Course Investments

Over the coming weeks the course is receiving investments of nearly  £500,000  pounds.  The new fleet of machinery is finally arriving and will trigger a period of substantial investment in the next 6 months.  Listed below is machinery being delivered in the next 2 weeks.

Greens x2

Tees x2

Fairways x 2

Semi rough

Rough

Run-arounds

Turf Iron

We will also be adding an excavator to our fleet.  This will enable us to expand the window where we can carry out projects through all seasons.

Alongside this we are moving forward with continued course improvements.  Bunker on the 16th Old has now been finished awaiting sand.  From there we are moving to the 13th greenside bunker on the Old, removing the fairway bunker, moving the greenside and tucking it into the green with a revetted face.

A new waste disposal system has just been installed in the car park which will improve water and electricity efficiency and has a much smaller footprint across the site.

Irrigation is the main focus on the course at the moment.  The weather has certainly helped with a cooler month in June/July so far.  New valves, as can be seen below are being systematically replaced as they break,  each time system flow and efficiency around the course improves.

We now have good pressure across most greens which will mean better and more consistent greens through peak season.  This in turn will allow us to be more aggresive in pushing quality in the coming years and also pay more attention to neglected Tees and Approaches.

With the obvious delays earlier in the year everything is well behind so the new 14th Tee is still not even turfed.  We are now at that point but it's not going to be in play until late summer now.

Whilst grass growth is slower we are cracking on with pathways.  They are being extended, moved and topped up.  This will enable us to join up holes and float over known wet areas.

Greens are slowly moving in a positive direction.  The greens are being verti-cut deeply next week and this will make a big difference with smoothness.  We then need to start sand dressings to further refine surfaces.

Lots of Bent grass in the greens

Verti-cut ready for action

 Not all things improving on the course after having a massive oil leak on the back of 10 Lower.  There is know way this will grow back so once the grass has died, we will cut, lift and returf this area.

Not all good

Well we have just opened but it's not pretty.  Long, long rough.  Tatty all over and greens weeks behind were they should be.  This is what a green looks like only being cut once a week.

Greens cut once a week

Onwards we go however.  The next 2 weeks will see constant cutting across all areas to try and get the course back to our usual standard.  Greens however with the dry weather and the obvious delay in achieving our normal standard are way behind.  We will start with some light dressings, a little more feed and begin to refine the sward with brushing, v-cutting and regular mowing.

Looking a little better

 The greener bent grass seen in this picture is slowly filling into bare areas on greens.  This species is better able to deal with autumn disease and will provide better more consistent surfaces in the long term.  The dry spring and slightly longer cut on greens has helped increase this percentage.

Lots of bents moving into the greens

Just a few pictures to allow you to manage expectation once we open. It will take a why to get back to any kind of surface quality once we open.  And that may well be awhile yet.

Dry but not to bad

 Course was looking very dry before some much needed rain.  Now we will try and keep up with grass growth as best we can and hopefully get back to some golf during May

Struggling to get ontop of surfaces

Waiting for some rain

Only a few pictures at the moment during these unusual times.

Entrance

New sign

New beds and entrance at the clubhouse including new sign and re-branding of the club logo.

Pathway improvements had started, trying to link over wet areas from the winter.  Once we are back, these areas will take 2nd place to grass so they may remain unfinished until later in the summer.  We have topped up and levelled 4th, 6th and 9th Lower with extensions cut on 6, 7, 9, and 11th Lower.

4th Lower

All greens were tined before minimum maintenance kicked in.  They got 1.25 ton per green and a tight hole spacing down to 75mm.  Surfaces are still bumpy but having know customers helps in this respect.

Sand/Holes

Whilst the course is very wet and has been since before Christmas we are still trying to improve in other areas and not do to much damage to the playing surfaces.

The 9th hole Upper has had a number of rotting branches from the Silver Birch so the decision was taken to remove the whole tree plus a fw others and protect everyone in that area.  We have also planted gorse in amongst these stumps in order to begin to block out the view behind this green

Rotten trees gone

Repairs and improvements are ongoing to machinery.  In this case lighting reattached to the greens mower and the bunker rake recieving a light rig for the first time.

there goes another finger

New bins have gone out on the 12th and 14th Upper with both having new surfaces this winter.  The 14th has been delayed by the wet weather but will be finished as soon as we see improvements.

Simple and tidy

Powerwashing of steps from veranda and down to the VIP suite tidy this area up nicely.

Patio

Had a bit time of the blog but am back now with lots of pictures and not to many words.

Great overhead

The last of the bunkers to be revetted last year on the 2nd green Upper.  Base of the bunkers now dug out and smoothed over with sand added in the last few weeks.  We have also added a path extension and cut drainage out of both bunkers.

Left 3rd Upper

Right Bunker Upper

12th Tee Upper

 The 12th Tee Upper has now been relevelled, irrigation moved and the Tee has been turfed.

Putting Green

Putting green edge was also turfed to create a clean look and tidy finish.

Drainage has been the focus over the last month with a number of bunkers being drained, an Approach and with the poor Autumn weather a plan for a further 6 Approaches to be drained over the next 12 months.

5th Approach

18th Upper