View this email in your browser

Welcome to the first of our course updates from our Head Greenkeeper Alistair Morrison, we plan to send a course update each month with any course developments, news and information to all our members.

Winter Programme

We have endured a very bad spell of weather over the winter months with rain, wind, snow, frost and several storms but the course has handled it well as we now enter spring. We also had sheep grazing the course for six weeks during November and December. The following work has been carried out

• Greens, Tees, Pathways and some Fairway areas have been aerated to help with compaction and drainage.

• White tees on the 3rd and 5th holes have been rebuilt and increased in size to allow for a larger teeing area on these holes.

• The Pathway at the 9th hole has been re-routed for health and safety reasons.

• Rabbits and Moles have been controlled which is always a ongoing task.

• Erosion work has been carried out near the 5th hole.

• Rough management has been carried out to deal with some thick rough which should also encourage the sheep to graze these areas in the future.

Rebuilt white tee on the 5th hole, this will now provide a larger teeing area and give more tee positions to use. Turf from our onsite turf nursery was used for all our projects this winter. This turf will take longer to settle and bed in but once it does will naturally blend in better and requires less maintenance and nutrition compare to if we purchased new turf in.

As part of our ongoing partnership with NatureScot, ongoing erosion work has been carried out near the 5th hole. Brashings and marram grass are used to stop further erosion and sand blow. The brashings are very effective in preventing sheep from causing more damage to these areas.

Due to Health and Safety reasons the pathway at the 9th hole has been shifted further right, the old path will be left to grow in as natural rough.

Whats happening in April?

During the month of April Greens will receive the monthly application of wetting agent, seaweed and nutrition and a sand top dressing. As soon as soil temperatures rise a granular feed will also be applied and hopefully a selective herbicide application to deal with any broadleaved weeds such as daisies. Tees and Surrounds will receive a lawn sand application which will help control moss and also add some much needed colour and nutrition. A full divot of Tees and Fairways will also be carried out ahead of another predicted busy golfing season.

The sheep will also be returning to graze the course for the lambing period for approximately one month from the 14th April, the time scale is weather dependant. But to allow this to go as smoothly as possible we ask golfers to keep dogs on leads at all times and please don’t move the electric fences which are placed strategically around the greens to protect them.    

I’m sure most of our members will be aware that we received the above award at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards on the 21st March. This is a huge achievement for the club and hopefully it helps us to continue improving and developing.

Hopefully the weather starts to improve soon and I’m looking forward to seeing you all out enjoying the course again.

Kind Regards

Alistair Morrison

Head Greenkeeper