This is another significant investment year for the club and our "Spring into Action" campaign for the greens is in full swing.
As readers will know, PRGC's spring investment programme this year included the successful usage of a unique new pigment technology - a first for Princes Risborough Golf Club. This has increased the metabolism and health of the grass and warmed up the soil to encourage healthy growth. We have received some extremely positive comments from visiting golfers and members alike - thank you for taking the trouble to tell us.
We also recently fed the greens with a 'spring starter' fertiliser and moss prevention agent - some of you may recall the temporary blackness on some of the greens as this treatment successfully kicked into action.
We are now moving into an intense period of activity to get our greens into peak spring condition.
You may have noticed Simon spraying the greens last week - we have achieved two important treatments:
Improving green health with Interface Stressgard™ Formulation Technology
The 1st UK turf fungicide formulated using Stressgard Formulation Technology! It offers a new standard in grass protection. It provides superior disease control (specifically Fusarium) and manages disease stress. This leads to improved playability and visibly healthier turf. This amazing product remains on the leaf surface acting as a shield against infection. It also creates a weather resistant reservoir on the leaf surface that enables continual penetration, leading to greater protection and longevity. How clever is that!
Controlling Meadow Grass with Velocity Herbicide
We are embarking on a programme to gradually reduce Poa Annua (annual meadow grass) and to eliminate the potential for broadleaf weeds to grab hold. NB Poa is the dominant grass within 70% of golf greens in the UK. You will remember that we recently invested in 3 new grooming cartridges - these have been nicknamed by the trade as "poa busters". Velocity Herbicide is the perfect partner in this quest to deliver the healthiest and most playable greens. Velocity can gradually eliminate both Poa annua and Poa trivialis enabling a better balance of Poa and bentgrass. The most important word in this programme is 'gradual'. We will be cutting in the spring and summer to between 3mm and 4mm in height. Bent grasses need a lot of support to thrive at these heights whereas Poa has adapted to it. It's all about the balance and we will be working with our agronomist to achieve the right green speeds and consistency as the season unfolds. Following our successful trial of pigmentation during spring. We will be further trialling pigmentation to establish whether we can better support our bent grass during the low cutting season. We will keep you posted.
Look out for further notes on aeration... this is a wonderful stage in our season and we are in good shape for a cracking season.
John
Head Greenkeeper
The amount and quality of information is good. I would however like to see a posted date next to the headlines under New News. In that way it will be clear that advice is current and perhaps also act as an aide-memoir for timely updating.