Links News Dear Fellow Member First of all thanks to Gareth for allowing us to use his newsletter to inform you all what is happening on the golf course and it is hoped that this will form part of the newsletter of a frequent basis. While the current warm spell is enjoyable it is not without its challenges with the irrigation system being used extensively every night (40,000 litres is applied) but the constant breeze quickly dries the course out so some steady rainfall would be appreciated and I’m sure it will come soon enough. John and the staff are also hand watering the greens as the winds have ensured that some areas of the greens weren’t getting adequately covered. Greens were being cut on a daily basis at 3.6mm but with the dry conditions this has been increased to 4.0mm. Aeration work has started this week using the air2g2 machine. This machine injects compressed air which helps reduce surface water during heavy rain and aids root development. This was used immediately after the Arrol Cup last year to great effect and it was decided to repeat the exercise earlier in the season. Top dressing the greens will commence once conditions allow. This would normally have been completed by now but with the dry and windy conditions still present, applying dry top dressing would cause extra stress on the plant by taking more moisture out of the root zone. You may have noticed some holes on a number of greens and this is caused by birds feeding on leatherjackets (cranefly larvae). In previous years this was controlled by chemicals but this is now banned and no longer available so until an environmentally friendly alternative comes on the market it is something that we will have to put up with. Meadow grass seeds are prominent at this time of year and normally they are gone by now but due to the conditions over the winter they are a couple of weeks later than normal. Fortunately they don’t like dry conditions so hopefully they will be gone soon thus allowing the finer grasses to dominate. Liquid seaweed and wetting agent has been applied to certain fairways, the remainder will be treated whenever possible. Weeds have been sprayed over the past fortnight on tees, fairways and surrounds. This can take up to three weeks to take full effect. Top dressing of the landing areas on fairways has now been started with approximately 20 tonne of sand being applied so far on the 1st, 6th, 7th and 16th holes this will continue to be carried out throughout the growing season. Finally, thanks to those junior members who have spent some of their holidays helping with the divoting of tees and fairways and it is hoped that this will continue through the summer break as well. It is pleasing to see an increasing number of members taking a seed container out on the course with them – it does make a difference so please take pride in the course and hook one of the containers over your trolley. Thanks for reading, constructive comments always welcome Alistair Belford - Links Convener | 
