Page 14 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 24

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Closing out another successful season of golf

at Summerheights

By Gisèle Grignon giving them the necessary training a relatively good playing conditions that have evolved over the years. The
and licensing to apply the fungicides for our customers.” whole procedure is entirely different,
pernickety and proud property
A owner can be forgiven for and products essential to the greens’ They also try to raise the mowing even mechanically. At one time,
overall health. height of the greens a little bit before we even tossed the top dress on by
experiencing an enviable shade of
green when observing the lush courses “We start with a clean-up the winter to encourage greater, hand.
at Summerheights Golf Links. But application of a fungicide that’ll get stronger, root growth. “This also “Now we have machines that
those greens don’t turn out that way the greens clean going into winter. helps the grass store up some carbs spread it for us. And that top dressing

by pure luck. Ensuring the courses are It acts a lot like the antibiotics or flu for the winter. Then we apply the last at that time was a mixture of 70 per

up to par for their loyal clients, is no shot we get to prevent getting the flu of the fertilizer, just a light application cent sand, 30 per cent muck. And we
small feat. And much of that work is or colds,” explains MacLennan. because we don’t want them actually had to mix that by hand. Eventually
just starting when golfers are putting “Our biggest concern is ensuring grow as we head into winter,” says we were able to buy it pre-mixed.
their clubs away for the season. that the greens are healthy, free of the Andrews. Now we’ve evolved to using basically
Though Summerheights typically multitudes of diseases that they can Another time-consuming step straight sand.”
closes the first Sunday of November, get.” involves blowing out the irrigation All of these changes, he says, are

the prepping of the grounds for Once the clean up app is done, the system, to ensure little to no water’s based on research from the University
the next season starts as early as greens are aerated and top-dressed. left to freeze over the winter months. of Guelph and the Ontario Turf Grass

September. “That step alone takes about 18 holes Finally, a final product, a leaf shield Research Foundation. Even if they
With talk of carbs, inoculations, a day, if we get a great day for it,” that acts as a protective covering, wanted to stick to the “old ways”,
fungicides, nutrients and antibiotics, says Andrews. “This year we did one is applied. Then the golf course is it would be near impossible today.
disease and healing, course course earlier so we could let it heal, given the opportunity to “rest, heal, “The products we used even 20 years
superintendent Nathan Andrews, and we could do the other course and recuperate and get ready for the next ago aren’t even available anymore.
Now we’re using newer, safer, more
and owner Rory MacLenann, sound still give the golfers a nice course to season,” says MacLennan.
as though they’d be as comfortable play on.” Has the club’s close of season environmentally-friendly products.”
chatting it up with public health That particular process, says process changed much since the club While products and applications
officials or dieticians, as they MacLennan, is especially disruptive fi rst opened to the public about a half- have evolved, MacLennan admits

would with turf and grass gurus. to the golfers and to the condition century ago? “Oh, it sure has,” admits at least one end-of-season ritual

Both Andrews and father-in-law of the play so they try to spread the MacLennan. “We have different types remains the same: the well-deserved
MacLennan are IPM accredited, process out so that they “always have of products we use now, fungicides enjoyment of a beer (or two).

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1160 South Branch Road, Cornwall • 613 • 938 • 8009 • www. Summerheightsgolf.com