Course update
It is fair to say the Christmas and New Year brought a mixed bag of weather. With the damp, grey, mist and drizzle lingering for days over Christmas, high winds followed by the snow and heavy rains last weekend and now the persistent frosts and ice.
Fortunately, the course has coped well with all the above and the opportunity to play at least a few holes has been maintained. It is very important to remind everyone playing in this weather to be mindful of the course risk assessments which can be found HERE or on signs by the Pro Shop, 1st and 10th tees. Please take extra care of your self and be aware of fellow golfers in the current icy conditions.
As ever the variable weather and ground influence where and what the greens team can do during the winter. Work has been focused on tidying areas such as the various saplings around hazards and in some ditches too. The team have also continued to install the new winter tee mats with the latest being on the 1st and 2nd tees. The plan is for most of the winter tee mats to be prepared to this standard in the next few months.
More important work has been done by the local farmer who is contracted to help trim hedges on the boundary of the course, especially those covering ditches. This work will hopefully enable ditch clearance to continue soon too.
As the forecast thaw happens from Sunday into Monday, please be aware that it may be necessary to close the course. The reason is ‘root shear’. As the video below from the USGA shows the potential damage to all areas of the course is such that it will need to be assessed by the greenkeepers on Monday morning and if root shear is a possibility the course will likely remain closed until the thaw has lasted a full day.
Once again please take extra care if you are playing this weekend. Thank you