Our course development designer, Ken Kearney, was in the Clubhouse on Monday 11th December 2023 from 6.30pm until 8pm and met members to discuss his 5-10 year plan for our course.

It will be the Club’s decision which areas of the plan we want to prioritise in 2024 and in the future.

Please email any suggestions to manager@dungannongolfclub.com
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Ken Kearney Golf Design was established in 2002. Ken is a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art–Landscape School – Golf Course Design.

Since then KKGD has gone from strength to strength and has established itself as the leading Golf Course Design Architects in Ireland.

The scoping plans below itemise the work that KKGD recommends, colour-coded according to the degree of urgency. The Master Scoping Plan lists work by hole and the Priority Scoping Plan groups the work according to urgency.
Master & Scoping Plans

Why is it done?
Course traffic causes the ground to become compacted and hardened. This means drainage is less efficient and the grass’s roots are prevented from absorbing oxygen. Any biologist worth her salt knows that oxygen is essential for nitrifying bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrites and then nitrates which the plant roots absorb and use to make proteins… but I’ll not bore you with the nitrogen cycle!  Hollow tining allows the compacted turf to expand and air and moisture to be more easily absorbed.
The coring helps address the problem of thatch. (Thatch is a layer of grass stems, roots, and debris that settle and accumulate over time.) A thin layer is acceptable but too much thatch will hold water like a sponge.
Tining also removes accumulated fibre in the grass’s root zone. It allows for the exchange of a poor soil for a better one through top dressing. That’s why the greens are normally covered in sandy top dressing immediately after they’re cored.
In addition, coring allows for overseeding: another effective way of improving the quality of the playing surface.
When is it done?
Hollow tining is generally done outside the main playing season: often in early autumn. It’s important that the tining is completed before the weather turns wet and cold so there’s time for growth and for the holes to seal up. So the best time to hollow tine is late August / early September, but this coincides with the playing season at most clubs. It’s a difficult balancing act for greenkeepers. Some clubs will look to hollow tine very early in the spring season.
Is it a treatment for diseased greens?
It’s generally accepted that drier surfaces will be less susceptible to diseases like fusarium. As hollow tining is a good way of improving drainage it’s also a way of preventing the spread of disease.
Is it just for greens?
It’s a potential treatment for any turf suffering from compaction and the other conditions explained above. Many clubs hollow tine their tees and, if they have the manpower, some will even hollow tine the fairways.
What’s all the sand for?
Usually greenkeepers spread sand on the greens immediately after the cores have been removed and brush the sand into the holes.  This helps to improve drainage and aeration.

Hopefully members realise that a few days’ inconvenience is a small price to pay to ensure that the course remains in fantastic condition throughout the next year.
You may have realised that I posted the same information this time last year.  I have re-posted it because it’s as relevant now as it was then.