The month has seen a mixture of mild and dry conditions, followed by periods of cold and wet weather. Work continues on the driving range, and apart from a few days of closure due to snowfall, the course remains in great condition for play.
Driving Range
I would say we are past the halfway point in our work on the driving range field. A dry start made a huge difference, but with snow and rain coming, progress has slowed considerably.
Three new target greens have been created, and around one-third of the field has been capped with sand. One out of three valleys has been completed, with a drain installed.
There is only about one-third of the field left to strip the turf from, but there is still a lot of earth-moving work required. As the ground softens, this will become more difficult, as the surface begins to cut up and machinery can’t access all areas as easily.
We’ll need to be patient now and tackle small areas at a time. Sand capping is crucial for us to move machinery around the field.
While removing the turf, we have been able to see just how necessary this project was. Once we got past the 100-yard point of the field, we found dozens of balls every square meter.
So far, we’ve recovered over 6,000 balls, though there are certainly many more buried that we haven’t been able to save.
Swing Room
Like with the field, the new swing room simulator is progressing well. It is now fully insulated, watertight, and cleared out.
Cladding is being installed, and we hope it won’t be long before the screen and software can be set up.
This is particularly exciting, as it shouldn’t be too long before it is ready for use.
An update will be released as soon as we can confirm the timescale.
Walker’s Gully Tee
New turf was delivered early in the month, allowing us to complete work on the teeing area at Walker’s Gully.
This will now have plenty of time to establish before being brought back into use next year.
Course Conditions
Despite heading into December, the course remains in great shape.
The greens have made it through the autumn without any disease and are holding up well, even with plenty of golf still being played as colder temperatures set in.
The fairways have had a few cuts, and the semi-rough could do with a trim, which we might attempt on drier days.
Repair Work
While work continues on the range, the team has been making some subtle repairs around the greens.
Areas of worn turf, spots where irrigation work last year has settled and caused uneven ground, and patches of poor-quality ryegrass have been lifted, removed, and replaced with fine turf.
This will result in a more consistent lie of the ball close to the greens and allow for more precise mowing during the growing season. These improvements, though subtle, will help enhance overall playing conditions.
Arson Attacks
We have begun to see an increasing number of arson attacks in the local area, some of which have affected the golf course itself.
Each incident has been reported, and local police are patrolling the area. As many of you may be aware, such crimes rarely result in convictions, and we often bear the cost of the damage caused.
We would like to ask everyone to be vigilant and report anything suspicious immediately. We hope that a collective effort from the community can help discourage the perpetrators and protect all our properties.
Links Club
For the last four years, I have been fortunate to be part of the Links Club initiative, a meeting of course managers from around the UK working on coastal golf courses.
This year, we met in Fife, and I had an interesting couple of days visiting top-level golf courses and learning from the greenkeeping teams at Lundin, Leven, and Dumbarnie.
Thanks to those involved in organizing the event, and credit to the teams at each course for the amazing work they are doing!
December
The month ahead gives us an opportunity to continue work on the driving range, and we hope the swing room will be ready for use soon.
We will continue to maintain the playing surfaces to the highest possible standard and look to protect vulnerable areas as the short, cold days allow for very little recovery growth.
Our aim is also to work on our maintenance facility and equipment. This will ensure we can continue working as efficiently as possible and provide you with the best possible conditions.
As always please get in touch with any feedback or questions. Thanks for reading!
Greg Fitzmaurice