The Craigavad 2022 Review

| Convenor’s Reports |

| Convenor’s Reports |

Convenor’s Reports Green

by Malcolm Ditty

New ball dispenser and practice bays

Vreedo Disk Seeder

which have poor grass coverage, or which have been damaged by weather or machinery. This machine ensures a 90% strike rate, which is significantly more successful than manual seeding. Targeted overseeding will continually improve the density and sward of the grass on the tees and fairways. With the completion of the drainage at the 3rd the construction and installation of the practice bays and ball dispenser began in March. Now complete and landscaped, this facility provides a much-needed warm-up area for Members, guests and visitors and an improved facility for lessons. Further enhancements to the practice area will be considered over the coming year. Our temperate climate is constantly challenging our staff’s ability to maintain the golf course. The pattern of drought and excessive rainfall looks set to continue, but with the recent upgrades to the irrigation system our green staff can accurately control watering the greens and tees from an App on their phones while at the other end of the spectrum the continuous work to expand and maintain our drainage system means that the course drains quickly and remains playable most of the year. This year we asked the Course Consultant Agronomist to return to assess our progress from last year. He took nutrient and moisture measurements around the course improved the condition of the greens, approaches, tees and fairways. In his report the agronomist made further recommendations, many of which have and in his report concluded that our green staff had significantly

It was great to see our green staffs' hard work being recognised not only by Members and visitors but also when Royal Belfast was awarded the IGTOA Parkland Golf Course of the year 2022.

A s I complete my second year as Green Convenor, I have been reflecting on the progress over the last few years. Following the Consultant Agronomist's report last year I was confident that the work on the golf course and the investment in new machinery meant we were moving in the right direction and, from the feedback of Members, we are seeing continuous improvements in all areas of the golf course. Issues remain, specifically with the drainage of some of our greens during prolonged wet weather, but the Green Committee and Council are committed to ensuring that the Club continues to invest in the course. Many industries throughout the country have been experiencing recruitment issues. Royal Belfast is no exception. With the resignation of our Assistant Course Manager and several others who wanted to pursue alternative careers, the Club has struggled to employ new green staff. As the season progressed several well-qualified applicants were

helped us to continually develop our Course Management Policy Document. This policy is designed to outline what routine maintenance is carried out on the course and to provide continuity over many years. It was great to see our green staffs' hard work being recognised not only by Members and visitors but also when Royal Belfast was awarded the IGTOA Parkland Golf Course of the year 2022. I would therefore like to thank Paul Revill and all the green staff for their hard work in all weather conditions, making sure the greens are cut and rolled, pins moved, bunkers raked and all before some of us have ventured out of our beds. Thanks also to my Committee for their help and throughout the year. Whilst some improvements to greens and tees are being planned for the year ahead the major focus will be on the presentation and quality of the course.

employed, trained and have now settled in well. One of our existing staff members, Adam Davis successfully applied for and was promoted to Assistant Course Manager. Throughout the summer we employed a few teenage Members of the Club to ensure the divots on the tees and fairways were constantly repaired and that any small maintenance tasks around the golf course were dealt with quickly. Towards the tail end of the year, we also decided to employ a Course Mechanic. James McCready joined the team of green staff and is now working on a rolling program to audit and maintain our machinery. Together with the purchase of a new grinding machine to sharpen the blades of our mowers we are now in a strong position to minimize the cost of external repairs whilst also maximizing the time our green staff spend maintaining the golf course. The Club also invested in a Vreedo Disk Seeder to quickly and efficiently sew grass seed on areas of the golf course

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