Fine greens at Patshull Park
Fine greens at Patshull Park
By Laurence Gale Msc
As Editor I like to keep well informed of industry developments and local news. Recently I had heard that the course and greens at Patshull Park (in Shropshire to the west of Wolverhampton) were in a fantastic condition, so I decided to go and see for myself.
On arrival I made my way to the club house to meet up with the Head Greenkeeper, Geoff Allinson. We met by the putting green and straight away I could see the quality of the greens, they looked in fantastic condition. They were firm having an even colour appearance with no surface blemishes. Geoff was pleased to hear that his greens were getting some recognition, knowing too well the hard work he and his staff have been putting in (no pun intended) to achieve these results.
Since arriving at Patshull, Geoff's main objective has been to raise the quality of the tees and greens. It has taken in excess of five years to get the greens and tees into the condition they are today.
A prolonged programme of surface drainage works, aeration, (solid tine and hollow coring) verticutting / grooming, top dressing and organic fertilisation programmes have all contributed to quality and performance of the greens.
The surface drainage works involved using both the drill and fill and whizz wheel methods. The whizz wheel was used to install drainage channels 25mm wide x 300mm deep at 1 metre centres, complemented with Ecosol's drill and fill system that punched holes to a depth of 300mm (both keying into the gravel drainage layers of the greens) and filled with a drainage medium material (sand).
Geoff is keen to apply sand dressings on a little and often basis ,building up a free draining medium in the soil profile. The results of all this work can be seen when soil samples are taken. The samples show a free draining layer of about 100/125 mm in the soil profile, having no layering or anaerobic problems present.
The course is currently getting well over 40,000 rounds of golf a year, which makes it all the more rewarding to see that the greens are holding their own and providing an excellent putting surface for the members and visitors. Geoff is pleased with the condition and playability of the greens and is keen to continue with the cultural practices that have enabled him to achieve these results.
Patshull Park Hotel Golf and Country Club
Pattingham
Shropshire
WV6 7HR
Tel 01902 700100
Club Card
