NEW TORO 4300 ROUGH CUTTER

NEW MACHINERY IN THE FIRST SLIDE WE SAW OUR NEW ROUGH CUTTER THAT HAS BEEN PURCHASED TO

REPLACE OUR OLD ONE WHICH WAS 15 YEARS OLD AND NEEDING A LOT OF MONEY SPENT ON IT

TO GET IT TO A WORKABLE CONDITION.

SO IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE BEST WAY FORWARD WAS TO GIVE US A QUALITY MACHINE THAT

HOPEFULLY WILL LAST AT LEAST AS LONG AS OUR OLD ONE DID.

THIS IS A MAJOR INVESTMENT FOR THE CLUB WITH THE MACHINE COSTING AROUND THE £36000

MARK BEING PAID OVER A 7 YEAR PERIOD.

THE ADVANTAGES OF THE NEW MACHINE

FOR THE OPERATOR:

• THE NEW MACHINE HAS A WIDE WHEELBASE AND THIS WILL MAKE IT MORE STABLE WHEN

WORKING ON SLOPES AND NOT BE SO SORE ON THE BACK AS THE OLD MACHINE WHICH HAD A

NARROW WHEELBASE AND USED TO SHAKE YOU ABOUT A BIT ESPECIALLY ON THE BACK NINE

HOLES WHICH IS RATHER BUMPY TO DRIVE A MACHINE ACROSS (AS ANY OF YOU WHO HAS USED

A RIDE ON BUGGY COULD TESTIFY).

• THIS MACHINE HAS FIVE INDIVIDUAL CUTTING DECKS WHICH WILL FOLLOW THE CONTOURS OF

THE GROUND MUCH BETTER TO GIVE AN EVENER CUT AS OPPOSED TO THE OLD ROUGH CUTTER

WHICH HAD THREE CUTTING BLADES ON A FLEXIBLE DECK WITH LIMITED MOVEMENT TO FOLLOW

CONTOURS.

• HAVING A SLIGHTLY WIDER CUTTING WIDTH IT WILL BE QUICKER TO CUT THE SAME AREA

THEREFORE FREEING UP TIME TO GET OTHER JOBS DONE.

FOR THE GOLFER

• ALTHOUGH THE ROUGH IS STILL CUT AT THE SAME HEIGHT AS BEFORE YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED

THAT THE APPEARANCE OF THE ROUGH LOOKS A LOT BETTER, ALTHOUGH AS SOME OF YOU MAY

HAVE NOTICED THE BALL SITS DOWN IN THE GRASS MORE NOW, THIS IS BECAUSE WE ARE

GETTING A BETTER CUT ON THE GRASS AND IT IS STANDING UP BETTER NOW AS OPPOSED TO

GETTING PUSHED FLAT WITH THE OLD MACHINE.

PROPASS 180 TOP DRESSER

IN THE SECOND SLIDE IS THE PROPASS 180 TOP DRESSER WHICH IS A SECOND

HAND MACHINE OF AROUND 10 YEARS OLD.

THIS MACHINE HAS TWIN SPINNING DISCS AT THE REAR WHICH SPREADS TOP

DRESSING AT VARIOUS VOLUMES DEPENDING ON WHATS REQUIRED AT THE TIME.

IT CAN BE ANYTHING FROM A FINE DUSTING WHICH YOU COULD HARDLY SEE ONCE

ITS WORKED IN TO A HEAVY DRESSING WHICH WOULD BE PUT DOWN TO FILL

HOLES AFTER CORING.

OUR OLD TOP DRESSER (WHICH IS NOW OBSOLETE AND CANT GET PARTS FOR)

COULD ONLY PUT DOWN A HEAVY TOP DRESSING AND WOULD TAKE ABOUT 12 T0 16

RUNS ACROSS THE GREEN (DEPENDING ON ITS SIZE) AND THREE JOURNEYS TO

REFILL, SO AS A COMPARISON TO PUT DOWN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TOP

DRESSING WITH THE NEW ONE IT WOULD ONLY TAKE 2 TO 3 RUNS ACROSS THE

GREEN WITH MAYBE A FILL AND A BIT TO GET IT DONE.

SO AS YOU CAN GUESS THERE WILL BE A HUGE SAVING ON TIME TO GET THE JOB

DONE AND ALSO WITH HAVING LESS RUNS ACROSS THE GREENS THIS WILL

REDUCE TRACKING AND THEREFORE COMPACTION OF THE SURFACE.

WITH HAVING OUR OWN MACHINE NOW IT WILL ALLOW GREAT FLEXIBILTY AS TO

WHEN AND HOW OFTEN WE TOP DRESS .

THAT’S COMPARED TO WHEN WE BORROWED ONE FROM ANOTHER GOLF COURSE

AND COULD ONLY GET IT WHEN THEY WERE NOT USING IT (WHICH IS NORMALLY

ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS WE NEEDED IT) AND THE WEATHER WINDOW MIGHT

HAVE GONE BY THE TIME WE GOT IT TO THE COURSE (BY THE WAY WE WERE VERY

GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR ALLOWING US TO BORROW IT).

THE COST OF THIS MACHINE WAS £4600 AND WILL BE PAID OVER 3 YEARS.

THE COURSE THIS SEASON SO FAR

SEEMS A LONG TIME AGO BUT WITH MARCH BEING SO COLD AND WET WITH SNOW LYING I WAS

THINKING THIS SEASON WAS GOING TO START IN A SIMILAR VEIN AS 2017 WHICH WAS, AS IS

NORMAL COOL TEMPERATURES WITH DRYING WINDS AND THE GRASS SCARED TO STICK ITS

HEAD OUT OF THE GROUND.

SO IT WAS LATE MARCH AND WE HAD DONE ALL THE PREPERATION WORK TO GET GREENS 4,6

AND 7 DRAINED AND HOPING THE WEATHER WOULD BREAK AND ALLOW US TO GET THE MACHINE

IN TO GET THEM DONE.

LUCKILY ALTHOUGH IT WAS FROSTY TO START WITH WE TOOK THE CHANCE TO GET THE

MACHINE IN AND GET THE GREENS DONE. A BIT OF A STRUGGLE ON 7 WITH LYING SNOW STILL

THERE ON THE LAST RUN BUT WE GOT THERE.

THAT WAS THE START OF A WORRYING TIME WITH THREE GREENS DUG UP WITH THE PIPEWORK

TO PUT IN FOLLOWED BY GRAVEL THEN ROOTZONE (WHICH ALL HAD TO BE WHEELBARROWED

IN),THEN THEY HAD TO BE TURFED AND OH THERE WAS A WEEK TILL THE OPENING GAME OF THE

SEASON!!!!!!

SO WE STARTED ON THE 4TH AS THIS HAD THE WORST PLACE FOR A TEMPORARY GREEN OUT OF

THE THREE THAT WAS DONE.

TIME CONSUMING TO GET IT DONE AS THE GRAVEL AND ROOTZONE WERE PUT DOWN IN

SHALLOW LAYERS AND TRAMPED EACH LAYER (THIS WAS TO HELP IT TO SETTLE SO IT WOULDN’T

SINK AT A LATER DATE MEANING THE TURF WOULD HAVE TO COME OFF AGAIN TO BE LEVELLED

OFF).

GOT THE 4TH COMPLETED IN THE WEEK AND THE TRACKS TOP DRESSED AND BACK IN PLAY.

FOLLOWED BY THE 7TH THEN THE 6TH

THE DRAINS LEVELLED OUT AND PLAYED A LOT BETTER THAN I THOUGHT THEY WOULD WITH A

LITTLE MORE TOP DRESSING ON THEM OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

THEN WE GOT THE HEAT AND THIS BROUGHT OTHER PROBLEMS ON HOW QUICKLY THEY WERE

DRYING OUT SO IT WAS ON WITH HAND WATERING THE HIGH SPOTS ON THE GREENS ON ODD

DAYS ALONG WITH REGULAR USE OF THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM DURING THE NIGHT . (MOST OF

THE SYSTEM IS WORKING WELL BUT TWO WERE NOT AND HAD TO BE DONE MANUALLY THE

MORNING AFTER. THESE ARE DUE TO BE FIXED SHORTLY).

THE CLUB HAVE INVESTED QUITE A BIT OF MONEY IN THE IRRIGATION

SYSTEM OVER THE LAST 2 TO 3 YEARS.

WITH THE SYSTEM BEING OVER 20 YEARS OLD THERE WAS ALWAYS GOING

TO BE PARTS NEEDING REPLACED.

THE MAIN CONTROLLER FOR THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM HAD TO BE

REPLACED AS THE OLD ONE WAS OUTDATED AND COULDN’T GET PARTS

FOR IT.

BUYING THE NEW CONTROLLER ALSO MEANT WE HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE

DECODERS IN THE CONTROL BOXES AS THEY WERE NOT COMPATIBLE.

SO THAT MEANT THAT ALL 52 HAD TO BE STRIPPED OUT AND THE NEW

ONES WIRED UP( AT 5 WIRES EACH ONE THAT WAS 260 JOINS AND VERY

SORE FINGERS).

CONTROL VALVES WERE REPLACED AS THEY BROKE DOWN AND THIS IS

ONGOING ALONG WITH ANY SPRINKLER HEADS THAT MAY STOP WORKING

PROPERLY.

ALL IN WE’VE PROBABLY SPENT OVER £8000 IN REPAIRS OVER THE LAST 3

YEARS WITH MORE TO BE SPENT AS REPAIRS ARE REQUIRED.

WITH THE WEATHER WE’VE HAD THIS YEAR WE ARE NOW REAPING THE

BENEFITS OF KEEPING THE SYSTEM IN OPERATING CONDITION AS I’VE

PLAYED A COURSE RECENTLY THAT HAD NO WATER AND SEEN WHAT CAN

HAPPEN IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.

BOREHOLE WATER

THE WATER FROM THE BOREHOLE HAS IN THE PAST CAUSED PROBLEMS TO

THE GREENS WHEN USED AS THE Ph OF THE WATER IS GENERALLY OVER 7,

THAT IS COMPARED THE SURFACE OF THE GREEN BEING ABOUT 4.5 AND

THIS DIFFERENCE CAN PUT THE GRASS PLANT UNDER STRESS.

ANYTHING THAT PUTS THE PLANT UNDER STRESS CAN LET DISEASE GET A

FOOTHOLD.

ALTHOUGH YOU CAN SPRAY A FUNGICDE AS A PREVENTATIVE TIMING IS

CRUCIAL TO GIVE THE BEST RESPONSE.

IF YOU GET WARM / HUMID CONDITIONS LIKE WE’VE HAD A SYSTEMIC

FUNGICIDE MIGHT ONLY LAST TWO WEEKS BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH AND

THE AMOUNT OF CUTTINGS WE TAKE OFF, WHERE IN NORMAL CONDITIONS

IT MIGHT LAST SIX WEEKS AS OPPOSED TO WINTER TEMPERATURES WHERE

IT MIGHT LAST THREE MONTHS BECAUSE OF LOW GROWTH

THE GROWTH MIGHT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO GROW THROUGH THIS AND

SHOULD RECOVER BUT IN LOW GROWTH TIMES THIS WOULD LEAVE

SCARRING.

WITH THE COST OF ANY SPRAY OF FUNGICIDE BEING AROUND THE £700 MARK

EACH TIME YOU SPRAY YOU CANT KEEP DOING THIS SO YOU TRY TO KEEP

THE SURFACE DRY AND OPEN TO HELP PREVENT IT FORMING.

SO MAYBE IN THE FUTURE FITTING AN ACIDIFIER TO THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM

MIGHT BE COST EFFECTIVE IN HELPING TO PREVENT DISEASE OUTBREAKS.

WITH THE HEAT COMES THE GROWTH AND BEFORE LONG WE WERE NON STOP

CUTTING BUT WE STILL HAD SOME OTHER WINTER WORK THAT HADNT BEEN DONE

TO TRY AND CATCH UP WITH.

WE MANAGED TO GET THE PATHS EDGED AND RECOATED WITH DUST.

EDGING THE BUNKERS HAD TO GIVEN UP AS WE SIMLPY DID NOT HAVE THE SPARE

TIME TO GET TO THEM.

WE HAVE MANAGED TO GET THE FRONT HALF BUNKERS TOPPED UP WITH SAND AND

THE BACK HALF WILL BE DONE SHORTLY.

OTHER JOBS WERE ALSO SHELVED UNTIL NEXT WINTER.

WE HAD A BUSY FORTNIGHT RECENTLY WITH THE SCOTTISH MIXED FOURSOMES

CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY THE NORTH COUNTIES LADIES ALONG WITH FOUR OTHER

OPENS ON TOP OF CLUB COMPETITIONS SO IT WAS UP AT 3AM TO GET THE WORK

DONE BEFORE THEY STARTED.

SO WORK GOES ON AS NORMAL AND HOPING FOR SOME RAIN (AT NIGHT

HOPEFULLY) BUT KEEP THE SUNSHINE GOING.

COURSE CONDITION

IN GENERAL THE COURSE HAS BEEN IN GOOD CONDITION WITH THE HOT

WEATHER GREAT FOR PLAYING IN BUT CAUSING PROBLEMS IN KEEPING

THE PLANT HEALTH GOOD WITH KNOWING WHEN TO FEED AND WATER

THEM WITHOUT GOING TOO FAR EITHER WAY.

TRYING TO KEEP THE GREENS GOOD WITHOUT OVER FEEDING OR OVER

WATERING THEM IS A HARD JUGGLING ACT.

WE TRY TO KEEP THE GREENS LEAN WITH FERTILISER SO AS TO ENCOURAGE

THE FINER GRASSES WHICH IS BETTER FOR PUTTING ON.

WE ONLY WATER TO TRY AND KEEP THE GRASS PLANT ALIVE AS OVER

WATERING ALSO ECOURAGES THE WRONG GRASSES TO TAKE OVER.

THERE ARE OTHER INSTRUMENTS WHICH ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP MAKE THESE

DECISIONS BUT THEY CAN COST A BIT OF MONEY WHICH HOPEFULLY THE

CLUB MAY BE ABLE TO AFFORD SOME DAY.

WE HAVE HAD QUITE A BIT OF GREAT FEEDBACK REGARGDING THE QUALITY OF

THE COURSE FROM MEMBERS AND VISITORS AND THE GREENSTAFF VERY

MUCH APPRECIATE THEIR COMMENTS AS THEY TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT THEY

ARE DOING AND THIS KEEPS THEM MOTIVATED TO KEEP UP THE STANDARD.

SO WHAT NEXT?

WELL AS YOU WILL HAVE SEEN IN YOUR FIXTURE DIARY WE WILL BE

CORING THE GREENS ON THE 6TH OF AUGUST.

THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY OVERSEEDING AND TOP DRESSING

HOPEFULLY WITH THE TEMERATURES AND GROWTH AT THIS TIME OF YEAR

THE WORK WE DO WILL HARDLY BE NOTICED WITHIN TWO WEEKS.

WORK PROGRAMME FOR THE WINTER HAS YET TO BE FINALISED BUT JOBS

THAT DIDN’T GET DONE LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF TIME WILL BE PUT ON THE

LIST FOR THIS YEAR

IF ANY MEMBERS HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE

TO SEE DONE ON THE COURSE PLEASE LET US KNOW AND IT WILL

DISCUSSED TO SEE IF ITS FEASIBLE AND WHATS THE BEST WAY FORWARD

NOT SAYING EVERY SUGGESTION WILL BE DONE BUT IF NOT A REASON WILL BE

GIVEN AS TO WHY NOT.

WINTER WORK