The course has now become really dry, especially on the fairways, semi-rough, bunker edges and paths. For a long time it has withstood the drought, but August has just continued with sunny days. The drought index for the Capital is at its peak and certainly also in Dyrehaven. At this point in time, we have received less rainfall on an annual basis than in the drought year of 2018. But we are in a better place. Our efforts on the fairways, which will soon be many years old, with top dressing, reseeding, fertilizing and the use of rinse aid, are the reason why the course has not completely burned down and that it has been permanently damaged. If the rain comes in September, I expect it to recover quickly. We are ready with an autumn program for our fairways so that we can continue our quality improvement.
It is almost only our tees and greens that stay green because they have irrigation attached to them. A side effect is that these areas are particularly in demand among our permanent residents, the deer. Their usual grazing grounds are dry and why not head over to the green golf course? Grazing is rampant in these areas and unfortunately, both big and small are also done - in large, large quantities. We spend extra time every morning cleaning up after the big ones. We do not mow the fairways, but we use our big blower to clean up. You will also be able to see that they nibble or tear the grass. This leaves tufts of torn grass that then stand and stand up ugly until the next time the greenkeeper mows the area. Until the rain comes and gets the Dyrehaven pasture going again, we have to enjoy the large herds coming so close to us. Remember that the same rules apply to deer as to humans: Do not hit if there is a risk of hitting you.
September holds many events, club championship finals and, at the beginning of October, the Royal Trophy. Most of the month will therefore be spent keeping the course fully playable and beautiful, reducing drought stress and, if there is room in the golf box, sneaking in a few major maintenance tasks.
Major track work planned in September:
Week 36: Greens topdressed and selected greens reseeded. Expect slightly abnormal conditions at the beginning of the week
Week 38: Green surrounds and foregreens are being patched and topdressed. Expect abnormal conditions most of the week
Enjoy!
Martin Nilsson, chief greenkeeper