Course Report - Nov 2025
Course Manager’s Update – November
November has been another exceptionally wet month, with 233mm of rainfall recorded. Ground conditions have stayed saturated throughout, and the brief dry spells haven’t been enough to stabilise the surface. Temperatures have swung between mild and frosty, slowing recovery even further.
Greens & Course Condition:
Shockwave aeration and the majority of Verti-Drain work are complete. Given the sheer volume of water the course has absorbed, these operations were essential to keep the greens breathing and prevent them from sealing over heading into winter.
We haven’t cut the greens for almost seven weeks, and that’s deliberate. Mowing in these conditions would do more harm than good. The trade-off is an uneven surface and visible thinning in places, but the priority is protecting the turf until conditions improve.
Rainfall this autumn has been extreme — 632mm since September, nearly the same amount that’s fallen over the previous eight months. We’re effectively dealing with over half a metre of water in a very short period, and if December trends the same way, we could be close to a metre.
Drainage will remain the core focus of winter maintenance over the next several years as weather patterns continue to shift toward longer droughts and intense wet periods.
Drainage & Winter Work:
Drainage installation on the 11th green is underway and should be completed this week. Once finished, we’ll move to the back of the 4th green, targeting the area currently holding persistent surface water.
Winter project order will depend entirely on ground conditions, but the plan remains to refurbish the 3rd and 10th bunkers before Christmas, if access allows.
Summary & December Priorities:
Despite the ongoing weather challenges, progress continues:
- Aeration is close to complete
- Key drainage projects are underway
- Greens have avoided unnecessary mowing damage
December priorities:
- Manage thinning greens through ongoing wet conditions
- Keep machinery impact to an absolute minimum
- Push drainage and winter works during available breaks in weather
The course is holding up better than the rainfall totals would suggest, but conditions remain difficult. The focus now is protecting surfaces, improving drainage, and keeping long-term resilience central to our decisions.
Greens & Course Condition:
Shockwave aeration and the majority of Verti-Drain work are complete. Given the sheer volume of water the course has absorbed, these operations were essential to keep the greens breathing and prevent them from sealing over heading into winter.
We haven’t cut the greens for almost seven weeks, and that’s deliberate. Mowing in these conditions would do more harm than good. The trade-off is an uneven surface and visible thinning in places, but the priority is protecting the turf until conditions improve.
Rainfall this autumn has been extreme — 632mm since September, nearly the same amount that’s fallen over the previous eight months. We’re effectively dealing with over half a metre of water in a very short period, and if December trends the same way, we could be close to a metre.
Drainage will remain the core focus of winter maintenance over the next several years as weather patterns continue to shift toward longer droughts and intense wet periods.
Drainage & Winter Work:
Drainage installation on the 11th green is underway and should be completed this week. Once finished, we’ll move to the back of the 4th green, targeting the area currently holding persistent surface water.
Winter project order will depend entirely on ground conditions, but the plan remains to refurbish the 3rd and 10th bunkers before Christmas, if access allows.
Summary & December Priorities:
Despite the ongoing weather challenges, progress continues:
- Aeration is close to complete
- Key drainage projects are underway
- Greens have avoided unnecessary mowing damage
December priorities:
- Manage thinning greens through ongoing wet conditions
- Keep machinery impact to an absolute minimum
- Push drainage and winter works during available breaks in weather
The course is holding up better than the rainfall totals would suggest, but conditions remain difficult. The focus now is protecting surfaces, improving drainage, and keeping long-term resilience central to our decisions.