WELL, ITS BEEN TWO MONTHS SINCE MY LAST THANK YOU TO THE DIVOT PARTY.
NOW I FEEL IT IS TIME AND SAFE TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE MEMBERS AND VISITORS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND KIND WORDS ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE GOLF COURSE.
YOUR COMMENTS ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY ALL THE GREENS STAFF.
THE RAIN AND WARM WEATHER HAS CERTAINLY PLAYED ITS PART IN AIDING THE RECOVERY TO THE BURNT OFF AREAS CAUSED BY THE RECENT DROUGHT.
THE IMPROVED IRRIGATION SYSTEM HAS BEEN PRICELESS IN PRESERVING THE GREENS THROUGH WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTEROUS PERIOD.
OUR WORK PROGRAMME AT PRESENT IS AIMED TOWARDS MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING THE GOLF COURSE ON A DAILY BASIS.
MINDFULL OF THE NEED TO IMPROVE THE BUNKERS A SURVEY WAS CARRIED OUT RECENTLY BY THE CHAIRMAN OF GREENS (Liam Harrison) AND MYSELF.
OUR NEW PRO JAMIE HAS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN COURSE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SUCH AS THE BUNKER IMPROVEMENTS ETC. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTINITY TO WELCOME JAMIE AND HIS STAFF ON BOARD AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM.
YOU WILL BY NOW HAVE NOTICED
THAT THE ROUGH IS SLIGHTLY LONGER AND THICKER.
WE ARE INTENDING TO IMPROVE THE DEFINITION OF EACH HOLE WHEREBY WE CAN INTRODUCE A FIRST CUT ADJACENT TO AND SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE FAIRWAY .
THIS NEW APPROACH TO THE OVERALL LOOK OF THE GOLF COURSE WILL BE MONITORED CLOSELY AND ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY.
FURTHERMORE......
WE HAVE BEEN SALVAGING AND RESTORING ALL THE OLD BENCH ENDS READY FOR REASSEMBLING
AND POSITIONING OUT ON THE GOLF COURSE ASAP.
WITHOUT WISHING THE SUMMER AWAY, I CAN INFORM YOU THAT WE ARE ALREADY DISCUSSING POSSIBLE PROJECTS ALONG WITH THE AUTUMN AND WINTER PROGRAMME...A FULL LIST OF WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED IN DUE COURSE.
FINALLY FOR NOW I WOULD LIKE THANK KEITH BOWDEN FOR PROVIDING SOME PINK LILLIES AND (GREEN) FROGS FOR THE NEW POND AT THE 16th .
THE NEW PATHWAY AND POND ON THE 16th HAS BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS IN ENHANCING THAT PART OF THE COURSE BEYOND RECOGNITION, ASWELL AS TAKING US NEARER TO THE ULTIMATE GOAL !!!!.
PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS ONE OF THE GREENS STAFF POSITIONING THE LILLIES IN THE POND.
THE PLANTS ARE SECURED WITH A TREE BRANCH WHICH WILL ACT AS A PERCH FOR THE KINGFISHER AND OTHER BIRD LIFE.( hope the frogs survive? )
KIND REGARDS... DB

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY MANY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO WAS AVAILABLE TO TAKE PART IN THE DIVOT EVENING.
ALL OF THE GREENS STAFF WERE AMASED AT THE TURN OUT AND SUPPORT FOR WHAT WAS A VERY ENJOYABLE AND PRODUCTIVE EVENING.
THE EVENT WAS ORGANISED AT VERY SHORT NOTICE BY MIKE SCRAGG AND THE VERY PERSUASIVE LIAM WHO THREW HIS SINGLES KO JUST SO HE COULD BE THERE FROM THE START...( TRUTH BE KNOWN DILLON WAS AWESOME).

ON THE NIGHT MANY OF YOU GOT TO SEE THE POP UP SPRINKLER SYSTEM IN ACTION AND APPRECIATE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH WATERING THE GREENS.
THE TEES ARE NEXT IN LINE TO RESTORE THE SYSTEM TO FULLY AUTOMATIC WHEREBY THEIR CONDITION WILL IMPROVE VIRTUALLY OVERNIGHT.

THE GREENS ARE SHOWING POSITIVE SIGNS OF RECOVERY AND WE WILL CONTUNUE TO IMPROVE THE SURFACE WITH LIGHT TOP DRESSING AND OVERSEEDING TO DAMAGED AREAS.
SOME OF THE DRY / BROWN AREAS ARE BEING TREATED WITH A WETTING AGENT TO HELP REWET THE SOIL AND AID GROWTH RECOVERY.
A NICE DROP IF LIGHT RAIN WOULD BE WELCOME ... BUT AFTER THE LONG WINTER LETS JUST ENJOY WHAT WE HAVE FOR THE TIME BEING.

MANY THANKS ONCE AGAIN TO YOU ALL ( not just the divot party)
FOR YOUR PATINCE AND SUPPORT .

REGARDS

DB

HI,

JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THE FAIRWAYS HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY CUT THIS WEEK.

THE PRESENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE DRYING THE FAIRWAYS OUT TO THE POINT THAT THE GRASS GROWTH IS SLOWING DOWN.
I HAVE OUTLINED THE PERIMETER CUT TO KEEP THE DEFINITION OF THE FAIRWAY INTACT AND ALSO TO PROTECT THE MAIN PLAYING AREA FROM BURNING OFF.

THE REST OF THE COURSE IS IMPROVING ON A DAILY BASIS .
WE ARE NOW ABLE TO APPRETIATE ALL THE HARD WORK AND INVESTMENT THAT WAS PUT IN LAST YEAR TO UPGRADE THE GREENS IRRIGATION SYSTEM.

THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED IN 1976 AND HAS HAD NO MAJOR MAINTENANCE CARRIED OUT ON AT LEAST 90% OF THE SYSTEM UNTIL LAST YEAR.
WHEN FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE WE WILL THEN BE ABLE TO UPGRADE THE SYSTEM FURTHER TO INCORPORATE THE TEES.

LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AT THE DIVOT EVENING AND I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.

THATS ALL FOR NOW FOLKS ...

REGARDS

DB

YOU MAY RECALL LAST OCTOBER WHEN WE HIRED THE DIGGER TO CARRY OUT THE WORK ON THE 16th HILL PROJECT THAT I UTILISED THE MACHINE HIRE PERIOD TO CLEAR ALL THE ACCUMALATED DEBRIS OFF THE FAR CORNER OF THE CAR PARK.

RATHER THAN SPEND IN THE REGION OF A THOUSAND POUNDS TO SEND IT AWAY TO THE TIP I DECIDED TO BURY IT ALL ON THE PRACTICE AREA AND THEN FORM A NEW CHIPPING GREEN .

THE PROJECT WAS PUT ON HOLD UNTIL THE WEATHER PICKED UP AND ALSO TO ALLOW US TO CONCENTRATE ON COURSE ISSUES.
TODAY WE HAVE HOSTED THE MERSEY SENIORS AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THE COURSE UNTIL THE VOLUME OF PLAY WAS SUCH THAT WE HAD TO LEAVE THE COURSE .
ON DAYS SUCH AS TODAY WHEN WE LEAVE THE COURSE IT IS NOT A SIGN THAT WE HAVE ALL GONE HOME!!!
TODAY OUR TIME WAS SPENT ON MAINTENANCE AND CARRYING ON WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW CHIPPING GREEN..!
THE PRACTICE AREA IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT AS THE REST OF THE COURSE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ITS FACILITIES DURING TIMES SUCH AS TODAY.
THE COST OF THE NEW CHIPPING GREEN IS COST EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF LABOUR AND RECYCLING WASTE MATERIALS.
THE FINAL SURFACE WILL BE SEEDED AND ALLOWED TO MATURE BEFORE BEING BROUGHT INTO PLAY.
THE COURSE IS NOW PROGRESSING ON A DAILY BASIS AND WILL REMAIN OUR PRIORITY THROUGHOUT THE GOLFING CALANDER .
THERE ARE A FEW OUTSTANDING HOLES TO BE FILLED IN THIS WEEK THAT ARE NOT TO BE MISTAKEN AS THAT WE ARE DIGGING MORE HOLES.

WELL DONE TO THE DUNHAM TEAM .

ITS NOW PAST MY BEDTIME ,EARLY START TOMORROW.

DB

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES!!!
THE WEEK BEFORE I WENT AWAY ON HOLIDAY THERE WAS HARDLY ANY LEAVES ON THE TREES AND NOT MUCH IN TERMS OF GRASS THAT REQUIRED CUTTING.
THE GROUND TEMPETURES ROSE SLIGHTLY OVER THE BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND KICK STARTED THE GRASS INTO SOME MUCH NEEDED GROWTH.
UNFORTUNATELY THE DEFINITION OF THE FAIRWAYS BLENDED INTO THE ROUGH AND MADE IT LOOK LIKE THE COURSE HAD BEEN ABANDONED!!!
THE TOP DRESSING OF THE GREENS WAS ABSOLUTE TOP PRIORITY TO HELP IN SMOOTHING THEIR SURFACE. I MIGHT ADD THAT MANY OTHER COURSES ARE ALSO DOING SIMILAR WORK AND EXPERINCING THE SAME CONDITIONS WITH TOP DRESSING CLINGING TO THE BALL.
I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THE HIEGHT OF CUT SLIGHTLY NOW THAT THE DRESSING HAS SETTLED DOWN . EVERY COURSE JUST NEEDS SOME WARMTH NOW TO PUT THE WINTER CONDITIONS FIRMLY BEHIND US.
THE SEED ON THE GREENS IS STARTING TO GERMINATE NOW AND I CAN SEE A DEFINATE IMPROVEMENT IN THE SPACE OF A WEEK. PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT IT IS NOT WISE TO RUSH NATURE AND THAT I WANT OUR PRESENT SITUATION TO IMPROVE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
THE REST OF THE COURSE IS SHOWING POSITIVE SIGNS OF SPRING GROWTH WHICH IS ENCOURAGING.
THE BUNKERS STILL REQUIRE SOME ADDITIONAL WORK TO BRING THEM UPTO SCRATCH ... I WILL BE SPRAYING THE WEEDS THAT ARE NOW EMERGING IN THE FACES ..THIS IS PREFERABLE TO JUST SNAPPING THEM OFF AT GROUND LEVEL WHEREBY THEY REGROW BACK WITHIN DAYS .

ITS NOW 05.55 AND TIME FOR ME TO SET OFF TO CHORLTON .
HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND .

DB

JUST ARRIVED BACK OFF MY HOLS AND I AM BACK IN WORK TOMORROW..THURSDAY 6th MAY.
I HAVE BEEN KEEPING AN EYE ON THE UK WEATHER AND ITS QUITE OBVIOUS WE ARE AT THE BACK QUEUE WHEN THE SUN DECIDES WHO TO SHINE ON.
UNFORTUNATELY I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT TURNED UP TO PLAY IN THE GOLF DAY ORGANISED BY LIAM.
WHAT I DID HAVE TIME FOR WHILST ON HOLIDAY WAS TIME TO REFLECT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE DAY.
I STILL HAVEN'T WORKED OUT HOW TO SCORE 39 POINTS AND ABOVE ON THE GREENS AS THEY WERE ON THAT DAY?? .
LIKE MOST OF YOU , I COULD'NT BUY A PUTT FROM ANY DISTANCE YET THE WINNERS NEVER HAD A PROBLEM!!!!!!!
THE GREENS WERE TOP DRESSED OVER THE FOLLOWING 3 DAYS IN ORDER TO SMOOTH THE SURFACE READY FOR THE BOARD COMPS AT THE WEEKEND.
TOP DRESSING IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL TURF AREAS.
MY COMMITTMENT TO YOU IN CONCENTRATING OUR EFFORTS ON PRODUCING A QUALITY GOLF COURSE WILL DEPEND EQUALLY ON ME EDUCATING THE GOLFER ON THE REASONS FOR OUR ACTIONS.
THE PROGRAMME I HAVE PLANNED WILL DEFINATELY PUT US BACK ON TRACK .
ONCE AGAIN I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND REMIND YOU THAT I AM ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS ANY ISSUES REGARDING THE GOLF COURSE.

DB

anybody interested in playing for the team ,please see the notice board in the foyer ,we are having a get together on Wed 5th May 1700hrs ,play a few holes 1st team V 2nd team ,followed by a pint and a natter about the new season, which starts 1st match, 12th May .