Courses Winter report 2019

Both courses are looking well for going into the winter months. we are cutting surfaces when required to keep areas neat and tidy for play, greens height of cut has been raised to 5mm to help reduce stress on the plant in the lower temperatures, we will roll greens throughout the winter months to maintain our greens surfaces for play.

Construction Projects 

• Fairways on both courses have been slit tined to a depth of 125mm in 3 different directions to help relieve compaction from the season, which allows surfaces to drain better, and allow better air movement in the soil profile.
 
• We have built Railway sleeper steps onto the Putting green from the Clubhouse.
 
• Bunker that have been rebuilt on the Balcomie course are both bunkers right-hand side of the 1^st fairway, 1^st greenside, left-hand side of 8^th fairway, 10^th fairway and 10^th right-hand side greenside & left-hand side at green 11.
 
• All our old irrigation boxes and sprinklers have been dug out ready for the new irrigation system install on the Balcomie course and putting greens.
 
• The Craighead course irrigation system will be updated with new electric decoders & surge protectors to work with the new irrigation control system and computer, you may have seen red flags dotted around the Craighead course and this is the reason, the pipe and cable lines needed to be traced and marked.
 
• The 9^th & 18^th medal tee on the Craighead course was re-levelled and turfed.
 
• The dyke at holes 15/16 has been rebuilt and surrounding areas levelled and re-turfed.
 
• A new banking rear of the 13^th green on the Craighead course was created to help hide the Greenkeeping sheds and we are in the process of turfing this, then in the spring we will plant Gorse and Broom to fit in with the surrounding areas, which will also add more height to help hide the sheds. The soil used to create this banking was recycled soil from our dump area.
 
• A new bin has been placed at the path from green 14 to tee 15 on the Balcomie course.
 
• We have trimmed back the Gorse right of the 8^th fairway to allow to establish again as this Gorse was very tall and leggy.
 
• We have replaced the driving range mats, also added ball trays and repaired the wooden boarder.
 
• The new irrigation system, pump-house & tank install on the Balcomie course is going very well and on schedule.