it can't keep up and this increases the wear and tear on the grass. Two large zones of the green have poor grass cover and it is this problem that we are now looking for a solution to.
The greenkeepers dig a drain in front of the putting green to catch as much of the surface water as possible before it runs onto the green. Small drainage grates will help direct the water down to the drain and further out into the ditch behind the green.
This solution is the most gentle on the green. If it does not prove effective enough, the greenkeepers will dig additional drains into the green itself in the spring.