GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT
NEWS LETTER
MARCH 2019
Dear Member / Property Owner,
Following on from the Golf Course Superintendent’s News Letter sent to you in February, which was designed to keep you up to date with all of the important maintenance procedures which were scheduled to take place on The Indiana Course, we are pleased to be able to give you an update on the works carried out and to inform you of the schedule of works which shall take place in March 2019.
FEBRUARY COURSE MAINTENANCE UPDATE
Scarifying Tees
The championship tees have been heavily scarified, topdressed and overseeded. After two professional tournaments late in the season last year, the tees needed additional maintenance to encourage full surface recovery. This maintenance programme will improve grass density and divot recovery.
Verti Drain Fairways
The verti-draining of the fairways was completed as per the maintenance schedule.
Approach Hollow Coring
The hollow coring of the green’s approaches commenced on holes 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. All of the closely mown approaches will be hollow cored, topdressed and overseeded as part of the spring aeration programme to improve plant density.
Weather Station
The new weather station has been installed in its new location on the 8th hole. All of the trench work has been backfilled and cleaned up. The new weather station will collect all of the necessary weather data needed to calculate the daily watering requirements of the grass and therefore make daily changes to irrigation cycle times. This improved control will reduce water and electric usage at the pump station.
Winter Landscaping Projects
The maintenance teams have been removing damaged trees from around the golf course, including the Golf Academy, the 17th and 18th holes. The team have also commenced work on the cleaning of the river running adjacent to the fairway of the 18th hole.
MARCH COURSE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME
Green Surround Hole 1
The grass at the back of the 1st green will be replaced with new turf. This work will take a number of days to complete, however upon completion will greatly improve the playability of the hole. Disruption to play as always will be kept to an absolute minimum.
Hollow Coring Fairways
The fairways will be hollow cored and sand topdressed as part of the spring aeration program. This particular aspect of golf course maintenance is both extremely necessary and time consuming, so we ask you to please bear with us until its completion. Disruption to play as always will be kept to an absolute minimum.
Approach Hollow Coring
The remaining approaches to the greens will be hollow cored, sand topdressed and seeded as part of the spring aeration programme.
Winter Landscaping Projects
The landscaping team will be working on the following projects in the next few months; the olive trees will be pruned extensively to promote new growth, the removal of Agave plants effected by Picudo Negro around the golf course. An outside contractor will be pruning over 300 washingtonia palm trees throughout the course. A project to remove debris from all of the golf course rivers will also commence.
2019 Greens Hollow Coring Dates
In the knowledge that all Property Owners and Members need to have as much notice as possible concerning particular aspects of the golf course maintenance schedule that may temporarily affect the playing conditions of the green’s surface, thus enabling them to plan particular holidays accordingly, please see below the new hollow coring dates in 2019.
- Monday 18th March
- Tuesday 7th May
- Monday 23rd September
In addition, the Putting Green, Chipping Green and Driving Range Facility will be closed for hollow coring on Wednesday 20th March, Wednesday 9th May & Wednesday 25th September 2019.
You will be able to keep up to date with the full tournament and social calendar, format and any additions, information of how to enter, and much much more, by visiting either our official website www.desertspringsresort.es or by contacting the golf reception at Desert Springs.
We and the staff at Desert Springs look forward to seeing you on The Indiana course in the near future.
Kind regards, Kind regards,
Malcolm Lacey Anthony Brooks
Golf Operations Manager Golf Course Superintendent
