Stay up to date with the course developments over the winter months. ‘Fresh from the Fairways’ is your regular news bulletin from the greenkeeper team at Castle Point Golf Course!
Greens
The summer posed many challenges for the greenkeeping team. We had to deal with numerous irrigation issues, along with weeks of prolonged 30-40 degree weather that had a lasting impact on the greens.
We have put together a greens renovation program that includes:
- Overseeded greens
- Top dressed
- Hollow tining
The surfaces are responding well and we’re well on the road to recovery.
Bunker renovations
As with a lot of courses, bunkers can be problematic to manage. Over the past few months, we have put together an extensive Bunker Renovation program, which has seen us bring most of the bunkers to optimum conditions, including the following work:
- De-weed all bunkers
- Replace sand where necessary
- Edge bunkers
- Fluff the bunkers up & bring them back into play
Course cutting/shaping
It’s November and we are still cutting the course like it’s spring! This has helped us tremendously with the shaping of the course as well as its definition, as it has allowed us to bring in some subtle changes to the way the course looks & plays, being able to bring a little more of a links feel to it, after all, that’s what we’re known for!
✓ 1st Hole – at the back of the green, we have cut down the long grass, so now your only punishment is the trees should overshoot with your 2nd shot.
✓ 2nd / 3rd Holes – we have bought the mounds back into play by cutting them to a regular height allowing you to find your ball easier & also to play off them.
✓ 12th / 16th Holes – We have cut down the long rough between the 12th & 16th, so now the only punishment for a wayward tee shot is the trees & not trees & long-standing grass!
✓ 17th Hole – given this is a long par 3, we have added & shaped an approach fairway just before the green. This will be a welcome addition to the higher handicappers or even those who face this challenging hole against the wind!
✓ Fairway Bunkers – Now the bunkers are back into play, we have been able to bring these back into the fairways by shaping the course around these with an excellent tight cut!
Future work over coming months…
- Vertidrain fairways
- Ditch clearance
- Tee platform renovations
- Hole #10 – The hole is a Par 4 dogleg right. To make this more of a risk vs reward hole, we shall be shaping the fairway more & making it wider, cutting down some of the long grass to the left of the green… Now making this a great opportunity for the lower handicappers to have a go at the green in 1!