Morecambe GC Greens Blog.

The recent wet weather has highlighted areas on the course were the drainage is not performing as it should. With this in mind, we have started some projects to improve matters. This week we started removing the wooden shuttering from the valley on the 2nd, 11th, 14th, 15th & 17th holes. This will be replaced by a turfed bank which will speed up surface water removal and make further drainage easier to add. As well as this, we are creating swales to dry out areas which hold water.  The digging of the trench will be completed by the middle of next week and the turfing will start on Wednesday (weather permitting). The whole valley will be completed within the next 2 weeks. While working in the valley, we will also be installing some extensions to existing drains and also installing some small manholes to aid surface water removal in low lying areas.  There may be some hole closures during this time to speed the process up and also allow a safe working environm

As you will all be aware, the weather during the last 3 months has been extremely wet. This has brought forward the earth worm activity throughout the course. As you can see from the above pictures, this has a huge impact on the playability and preparation of the course. One thing you may not know, is that from 31st August 2017 the only chemicals available for worm control were withdrawn from use by DEFRA. This will have long term repercussions for the course.  In the past, we used these chemicals to reduce the number of worms in many areas of the course. With their removal, the worm population will increase year on year. Add to this the change in weather patterns and you can appreciate the problems we now face. Many companies are exploring alternative solutions, but as yet, nothing reliable or cost effective has been developed. We will be trialing some of these products over the next few months and I will keep you posted of any developments. In the meantime, please be a