Links Team News

Hi all,

 Apologies for the gap in between blogs, now i will tend to get as much information as i can out there via our Facebook page at Royal St Davids Links Team, this from my angle is far quicker as i try and spend all my time on the golf course getting as much work done out there as possible that will improve the links even further.

Unfortunately another wet spell has hit us,course is holding up well but bunkers are very wet due to the high water table,we have had 149mm in June with the average being 73mm, 119 with the average being 76mm in July, 103 mm in August with the average being 95,September we had 193 with the average being 96mm, and already up at 51mm and counting for October and a total so far this year being 940mm.

Lets pray for some dry weather!😎🏜🤞Feedback this year has been very good and the move to hand mowing has improved the presentation of the playing surfaces without question.
The addition of ilan Hughes as an apprentice greenkeeper has been of great value to the team giving us the additional resources to hand cut and it has certainly made a difference.

We have been working hard on improving the botanical content of the finer grasses in the greens and have overseeded 8 times this year, im delighted with this and there is without question an improvement in the percentage of finer grasses within the sward, this will give better playing qualities, better disease resistance and more sustainable golf greens.

Our aeration has again this year been good with monthly pro core aeration and we have just started vertidrained last week and we will again now before christmas and will be slitting weekly until christmas as well as other forms of aeration. The aim is to keep the greens as dry as possible to aid the finer grasses and their development.

Our problematic issues on the course this year have been much the same as usual, high water table which we have had much discussion with Natural Resources Wales about and there is now an agreement that the ditches will be cleared earlier to keep the course as dry as possible.

Also the penal rough is also to be managed more which will enable the course to be more playable and less time looking for golf balls.

                                The Amazon flail mower cutting and collecting the roughs.

The vredo Overseeder in action

We have had some damage on some holes from chafer grubs and all things associated with this grub, now with the chemical withdrawl of Merit Turf (imidacloprid) there is no chemical control to tackle these, a few people try nematodes but their efficacy is questionable and getting them into the ground and into the grub is also difficult as well as being extremely expensive.

We have been applying iron at a high rate to try and deter and badger activity and this seems to of worked well.

Chafer grubs are the larvae of the Chafer Beetle. There are six species in the UK: the Welsh Chafer, Summer Chafer, Brown Chafer, Cock Chafer, Garden Chafer and Rose Chafer. The most familiar being the Cock Chafer or "May bug" a large beetle that can be heard as a low droning noise on pleasant spring evenings. Though commonly the main problems on lawns are caused by just two species: the Garden Chafer and the Welsh Chafer. The grubs feed on the roots of grasses and other plants, their presence can be detected by the yellowing patches that it creates in turf. Chafer grubs can be found in the soil under the loose turf. They live within the soil for up to 3-4 years going through various "instars" as they develop. Significant damage to turf can be done by predators such as starlings, rooks, crows, jackdaws, magpies, foxes and badgers that make the most of an abundant high protein feed lying just beneath the surface.

They have stout white bodies curved in a C shape, light brown heads, with three pairs of legs and darker patches at the base of the abdomen. They are bigger than the adult beetles although their size varies according to species, 8-35mm; typically the Garden Chafer and Welsh Chafer are between 10mm and 15mm long. The head and thorax are metallic blue-green on the Garden Chafer and black on the Welsh Chafer. The grubs eat the roots and damage and eventually kill the plant. The first symptoms are yellowing patches that eventually turn brown, particularly in dry weather. These areas are then pecked at or dug up by predators. In severe infestations the turf can be pulled back to reveal as many as 100 grubs per square metre.

The Links Team will be starting on the winter work programme very soon with the aim of trying to improve the condition and playability of the links top priorities.

Regards

Rhys Butler, Links Manager, Royal St David's Golf Club.

Winter work update.

This last year has seen a relatively dry winter period so far with only 85mm of rain in November compared to 235 the previous year.
It has enabled us to make great strides in the winter work programme and the changes on the golf course.
From an agronomy point of view we have increased our population of bent and fescue fine grasses, and with a purchase of a Vredo Disc overseeder this will enable us to overseed when the weather and golfing calendar is in our favour.
I see a lot more fine grasses in the sward at the end of this year and firmly believe we are on the right track to produce top class , smooth, firm,true putting surfaces.
We have already vertidrained the greens twice and require another two passes in the new year. This is an essential part of our greens maintenance to relieve compaction, help water movement and provide air in the root zone.
On the golf course we have seen many positive changes ,mostly relating to tackling the ever changing climate and tackling the high water table which has caused many problems with flooded bunkers, areas with poor grass coverage following repeated flooding.

The Winter work programme changes that have been carried out so far.
Hole 1-
Raised wet hollow area at end of path/ start of fairway

Hole 2-
Raised and create undulation’s on the low lying wet areas on the fairway/approach so that they are above the water table

Lowered left hand approach to accommodate approach mower

Hole 3 –

Raised hollow on fairway which was low in water table and struggled for grass coverage.
Raised the rear hollow
Thinned out rough at the rear of the green and create small sand scrape similar to rear of the 18th
Re shaped humps and hollows on right side of the green to be cut as approach and offer more shot variety options

Hole 4 –
Raised and created undulation’s on the low lying wet areas on the approach so that they are above the water table and reshape greenside bunkers to blend in seamlessly with raised approach

Hole 5 –
Raised path level between matt and roadway out of water table.

Hole 6 - Fairway bunkers reshaped

Hole 7 –
Thinned out rough in front of sandy waste area.

Hole 8-
Filled in greenside bunkers on the left hand side and reshape area surrounding bunkers to make into approach with humps and hollows to offer a variety of shot options.
Raise path before fairway out of the water table.
Sandy waste area to be done on the right side of the green

Fairway bunkers reshaped

Hole 9 –

Filled in front greenside bunker,and created mound to be cut as approach.

Reshaped and raised greenside bunkers.

To be done in the new year.
Raise the wet area of reeds etc approximately 50 yards short of the green and translocate turf from the 8th sandy waste area and the agreed turf from by the pond in front of the 9th tee and use to form an area of sandy waste area with a little marram and chunks of turf on the border.

Hole 10 –
To be done in the new year
Widen cross ditch
Renew drainage on fairway
Install new drainage on fairway
Hole 11 –
Closed path on right side of green and build new path on left

Hole 13 –
Gently reshaped left hand side approach/semi rough to accommodate approach height cut

Hole 14 –
To be done in new year.
Raise path at rear of green

Hole 15-
To be done in new year.
Thin out burnett rose,Yorkshire fog at rear/right hand side of green.
Lower left hand approach traffic route to flatten walkway to improve grass
coverage.

Hole 16-
Hopefully to be done in new year.
Build new championship tee 30 yards back in dune ( on approval and NRW consent)

Hole 17 –

Sand scrape in rear humps similar to 18.
To be done in new year. Plastic matting and sleepers to improve pathway by widening and levelling.

Also included in the Winter work will be
-Rabbit hole patching
-Scrub Clearence
-Rough Management

We have also been reshaping the bunkers as agreed and raising the levels where we can.
This is making a big difference already with many positive comments about the increased visual appeal and also better and fairer playability of the bunkers

I feel we are making great strides in the condition and playability of the golf course as well as providing the member and visitor with a links experience they will enjoy.
May I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy new year.

Rhys Butler, Links Manager, Royal St Davi

Feast or Famine!!

As the title post says this weather currently really is feast or famine, a very hot spell in May and now June is like winter again!

We have seen huge amounts of rainfall recently with the water table still high in areas and some bunkers out of play.

The proposed aeration at the start of June has to be postponed with the ground simply being to firm and conditions too dry to run the slit disc seeder in the ground, of course the biggest potential problem was that these slits could open up during dry periods.

But!! follwing the great british weather an opportunity came to get the Air2g2 aeration machine in and the Vredo disc seeder,this was carried out last Tuesday/Wednesday and with the wet and warm weather we have had we have had great recovery already and you can hardly see the slit lines at all. The Vredo is a wonderful non disruptive piece of machinery and we have pumped in around 200kg of fescue seed into the greens.

The greens also last Sunday/ Monday had an 8mm por core aeration and on Wednesday with the heavy rain forecast had a sand dressing to further help firmness, trueness and smoothness on the greens.

The AIR2G2

The Vredo disc seeder.

So as you can tell it's been a real balancing act of using the weather to our advantage and getting these operations done in the least non disruptive manor as possible as not to affect day to day golf, the greens are currently very good and with 200kg of fescue to germinate, im a happy man!
We are already seeing some germination already after just 6 days with such favourable conditions, a application of seaweed and a couple of other nutrients will further enhance the chances of good germination.

We recently had Alistair Beggs our agronomist here from STRI and Alistair was very happy with the progress we are making on the greens and especially in reducing the organic matter levels as shown below

It is very important to understand the long-term implications of all maintenance practices in order to develop sustainable golf turf management model and best management practices to minimize organic matter accumulation.

We are aerating as much as we can to try and break down the organic matter and create plenty of air space. And we are already seeing much improved root growth, which lends itself to everything being very healthy in the rootzone.

With the 200 tonnes per year of sand dressings we should see further improvement in the organic matter levels very soon.

The biggest advantage to getting a good amount of sand in the upper profile is that it will provide a drier environment for the finer grasses to dominate.

The plan is now to boost the populations of the finer grasses with further browntop bent and fescue overseeding in August/ September.

The rest of the golf course is looking in very good shape with the fairways having recovered nicely after the hot dry spell.

The Links Team have been working hard on keeping presentation as high as possible on a daily basis, we host the British Girls Championship in August and am very much looking forward to watching them tackle the links.

The new short game area is coming along quite nicely, it's great to see so many golfers using it and has been a great asset to the practice facilities of the Golf Club.

Regards

Rhys Butler , Links Manager, Royal St David's Golf Club.

Course update

Unfortunately no pictures this time, got plenty on my phone but my phone and computer are not communicating very well!


The weather has certainly changed, we have a bit of growth and in the surrounding countryside you can now see the leaves on the trees etc. Last week we had temperatures of arround 26 o C!

It has been very unfortunate that every competition meeting we have had has been hit by some poor weather , whilst either side of the competitions have been great weather and the long term is looking very similar again for the Welsh Strokeplay Championship this coming week

The golf course has been improving all the time, we are seeing better grass coverage throughout the golf course through more aeration and overseeding etc and presentation is improving all the time,

The water table has dropped nicely now and we only have around 6 bunkers around the 9th still out of play, all of the others now have since been loosened and sand added if required.

The team over the last few months have been very busy and have been continuing with lots of aeration , generally with either 6 or 8mm tines and the Air2G2 plus the continuation of sand dressings to the greens to improve surface levels and help dilute organic matter in the upper profile.

Greens have been performing very well this year and have been very healthy with good grass coverage, we certainly hope that this continues and the greens will get better and better especially in fine grass content which will preform better all year round,

Very similar story with the fairways, tees and walkways , all looking very healthy and in good shape considering the weather we had through the winter. Any of these areas that have lost coverage through the winter have already all been overseeded, it's just a case of waiting for germination and recovery now. We are really starting to get some good definition now out there on the course!

The short game practice area is coming on nicely now and will be opened for the Welsh Strokeplay Championship this coming week, it's going to be a fantastic asset to the practice facilities at Royal St David's.

Il try and get some pictures up soon!

Regards

Rhys Butler,

Links Manager. Royal St David's Golf Club.

Course update.

Golf course progressing well,drying up quite nicely and water table dropping slowly.The Links team have been busy getting the playing surfaces in as good as condition and to perform to the highest standards possible,personally I'm delighted with all the surfaces including greens,tees,approaches and fairways.
We have been intesively applying sand dressings to the majority of the golf course to provide drainage and stability and firmness to accommodate the busy golfing calendar.
We still have a lot of work to do to get the bunkers all back into play with the water table dropping,as you an can imagine a 120 bunkers to be de compacted,topped up with fresh sand is a lot of work but the Links Team are working hard to achieve this.
With easter competitions only a week away and with the weather looking favourable we will hopefully have the golf course in top condition.

Regards

Rhys Butler,Links Manager.Royal St David's Golf Club.

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Course closure update.

Update on course closure.

The continued wet weather has, in no doubt, tested the patience of both the golfers and greenkeepers in most parts of the country in recent weeks. With one of the wettest winters on record, we are in a state of saturation (when the soils are full of water) in most areas on the golf course.

This has meant it has restricted the amount of work being achieved out on the course. Not only has it restricted some maintenance regimes but it has put a stop or hold to any winter works, such as bunker, tees, greens and path construction works.

The wet weather has culminated in us having to close, with no golf being played due to wet and waterlogged greens and fairways and walkways.

It is  just a case of waiting for the course to dry out naturally and being patient.

Although some areas on the course are drying, the majority is still saturated again leaving them prone to flooding and lying wet, keeping play off surfaces until they are again playable is very important.

We have reduced vehicle movement around the course, especially when ground conditions are wet and saturated. Working on and in wet conditions will, and can, do untold damage to grass surfaces.

When play is again possible we need to control the amount of golf buggy and trolley movement with carrying only being the preferred option, or restrict them to designated paths to reduce unwanted wear and tear and serious damage which with close to freezing temperatures will offer no recovery before the major competitions, we must realise the importance of not damaging the course prior to these events.

We have been carrying out aeration where possible to provide a suitable environment for plant growth.  

The correct balance of these components is critical for sustaining healthy plant growth. The spaces between the particles of solid material are just as important to the nature of soil, as are the solids themselves. It is in these pore spaces which create the environment for the plant to obtain the necessary nutrients, air and water it requires to respire and grow.

 These pore spaces can vary in size and are generally classified into two sizes - macro pores (larger than 0.08mm) and micro pores (less than 0.08mm). Macro pores generally allow movement of air and the drainage of water, and are large enough to accommodate plant roots and micro-organisms found in the soil. The ability to retain a good balance of macro pores in soil structure is essential for maintaining grass plant health. It is when these macro pores are either reduced in size, or filled with water, that we see deterioration in surface playability and resistance to wear.

The main contributing factor that reduces and damages pore spaces in soil is compaction, typically caused by compression forces normally associated with play and use of machinery, particularly during wet weather periods. Over time, these compression forces reduce the pore spaces so that air, water and nutrient flow through the soil profile is restricted, and leads to the many problems associated with compaction.

Compacted or sealed surfaces can also promote anaerobic soil conditions that, once formed, reduce root growth and restrict microbial activity.

The above conditions will adversely affect a surfaces performance in many ways, such as ball bounce, ball roll, reduced ball speed, player welfare and, in the long term, damage the soil structure.

The major concern also is that we can also lose grass cover down to hypoxia (lack of oxygen). When a rootzone becomes saturated it contains less oxygen because water is filling some of the pore space normally occupied by air. If this water-logging continues whilst temperatures are mild enough for the grass plant to continue growing (as they typically are in our mild autumn periods now) the process of grass growth will further compound the problem. If you look at how a grass plant produces energy it breaks down carbohydrate molecules manufactured by photosynthesis, utilising oxygen as it does so and producing CO2 (Carbon Dioxide).

So if we have a rootzone that contains low soil oxygen because it is saturated with water and the grass plant continues growing, it will deplete the soil oxygen level and increase the soil carbon dioxide level. If uncorrected this leads to plant death.

So where are we now? Unfortunately totally unplayable at the moment.

We will see progress I hope in these next few days in the reduction in the water table I hope but before any play is possible these playing surfaces must be allowed to dry out properly reducing the risk of damage and compromising the condition of the golf course for this season which is a very important year for us.

 1^st green surrounds,saturated!

2nd walkway

2nd appraoch

 4^th walkway, totally unpassable.

cant get off the 5th tee

7th fairway

 The impassable 9th walkway

The 10th walkway

The start of the 10th fairway!

The 11th walkway, thats a hand wheel mower mark, imagine 100's trolleys and golfers through that area, mudbath!

The 12/13 th walkway, unpasssable!

The pumping from12th/13 tee area

the very wet 13 th walkway

13th fairway

14 green to 15 tee walkway

15th walkway

16th fairway

17th fairway

18th hole

 As you can see the golf course is in an unplayable condition, the Links Team have been working hard to pump,keep drainage clear and aerate wherever we can.

What must be noted though is that this is a water table issue now and we must wait for this to lower, all the drainage is working well. It is also simply the volume of water that is in the ditches that we must also be patient with.

We aim to get the golf course back open as soon as possible but as I noted earlier that we must only open when the saturated ground conditions have gone so we do not damage the playing surfaces and risk compromising the condition of the golf course for the year ahead.

Your patience, cooperation and understanding is greatfuly appreciated.

Rhys Butler, Links Manager, Royal St David’s Golf Club.

Happy new year.

Happy new year to you all although golf  has been impossible on the Links so far this year due to the incredibly high volumes of rainfall we have encountered going back to November really, we had 245 mm of rain then and a record breaking (by over a 100mm) 367mm in December.

All the drainage is working well,and we are pumping wherever there is no drainage to the nearest ditches, the problem we face is simply the high water table and unfortunately this will only lower when the rain subsides and a prolonged dry spell arrives, which apparently is promised!!

This is the picture from Boxing day and Friday again was very close to this.

 Pre all the rain the Links Team have been busy carrying on with the winter work programme as outlined in the previous blog with scrub work, matting on pathways and the revamping of the entrance and also building a whole new short game practice area,unfortunately i have computer issues and although i have about 10 pictures, none will download to here, anyway for many that will of seen it I am delighted with it and it will prove to be a great asset to the golfing facilities as well as improving the entrance and first impression even more, and here is the new entrance!

During the period of most of the golf course being unplayable the team have still been working hard on keeping the playing surfaces as dry as possible by carrying out 8mm aeration to all the greens that we are able to do.

The incredibly mild weather until now has seen very good fescue development with the higher height of cut,less traffic and mild weather having all helped in improving the development and maturity of the fescue.

Apologies for not being able to give you some more pictures etc due to my computer playing up but i hope to give you better news soon and an update on the winter programme etc.

Regards

Rhys Butler, Links Manager.