In the last few months the greenstaff's attempts to maintain momentum with planned course winter-works has often been frustrated!
In the week of the New-Year our machinery washdown pad and workshop building took a direct-hit from a falling oak-tree. This caused considerable structural damage to the buildings and also crushed a tractor-unit and a petrol-storage vault.
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| Damage to the machinery washdown pad and workshop buildings from a fallen tree |
More recently, out on the course we have lost a notable standalone oak-tree down the right-side of the JHtaylor 13th fairway.
This tree came out of the ground as a complete unit. It has since been dated by independent tree-officers at over 500-years old! It is suggested that this tree was likely one of less than 100 in England of similar age, size, structure and value.
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| A fallen 500-year old oak-tree is cleared off the JHTaylor 13th fairway |
A combination of the recent persistent heavy rainfall and the recurrent flooding of the Thames has frustrated the greenstaff's efforts at a wide-ranging list of winter projects.
The weather quickly turned against us over Christmas and then we had over 110mm of rain fall in January. As we hurtle through the middle of February we've already had another 30mm to date!
The outstanding consequence of this prolonged wet-weather is that there have been restrictions on the use of golf buggys, electric trolleys and manual pull-trolleys since the start of the year.
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| Flooding from the Thames isolates the JHTaylor 10th tee |
We started the year on a, 'Composite-Course.'
Apart from a couple of weeks at the end of January when both courses were in play, the recurrent flooding of the Thames and the heavy rainfall has dictated that only the, 'Composite-Course,' has been available for extended periods of the last several weeks.
Even this has had to be shortened at times as access to teeing grounds on several holes is restricted and tee-markers are placed at the top of the fairways.
Any decision to close the course largely considers the health, safety and welfare of the golfers. If the greenstaff are dodging falling trees and are slipping about in muddy, scuffed areas in their safety workboots - then we determinedly assess the risk of the weather and ground conditions to the golfers.
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| View across the JHTaylor 10th carry to the PBarton 17th green and surrounds |
Our efforts at winter grass-collection, flail-mowing eco-rough areas and scarifying fairways came to an abrupt halt in the middle of December. These operations remain work-in-progress and and are still not resumed.
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| Flooding from the Thames covers the PBarton 14th green and 7th tees |
Access to the courses with any heavy machinery is still restricted to areas with nearby hard-standing.
Consequently the greenstaff are now focused on small-teams activities around tee-banks and cart-paths.
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| The new wetlands at the JHTaylor 8th are completely submerged! |
All the main golf playing areas are now being cut by hand and all essential greenkeeping operations are completed manually.
The greenstaff have been walking the courses carrying hand-tools for the daily course set-up and routine spraying and topdressing activities are all done with walk-behind spray-booms and manual spreaders.
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| The JHTaylor 8th hole is entirely flooded! |
Now, as the end of February approaches, the forecast is improving! Hopefully the worst of the wet-weather is past.
Daylight and light-quality is improving, the course is drying out, restrictions on the, 'Composite-Course,' could be lifted shortly and we are inside of two-weeks to Pam Barton greens renovations!
