Since 2007, I have emailed my weekly interpretation on weather patterns and their likely effect on turf in terms of nutrition, disease patterns and general maintenance to Greenkeepers, Course Managers, Superintendents and Groundsmen. As a committed weather observer I’d subscribe whole-heartedly to the phrase “the more I learn, the less I understand” when it comes to this complicated subject. That said, using some very accurate and freely-available weather data, I believe it’s possible for the man (or woman) in the street to interpret this into a forecast, and that’s what I do…
Having worked with golf courses for the last 22 years, it’s clear just how important the weather is. In addition, the effect of climate change and weather phenomenon have already resulted in major changes to golf course management, particularly in terms of plant nutrition and disease.
20 years ago, Anthracnose only appeared as a winter disease, now it’s a summer one, 15 years ago, there were no recorded cases of plant parasitic nematode species in the U.K. and Ireland, now they are one of the major plant pathogens on golf greens and sports pitches. The hottest day of the year in Ireland in 2011, was the 28th September, some 8°C warmer than average, courtesy of a warm air blocking event… Times and turf management are a changing…
I hope you enjoy the content and find it useful, feel free to comment, constructive criticism is always gratefully received.
All the best
Mark Hunt
Technical Director
Headland Amenity
Great presentation at GCMA Conference and great blog. My Course Manager Lee Bishop already subscribes and I would like to receive.
Many thanks
Clive Bailey
General Manager
Burnham Beeches Golf Club
Hi Clive,
Many thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.
I’ll get I.T to get you subscribed right away.
regards
Mark
This is a brilliant blog, Mark. I thank Micah Woods for the referral and will now follow regularly. Well done.
Jon
Hi Jon,
Many thanks for the feedback, coming from you I am truly humbled. Hope you’re well and no doubt busy.
All the best.
Mark Hunt
Hi Mark,
Great blog….I look forward to the next one…
Greg Collins.
Bayer IE.
Looking forward to receiving your blogs Mark!
Looking forward to my weekly emails
Hi Mark,
Your weatherblog is my favourite email of the week, keep up the good work and the next time your in the car with Colm make sure to call in for a catch up!
Thanks,
Peter
Hi Peter,
Thanks for the feedback, I’ll try and pop in with Colm next time we are over Adare way.
Mark
thanks for this alex hawkes
Hi Mark, hope all is well with you.
Brian
Sandiway Golf Club
Hi Brian,
Great to hear from you and I still remember visiting Brampton in the early days in this industry π
Hope you’re well and the course is glad of the rainfall !
Mark
Looking forward to your wheather site
Cheers Tony
I look after a bowling green and have just meet Alex Hawkes. He has taken soil samples from our green and I look forward to speaking to him in the near future, with a possible outlook on a new program for our green. I check the weather forecast three times a day and looking forward to yours.
My bowling green is Branksome Park B. C. Poole Dorset.
Regards
Tony Golding
Great Blog, I am sure it will prove very useful. Many Thanks
Cheers Philip, bit of a mammoth one today, lot’s of data and a tough month to evaluate grass-wise.
Mark
Hi Mark.
I found your blog via a post on the STRI facebook page, and it is without doubt the best weather blog i have ever come across!
Can you sign me up to the email list please.
Keep up the good work!!
All the best.
David
Hi David,
Sorry for the delay in replying, been busy π
Thanks for the feedback, I try my best at the end of the day.
Mark
I was present at the GCMA meeting last Friday and will be interested to receive weather information
Hi Steve,
I’ll add your email to the blog forwarding list so you should receive the first one Monday morning.
All the best.
Mark
Hi Mark, met you at GCMA meeting at Thatchers. Looking forward to receiving your weather reports. I may then play golf in the dry!!!!!
Hi
I’m new to all this looking forward to seeing what its all about
Pete
Hi Mark,
Heard about your blog from the course manager next door, looking forward to following, heard nothing but good things
Hi Andrew,
Typing it as we speak so hopefully it won’t disappoint π
Please feel free to post feedback.
Mark
Moved jobs but still interested in your weather Blog
Thanks
Simon
Hi Simon,
Sorry for the delay in replying, do you want me to subscribe your email address to the blog ?, if so leave it with me and I’ll sort immediately.
Mark
Really looking forward to receiving updates
I will try not to disappoint then Sandra π
Hi Mark,
Enjoy the weather reports.
Moved to the NE back in March, from the home counties, slight difference!
Wanted to ask your views on water travelling up through a clay soil profile.
We are very close to a river. When built the ground was leveled to the lowest point bringing it closer to the water table. Noticed during last season how pitches rarely dried out properly and got to thinking that moisture may be coming from below. Also being close to mining sites thought it may be similar to a sulphate attack as found in the building industry?
Would welcome your thoughts.
Hi Vic,
Thanks for the feedback.
It is entirely plausible for water to move upwards even though it is against gravity as I have seen this demonstrated with sand columns as the water is attracted to the sand particles and literally pulled up towards the surface. I believe this is known as Matric Potential. This potential to pull water upwards differs depending on the type of soil involved, it’s porosity and the type of porosity (size of pore spaces)
I appreciate you’re asking about clay and here I think it’s more likely that you have water being held in the profile by the clay. As I have always understood it this is because clay soils have a relatively low AFP (Air-Filled porosity)and the actual pores in a clay soil are small so they are very resistant to losing retained water. The opposite is true for sand where the pores tend to be larger and so water is more easily lost and hence the soil (sand) dries out quicker. If the water table is high enough you’re sure to see water back up from below, even in a clay profile.
I found a good educational link on the subject here ;
https://soilphysics.okstate.edu/software/water/infil.html
Hope this helps…
regards
Mark
Thanks Mark, very interesting read. Alex said you were the man for the job!!
I’ve just found your blog.
A great resource.
Thank you.
Hi Martin,
Thanks for the feedback, it is what it is π
Mark
Hi Mark,
First time had chance to have a good look at your blog.
Very very intresting. I am sure that in the future it will be a great asset in my endeavours to produce a top quality bowling green.
Mike Shaw.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the feedback, I try my best at the end of the day, like we all do π
Good luck with your green this winter.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I’m Enric from Wildernesse golf club and I’ve been in some of your talks in the last 3 years. I’m always really impressed with your researches and the enthusiasm that you put on it, I’ve just sent you a subscribe request in order to put in practice all that you mention in the last seminar in Colne Valley and also to learn as much as I can from your huge knowledge.
Many thanks.
E.Maydeu
Hi Enric,
Many thanks for the feedback, it’s appreciated and reaffirms my belief that we’re / I am on the right track.
You have a great club there and an excellent course manager in Mark to work under and I know he’ll encourage you fully in your endeavours.
All the best.
Mark
I attended your talk at Cleckheaton Sports Club and found it both interesting and informative. Thank you Mike Shaw.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the feedback, hopefully the blog will be likewise π
Mark
Hello Mark,
Firstly luv the blog.
We are fortunate to have an Β΄officialΒ΄weather station on the boundary of the golf course (east of munich) so i
have access to all sorts of facts and figures
When putting in the GDD numbers should i use the readings from 2 metres or 20 cms? as both are available and can vary quite significantly.
We have no poa seed (or very few) heads yet on the greens but lots off fuzz pressure.
Andrew Kelly
Hi Andrew.
Thanks for the feedback, personally I’d go with the 2 metres figure because if you’re comparing your site to others, it’ll be comparing weather station temp data and most of that will be at 2m above ground. I haven’t done any work on the difference between grass canopy temperature and higher elevation but I understand it can differ siginficantly due to the moisture content held in a sward I think. I’d be interested to see where you are cumulative GDD from 1st Jan using the 6C base temp model as it’ll serve as a comparison to other sites.
All the best, sorry for the delay in replying.
regards
Mark
I recently heard your entertaining and informative address at the BIGGA Scottish Conference on 4th March.
I was particularly interested in your concept of Growth Degree Days and the effect of not hollow coring in August as opposed to Sept -Nov – recovery effectiveness down 90% by November ! Could you please
e-mail me the slide with the Bar Chart showing the drop in effectiveness as I attempt to persuade a committee
to do these jobs earlier in the year !
9-5 /2 = 2 GDDs what is the calculation again?!!
Hi Sandy,
I’ve emailed a pdf copy of the entire talk so that should work for you.
Good luck in your attempt to persuade the committee….one tip if they are un-moveable then do a trial on one or two greens and show how effective August aeration is in terms of quick recovery vs. the usual practice of leaving it till after all of the fixtures have been played and then having bumpy greens most of the winter. I appreciate there are arguments for and against, particularly in your neck of the woods..(shorter playing season usually)
regards
Mark
Hi Mark
Any chance you could e mail said pdf re aeration work earlier in the season, historically at Carlisle we have always done it end of September, but managed to get it moved to the start of September but we are now so busy with visitors in September I need to convince the committee and members that August would be a much better month to do it so any ammunition would be appreciated
Many thanks
Anthony Naisbitt
Hi Anthony,
I need a bit of time to prep this out of the main presentation I gave, leave it with me.
Mark
Hello Mark
What a useful blog. Andy Fraser of County Turf sent me the link
Keep up the good work
Regards
Hugh
Cheers Hugh, I try my best, don’t always get it right though π
Thank you for the blog! Planning ahead should be a little easier.
Not a problem Heather..
Hi Mark
Many thanks , and i look forward to useing your products in the near future
Best wishes
Ian
Hi Mark
Thank you for letting mere register with you.
I look forward to visiting your site.
Best regards
Freddie
Looking forward to receiving weather info.
Cheers, Baz.
Many thanks!
Hi Mark a good site, I have been keeping rainfall records for the last 3 years do you want a copy
Bruce
Hi Bruce,
Cheers for the feedback, yep, always interested to receive rainfall stats
Thanks in anticipation.
Mark
Excellent info
Cheers Kevin….much appreciated.
exellent, very professional, congrats.
Great stuff! Already very impressed by this service
Hi Dan,
Thanks for the feedback, I try my best, though it’s difficult to put a positive spin on this last slug of weather !
regards
Mark
Keep up the good work Mark….Mondays e mail normally gets forwarded to plenty of others wanting to know about the week ahead!!
Hi Darragh,
Thanks for the feedback, I try my best at the end of the day and at least I can spell Connacht properly now !!!!!
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for all the emails over the past four years, they have been very helpful and informative, especially the agronomics. Your humorous and witty remarks continue to bring a smile to my face, keep up the good work and best of luck with the new format.
Slainte Kevin.
Cheers Kevin, I always include Ireland in my forecasts as you know, hope all is well with you.
HI MARK,
MANY THANKS FOR THE UPDATES, THEY’VE BEEN BANG ON WITH A FEW HICCUPS RE: RAIN ALONG THE WAY. LOOKING FORWARD TO USING THIS AS I’M CURRENTLY THE DRIEST MANY OF MY MEMBERS HAVE SEEN THE COURSE (The Mere) IN MANY YEARS – 35mm TOTAL RAINFALL FOR SEPT, AND WITH THESE DRYING WINDS MY GREENS ARE BEING HAND WATERED IN OCTOBER!!!
THANKS AGAIN FOR A FANTASTIC TOOL
REGARDS, GWYNN DAVIES – CSE MGR
Thanks for the feedback, rainfall is the hardest thing to predict accurately, particularly in a generalised forecast such as mine.
Even using the Rain radar feature of Headland Weathercheck, it can still show anomalies, but it does increase the accuracy…
Hi Mark, Nice one mate….. I always read your weather reports when received by bemail and the new Headland Weathercheck looks great.
Cheers
KB
Cheers Ken, thanks for the feedback, I try my best π