Work has recently been carried out to remove ryegrass from several greens on the Eden Course. Ryegrass has a very coarse leaf which grows in clumps and can make greens bumpy and difficult to cut at certain times of the year.
A treatment was applied to the greens in the week comencing 23 August and it has successfully killed off the ryegrass on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th holes which were badly infected
Gordon Moir, director of greenkeeping at St Andrews Links Trust, said, “The treatment has proved to be effective. It did lead to some discolouration of the green surfaces for a short time but they are now largely back to normal. The greens are running true and there is a good cover of fescue following the two overseeding operations we carried out earlier in the season. Further overseeding will take place in the next week or two and golfers should see a big difference in the smoothness of the surfaces next spring."
The treatment to control the ryegrass in the rough on the left side of the 17th fairway of the Old Course has also been reasonably successful. The finer grasses are beginning to recover and some new seedlings are appearing. Due to the amount of ryegrass through the sward, it is likely the treatment will have to be repeated in the spring to remove it completely. There will also be selective spraying of some small patches of Cocksfoot but following this year's work the effect should be much less noticeable.
Picture: The 6th green of the Eden Course.