Grass Clippings
Surprising sloping site
Finally, a period of reasonably decent weather has arrived and with it a chance to do some outstanding tasks on courts, lawns, and greens. The water table for the site has been high for over three months since the constant autumn rain. We are particularly prone to the effects of what happens below ground due to the to the fact that we are on the side of a hill. This surprises some visitors who think the course is flat.
The high ground from Roehampton House, the former St Marys Hospital site, falls downhill to Priory Lane. Anyone who has ever cycled up Clarence Lane, on the southern border of the site will appreciate the fall of the slope which goes up hill from the approach road from Richmond Park up to Roehampton Lane. The majority of the golf course is on the lower ground, from west to east. Using a topology map of the site, you can ascertain that there is a fall of over 12 metres, from south to north across the length of the estate, which is the reason why the Health Club and croquet lawns experienced flooding in the 1990’s.
As most of the course is at the bottom of the hill, the water table does come into play in the winter for this reason. As some Members have observed recently, we have had to be very cautious with the greens this winter, being a parkland course, which was created out of the indigenous soil from the site, back in the 1950s’. This was the last time the course was greatly renovated when the routing and length of the holes were enlarged to include the polo fields.
Greens construction
Using the soils from the site to create ‘push up’ greens creates some pro’s but also con’s in terms of the greens conditioning today. The clay loam soil which the greens were contoured from holds nutrients and water well in the summer months. But the disadvantage is that come the winter, the greens being clay based also hold water when not desired to do so. The connection with the ground where the greens sit also means there is a connectivity with the foundation level which inhibits the percolation of water away from the surface (of the green).
If the water table rises, then the effects on the behaviour of the water in the soil within the green also rise. This winter, the effect of ice formation within the ground also meant that water movement was impeded and thawed slowly.
Greens construction has changed dramatically since the 1960’s, when organisations such as the United States Golf Association (USGA) invested millions of dollars in programmes to develop the best construction methods and to introduce more uniformity into how courses are built across the continent.
Details such as creating a hydro-break, a barrier between the constructed rootzone of the green and the foundation base below, as well as a plastic membrane around the side of the green, were introduced so the ability of the water table around the green did not affect the drainage potential within the green.
Every element of a green’s construction from the growing medium particle size to the shape of the stone used in the drainage layer has been scrutinized over the past fifty years. In some ways the Americans reinvented the wheel in that a USGA Greens Specification and the Californian Green are both examples of a sand-based construction type. A formula that links golf courses have been using for at least the last 150 years and in some cases much earlier.
These courses were blessed with the right type of growing medium by location rather than choice. Managing a course built on sand is a lot easier than one built on London clay. What has been the benefit to the industry has been the fact we now take a science-based approach to the sports construction and maintenance. In the past thirty years I have been in the business, I have witnessed the changes and the influence of that technology has had on the industry.
There has also been a greater emphasis to the holistic approach to managing the surfaces, from water quality to sward content and everything in between. The benefit to the membership of the Club is that the decisions made on a daily basis, whether this is what fertilizer is used or the need to close a green, are based on fact, data and science and not just a hunch it’s the right thing to do.
Timid tomatoes
Has anyone seen a tomato in a supermarket recently? They were on my shopping list last week and there was none to be seen in the store. So, I did a little sleuthing behind the missing tomatoes case. More than 90% of tomatoes sold in the UK are imported but weather and supply issues in Spain and Morocco have disrupted supply over the last several months. The majority of the 10% of UK-grown tomatoes are grown in the Lea Valley region. The horticultural association for growers in the catchment area are currently in dispute with the supermarket chains, due to the cost of production of the fruit compared to the finished price of the product which has raised to the point that it’s not productive for the growers to produce.
With spiralling fuel costs and the lack of labour to tend vine grown plants many growers have swapped production to peppers or are leaving glass houses empty until the end of this month. NFU president Minette Batters told the BBC: ‘British food is under threat … at a time when global volatility is threatening the stability of the world’s food production, food security, and energy security. I fear the country is sleepwalking into further food supply crises with the future of British fruit and vegetable supplies in trouble.’
I am old enough to remember the days when fruit and vegetables were seasonal, imported fruit was a rarity and usually was confined to the likes of bananas that were shipped and timed to ripen by the delivery into portside. Perhaps the delight of the first strawberry of the season and new potatoes in spring wrapped in brown paper bags will be a new experience for a younger generation?
Arundel Castle Allium Extravaganza
Arundel Castle, set down deep in West Sussex is set to host an early burst of colour to rival Kew this spring. Thousands of pom-pom allium blooms in various shades of purple, amethyst and whites have been planted last winter to wow visitors. The extensive gardens had received significant improvements in the 2020’s through the efforts of head gardener Martin Duncan and his crew. A horticulturalist and landscape designer, Duncan has been working at the castle since 2009 and in 2018, he received the Kew Guild Medal for his efforts. The gardeners and volunteers ‘have worked wonders with their bold and innovative plantings’, according to an April 2020 report by Country Life. Their most recent project has been to create a wild water garden around the ponds. The Allium Extravaganza at Arundel Castle will take place in May, but due to the unpredictability of when the bulbs will bloom, visitors are encouraged to check Arundel Castle’s social media channels or website for updates.