Tempus neminem manet hominem

Whoa... been far too long.. much has happened.. much has changed... God i'm tired/excited/happy/scared/wiser/so far off knowing whats real or true or patter or just bollox...
So... update...
Blood .. still ticking away like a #UXB.. keep it quiet and it'll be fine...
Big C... deep breath... 26 months clear.. yes you count every day week month  clear post chemo... it haunts the living shit out of you.. that fear of its return.. the pure joy of being alive... the #Yin&Yang of coming out the other side... I know that fucker is stalking me... one day it's inevitable I know.. just hope it's not too soon  ...
Soil/Turf bollox... Nothing has changed... NOTHING!...  the Consequence of Excess is problems.. we have been indoctrinated to apply products for too long and it's getting worse...
Right that's it.. for now.. more soon 

Ttfn

tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis

Its March this week and changes are a coming...  So.. I thought I would get a few things off the ol chest so to speak...

 NO... not that sort of change!

So it's just appropriate to have that full catch up with where its all at...

MLSN...
Looks like the 'Beast' is awakening... Good ol Jason Haines the new 'Lets talk about your Nutrients' Super Hero is doing the rounds and making people listen...

for the real deal you NEED to read his Blog,, start early and trawl through, its well worth following the story.. http://www.turfhacker.com/ Then you need to sign up to this : http://www.subscribepage.com/mlsn and READ.... Fill your mind.. https://www.paceturf.org/

Now if you know what MLSN means.. really I mean not pretending to sound clever cos its not.. (clever) ..

then you understand that it actually means only applying the nutrients you grass surface needs based on GP and what N you apply... Bloody simple tbh..

 

And it's not SLAN.. .. Okay... It's NOT the same....

So the 'word' is a few 'interested parties' over here are looking at the slow burning talk and intent for a few to work to MLSN and it appears they don't like...... Awaiting the Blag Blarney & Bluster that comes out ref how its all rubbish... yada yada yada

So whats the best solution?... Set up Testing for everyone and anyone... Hahahhahaaaa. OK we tried to get Labs over here interested but they either didn't bother to reply... repeatedly.. or they were so costly it just was too prohibitive... So we have a Lab in US being used by others who is reasonably priced even with the postage costs... So thats it... We have MLSN Testing a go-go...
Wonder what the ol boys gonna think about that when they realise....... Ooops..

Iron & Soil Ochre
This is a 'Thing'.. So one of my many obsessions is Iron.. I keep saying it presents itself at all sorts of problem sites.. What do we do as an Industry... WE KEEP CHUCKING IT ON.. Your latest Spring Warm Up Products? 8% Fe and a mighty Rate per sq.m too.... No wonder it Greens up FFS!

 Now when you get excess Fe in solution and it oxidises... THIS is what happens

 And if it is able to do this in a Pipe. then I am sure as hell everything I am seeing is the self same thing happening in the soil

SOIL OCHRING... Its a Thing.... Stop it!!

Soil Iron & Bovine TB
So, aligned to all the madness above it became blatantly clear that there was a potential link between Bovine TB and Soil Iron.. Ok we tried to talk to a few people but no one.. I mean NO ONE.. was going to listen

We tried but The Scientists kept saying there is no way it can survive 'in the soil' it has to be direct contact transfer...

So we were shuffled off and they carried on.. One of the contacts went on to do a study using trackers of Cows and Badgers to guage how much contact they were getting... Guess what... Not a bloody thing!!! It seems that Cows and Badgers don't really socialise, rarely crossing paths within fields, each keeping away from each other... Well if thats so and they aint coming into contact then how the hell are Cows catching TB

Well here's a novel thought for ya all... What if Brock and Cows are catching TB from the soil!!!?? not giving it to each other... Naaagh that isn't possibl;e... The bloody Scientists told us..
Be afraid Mr Brock.... Be afraid.. Run for ya lives cos they gonna keep blaming you....

'Pulled'Chemicals..
WTF... This letter appeard this week.. and the reaction was like..

So it seems there is either some confusion or smoke and mirror actions as to why certain products were pulled.. seems there is no defined line on this which not surprisingly Social Media went mad

So come on people.. The Truth please rather than leaving everyone sat between 2 opposing 'Truths' 

Water Quality
What are we doing.. You have to be Certified to apply Products.. Your Sprayer has to have an MOT now to ensure its up to scratch.. There are articles that all talk about how to apply properly.. And yet NO ONE seems to be talking about the most important bit of the whole operation....
There's been loads of grief, stress, sleepless nights and for a good few with products not doing what they supposed to do.. and boy have there been some products slung out there to try to knock just Fuzz on the head..

Now when we spray everyone sort of assumes that the 95 odd% bit of what they are applying is nice crystal clear eau naturale... Well unless you collecting it from the sky...

 There is a good chance your water is rough as F.. Hard as, full of Salts and pH up around 7.5 plus...

Have none of you heard of Half Life? Alkaline Hydrolysis? Cation Smothering?
It ain't just the pH that affects, Carbonates, Bicarbonates, EC/TDS ... ALL of these are affecting what you apply!

And then it seems that some who are using Buffers may not be using them properly.. and it certainly seems no one is being told the full implications... Why would they?.. Sell ya it twice rather than have you apply once well...

Bio Soil Products
They are all on it now.... read back 2 years.. said this was coming.... Bio this, Stimulate that.. Our Seaweed is by far superior... BULLSHIT!!

Profiteering? 

 AAAAAArrrrrrggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Rubber Crumb
So there is lots of jibber jabber coming out about numbers of Goalies sadly suffering Lymphoma Cancer yet again and the ol Propaganda Machine swings back into life... No the numbers are not exceptional at all.. Coincidence... Its all safe they are talking rubbish...  Rubber Crumb may contain nasty things BUT it sits there locked in the rubber..
Well they sort of haven't thought about one bit...... Its alive

You see this sterile manufactured environment of plastic fibres, sand and rubber is a PERFECT environment for Bacteria and Fungi to feast of all that sweat, skin, sugary drink spill, spit and.. Carbon..

Yes Soil has Bacteria and Fungi as well but it has evolved over Millennia and there are balances in soil generally stopping anything getting carried away
And lets face it.. Rubber Crumb is such a metal and Hydrocarbon laden Time Bomb it only needs a few rampant bugs to speed up volatisation and.........

dum vita est, spes est

It's always too long between the jabber, I know, but there has been quite a lot going on you see.... Why am I always saying that?.. This has taken over a month from starting to finish

Just over a year ago I was unknowingly walking round with something inside me.. It was growing away, hiding and manipulating the environment and my body so it wouldn't be spotted and attacked until it was too strong. But then it just got a little too big and boy did I notice..

2 days before Christmas I got told by a Doctor what I already knew as I could see it in all of their eyes, every single one of them... from the GP to the A&E Nurses to Scanning Staff and it fell to this young Lady Doc to tell me those worst words you could ever hear..... And the pity in their eyes was probably the most scariest thing of all

And so I was costing the NHS an absolute fortune yet again... My blood adding to the Festive Fun Factor as they couldn't just dive in if they wanted, would need time to get my blood to a place where they could operate... So it was decided that New Years Eve was the day, bloods permitting... Now that's a way to completely screw a Christmas I can tell ya..

And then like only a really good Chemist can they smashed my body up with loads of nasty compounds until it felt like an empty shell, just a breathing walking blob.....

But here I am a whole year later and ...... All clear.. You will never know how much those words mean until you hear them.. for real..

So that's been a little distracting what can I say.. now I am smart enough to know that mucking about with soil and things when your immune system is smashed to pieces by nasty chemicals is not really a good plan plus to be honest ... I really didn't have the energy and for some days... maybe I just couldn't have given a shit.

But I did do something just to be occupied mentally .. most since tbh but a few during

Played with some Black Grass

Tracked some Iron

Raced some Fescue against Poa

Found places that are supposed to be sterile environments are actually the complete opposite

Got to see where Iron Bacteria are most active in a soil profile

Raced some Seed with Mycco Dressing against some without 

Chased a lot of these about

Tried to see if I could blow the doors off this

Set up some Water Testing for pals who are paying a price they didn't realise because of their water supply and my absolute favourite.....

Set up with a pal some really cool MLSN testing.

So I been doing a bit.. but more of all that when its time......... some is good, some is not so, some is down right interesting if hunches are right.... but mainly its all been about getting better.............

defendit numerus

Hi all.. I'm back... been a while I know but then there's been a little bit gone on, got slapped by the ol 'Health Stick' again... All good now though, nowt like helping spend the NHS budget.. and had to really knuckle down to concentrate on work since.. failed miserably concentrating on that so thought when I really should be knocking the number of late quotes down and out that I would jabber on here first.. I did start this post last year but, like I said, got sidetracked.. think its sort of appropriate now...

BUNKERS...........

Wanted to be all deep, meaningful and thoughtful and hunted out phrases about or involving sand.... mostly crap or totally irrelevant but some Italian fella was close enough back along...
'The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.'
Pity he was TOTALLY wrong though when it came to this mad game of little white ball chasing and the many and varied illustrious 'experts' who impose upon it as all I am actually seeing is smoke.... mainly being blown up peoples... ok that's another story.

So what do you think about them? Bunkers? What do you think of them? What is a Bunker? How should a Bunker look? Is there any defined answer? I doubt it like many things in this life it is what works best in the aggregated factors of each track...
What do I think and like? Well... there are many 'types' I hate.... I do love a little gnarly heather edged bunker sitting naturally or a sound manageable swirl of sand,

LIKE 

LIKE ish if you can keep the Wisps

LIKE well I would wouldn't I...

 LIKE

 LIKE Competitors too!

Even LIKE this

It works here in a mad mad way....

LIKE Simple Clean Practical

AND I can see the Sea!

 each Course seems to have its own style, many evolved by time and play rather as much as design although positioning tending to hang for most from the original layouts or amendments... far too many have a bland line or broken backed mess but that's just time and plays effect and need for budget..

 I detest a manicured 'wasteland' or any large expanse of sand for that matter, so unnatural in the majority  of locations.. but then I am just some Brit who hasn't got out much... I hate a crater bunker that looks like someone got an icecream scoop out and just splodged through a crappy lump of soil plonked on the side of a fairway or green... unnatural.. I also HATE unnecessary revetting... especially when there is no sand dunes and no wind... the only exceptions... Downland ..when its the only way to keep out the wind and truly wild courses where the faces are gnarly and heathered, so on odd Heath BUT only when its gnarly and heathered.... The only thing I hate more than unnecessary Revet?... Too steep Revet with not enough 'bowl' .. maybe it's just the pictures throwing the angle of repose and making the sand look flat, all basic stuff that was learnt at you decades ago.
Anything else sort of works for me if it looks like it ought to be there.. so yes a light Revet Edge is OK but stick it up the faces and I start shuddering.... Is this the downside to the Plastic Revolution? A great great idea BUT what if its used in the wrong places.... Hmmmmmm

HATE

HATE

HAAATTE

HATE

BUT I am afraid for in this game of ours, for the sanity of people that have to produce the miracles, make it all look pretty and perfect for the members and punters alike and for the shrinking wallets of the paying customer, the members that have to fund any work as there is this growingly vocal Architectural Puritan Movement that seems to think if a course was built by any of the 'Notables' back along the Bunkers should look exactly as they did in 1926 as that is what a picture says it should look like.. Without ANY thought for the consequences.. or maintenance issues that then creates.
Now this is bad enough on a Heath or inland but take that remit out into a Links and the madness really begins... When was a bare 'Scrape' a good idea near play.... Never.. that gonna haunt some people in a few places....

These 'naturalised areas are all nice.. until the wind blows...........

Then you see why a Links is how it is

NICE but for how long?

Yes I get that The Wars influenced greatly what we all perceive as being 'normal' the limited management to many or even grow in for food production or just as they were left changed many features, here is a great example..

From this to this

 to this in 1940

and in 2003

I respect The Heritage of what The Greats did on some stunning sites and yes I have fantasised and wondered what it would have been like to have been part of that creativity using just shovels or horse drawn drags or later the steam drag boxes to build the plateaus and hollows and smooth just enough Through The Green..

Then when I look at the Bunkers they used to create I then think  jeez those poor guys having to slog the sand up every Friday so it was tidy for the Weekend. Was told once one Surrey classic track used to have 7 Farm Labourers JUST to look after the sand which if you saw the size of the old Bunker areas you would go 'fair enough, look at all that work'

Now they probably have just as much work to do with less bodies AND the rest of the Course to sort out just on a normal day let alone every time there is a heavy rain..

Years back I remember working at Romford GC and there were old grown in Bunkers everywhere 'A Bunker for every day of the Year' it was known as... Must have been absolutely stunning in its day... I wonder even then how many were actually relevant, but stunning all the same, Could that be revived? Taken back to its Glory days.. It would be absolute madness given the cost! So do they 'selective' restore? Well what the Hell's that about? its like taking a 1926 car, doing a perfection restore and sticking 32" Chrome Split Rims on it as the old tyres don't grip so well....
So when DO you restore to? This Puritan utopian, 'Its how Mr C wanted it' view based on a picture....
And there are some floating about now which people seem to coo and aaah over... Yes they look stunning, the open vistas and lack of trees, the rolling and raggedy banks.... Then you start looking beyond and see the wear, the bald or thin bits that you know would implode on you in the first week of wet, which would cope with about 2 weeks of play then just fall over.. Then you start to see the blow outs..
And the best one of all......

This picture was  put out with lots and lots positive comments about how great it was... Talk about Emperors Clothes! Look at it ! LOOK at the sand.... Or should I say look at the rivlets and bald faces of the Bunkers... Imagine the state of the sand, how well it was performing or not after... And I say thats was great BUT... It has to be practical unless you got some serious budget Bunkers NEED to be manageable.

Is this the Puritan answer to Heritage?

So back to Links and Revet... Yes it probably surged down with the influx of the Scottish Keeper of the Greens contingent that swept down along the Links especially, I was told once only a Scotsman could revet properly ... I reckon that's only if they can lay the sod brown side up! (there is a line when diagonally across the Country where the weather means you have to grow grass a bit on a face to get it to stabilise but I digress as normal....) and there are a few instances when it clearly isn't a feature that looks like it ought to be there BUT on the Links or the Downs or anywhere where the wind does a howl then it was the perfect solution to stabilising eroding dunes or keeping the sand in the Bunker.

But REALLY.... C'MON!!.... WTF!! are these?

Then don't start me on Liners.,...

There's plenty of these going on at the mo.... If ya don't properly tuck it it going to bite back!

 And the ol Fried Egg Lie..... When are people going to realise a good Bunker Sand (when it eventually gets contaminated by silts and clays) is shite in a lined Bunker!!

Its's enough to make this happen........

And finally..... Beautifully turf lined and finished Bunkers... Pity someone forgot about a Lip!

Someone got paid for this.... Someone got paid to do this......!

Well... I suppose it is meant to be JUST a Hazard eh....................