Course Blog

Course Information
 

Friday 15th March 2024:

Unfortunately, the rain that fell on Sunday and Tuesday meant that we were unable to go ahead with the more invasive aeration work that we had planned for. However, Matt and the team were still able to hollow core the greens with 6mm tines to remove a good quantity of thatch and organic material.
 

Aerating the greens with 6mm hollow tines

 

A collector is used to pick up the cores

 

The greens are then rolled after the cores have been removed

 

The cores are emptied into the trailer for disposal

 

How the greens look after the work has been completed

When the weather improves, we also plan to undertake a couple more micro-tinings followed by overseeding with bent grass. This will hopefully be done by early May.

 

Friday 9th January 2024:

With 40mm of rain being recorded since Wednesday evening, the course is unfit for play and has been closed since Thursday morning. This is also the case for other local clubs, with North Hants, East Berks and Army also being closed yesterday and today. 

The river Hart has once again burst its banks and this has affected holes 5,6,15 and 16. The remainder of the course is also saturated and therefore standing water can be seen on most holes. Pictures of 5,6,15 and 16 can be seen below:

Looking down towards the 5th green and 6th tee

Looking towards the 12th green from behind the 13th green

Looking along the 1st ditch on the 16th from the 13th green

With further rain forecast for tonight and early on Sunday morning, it is very unlikely that we will be able to provide a composite course for this weekend. However, the course will be inspected on Saturday & Sunday morning as usual so please check the course status section on the website for further updates.

 

Friday 12th January 2024:

Thankfully, the weather has been kind to us over the past 7 days and this has given the course some time to recover after the torrential rain we have seen recently. Water levels in the river Hart have now dropped and the flood waters have subsided, so 9 & 12 hole composite courses have been used this week while conditions continue to dry our further.

The 1st bridge on the 16th was moved by the flood waters and therefore this needed to be rectified before the hole could be reopened, but the machinery required to do this could not be taken onto the course at the beginning of the week due to the wet conditions. 

However, Matt and the team were able to take the JCB out onto the course yesterday and have managed to reseat the bridge supports. The final repair work was completed today and I am pleased to say that the bridge is now back in operation. 

Details regarding the bridge repair can be seen below:
 

Astroturf being removed off the bridge
 

The sleepers are removed
 

The bridge supports are removed for resetting
 

The support beams are reset
 

The sleepers are repositioned onto the support beams
 

Astroturf is fixed in place and new path material laid

Now that the 16th is back in play, I am pleased to announce that the course will reopen tomorrow with 18 holes in play. I am sure that you will all join me in thanking Matt and the team for all their efforts in getting the course fully reopened after the severe flooding we saw last weekend.

With the forecast suggesting continued dry weather into next week, we may finally be able to start removing leaves from the course and revisiting some of the winter project work that was postponed due to the weather. 

 

Friday 5th January 2024:

Unfortunately, the heavy rain that fell over the Christmas period thanks to storms Gerrit and Henk has left the course extremely wet. This situation was then made significantly worse when 31mm of rain fell yesterday afternoon and evening, resulting in flooding on holes 5, 6, 15 and 16.  

View of the 5th green & 6th tee from the middle of the 6th fairway

View towards the 15th green from the fairway

View of the 16th fairway from the side of the 13th green

Looking back to the 16th tee from the recently culverted 2nd ditch

With significant flooding on four holes and standing water or soft ground on the majority of the remaining holes, it is going to take a little while for conditions to improve. As soon as the river level drops, the drainage will do its job and the water on the course will subside, but it is difficult to know exactly how long this will take. 

The Green’s team aim to update the course status information on the website by approximately 7am, so please check this each morning before coming down the Club.

 

Friday 27th October 2023:

Work has now started to install new hardwood fairway yardage posts on the course. Pictures of this work can be seen below.

 

Thursday 28th September 2023:

The drainage work on the 1st and the 11th was completed yesterday and the full 18 holes are now back in play. Topping up the drain lines with rootzone will continue over the next couple of weeks as the profile settles, after which the lines will be overseeded with Dwarf Rye grass.

Below are some pictures which outlines the process of how the drainage was installed: 

A trench is created at a depth of approx. 700mm

A perforated pipe is then laid at the bottom of the trench

The trench is then back filled with 2mm – 6mm shingle

A different machine then tops up the trench will shingle to approx. 150mm from the top

The trench is then topped off with rootzone 

The lines will continue to be topped up with rootzone as the profile settles, after which they will be seeded

The drain lines will remain as GUR until the Dwarf Rye grass is fully established, which will hopefully be in time for next season if the weather is kind to us. Until then, free relief must be taken if your ball lies in or touches one of the drainage lines.

 

Friday 22nd September 2023:

A lot of work has been completed on the course this week, both in terms of drainage and aeration on the greens. 

Matt and the team vert-drained the greens with 8mm solid tines this week to a depth of 225mm with 65mm spacing. The greens were then hand mowed afterwards to smooth the surface.

With the drainage work, Abbots have completed all the trenching work on the lower 1st fairway and will start on the upper fairways on the 1st and 11th holes next week.

Flags used to mark the drain lines

Trenching lateral drainage lines to an average depth of 700mm, 80mm perferated pipe is then laid and topped up with 2mm to 6mm shingle, 150mm to the surface

Thursday 17th September 2023:

The weather was kind to us for renovation week and therefore Matt and the team were able to:

• Hollow core all greens to a depth of 25mm using the Dyna-corer.

• Over seed all greens using 100% bent grass seed @ 6g/m2.

• Hollow core the 11th, 12th, & 17th greens (the 3 remaining original greens) using the pro-core machine to a depth of 80mm using 8.1mm tines at 2cm spacing.

• Verti-drain the 11th, 12th & 17th greens using 12mm solid tines to a depth of 225mm.

• Undertake a second over seeded of the 11th, 12th, & 17th greens.

• Top dressed all greens with approx. 40 tonnes of sand over the week.
 

Top Dressing the greens after tining
 

Dragging in the sand to fill the aeration holes

This work will reduce thatch, aerate the soil and increase the sand content throughout the profile, which will improve drainage and increase the greens' resistance to disease.

In regards to the planned drainage work on the 1st and 11th holes, we are expecting MJ Abbot to be on site from the middle of next week and we will update you with further information when it becomes available.


Thursday 13th July 2023:

As I have recently received a few questions from members regarding the appearance of our greens this season, I thought it might be useful to cover this in the course blog for the benefit of all members.

The patchy appearance that has been seen on the greens this year is due to the two different types of grass we have, Poa and Bent, reacting differently to the cold and wet conditions we experienced this spring.

Bent is hardier than Poa and can thrive at lower soil temperatures while Poa needs warmer conditions to pop, so each spring you will see a mottled effect on the greens as the two plants develop at different times. When the Poa does catch up with the Bent, the mottled effect dissipates and the greens look uniform again, however the regular mowing of the greens keeps them running true and even. It is purely aesthetic.

This year the Poa’s growth was seriously stunted due to the cold and wet April followed by the cold and windy May, so when the warmer weather finally arrived in June it wasn’t prepared for the hot conditions and the plant went into protection mode. This is why the mottled effect on the greens has lasted significantly longer than normal. This is being seen at a lot of golf clubs across the country due to the unfavourable weather conditions we saw this spring.

Having different types of grass on the greens is common because it is very difficult to stop Poa establishing on them as it is the most common meadow grass species in the UK. Most clubs aim to have greens that are predominantly Bent as it is hardier and provides a better putting surface for longer period of time. If you have Poa greens and overseed them with Bent, which is what we do, it will take a number of years for the bent grass to establish and for coverage to improve. 

If we have a normal spring next year, the mottled effect caused by the two grasses 'kicking on' at different times should dissipate by mid to late May as usual. 


Friday 19th May 2023:

The improved weather this week and enabled Matt and the team to start catching up on the work that was affected by the wet weather. Now that conditions are considerably drier, all areas of rough have been cut and we have also strimmed and cut the plantations on the course.

The rest of the time has been spent mowing tees, fairways, approaches and surrounds, but a new sign has also been installed on the path from the 7th green to the 8th tee to remind players that the 12th fairway is out of bounds when playing the 8th hole.

On the greens, growth is improving but the poa grass is still a little behind the bent grass due to the milder temperatures we have seen this May. However, we top dressed again this week which will help firm up and smooth out the putting surface as the greens come on.

Friday 6th April 2023:

The warmer weather that arrived last weekend has finally got things moving and we are beginning to see some growth on the course. This means that the growth of both the Poa and Bent grasses on the greens will start to increase, but we will see some uneven growth for a few weeks yet due to the Poa needing slightly warmer conditions for optimal growth.

As the course has now started to kick-on, Matt and his team will be spending most of their time mowing tees, greens, fairways and the rough, as well as the usual preparation of the course. This is very time-consuming work and will mean that additional project or maintenance work will be very limited throughout the season, but we will endeavour to pick up extra bits where we can.

The first top dressing of the greens was undertaken this week and this is why you may have noticed some sand on the playing surface. As I outlined in a previous members' update, top dressing the greens is an important maintenance procedure which will firm up & smooth out the putting surface and dilute the layer of thatch (organic matter) below the surface. Reducing thatch levels is very important as it will improve surface drainage, help reduce disease and promote good grass growth. 

Friday 6th April 2023:

Following last weekend’s deluge, the weather has been significantly better this week and the course is recovering well. Last night’s showers have resulted in some areas being soft or wet, but it looks like we have a dry Easter weekend ahead of us and therefore conditions should improve.

Matt would like to thank all members who carried over the winter period and continue to do so, even when trolley use is permitted. He has seen a significant increase in the number of members carrying or taking out pencil bags with 6 or 7 clubs to help protect the course. This makes a huge difference, especially after the wet and cold winter we saw this year, and will mean that the course is in good shape as we head into growing season. If members can continue to carry while the weather remains changeable, it would be greatly appreciated.

This week, thanks to the drier weather, the team have cut fairways, tees & surrounds, as well as undertaking a further micro-tining of the greens. Although we have had a couple of nice days recently, temperatures have remained relatively low and therefore ground temperatures have not increased either. As soon as things begin to warm up, we will start to see some growth and the greens should kick on.  

Friday 24th February 2023:

The improved weather has enabled Matt and his team to do some further clearing on the course and start some project work. This has included:

Drainage on the 16th – Work has started to install a drain in front of the culverted ditch on the 16th and a trench has now been dug for the pipe work. This work is ongoing but we hope to complete it next week.

Trenching for Drainage Pipe

 

Renovation Behind the 13th Green – The area behind the 13th green has been rotavated, fertilized and seeded to hopefully improve coverage. This area is GUR and relief must be taken by using the drop zone to the right of the green.

Back of 13th Green Being Rotavated

Adding of Soil Conditioner to the Area

Area After Being Seeded and Fenced Off

Drop Zone to the Right of 16th Green While the Area is GUR
 

17th Green – The bank on the right-hand side of the 17th green has been cultivated and prepared for turfing. As with the drainage on 16th, we are planning to complete this work next week.
 

Friday 20th January 2023:

The 32mm of rain which fell last weekend left the course saturated and parts of the 5th, 6th and 16th underwater. The cold snap which then followed turned the surface water to ice and we need now temperatures to increase so that these areas can thaw.

Due to the recent cold and wet conditions, work this week has focused on the areas that can be reached by pathways and tracks, specifically the treeline on the left of the 7th fairway which has been thinned out and cleared.  

As soon as conditions improve, we will revisit the winter project work and look to get the verti-drain out to aerate the fairways and improve drainage.

Below is a picture from the 6th tee box which shows that the water is subsiding but the surface ice has remained.

 

Friday 13th January 2023:

With 50mm of raining falling since the beginning of January and 37mm of that falling in the past 6 days, the course is at saturation point and the River Hart has flooded. If we get 2 or 3 days of dry weather, the course will start to drain and we should be able to open a composite course to allow some play, but for the time being we are at the mercy of the weather.

Below are a few pictures of the course which demonstrates just how wet it is out there:

5th Fairway after the ponds

The 5th green and 6th tee

In front of the 16th tee looking down the fairway
 

Friday 25th November 2022:

Although the mild, wet weather hasn't been great for golf, it has definitely helped the course recover after the ditch on the 16th was culverted back in September. Pitcures of how the project progressed can be seen below:

Monday 26th September 2022:

Contractors were on site a few weeks ago to pollard two deads oaks located in the rear car park, and I am pleased to say that the work was completed with minimal disruption. Some pictures of the work being undertaken can be seen below:

Thursday 8th September 2022:

Although the weather wasn’t ideal for the course renovations this week, Matt and his team managed to hollow tine the greens as planned and get some dressing down. Unfortunately, the wet weather wasn’t conducive for dragging and brushing-in the sand into the aeration holes so further top dressing will be needed in the coming weeks when the weather allows.

Some pictures of the team aerating the greens this week can be seen below:

Aaron using the ProCore to aerate the greens

 

Ian blowing the cores ready for collection

 

Harry using the Core Collector

 

Ian and Harry emptying the Core Collector

Friday 27th May 2022:

Although the new irrigation system is fully operational, a final snagging walk was undertaken this week to highlight any minor corrections / improvements that need to be made before the project is signed off.

In regards to the greens team, I am pleased to say that the two members of staff who recently underwent medical procedures are at home and recovering well. Although this has left Matt short-handed for the last 4 weeks, the remaining team have done a brilliant job and the course is in great condition.

However, thanks to members Peter Lawson & Tony Copeland, Matt now has some additional cover on the course to help out until he has a full complement again.

As we won’t be back to full strength until later in the summer, priority will be given to the cutting and preparation of tees, fairways and greens. This may mean that some of the rough cutting, ditch strimming and additional ‘project work’ may get pushed back or done on a less frequent basis, but we will endeavour to keep on top of things.

Below are some pictures that were taken on the course today:

8th Hole

11th Hole

12th Fairway and approach

18th Hole

Thursday 12th May 2022:

The warmer weather has kick started the course and everything is beginning to grow. The new irrigation system is being used on the greens, tees, approaches and surrounds, but watering is being kept to a minimum at the moment for the following reasons:

 * To promote root growth, rather than leaf growth, to make the grass more resilient.

 * To reduce the risk of inhibiting growth while the reservoir water remains relatively cold.

Friday 1st April 2022:

It has been an interesting week with sunshine, blue skies, driving sleet and even snow. The picture below shows you the 18th green yesterday after a sudden downfall:

The cold snap we are experiencing is expected to linger this weekend and then ease as we head into next week. On the course, the team have been aerating the fairways and working on bunkers while we wait for the warmer weather to return.

Vert-draining the 6th Fairway

The 17th bunker being de-stoned and topped up

The irrigation contractors are back on-site next week when the final testing, setup and snagging of the new system will be done. All being well, the fully programmed, automated system will be operational by mid to late April.

Friday 11th March 2022:

Next week is course renovation week and we plan to hollow tine and dress the greens ready for the season. This work will be weather dependent and our plans may have to change depending upon conditions.

Due to today’s rain, and the rain forecasted for this weekend, we may not be able to start the aeration work on Monday and therefore it may be pushed back to later in the week. We will keep you updated via the course status information on the website.

The irrigation work is almost complete with just a few more sprinkler heads to put in and some control boxes to install. Once this work is finished, the system will be commissioned and tested ready for the season. 

The renovation work on the 17th greenside bunker and the practice bunker is now complete and the lowered edges have been turfed. Elsewhere on the course, new path material has been laid and the team continue to undertake general tidying work. 

Friday 25th February 2022:

Although the course did take a battering from Storm Eunice last week, no serious damage was done and the clean-up is well underway. The biggest tree to come down was the Oak in the farmers field next to 2nd tee, which came over the fence and blocked the path. The remaining trees that came down were mostly smaller Birch and Ash which did not affect play, with approximately 15 trees coming down in total.

Pictures of the some of the storm damage can be seen below:

Apart from clearing up after the storm, the team have also been working on the left-hand greenside bunker on the 17th, lower the step into the bunker that has built up over time. This area will be turfed in the coming weeks.

Finally, three of the greenkeeping team took part in a high platform training course this week, which will mean we are better equipped to deal with high level issues on the course in the future. While up on the platform, Matt took a few pictures of the course.

 

Pictures of the new irrigation being installed on the 18th green:

Friday 11th February 2022:

The Irrigation work is approx. 80% complete, with just a small number of tees and greens left to be done. Once these are completed, the contractors will finish off installing the control valves and then test the system.

Pictures of the new irrigation being installed on the 18th green:

On the course, the dry and relatively mild weather has meant that Matt and his team have been cutting fairways and the rough; which is exceptionally rare for this time of year. Besides mowing, the team have been edging pathways and undertaking further tidying work around the course.

Next week, weather permitting, we will look to aerate the greens with a solid tines to oxygenate the roots and allow the greens to breath. Spring renovation week is in the diary for the week commencing 14th March and this is when we plan to hollow tine the greens to remove thatch, reduce compaction and improve the profile of the soil by topdressing with sand.

Friday 14th January 2022:

We have investigated the area that is lying wet on the 1st fairway but, unfortunately, there is no quick fix to resolve the issue. All the drains are running freely but the top 6 inches of soil are very compacted and seems to have a high clay content. This is capping off the surface from the gravelly soil below and is restricting water draining down through the profile to reach the drains. Images of our investigation work can be seen below:

Rodding Drains

Digging an access pit to reach drainage in the middle of the fairway

Rodding drains in the access pit

Thick layer of clay rich soil capping off the surface and restricting water penetration

When conditions are suitbale, we will start verti-draining the area to break through the compacted topsoil and allow the surface water to flow more freely through the profile. Although we could begin this as soon as conditions start to dry out, it will be more beneficial to wait until the clay-based soil has dried out so that we can fracture the profile and break it apart, rather than just making holes that will eventually close up again due to the soil being wet.

This does mean that the area on the 1st fairway will be more susceptible to lying wet over the remainder of the winter, but it will be a priority come the spring when the conditions are right.

Friday 17th December 2021:

The irrigation project continues to move at pace, with work now being undertaken around the greens, tees and approaches. The greens team are continuing to collect leaves and keep the course as tidy as possible, but this seems to be a never-ending task. Due to the relatively mild weather, the greens have been sprayed with a fungicide to minimise disease and this should now see us through until the new year.

Friday 10th December 2021:

As well as cutting fairways and clearing leaves, Matt and the team have been edging and toping up the pathways to improve the presentation of the course. This work will continue while it is prudent to keep the larger machinery off the course due to the recent wet weather.

Friday 26th November 2021:

The contractors have made good ground up to now, with the majority of the new mains pipe and cabling having been installed. In the next week or so, work will start around the tees and the greens and this will mean hole closures will need to come into effect to enable the work to take place. Please keep an eye out for the signs by the putting green or on the tee of the hole being worked on to advise you which hole is out of play.

While the irrigation work has been going on, Matt and his team have continued to clear leaves and maintain the course as the winter sets in. For those of you who may have seen sand on some of the fairways, this is being done to help address the warm cast issue that has resulted from the various worm control chemicals being taken off the market. Over a number of years of top dressing, we are hoping to make the profile of the fairways sandier, which should make the worm casts more crumbly and less muddy, meaning that we can brush them away without smearing.

Friday 22nd October 2021:

The contractors broke ground this week and started laying new mains pipework along the 5th, 7th and 8th fairways.

Once all the new pipework has been installed, new electrical cable will be laid alongside all the existing pipework as part of the new control system.

As some of our bunkers have struggled to deal with the heavy rain seen in recent weeks, the team have started addressing them. The four main problem bunkers were the ones in front of the 3rd green, to the right of the 6th green, to the left of the 12th green and in front of the 16th green. The bunkers on the 6th and the 16th have already been dug out and cleared, with the 3rd and the 12th being looked at in the coming weeks. The pictures below show the work undertaken on the 16th bunker.

Thursday 9th September 2021:

As it is Course Renovation week we thought members might like some further information on the work that we have undertaken. The aerating of greens (removing cores from the playing surface) is vitally important to aerate the soil, remove thatch (dead organic matter), increase water penetration and improve the soil structure.

Stage 1: The greens were hollow tinned using an 8.1mm hollow tine to a depth of 65mm with a 50mm spacing.

Stage 2: The cores are then pushed off the greens.

Stage 3: Any remaining debris is then blown off the surface.

Stage 4: The cores are collected and removed.

Stage 5: The greens are then topdressed with sand. 20 tonne of sand was used on Monday & Tuesday and further applications will be needed to completely fill the holes that were created.

Stage 6: Once the sand is dry it is dragged and brushed down the holes as best as possible.

Stage 7: The final process is to roll the greens to settle down the surface.

In between the additonal applications of sand, the greens will also be overseeded using a 100% Bent mix seed at 5g/m2. The whole process will take a couple of weeks but the playing surface will be usable within a couple of days.

Friday 27th August 2021:

Due to the perfect growing conditions we have seen over the last few weeks, Matt and the team have spent most of their time cutting grass! Path edges have also been looked at and the hand watering of tee boxes has become more of a priority due to the recent drier weather. The next major work to be undertaken is the aeration of the greens, which will take place during the course renovation week which starts on Monday 6th September.

Monday 26th July 2021:

The hot weather that we have seen over the last few weeks has eased slightly, but the course is showing some signs of wear and tear and therefore the team have been handwatering some of these areas to help maintain them. Last week also saw the return of rakes in bunker and ball washers back on the course, all of which have been well received. As we head into the latter part of the season, any assistance members can provide by avoiding the high wear areas on the course would be most appreciated.

 

Friday 7th July 2021:

Tree surgeons were on site yesterday to reduce the canopy of the damaged Oak by the 17th green. Pictures of the work that was carried out can be seen below:

 

Wednesday 23rd June 2021:

The torrential rainfall that fell at the end of last week was incredible, with just under 4 inches falling in a very short sapce of time. Not only did this cause the River Hart to burst its banks and the ditches to overflow, but the Oak tree on the left hand side of the 17th green also lost a large limb. As soon as the water levels of the River Hart droped, the drainage kicked in and the course cleared very quickly. Our thanks to Matt and his team for getting the course up and running again so quickly.

The ditch running infront of the 11th & 12th holes.

The approach to the 12th.

The Oak tree to the left of the 17th green.

Friday 11th June 2021:

The warmer weather we have experienced over the last 3 weeks has had a significant effect on growth and the course is now seeing the benefits of all the reseeding and wetting agent work that was undertaken last autumn / winter. As things have now 'kicked on', most of the greenkeepers' time is spent cutting and therefore project work will stop for the time being. We are also hand watering tees, some of the weaker approaches and dry spots on greens to help maintain these areas and prevent drying out where possible. Greens are being top-dressed either every week or every other week; to help reduce the thatch, aid drainage and provide a truer putting surface. We will continue to leave ropes and posts out around some greens and approaches to protect the recently recovered surfaces and manage the high traffic areas, so we greatly appreciate your assistance with this. 

Friday 14th May 2021:

Now that the grass is beginning to grow, the team are cutting more regularly to keep things looking tidy. The greens have been fed and further wetting agent has been applied to help the much needed rain penetrate down further into the soil. The plantations on the 4th and 16th holes have been strimmed, as have the trees to the left of the 13th tee.  With the warmer, wetter weather likely to continue for the next couple of weeks, we expect growth to really establish during this time and therefore the cutting of the greens, fairways and rough will increase.

Friday 23rd April 2021:

The warmer weather that we have been seeing during the day has unfortunately no been hanging around overnight, with frosts being seen in the mornings. This means that there hasn’t been any real growth yet as ground temperatures are still too low. The growing season at HWGC usually starts in May, so we are expecting to see things start to happen in the next few weeks. The scrub to the right-hand side of the 16th fairway, after the 2nd ditch, has now been cleared and will be seeded with a fescue ryegrass mix, with it being left as 8” rough once it has established. You may also have seen some new wooden bins out on the course this week, replacing the plastic ones that have been out there for almost 20 years. We fee the new bins are a vast improvement, both aesthetically and in quality, so we hope you like them. 

Friday 9th April 2021:

The slightly colder weather seen over the last 2 weeks hasn't really helped with growth, but things are definitely progressing and we will hopefully see things kick on when the warmer weather returns. Pitch marks are still being left unrepaired and this will damage and scar the surface of the greens. Matt and his team would greatly appreciate it if all members could check for pitch marks when they walk onto every green and repair any they find to help them maintain the best surface possible. 

Friday 19th March 2021:

The Greens Committee met on Wednesday morning to walk the course and check on how it is progressing. We are very pleased with how the fairways have recovered and the repairs made to the bunker edges have bedded in well. There are still some areas that will require further attention over the next month or so, but Matt and his team will address these in due course. The greens are in pretty good condition for the time of year, but have been left mottled and scarred by the disease we experienced earlier this year due to the mild, damp conditions. This will soon grow out when the warmer weather returns and the greens kick on, but, as that is still a few weeks away, it will be a little while longer before they are looking their best.

Friday 5th March 2021:

The improved weather has enabled the greenkeepers to make good progress on the course. Fairways and tees have been cut, further reseeding has been undertaken, fairways have been verti-drained and the greens have been fed. The forecast over the next few weeks is not looking too bad so, hopefully, we will have a good run in before you return.

Friday 26th February 2021:

The much improved weather seen in the last week or so has meant the greenkeepers have finally been able to get out onto the course. The greens have been aerated and treated for disease, some tees and fairways have been verti-drained and further tidying work has been undertaken. If the weather stays favourable over the next 4 weeks, the team will be able to get a lot of work done in preparation for your return. Matt continues to improve day by day and is looking forward to getting back to work as soon as possible, which will hopefully be before the end of March.

Friday 19th February 2021:

The mild and wet conditions, combined with our inability to take machinery out, has seen some disease develop and we will be reinstating our fungicide programme as soon as ground conditions allow. When the weather improves, we will look to aerate greens and undertake further reseeding on the areas that require further attention. In the meantime, the team is continuing to tidy and clear the areas of the course they can reach.

Friday 5th February 2021:

The rather miserable weather we experienced last month has unfortunately carried over into February and is restricting what the greenkeepers can do. January saw over 100 mm of rainfall and therefore taking machinery onto the course is not a good idea. Such wet, mild conditions are also a perfect recipe for disease to develop and we will therefore be spraying greens as soon as conditions improve and we can get equipment out there. Even though the work we can undertake is limited at the moment, the team has been very busy clearing scrub and tidying the areas they can reach, specifically the area between the 9th green and 10th tee. As soon as the weather improves, the greenkeepers will resume their project work and look to aerate the greens and fairways. 

Friday 29th January 2021:

The snow that fell last Sunday and the heavy rain that followed has not provided ideal conditions for our greenkeepers. Nevertheless, they have continued to do what they can this week; with tree pruning, scrub clearing and leaf collecting being the main activities. As soon as conditions allow, the team will be hollowing tining the greens, repairing more bunker edges and aerating fairways, as well as over-seeding any areas that require further attention.

Friday 22nd January 2021:

The wet and stormy weather has limited what the greenkeepers can do this week, however they are continuing to clear scrub and tidy leaves until conditions improve and they can continue with the winter project work.

Friday 15th January 2021:

The first 2 weeks of the new year has mostly been taken up by leaf clearing, the lifting of tree canopies and general tidying. The drier weather we saw last week also allowed us to get out to cut fairways, collars and approaches, as well as slit greens. Further bunker work is also being planned and, weather permitting, we may aerate the greens. 

Monday 21st December 2020:

The persistent rain seen over the last 8 days has resulted in waterlogged conditions and made the course unplayable. Other Clubs in the area, such as Army, East Berks and Sand Martins have also had to close due to the rain and, unfortunately, the forecast is still showing more to come. We will need a couple of completely dry days before any sort of course will be able to open, so let’s hope the weather improves soon. 

Thursday 12th December 2020:

All the bunkers edges that had been stripped back and prepared during the lockdown period have now been turfed. Leaf clearing is continuing on a daily basis and the pruning and lifting of tree canopies will continue over the winter period. The area to the right of the 2nd green has been heavily aerated and we have stripped back and returfed the area around the oak tree. We are trying to manage the worm cast situation as best we can but due to there being very few products on the market, and as the products have limited effectiveness, it is proving difficult. Moving forward, we are looking at a programme of dressing the fairways with sand, over a number of years, to help address this issue, but it wont be a quick fix.

Tuesday 1st December 2020:

The course reopens tomorrow and the renovation work that has been undertaken is recovering well. Although the recovery to the fairways and surrounds is very encouraging, these areas need time to establish themselves before they will be strong enough to withstand normal usage. For this reason, we are asking all those who can carry to do so and making trolley use for those with medical exemptions only. Although this may not be a popular decision for some, our aim is to ensure that the course can recover fully and be in a good condition next spring, in readiness for the 2021 season. We will be reviewing the situation regularly as the winter progresses.

Thursday 19th November 2020:

We have continued to verti-drain the fairways to further improve drainage and aeration. The pruning and raising of trees is continuing and we have now stripped and prepared 11 bunker edges for turfing. We have also gravel banded some areas on the 16th, after the 3rd ditch, to complement the drainage work that was undertaken a few weeks ago. Leaf collection will be an ongoing project for the forseeable future!  

Thursday 12th November 2020:

Since lockdown, the team has been working hard on the course. All areas of the course have been verti-drained and we will now start a 2nd bout to maximise aeration and water penetration.

We have further overseeded the tees and the heavily worn fairways while the mild growing conditions remain with us.

Work has now begun to address the worn bunker edges, with the areas being cut away and new turf being laid. These areas will be taken out of play until next season to allow them to establish.

Now that the seeding has been completed, the team will move onto pruning and lifting some of the trees on the course.

Friday 30th October 2020:

Now that further overseeding has been undertaken, the team have been focusing on the thankless task of collecting leaves and tidying up the course. Due to the extensive overseeding and aeration work that has been done this month, we will be protecting the course while it remains wet and asking you to carry when necessary, so please check the website before coming down to play over the winter months.

 

Tuesday 20th October 2020:

The greens were sprayed today to minimise disease while the conditions remain mild and damp. With the rain forecast for tomorrow, we will undertake a 2nd application of wetting agent on the 1st, 2nd, 8th, 10th 13th 15th and 16th to help the water penetrate into the soil. Further overseeding is then planned for later in the week, specifically targeting some of the fairways, approaches, surrounds and tees. We are aware that there are two bunkers, one on the 6th and one on the 16th, which are not drainaing very well and these will be looked at in due course.

Friday 16th October 2020:

We continued vertidrainaing the fairways this week, but have now moved onto leaf clearing to tidy up the course.

We have also fitted some shoe brushes to the top of the grills by the shoe cleaner, so please let us know how you get on with them.

Tuesday 13th October 2020:

The Vertidrain is now in operation on the fairways to aerate the surfaces and improve drainage. The ditches are also being cleared, with the main ditch crossing the 13th and 16th being addressed today.

 

Friday 9th October 2020:

The drainage work on the 16th went well and is now complete. The 8th fairway and approach have been hollow tined, overseeded and dressed. Next week we intend to begin a programme of solid tining and overseeding to address the other worn areas of the course.

Tuesday 6th October 2020:

The significant amount of rain that fell over the weekend resulted in the River Hart encroaching onto the course and restricting play on the 5th, 6th and 16th.  A 12 hole course is currently in operation and we will reopen the full course when water levels recede. This week we will be solid tining the greens before starting to vertidrain the fairways to improve water penetration. Once this has been done, reseeding and further wetting agent applications will be undertaken. The drainage work on 16 is going well, with the main drain line being installed yesterday and the lateral lines being installed over the next couple of days.

Friday 2nd October 2020:

The rain that came in today has allowed us to make the first application of wetting agent to the fairways to encourage the peneration and absorption of water into the soil. This, combined with aeration and reseeding, should help the fairways recover from this summer's extreme weather.

Thursday 1st October 2020:

Winter Rules and preferred lies are now in operation.      

Wednesday 30th September 2020:

The greens were overseeded on Monday and fed today to aid recovery after the aeration work earlier in the month. The forcasted rain over the next few days should also help the course kick on before the growing season ends.   

Friday 25th September 2020:

The current ditch clearing work has been completed and we will be overseeding the greens on Monday. The week commencing Monday 5th October has been pencilled in for the drainage work on 16. 

Monday 21st September 2020:

A further light dressing was applied to the greens today and we will water this in tonight to gauge how they are settling after renovation week. We are continuing to hand water tees due to the arid conditions and will keep doing so this until the weather changes. The ditches on the 6th & 15th were cleared today and the team will be moving onto the ditches around the 14th tomorrow.

Thursday 17th September 2020:

The greens are recovering well after renovation week but we are not forcing growth through addtional feeding to reduce the risk of issues with disease later on in the autumn / winter. We are planning to reseed the greens in the coming weeks and will continue to hand water the tees while the warm, dry weather stays with us. The drainage work on 16 will hopefully commence soon and we will let you know a soon as a date is confirmed.

 

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