It’s been another quiet week. For once we’ve had minimal rain; at last the ground has dried enough to move off ‘Carry Only’, although the recent morning frosts have made the grass vulnerable to trolley wheel damage as it thaws. Ironically it’s called ‘scorching’: the tracks blacken when the thawing grass gets crushed. It’s anything but heat-based, but the damage is unsightly and takes some time to grow out. That’s why we’ve had, on occasion, to maintain the restrictions but Gavin lifts them as soon as the frost has thawed.

On the course we are just about able to run some lighter machines - mainly the runabouts - and have been tidying up the paths. The first RH bunker on the first, which is prone to flooding, has been investigated. The drain was found to be more or less sand-free so it looks like the silt that gets washed into the bunker during heavy rain is preventing water reaching the drain. The sand will need to be replaced.

The areas at the foot and sides of the new 15th steps are being dressed with root zone preparatory to turfing, in order to stabilise the areas and tolerate wear. We’ve been able to resume fairway banding, focusing on the 15th. The forecast for the next few days is more or less dry; Gavin is hopeful he can vertidrain the greens and tackle the other bunkers that flood before spring arrives.

Course Committee