Dear Members,

I have received comments both written and verbal about the recent condition of the course. While these comments lament, correctly, that the course is in a less than satisfactory condition in the last few weeks I feel it necessary to separate fact from fiction as to why this is so. It must be said that some commentary has been grossly personal and unfair in levelling blame for things that are beyond the control of any one individual or group. That being the case, I will attempt to contextualise the issues currently facing the course.

General Weather Conditions

While we can ‘control the controllables’ we have no control over the weather. June was very wet and was followed by a very warm July, especially around the 3rd week. When a root zone becomes saturated, water fills the vast majority of the pores that exist in the root zone and since water contains less oxygen than air, this scenario can become growth-limiting for the grass plant. Dovetail in the fact that the warmer the soil, the less oxygen the water contains, so a state of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) can occur rapidly at this time of year. Conversely, July saw little rain with a massive increase in evaporation of water from the course. Regardless of what water we put on the greens and tees during these time we will see a net deficit of water. It is interesting to note the comments of a professional agronomist below:

The total rainfall last week at this location was 2.2mm, whereas the total evaporation was 40.5mm, leaving a deficit of 38.3mm. So after the heavy rain and saturated root zones we saw at the end of June, we then went to a situation where the same root zone experienced high evaporation stress and desiccation- feast to famine in terms of moisture levels. There were two things that I think added to the scenario where greens in particular dried out very quickly ; The first was a grass plant that was overly-reliant on moisture following the wet June so it gets used to having its feet wet and when they suddenly dry out it takes a while to compensate. Secondly if you were sticking a moisture meter into your greens you’d have seen reasonable readings at the 50-60mm depth you were likely to be sampling at (remembering that you only get an accurate reading if the probe is fully inserted) but the likelihood is that the surface of the root zone (0-25mm) was much drier.

He goes on to say:

So we can see a pronounced dip in growth on the 20th July and that coincided with the highest temperatures we experienced and the highest evaporation levels as well. So we can conclude that the plant experienced high levels of stress on the 19th and 20th of July and this was enough to practically stop it growing. Initially this would imply that the stress in July was short-lived but this peak in temperature coincided with a peak of evaporation of 10mm on the 20th of July, This is pretty severe evaporation levels and akin to what you’d experience in some of the hottest climatic zones across the world ! For 19 days of July, evaporation exceeded 4mm per day which is a high daily level and so the plant was on the back foot, moisture-wise for the majority of the month culminating in a peak in the third week of the month. So that’s why areas have dried out so much during July and if you dovetail that with the low level of rainfall some areas have experienced, it’s not surprising that we’re on the dry side.

I know this is all very technical but its very important to understand the context in which we operate.

Irrigation

I have written before about the need for an upgrade to our irrigation system. Our current system is not fit for purpose and cannot deliver a controllable application of water to the green and tees. Without proper infrastructure we simply cannot produce the quality tee, green and surround surfaces we expect as members. An irrigation report I commissioned last year outlines in stark reality the challenges we face in the regard. Our supply of water is currently at critical levels so choices need to be made as to where best to focus water application. This has obvious implications for course presentation.

The weather situation and the lack of a proper irrigation system and the water to supply it is ground zero for the proper presentation of any course. The two combined issues have put the course under massive stress and these issues are by far the over-riding reasons why the course is in the condition it is in. The Course Development Committee has identified irrigation as the number one area for investment. I’m very hopeful that a proposed plan for a new system will be outlined very soon.

Greens

Contrary to some comment the double coring has been a success and is not the cause of any issues with the greens. We have seeded the greens with bent grass seed twice in the last month for reasons I have explained in my last Course Notes. They can be read by accessing the club website. It is very important to understand that the greens have been under enormous stress due to the weather conditions and irrigation issues described above. I have also outlined the failure of the ‘false fronts’ to ‘take’ is previous Notes. The experiment failed. We are re-integrating them back into surrounds. Their failure to ‘take’ has nothing to do whatsoever with any failings in the capabilities of the ground staff and the decision to undertake this project was done in good faith with the best of intentions. The re-integration of the false fronts unfortunately required they be protected by mesh and while unsightly, is absolutely necessary and will take time to mend properly.

Rough & Fairways

The rough is no shorter now that it has been since the season began. It seems shorter because it has dried out due to the weather conditions described above. The same reason applies to the reduction in definition between fairway, semi-rough and rough. The discolouration of some patches of rough on some fairways is due to some re-allignment of fairways which I highlighted in my last Course Notes of July 7th. I also highlighted the out-of-play areas in those same Course Notes and I quote from them now

Areas of rough on the left of the 1st, left of the 4th, between the 4th and 6th fairways and in the general area around the 4th, 5th and 6th tee have been seeded with fescue grass. While these areas might look untidy now please bear with us. This grass will offer some visual contrast and definition for these areas in time.

Hedges

The hedges on our course are machine-cut twice a year- once in March and once in September. Hedges are protected under the law and therefore legally we cannot cut them between March 31st and August 31st. However, this year a temporary facility to cut hedges two weeks earlier than has been usually allowed has been granted and we will cut our hedges on August 19th.

Bunkers

Killiney have aways suffered from stones in the older bunkers. Indeed, we have a local rule covering this issue. The issue is particularly relevant in the bunker on the 2nd. Material from under the green in constant getting washed into the bunker. Extra effort will be put into this issue in the coming days and the renovation of these older bunkers will continue into the future.

Paths/Patches/GUR’s

It has been suggested by some that the solution to well worn areas and patches can be solved by a little topsoil and seed. This is simply false. Worn paths are compacted due to heavy traffic. The solution is to dig them out to a significant depth, refill, seed, rope them off and leave alone for a season and even then the grass will be different in appearance from the surrounding grass. We tried this in a small area to the left of the 5th tee and the result is there for everyone to see. Areas where trees have been removed have been roped off in order for them to grow grass coverage. This takes time and patience is required. Small patches around bunkers and on collars are re-sodded annually in winter. To do this now is counter productive as the sod will simply not ‘take’.

Rabbits

We have a huge rabbit problem with no easy solution. We have tried several methods of rabbit control to no effect and short of a natural outbreak of Myxomatosis or rabbit fencing the entire course they will continue to be a nuisance. We continue to deal with the issue as best we can, repairing damage when it occurs.

Men’s 9th/18th & 11th Tees

The 11th tee itself has seen an improvement since the tree removal. It receives special attention with regard to water and fertilisation and will continue to improve over time. The area around the tee has been seeded but don’t forget- these areas have been heavily sprayed for weeds when the trees were there and as such, the soil in those areas is not as rich so will take time to attain good grass coverage. The flower bed will be re-introducedin the Autumn. The nets and ornamental trees at the 9th tee have been removed. This decision was made in conjunction with representatives of the Men’s Committee. The net removal required the placing of the 9th tee either forward of the 9th plate or back on the 18th tee for safety reasons. The placement of the 9th tee is entirely at the discretion of the Mens Committee who run men’s golf. This was not a decision of the course staff. The CDC is currently considering a plan for the 18th/9th tee area including a new teeing area and tree removal. I’m confident we have the right plan to make this poor area of the course infinitely better.

Green-keeping is part art, part science and the level of knowledge required is huge. They do not operate in a vacuum and decisions that affect the course are made in consultation with and input from various stakeholders. These decisions cannot please all the people all the time and are sometimes a trade-off between various competing points of view. Pointing blame doesn’t solve anything. Ultimately it is up to the club to provide the resources in machinery, budgets and infrastructure to allow the green-keeping staff to get the best out of the course. While resources have been stretched in recent years, we have continued to upgrade machinery, increase course budgets and make course improvements such as new bunkers, the drain on the 2nd/3rd and other projects not readily visible. In must be noted that the last major investments in course infrastructure were the reservoir, the greens, the ground staffs’ buildings and the clubhouse- all of which were decades ago. It is a testament to the club and the people who ran it during those extremely difficult financial times for the club that we have emerged debt free and on a sound footing. I believe the Club is now in a position to address the major deficiencies that exist such as irrigation and drainage that we were simply unable to afford in recent times.

I know the above can seem like a long list of excuses. I simply want to outline the challenges facing the course as it currently stands. That is not to say that we can always improve on the ‘controllables’. The greatest critics of the course are myself, the course staff and the secretary manager. We are constantly striving for improvement in processes and procedures to ultimately deliver the best course we can. Improvements to the course have been made and in some cases the resulting impacts will take time to integrate. Comparisons to other courses have been made but in reality this is unfair. One cannot compare courses. No two courses share the same characteristics of weather, drainage, irrigation, staffing levels or indeed budgets to name a few. I understand the frustration of members when they see our course in a particular condition and I hope by explaining the issues we face as a club it will bring greater understanding. I have attempted, through the introduction of my Course Notes, to foster this greater understanding. I receive regular input from the Ladies and Men’s Committees and from members generally on where improvements can be made and, where possible, these issue are dealt with in a timely manner. Do we miss things from time to time? Yes- we are human after-all. But please know that everyone who works and makes decisions on course matters from the staff, to myself, the various committees including Men’s, Ladies, Management, CDC etc put in a huge amount of work on behalf of the Club and are, collectively, doing our very best.

Regards,

Graham Molloy
Course Convenor