COURSE UPDATE

Barry Gardener Course Manager

As we drag ourselves out of what has been a pretty wet winter, the very dry February was a welcome break and allowed us to get some machinery back out onto the courses.

The machinery that we use to maintain the courses is maintained just as much as the golf courses are. What with the cost of one ride-on fairway mower being similar to that of a top end family car, we have to ensure that all the investment from our owners is cared for.

From regular servicing to preventative maintenance and sharpening of cutting units, we carry out as much of this as possible in-house using the skill sets that our staff possess.

through to March, not being used.

We are also still suffering a little with problems in the supply chain. A lot of parts we need for our equipment are manufactured in the USA. Fertiliser that is produced abroad and numerous other items are not as readily available as previously or have risen in cost astronomically – this can make life a little tricky at times.

All that said, we look forward to what will hopefully be a nice spring and summer, seeing the trees burst back into life and the grass looking green and healthy!

I just want to take the opportunity to explain the summer greens renovation work that is taking place in July.

We are using a machine called the GKB sand filler - https://www.gkbmachines.com/machine/ sandfiller/

This machine allows us to remove double or more of the amount of thatch in one pass than hollow coring would allow. It also ensures that the lines are filled with sand, giving us an instantly firmer surface. We will be putting the greens straight back into play once complete, and depending on how the work goes, we may need to finish off the work the following day.

As with any disruptive work like this, which is totally necessary, we ask for your understanding and patience as we are working on a long-term strategy by carrying out such tasks. We are aiming to create greens that will be more playable in the winters and even better in the summers. Please remember we aren’t doing this for our own entertainment, and just like the machinery, if we don’t service it regularly, it will fail.

Here’s hoping for a great golfing season for you all!

We aim to have all the front line equipment ready for the start of the cutting season each year, but realistically with the way the weather patterns have changed, we have to make sure they are ready for use yearround. Not so many years ago, the mowers would be sat in the sheds from November

Barry Course Manager