Grass Clippings 

Around our grounds

Although many Members are now on holiday, the Club has been busy with events keeping the course and grounds department on our toes. Last week the croquet lawns were a buzz with the World Croquet Federation Championships for which the Club co-hosted the event with venues in the immediate area. I must congratulate Chris Hughes, Simon Bailey, and the grounds team for preparing the lawns to such a high standard and ensuring that we were seen in a good light for the event. It was heard said that a number of overseas players stated that these lawns were the best they played on in the event. A well-earned feather in the cap for the Grounds Team.

If that wasn’t enough to be getting on with last week, the same team were helping set up the IWT London Racketlon Open at the Club. Again, teams from far and wide came to the Club and were very impressed with our facilities and the welcome they received. Keen-eyed tennis players may also notice that something is afoot with the courts nearest the Health Club. The block 15 to 18 are currently undergoing a change of surface, as requested by Members. The new surface will be Advantage Red Court that Members are familiar with on the block of courts numbers 4 to 6. This surface provides a highly practical alternative to traditional clay tennis courts, but with a similar appearance and play characteristics, available for year-round play. Unlike traditional clay, there is no costly reconstruction each spring and no need for extensive irrigation and the associated manpower required to manage the court surface.  Our tennis contractor is working earnestly on the project to have the new surface in play by September.

The greenkeepers were also hard at work helping a contractor cut in trenches on the 13th, 14th and 5th carry’s, this is a part of the drainage plans for the course to relieve the issue of standing water on the carry’s in the wintertime that has an impact on the holes mentioned. The slits which are filled with a porous ceramic material assist by removing surface water to the slit trenches which in turn carries the water to a pipe drain and away from the surface. This is a tried and tested solution deployed in sports and we have previously utilized this concept to help drain the croquet lawns and areas such as the 4th fairway. The concept of installing drainage systems with the key aim of moving water away from surfaces has been one of goals for the department. With the success of long-term fairway top dressing, which is all part of this process, we are utilizing as many techniques as possible to improve and enhance the Members’ experience of the golf course. It is a process that takes time and has been segued into the schedule of works so not to disrupt the golfing calendar. It can cause a minor inconvenience during and immediately after the work, but the long-term benefits will far outweigh the short-term disruption.

Flying Ant Day 2023

Some Members may be aware that we have just passed Flying Ant Day. The point each summer when millions of flying ants swarm. Flying ants, also known as alates or swarmers, are not harmful, however their constant swarming can be irritating, especially if you planned that summer picnic when they are on the move. While flying ants buzz around for a few weeks, they tend to all emerge on a similar day around the country. While there is no set date for flying ant day 2023, it usually falls in July or August on a hot, humid day, often after heavy rain fall. Since ant swarms are triggered by temperature, ants over a large area can often appear, as if by magic, When the conditions are similar across the country. Ants mate while they are flying because it increases their chances of reproduction. Following the mating, the queen will attempt to start a new nest before losing her wings. The nests typically have 5,000 worker ants with a single queen, but this can expand to as many as 15,000 worker ants. While the male ants usually die within a few days of mating, worker ants are all female and they typically live for a month. However, the queen ant can live for more than 10 years and will spend most of her life in the nest. Who said the royalty has all the fun!

Biological invasions

Invasive plants are costing the economy £4bn a year, up from £1.7bn in 2010, has been reported this week. The Defra-funded research, published in the journal Biological Invasions, found the fungus that causes ash dieback, was the most damaging species over the past decade, costing £883m. It was followed by Japanese knotweed, at £246m. Researchers working from Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International centres in Egham, Surrey, as well as Switzerland and Kenya, found a 135% increase in comparable costs since the last assessment was conducted in 2010. Agriculture is the industry affected the most with estimated costs for the UK put at £1.088bn followed by construction, development, infrastructure, tourism, and recreation. The impact upon forestry is £123m. There are around 2,000 invasive non-native species in the UK with ten to twelve new species establishing themselves every year. The list includes well-known established species such as grey squirrel, killer shrimp, giant hogweed, mink and parakeets, as well as recently arrived, but highly impactful species such as the sea squirt (Didemnum vexillum) and ash dieback. Ash dieback will change the composition of British woodland in a generation. In the last five years, nurseries germinating and growing Ash trees have been ordered to burn all stock and stop sales of this species. Although infection rates across the country vary, woodlands where there is a suspicion that dieback has taken hold, are felling trees as a precaution. Sadly, Ash may go the same route as the Elm tree in a few years, with it becoming a rarity.

Peter Bradburn, Course and Grounds Director