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Course Update from Matt - (Head Greenkeeper)

COURSE UPDATE – A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEAD GREENKEEPER

Dear Members, 

I hope this email finds you all safe and well and doing your best to follow the Government’s instructions.

Firstly, can I ensure all our members that the staff and I are all in good health and are following all guidelines set out by the Government, British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), R & A and all other golf/greenkeeping organisations. We are sanitizing before and after entering the sheds, wearing disposable gloves, ensuring each staff member has his own designated machine, all machines are being sanitized regularly and a minimum of two metres safe working distance is also being adhered too.

As we enter another period of “lockdown” I bet you are all getting very itchy feet, can I just say the course is looking lovely and detailed below are a few things we have got up to whilst you have been away.

1. Greens

The lack of pressure to produce a fast and true surface for golfers has played nicely into our hands, it has seen the height of cut staying up, mowing frequencies reduce to only twice per week and regular mowing without the boxes helping with early season density.

All of the above has allowed the “Browntop Bent” (which we love) chance to thrive and hopefully take over some of the “Poa” (we don’t like “Poa”). This is something in the past we felt we could not do as it can affect early season green speed and trueness, but on reflection we feel this might be the best route to take to achieve better all-round greens.

Owing to budget restrictions at this difficult time, we have not been able to follow our strict fertilising program which was put in place to help build up any soil deficiencies. This may reflect on greens performance, but we are hopeful when things settle back down that we will be able to resume this program.

We have applied two sand applications to date to aid trueness. Slitting is also being done when time allows. You will be pleased to hear we have a plan in place for us to achieve a very good surface for your return.


2. Repairs

The first two to three weeks of lockdown have seen the team repair 6 major irrigation bursts alongside the replacement and adjustment of many sprinkler heads and therefore getting our water system back up and running. This has saved us a large bill from our irrigation company, and I thank Dave and Oliver for their extra work with this ongoing issue.


3. Cutting Designs

The course has seen a few new cutting designs, the 1st, 7th, 15th and 16th approaches have been changed and the 2nd fairway has seen an extension.

The 10th apron has also seen slight alterations.

Here, on the right is a picture of the 1st showing our new cutting design.


4. Other Maintenance

Tee's being cut and a sand dressing applied.

The new turf on the 12th fairway is now being cut as fairway and the new bunker will be in play when you return, as will the 13th greenside bunker.

New putting green flags were purchased just before lockdown and have now been installed.


5. The Rough

The rough has been cut, we would usually carry this out in the autumn but unfortunately the ground conditions did not allow this.

I’m also glad to report the growth of some gorse and broom in our rough, and hopefully we can nurture these areas and allow them to thrive.


6. Bee Box

A bee box has been placed at our sheds (on top of the large green storage container) to help with bee populations in our area. In the near future a detailed email will be circulated with some more information about this.

I hope there is enough information in this email to keep you all updated. Please rest assured the team and I are doing our very best to produce a lovely course for when you return.

Regular posts on Facebook will continue to be shared which show off our great course and we encourage all interaction with members and visitors alike.

Stay safe

Matt Holden Head Greenkeeper