Most of the members at the golf club will be delighted to discover that we are cutting the long rough down next week. Our owner Gary Holloway asked me this week why we do it and why other club have different strategies. I composed a reply and thought that id put it on here to share with you just in case your were not sure either.
Dear Gary
All sites are quite different
and will be managed differently based on the soil type, budgets and staff etc.
The reason for us cutting and collecting the grass is due to several reasons.
The long rough is really important here and it is important to try to create a
thin, wispy rough which looks great but will only penalise the golfer half a
shot. When I began here the rough was terrible and the golfer was unfairly
penalised. We need to try and create a sward which is dominated but a fine
fescue grass and bents and not by coarse rye and Yorkshire fog.
Unfortunately fine fescue grows
naturally in sandy free draining soil, infertile soil. At Bearwood
unfortunately we have a predominantly heavy clay subsoil soil which fescues do
not enjoy due to the wet, fertile nature. These soils encourage rye and
yorkshire fog and if left unmanaged dominate and create the rough we used to
have which is overly penal and ugly.
We have set up an integrated
approach to managing our rough to make it as good as possible. If mother nature
decide to have the wettest summer in years that will have an effect, but it
would have been much worse had we not kept up our management technique and will
be much better in dry years. Other courses I have played this year has rough
much worse than ours.
1.
Most importantly we
cut and collect the rough. This over time reduces the fertility of the soil (as
we are taking away the nutrition and not putting any back in the form of
fertiliser). This then helps to create an environment more suited to fescue
growth and less to rye growth over time. If we are able to then scarify or
spring tine it as well to get even more grass out then this would also be
helpful. We can do this with the profihopper or blue box. Purchasing a
spring tine rake is something we should look at a later date.
2. We do not water or
feed the rough to help reduce fertility
3.
Once the grass is
starting to settle down we will then spray it with Rescue. This will take
out more rye grass and Yorkshire fog to accelerate the species transition. This
will be sped up further by regular overseeding if possible.
I have also pasted a link should
you want any more info and to look at what others do but again it is on another
type of golf course
Kind regards - any other
questions please do not hesitate to ask
Daniel
