COURSE NEWS 6th APRIL
15th Tee Steps
We are in the middle of a prolonged dry spell, following on from a very dry March which produced a bare 20% of normal rainfall. Gavin would really like to see some rain! Night temperatures remain low, with regular night frosts, which is sufficient to keep the ground cold and growth still low.
The course is moving to summer set-up, with fairways at their normal height of 14 mm, rough at 50 mm, and the first cut now being presented at 25 mm. Greens are still at 4 mm, but will move to 3.5 mm once growth picks up. We’ve started our normal rolling pattern, and this week will spray with a form of growth inhibitor that makes for denser sward but inhibits meadow grass seed heads.
The recent Course meeting discussed several items of wider interest:
After discussion we decided we should retain the internal out of bounds up 14, for safety reasons.
We are going to evaluate using course spoil to fill in the hollow between 18 and 10; we have run out of tipping space around the course and are currently unable to carry out routine pond clearance, inter alia. It would be a major job; if it proves feasible we will consult with a course architect on how to make best golfing use of the space created.
We decided to quantify what would be involved in replacing some lengths of red-track paths with a resin surface (as on the 15th steps). This would be a major cost and needs proper evaluation, but paths are a visual detractor to our course and this possible project has been around for several years: a proper decision is long overdue.
Some members are taking their trolleys up on to the 15th tees, ignoring the new steps which have been installed exactly to discourage that. Please will players leave their gear at the bottom of the steps and use the steps - it’s much safer and more protective of the course!
Course Committee
The course is moving to summer set-up, with fairways at their normal height of 14 mm, rough at 50 mm, and the first cut now being presented at 25 mm. Greens are still at 4 mm, but will move to 3.5 mm once growth picks up. We’ve started our normal rolling pattern, and this week will spray with a form of growth inhibitor that makes for denser sward but inhibits meadow grass seed heads.
The recent Course meeting discussed several items of wider interest:
After discussion we decided we should retain the internal out of bounds up 14, for safety reasons.
We are going to evaluate using course spoil to fill in the hollow between 18 and 10; we have run out of tipping space around the course and are currently unable to carry out routine pond clearance, inter alia. It would be a major job; if it proves feasible we will consult with a course architect on how to make best golfing use of the space created.
We decided to quantify what would be involved in replacing some lengths of red-track paths with a resin surface (as on the 15th steps). This would be a major cost and needs proper evaluation, but paths are a visual detractor to our course and this possible project has been around for several years: a proper decision is long overdue.
Some members are taking their trolleys up on to the 15th tees, ignoring the new steps which have been installed exactly to discourage that. Please will players leave their gear at the bottom of the steps and use the steps - it’s much safer and more protective of the course!
Course Committee