MJ Abbott have left the building and the greens-team have our compound back. Almost everything ordered by the 2013 GRWP is complete and handed-over to the RMS greenstaff apart from the bunkers which will be finished in the spring.
The grow-in of the new JHTaylor front-9 continues to progress. Favourable conditions through November still support our efforts to achieve full turf cover across all the seeded areas by December 1st.
All the putting surfaces are now stable at 6mm.
Routine applications of fertilisers, bio-stimulants, seaweed and turf-paint continue to promote turf health, vigour and density.
Responsible use of fungicides are controlling the heightened threat of turf-diseases in these prolonged cool and damp conditions.
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| turf cover and density continues to improve moving into winter |
In the last couple of weeks our efforts are focused on reinstating the approach run-up areas to the putting surfaces and reconnecting the fairways to the greens through the turfed surrounds.
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| the approach to the 1st green improving with routine mowing operations |
The complex at the back of the JHTaylor 1st green includes a new Medal-tee. This new platform and the seeded surrounds are a big improvement on the original tee which was too narrow and had limited space to place tee-markers with any adventure.
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| the new Medal-tee at the 2nd |
Every activity is completed by hand. This is a huge draw on our labour resources as tees, approaches, surrounds and greens are all blown, cut, rolled, sprayed, fertilised and topdressed by hand with no mechanical assistance.
Ordinarily one greenkeeper will spray nine greens in 45-minutes driving our spray vehicle over the greens. As the new greens are not yet robust enough to be driven over, our spray operations are now completed with a walk-behind boom connected to the spray vehicle. Consequently this is now a three-hour operation for three operators!
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| approach run-up area to the 2nd green |
All the new approach run-up areas to greens - reconnecting the fairways to the putting surfaces are maintained with hand machines set at 18mm.
These entrances and openings to the greens had a bit of a shock in recent weeks at the swift and dramatic reduction in height but at least the connection is now made and their recovery and condition is progressing.
They will remain at this height until the earliest opportunity arrives in the springtime to reduce the height-of-cut to 10mm for opening the course.
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| approach - entrance to the 3rd green |
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| new tee at the 8th |
At the 8th where almost the entire hole was redesigned all areas continue to stabilise and improve.
The two new tees which have been raised, extended and reorientated are now settled under routine maintenance activities moving in to winter. They are clean and free of weeds, pests and disease and receptive to all our operations.
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| the new Medal-tee, the Ladies-tee and a very wet wetland at the 8th |
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| business-end of the 8th and the new approach carved out of the turfed surrounds |
The new tees, wetlands, approach-area, Taylor-mounds, green-surrounds and putting surface at the 8th are all well-established.
The 8th green was the first to be seeded in perfect conditions at the start of August. Accordingly it is now gorgeous. It is responsive to routine activities and the benchmark surface for where every green should be by the end of the year.
The 7th, 8th and 9th are all at a similar stage of grow-in and development.
The turf-cover of the 1st, 3rd and 6th is about two-weeks behind the first three greens although they display encouraging signs of the surfaces stabilising and the turf tillering.
Now, moving into December there is nothing to separate the progress and condition of the last greens that were seeded at the start of September. The chipping green, the 2nd, 4th and 5th were considered a bit wobbly about a month ago but a number of timely-delivered, late-season remedial operations have greatly accelerated the condition of these four greens.
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| 8th green - putting surface |
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| the 9th green and surrounds looking towards the King's Observatory |
Up to Christmas the focus remains on recovering the appearance of the front-9 and redefining the outline shapes of tees, tee-surrounds, fairways, approaches, collars and greens.
The course management are determined to maintain their energy and performance to produce first-class winter golf conditions on the 27-holes that remain in-play, notwithstanding we will not compromise our application and intensity to work to safely over-winter the new front-9 greens and surrounds.
