Hi All,
As I sit here writing this blog in the darkness, you can
really tell we are heading into the winter equinox. The good news is, within two weeks the darkest day would have passed and we will slowly move back
towards spring, although this is still a long way off and feels it at the
moment.
Last week saw a little rest bite from the relentless rain
with days of frosts and sunshine in the afternoon. It was bitterly cold,
especially compared with the predicted highs of the coming days. From -2 to 13c
is a significant swing in temperatures that are playing havoc with Mother Nature.
That short interlude was over to quickly and we’ve gone back to the relentless
rain this week with another 54mm of rain in the last 6 days, that’s after 153mm
in November and 169mm in October (all falling in the last two weeks of that
month).
It’s safe to say, it’s wet in places but I am really
pleased with how the greens are coping with all this rainfall following the
installation of the drainage combined with the aeration and topdressing
program.
Could be a record
breaking year!
This year we look likely to break our wettest year record.
Not a record we want to break with 1048mm so far YTD and 1069mm being our
wettest year. Let’s see what the next three weeks brings!
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| Hand mowing all main surfaces due to the wet conditions |
Why are you
closing the putting green?
Here is a question I’ve been asked recently and thought I should
remind everyone why we are doing this as mentioned in previous blogs.
At the start of 2021 we saw significant damage to the putting green that didn’t recover until the following June. The damage sustained over that winter from too much play (not only the normal pre warm up play, which would be the same as the course) but significant amounts of practicing from the same spot.
This lead to thinning on the green and eventually grass coverage was lost in areas. The putting green is just too small to cope with that level of play and following a visit from the clubs Agronomist, his suggestion in his report was to spread the wear throughout the winter between the two practice greens we now have. This will allow one to recover for a week while other takes the damage.
We trailed this in 2022 and the damage was significantly less and we went into the new season in a much better state. Long term we will need to look at increasing the size of the putting green to cope with the modern demands of a golf green along with the climate we are experiencing now. It’s worth remembering this green was built in 1908, designed for the golf being played at that time, on a clay base as they had no irrigation systems with lower levels of play. It would always struggle throughout winter.
The answer now is, we simply need to switch between the greens weekly to spread the wear. This will only happen through the low growth months
and then we will be back to normal with both greens always open.
What can you do
to help us keep these greens open more?
1.
Move-
Simply when practicing drills on the putting green move after two or three
putts.
2.
Don’t
use strings in the winter- this encourages play from the same spot. This has a
huge impact on the green.
3.
Don’t
put towels down - towels don’t protect the surfaces. If I rubbed a towel on
your skin for hours it would leave a mark. Same on greens…
4.
Divots
– Try to refrain from taking divots around edges of the greens, especially at
this time of year. They simply won’t recover and it’s ruining the facility for
others.
5.
Repair
any pitchmarks made from chipping on to the greens
6.
Enjoy
your game!
Leaf Clearing:
With the Trilo now fixed (we had another hydraulic issue) and
our dedicated team wielding backpack blowers, we've taken on the challenge of
clearing leaves. In the last week the amount of drop from the trees has been persistent,
with the team arriving daily to find these scattered across all surfaces,
normally we have strong winds that mean we have bad areas but this last week
the wind has been down meaning the drop has been wide spread.
In dry areas the use of the Pro force blower and tractor
blower have aided this operation but for the most part this has been done by
hand with back pack blowers.
I think we are now 90% down, meaning that we are nearly
there. The end is in sight and the team will be fully occupied on collecting
until the majority is gone by Christmas.
Bunker Renovations:
Our focus hasn't been solely on weather and the leaves.
We're proud that our bunker renovations are in full swing with Jack Wills leading
the team on this.
You may have noticed work taking place on the 4th, 8th, and
9th holes. These bunkers are undergoing re-revetting and turfing, ensuring not
just aesthetics but also maintaining the integrity of the course's challenges.
It's a labour-intensive process, but one that enhances our golfing experience
as it gives the bunkers that crisp fresh look going into the season ahead.
Please don’t play
from or against the new revetting. We need this to root and these areas are
GUR.
Bunkers – You will notice this weekend that three bunkers
on the 8th and one on the 9th fairway have been dug out
and are GUR. We were due a delivery on Tuesday of more revet turf but due to
flooding the turf company were unable to lift any turf. This has been moved to
next Wednesday. We are taking advantage and getting bunkers prepared ready for the delivery to keep us on track to complete these within our time table. Please bear
with us, these bunkers will be completed once the delivery arrives.
 |
| 8th after renovations |
Practice Nets:
During one of the recent storms the practice nets took some sustained damage with Adam Hickling having to close the nets on the day. Following further inspections these have been deemed unsafe and un-savable at this stage and age. Play from these is prohibited.
These will need to be taken down in the coming weeks as quotes for replacements are being sorted and given the timing with Christmas these will need to be built in the new year.
We are sorry for any inconvenience.
Pot Holes:
We have all noticed the pot holes getting worse on the bridge and on the corner of the clubs driveway.
It was hoped these would be repaired as part of the reservoir project when the lorries start but due to the delay of this we will be getting quotes to repair these in the coming weeks ourselves. Updates will be made once timescales and costs have been agreed.
Thank You:
None of this would be possible without our fantastic team.
The collective effort poured into leaf clearing, bunker renovations, and overall
maintenance is awe-inspiring despite the challenges Mother Nature keeps
throwing our way.
I'm incredibly proud of the strides we've made, the
challenges we've faced, and the passion that drives this team forward. If you
see them on the course please do pass on your thanks if you see them, in these
dark, leafy, wet days that simple act goes along way!
Let’s hope for better weather and shorter nights soon.
Enjoy your Christmas shopping!
See you soon
Matt
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