Maintenance week W/C: 11th September 2023 Update

Further Information from our Head Green Keeper

A few images of the greens being renovated last week, hollow cored to a depth of 2.5 inches, cores collected, top-dressed with 40 tonne of sand, drag matted in and then a short cycle of water to wash the top-dressing into the playing surface.

What is hollow coring and why is it required?

Hollow coring is the removal of cores from the playing surface. The hole size can vary in diameter and depth depending on the reason required. The cores are ejected, cleared up and removed.

Why is it done ?

With the volume of traffic, we have it causes the playing surfaces to become compacted. This means drainage is less efficient and the grass roots are prevented from absorbing oxygen. Hollow coring allows the compacted turf to expand and air and moisture to be more easily absorbed. The coring helps address the problem of thatch (Thatch is a layer of grass stems, roots and debris that settle and accumulate over-time).

A thin layer is acceptable but too much thatch will hold water like a sponge.

Once the hollow coring was completed nearly 40 tonnes of top-dressing sand was applied.

This was to replace the removed material to help dilute thatch, restore surface levels and firmness, improve drainage and/or generally improve the overall quality of the rootzone.

Due to two days of rainfall on Tuesday and Thursday, this delayed the process so next week we will be overseeding the greens.

Thank You for your patience.

The Process is working

The image shows the soil profile which was taken on the 16th green to show how the hollow core tines work beneath the surface and also highlighted is the root depth which has increased with regular aeration since last year.