At the writing of this report, we are coming off the back of further extreme weather conditions, this time of the dry variety. Whilst the drought seems to have broken for now, we have come off the back of two record months for minimal rainfall. Of which in April, we saw absolutely no rain at all and not much more In February or May. “I bet you could do with a drop of rain” became a common phrase in passing conversation, with golfers once restrictions were lifted and probably drew bemused looks when the answering response was “Not particularly”.

If I can find the bright side of a record winter of rain, it may come as less surprise that I was positively elated at the possibility of a prolonged dry spell.

The fine turf that we seek to provide great playing surfaces thrives under these conditions, whilst the weak grasses, that cause us so many problems from poor playing conditions to disease damage struggle to survive. It is an old greenkeeping adage that, “a good drought gets rid of a great deal of rubbish” and under the careful watering regime we implemented we really made the most of the situation. Wetting agents have been used to help retain moisture in the soil and hand watering has been undertaken to specifically provide water to required areas of the greens. One thing that may be noticeable since golf has returned is the distinct lack of seed heads on the greens. This is a direct result of our management strategy. We also experienced much increased firmness to the greens during the drought. This required much more use of the bump and run game associated with traditional golf and something you would pay top price for at our fine coastal courses. Now the rain has returned and just eased off these conditions slightly, providing playing surfaces which will hold a good shot into them, whilst equally leaving the surface free from pitchmarks typical of soft, spongy greens. This will pay great dividends going forward as the greens will be relatively self-managing, reducing the need for remedial maintenance work that disrupts play so soon after golf has been given the greenlight to recommence. This management strategy along with minimal use of slow release organic fertilizer has meant the greens are very comfortable at the moment despite heavy play from first light until sunset.