When I wrote my last Course Managers report we were spending much of our time watering the course and trying to keep the fairways alive! Nothing much changed for  a few weeks after that then our prayers were answered and we got the much needed  rain that turned the course from brown back to green again (not that I want it too  green!) We have had a couple of periods of fairly prolonged and heavy rain with one  short spell in mid June equalling over 100mm in 6 days.

Some of our course maintenance work that has been carried out in the recent weeks includes –

• All greens have been Verti-drained using solid micro tines
• All greens, approaches and aprons have been given two light top dressings
• All greens have had a conditioner applied (helps improve the health of the sward)
• All fairways had second application of wetting agent – allowing us to gain maximum  benefit from rain.
• All greens have been Verti-cut
• Selective weed killing (Clover being our main target at present)

Over the coming weeks we will be working further on continuing to improve the  overall tidiness and presentation on and around the course.

Members might note that there will be some strange pin positions over the coming  weeks, but we hope you understand that the pin positions for the Carris Trophy have  already been decided and we have been asked to protect these areas.

On a lighter note we were called to the clubhouse to remove a snake which had  parked itself outside the players entrance, this was causing some concern to those  trying to get into the clubhouse, most people thinking it was an adder thus turning  some grown men into nervous wrecks - The snake turned out to be a 2ft grass snake  which is completely harmless.

Ady Archer
Course Manage