As I write this post we are experiencing some very wet and windy weather not very seasonal!

We are taking this opportunity when we are limited with the jobs we can complete out the courses to get some much need work completed inside the maintenance facility. Tee balls are beginning painted along with all hazard markers, this will be an ongoing process through the winter period.

We are also continuing getting the new workshop ready by painting the walls.

The area used to be a storage area at the rear of our staff facility, as it is larger and more easily accessed we are making this into our new workshop area. We can then move the grinding units and workshop machinery into this new area.The old workshop will give us an area to store large pieces of machinery such as tractors and aeration equipment.

Over the last two weeks we have been able to strip out a number of areas of rank grass around bunker contouring which made ball retrieval difficult and detratced from the heathland look of wispy fescue grasses. We have also at the same time planted heather into some of the faces giving and even greater natural look, the fecue turf we have used to replace the rank coarse grass has come from our own turf nursery.

The picture above shows the start of the process with all the rank grass removed and the fescue and heather being put into the face and surround.

The picture below shows the job completed, this type of work will continue over the coming weeks. 

The alterations to the 15th Lodge Green surround have also progressed well with the Left hand side of the greens now being shaped and turfed, the front left bunker has been constructed and turf as the picture below shows. Our aim is to finish this project early in the new year.

General maintenance has continued including further slit aeration to the greens,collars and aprons being completed along with pedestrian cutting of greens and raking of bunkers.

I have mentioned on many occasions the importance of tree thinning around playing surfaces to improve air and light penetration onto the plaing surfaces which in turn help create a better environment for the finer grasses to flourish. One other point which is sometimes overlooked is with tree clearing you increase the ability of early morning sun thaw surfaces during frosty conditions, below is a picture of the 4th Green on highgare, a green which we have completed some tree thinning work but from the picture it is clear we need to do more! You can clearly make out the areas of frost behind the tree cover.

Finally I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New year. Thank you for your continuing support.