This week we have cut and collected the vast majority of 'hay' around the golf course. These areas generally sit out of play and we try and make them look as natural as possible. The big challenge on a parkland course such as ourselves is that the hay can get a bit wild at times and out of control. Finding golf balls at certain times of year becomes an issue. The best and most natural way to deal with this is to remove all the nutrients on a yearly cycle. Hopefully in time the plant will fine down and scrub, coarser plants and weeds will reduce.The operation is very time consuming. To cut the majority of grass we have a big 'flail' machine which will cut and collect as it goes along. We aim to cut it right down to the base of the plant, but have to do this in stages as the hay is quite tough and matted. To add to the workload there are many areas where a machine can't get in to or it is to dangerous to do so. These areas have to be done with strimmers, with the grass being collected by hand. It is quite labour intense and may take a number of weeks to complete. Hopefully in the long run it will be worth it!
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| Tricky areas need to be strimmed and hand collected |
