Dead deer

Recently our staff have had to remove a dead deer from the course, after inspection it looks like the deer had been bitten several times on its rear and neck by what looks like a dog. The deer had been purposely covered in broken branches, moss and hidden in bushes. Could we ask that if anybody sees dogs chasing deer around the area please report it to a member of staff or the police. We take great pride in the wildlife we have on our courses and will protect it the best we can. This is a serious offence and dog owners must keep their animals under control at all times when exercising them! 

Junior Ryder Cup

And it all kicks off for us here at Blairgowrie GC

New range at carsie

Some pictures of our new practice range with 5 indoor bays, a grass tee which is currently for driver use only and 2 practice bunkers. There are also 4 raised target greens to hit to.

Rosemount Greens

You may have noticed on some of the Rosemount greens, the 9th being more noticeable, that there is patches of grass discoloured. Initial diagnosis suggest that it is called 'Ghost Grass'. We will be monitoring these greens over the next few weeks.

This disorder is mostly commonly observed on maintained and closely mown areas including greens, tees and fairways.

With similarities to some diseases it is worryingly at risk of misdiagnosis, costing time and potentially expensive pesticides, conditioners and fertilisers that ultimately have no effect, or possibly exacerbating the effects.

The disorder is not widely researched in UK turf.

In the UK it is mainly referred to as ‘Ghost Grass’.

In the United States there are two names used, some refer to the disorder as Mad Tiller, however, since around 2005 it is routinely named by experts as Etiolated Tiller Syndrome (ETS).

The cool-season grasses that are readily named as susceptible to ETS are mainly reported as:

Annual Meadowgrass (Poa annua), Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne), Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) and Smooth-Stalked meadowgrass (Poa pratensis).

Leatherjackets

Over the past few days we have seen signs of leatherjackets on the greens over the courses. They are the larvae of the crane fly and cause damage by chewing at the roots of the grass plant and also chewing the leaf as they come out of the ground at night.

Leatherjacket

Leatherjacket as it emerges from the ground and into its adult form of the crane fly.

Adult crane fly

Spring wildlife

Some spring ducklings are on the way. 

Course maintenance Lansdowne

This week we have been hollow coring the Lansdowne greens with 8mm micro tines. This was done using a toro pro-core followed by the core collector and then a verti-cut to remove any remaing debris from the green.

Coring 17th green

Core collector

Verti-cutting

Tree thinning 16th Rosemount

As part of our woodland management policy we brought in Scottish Woodlands to thin the trees on the left hand side of the Rosemount course 16th hole. After this has been completed the loch will be more visable and the 2nd and 5th greens on the Wee coures should see more light and air improving turf health on these wet greens.

 

 

2010 greenkeeping team photo

GEO Certification

http://www.golfenvironment.org/directory/872_the_blairgowrie_golf_club

Path ends

We have been working away installing astro-turf to the ends of paths. This helps to stop the gravel being dragged out over the turf killing off the grass. 

Rabbit damage 11th green Lansdowne