12/09/2026
Dear Member,
Finally over the past few weeks we have seen some welcome rainfall, following what has officially been recognised as the driest summer in the UK since records began. Coinciding with the rainfall arriving we finally have our irrigation system back in working order, which is quite ironic by the timing. Our new irrigation tanks are now in place and operational and the chemical Quadrop is being installed into them this week.
Our greens are regaining their vigour and general sward coverage is above 90% currently. To help revive and regain full coverage following the stresses incurred this summer we will be deep scarifying, overseeding and topdressing our greens commencing Monday 28th of September. This operation should cause minimal disruption to normal play and weather permitting should be completed in three to four days. The use of temporary greens or a pick up and move to the next hole policy if a green is being worked on is yet to be decided, we will keep you updated nearer the time.
Scarification removes unwanted organic matter (thatch) and opens up the existing sward to allow air and water to move through the soil profile easier, while overseeding introduces new grass plants into the areas that have become thin or weakened during the season. The operation as a whole will refresh the grass sward and encourage new shoot growth and the grass seed will restore coverage to any bare or weak areas on our greens caused by the prolonged dry spell this season and the lack of water available during that time.
September generally provides a favourable combination of soil temperatures, moisture and good growth rates, making it an ideal period to carry out this work for faster recovery and for grass seed to germinate and establish new grass before the winter months ahead.
Our tees have also been under extreme stress this season and will be fertilised to help aid their recovery. Granular fertiliser can scorch turf if applied and not watered in sufficiently, however as we have our irrigation system working again we no longer have to rely on rainfall to fertilise. Any bare or worn areas will also be overseeded over the next couple of weeks to aid their recovery.
The course in general is starting to green up again and the grass coverage is improving as the rainfall is aiding its revival from dormancy. We are budgeting to w**d and feed our fairways again next spring to boost growth and aid recovery following the tough growing conditions this year.
AOB.
We are currently looking at things we can do on the golf course to help speed up play. One example we have recently adopted is the removal of blue staked areas around the course. These areas now come under the Rule 16.1 protection of young trees identified by stakes. If such a tree interferes with a players stance or the area of intended swing, the player MUST take relief without penalty.
We are also looking at maintenance work to the gorse on the right hand side of the 16th fairway. By using selective pruning methods and reducing the density of the bushes and removing dead, overgrown and intrusive growth, golfers would have a much better opportunity to locate their golf balls faster, whilst the gorse would still provide definition and natural character to the hole. Gorse is an established feature on our golf course and can contribute significantly to the character and visual identity of a hole. Selective pruning would allow us to control the height, spread and density of the gorse while maintaining its visual impact.
Please continue to respect your fellow members by replacing your divots and repairing your pitchmarks plus at least one other and by raking bunkers after you.
David Sharkey,
Head Greenkeeper.
