After trialling a range of various wetting agents, JonathanSmith, Course Manager at Cowdray Park Golf Club, West Sussex, found exactlywhat he was looking for in Sherriff Amenity’s Aqua-Zorb Liquid.
Golf has been played at Cowdray since 1904. A classicdownland layout built on sandy soil, it has spectacular panoramic views of theSouth Downs. Renowned for being a fair test to all and a true year-round venue,it is a popular destination for visiting golfers. At the heart of the 16,500acre Cowdray Estate, the golf club echoes the wider vision and values includinga long term sustainability plan.
Jonathan Smith has been Course Manager at Cowdray for 17years and oversees a fully qualified and dedicated team of seven members ofstaff. As a team they are continuously looking for ways to improve the generalcondition of the course while keeping the Cowdray Estate’s vision in mind.
Therefore, in the summer of 2016 Jonathan and his teamembarked on a series of wetting agent trials in a bid to reduce the carbonfootprint without compromising on the overall condition of the beautiful golfcourse.
“After weeks of hot weather and no rainfall, areas of thecourse started showing signs of stress and Dry Patch,” said Jonathan. “Evenwith our fairway irrigation - slopes, high spots and mounds couldn’t hold anymoisture – so we trialled various types of wetting agents on our problem areasand Aqua-Zorb Liquid by far had the best results.”
“Within 14 days, the majority of Dry Patch had gone and theturf had almost fully recovered. For the remaining part of the summer, and withequal amounts of irrigation, the non-treated areas remained hydrophobic andstressed. However the Aqua-Zorb treated areas thrived with vigour and generalappearance.”
Aqua-Zorb Liquid from Sherriff Amenity is a concentratednon-ionic turf wetting agent that will enable water to move faster and deeperinto the soil profile. One application can last all season and it is renownedfor treating the cause of Localised Dry Patch. Aqua-Zorb can also improvedrainage, alleviate compaction, reduce the quantity of irrigation required,suppress the formation of dew and greatly improve the quality of the sward.
Based on the success of applying Aqua-Zorb in 2016,Jonathan decided to apply it to the entire course in spring last year. Inmid-April he applied Aqua-Zorb Liquid at a rate of 50 litres per hectare to thetees, approaches, surrounds and all the fairways. Jonathan applied it on amorning of expected rainfall and sure enough, approximately 4/5mm of rain fellthat day, which washed the product in nicely.
Normally, Jonathan and his team would cease to spraywetting agent in September/October, but for maximum results he continued toapply monthly applications of Aqua-Zorb Liquid to the greens at a rate of 20litres per hectare throughout winter.
“By continuing to apply Aqua-Zorb Liquid throughout winter,it made a remarkable difference because it kept putting surfaces significantlydryer throughout all the excessive rainfall,” he said.
On reflection of his use of Aqua-Zorb Liquid throughout2017, Jonathan noticed a significant number of benefits.
“With record temperatures throughout June, all of ourslopes, high spots and mounds held up perfectly. They would re-wet straightaway, giving the course a constant solid green colour. All throughout theseason there was no Dry Patch at all. We also noticed an incredible 55% savingson irrigation water when it was required – resulting in huge savings on electricpower in the pump station.”
“Aqua-Zorb Liquid is an amazing product and the greatfeedback from the members and visitors on the overall condition of the courseis testament to this.”
For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriffamenity.com
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