GREENKEEPING

FOR SALE R300,000.00 + VAT RENT2OWN @ 60 MONTHS FIXED =R7,000.00 + VAT

Outeniqua at Fancourt R 600 000

R 100 000 Better Ball Pro-Am

16 – 18 SuperSport Ladies Challenge presented by Sun International

Gary Player Country Club R 1.3-million

23 – 25 Jabra Ladies Classic

Glendower Golf Club

R 1-million

16 – 18 March New event

Venue TBC

Prize fund TBC

24 – 26 Joburg Ladies Open * Venue TBC 30 March – 2 April Investec South African Women’s Open * Steenberg Golf Club € 290 000

*Co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour

PHOTO – Steenberg Golf Club will host the Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned Investec SA Women’s Open for the first time from 30 March to 2 April 2022; credit Mark Sampson.

By: Sue de Zwart

It is this time of year where you truly reap the benefits of spring treatment & sound cultural practises. It is a time of high rainfall or heat & wind. The plant is under stress one way or another.

Moisture management remains a critical component in determining your playing surface quality. We rely on our tools Qualibra (holds 21 % more moisture in the root zone as well as moves water off the playing surface) & Ryder (helps the plant hope with heat or cold stress) Ensure your greens are freely draining – particularly if they are close to a dam. If your green is draining into a dam & the drainage outlet is under water it is time to install a simple sump pump. They are truly simple to build & hassle free to maintain. A poorly draining green brings numerous complications: Moss – best to hand weed this the minute you see it as it spreads like wild fire.

Algae – reduce water, regular spiking (every 21 days of a needle tyne), dusting (every 21 days) In dry weather you can rub humic powder onto your algae areas – this is very effective & so is Daconil Weatherstik. Disease prevention: 1. Reduce your leaf wetness period is critical as dew is full of nutrient rich exudates. If you are not mowing for some reason then you need to roll, wip off the dew or remove it by dragging a hose pipe. Greens should be mowed at least 6 days per week. 2. Sound nutrition according to your latest soil analysis – this is my passion & I will gladly assist clubs with this.

3. Moisture management using a basic moisture meter at the very least – guessing is inconsistent & dangerous. 4. Preventative fungicide applications that do not affect beneficial insects, birds or mammals. By running a sound IPM you will save your club money in the long run & produce a more consistent playing surface.

5. Mow at a reasonable height 3-4mm and apply Primo Maxx to give you consistent speed for the morning & afternoon fields.

Improve rooting, density & playability. I have worked with this product on every turf type since 1996 & it truly is the silver bullet to taking your turf to a new level. 6. Spiking & dusting every 21 days (this breaks down thatch & leads to a great firm playing surface). It also protects the crown from diseases like anthracnose.

7. Cultural practises – I love a 12mm hollow tyne in spring & a 8-12 mm hollow tyne in autumn. Thatch is the breeding ground for disease & insects. In order to break down the thatch you need to pull a core and broom sand (preferably by hand) into each hole. The surface should be free of sand once you are done brooming in the sand. Pythium is the dollar spot of wet weather – these two diseases are so easy to confuse yet best we don’t make this error. This makes your early morning dew checks even more critical. Dollar spot you can pick up by the mycelium (spider webs) in the dew & they are larger spots (roughly the size of a R5 coin). Pythium blight starts as smaller spots which can feel slimy. Anthracnose loves this time of year on cool season & paspalum greens Anthracnose Hyphae

The minute you see something starting whether it be moss, algae, disease react immediately. The longer you leave issues the longer your recovery period will be. Let’s make 2022 our best year yet to produce your ultimate playing surface.