Course condition all this week and through into next week is a disappointment.

The weather has defeated us and it will take a good 7-10 days to get back on top of our workload.
Heavy rain on Sunday and Monday, almost 40mm has washed out most of the bunkers and made cutting of even fine turf areas difficult.  This coupled with very strong growth and temperatures rising will mean soft, sappy and ultimately weak, messy areas for a while.

Greens are easier to control in these conditions and the warmer weather is helping to fill in any imperfections in the surface.  Tees and Aprons are now being cut once a week and whilst this shouldn't be a problem, strong soft growth make good clean surfaces difficult to maintain.  Fairways and rough will slow in the next few weeks and will soon resemble a golf course but bunkers will stay in their present condition until the weather breaks.

Hollow-tining all completed on the Abbotts.  Greens were well watered in and have been fed with a general purpose granular autumn feed.  A little of everything to push on recovery and a lot of Iron to harden the plant a give a good green colour.  This will also create lots of black footprints but these will grow out in the next few days.
Greens were rolled today, they will be left tomorrow and receive a cut on Thursday.  Next week they will require a further topdressing to level out any imperfections.  Their is a good number of torn areas on the greens but again these will fill in quickly in the next week.

A very successful day today.  15 greens Hollowtined, dressed and brushed in.

A great 2 days aerating on the Priors.

All greens Hollow-tined, dressed with 1.25 ton of sand each and then brushed in.

Lots of work taking place in the bunkers at the moment.  Sand top up to some of the worst one's with 3 receiving changes to improve the drainage.  This will be ongoing through the week.

6th Abbotts

We are having a play with shapes on the 9th approach, never believing we have the correct look for the hole.  A complete change in bunker shape is needed with a reduction in the overall size and a lowering of the face but for now this shorter grass surrounding the bunker frames both the bunker and the green.

 Hollow-tining is set for the Priors next week.  Large 3/8 tines will be used with at least 1 ton of sand applied to each green.  The plan will be start on Monday afternoon and continue through Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Abbotts will be Hollow-tined after the Club Championship week beginning September the 8th.

  Some interesting weather in the last few days and indeed over the weekend.  A massive 32mm on Sunday added on to 12, 6 and 12mm  gave us an impressive score for the weekend.  Bunkers were trashed and still look pretty ropey.  Sand re-distribution will continue over the next few days and bunkers should be back to normal by Saturday, ready for the next thunder storm; possibly.

  The picture below is from a quad bike riding on the course on Thursday last week.  The ...... ... was also driving around the course during a ladies match earlier last week at speeds and in a manner which could have injured someone.  On all occasion the police were involved.  The Priors too has received it's fair share of vandalism in the last few weeks and I can only assume that a number of my neighbors must have finish there schooling for the summer earlier than most children.

Chase thought this position was staying for beat the pro.  I think Saturday and Sunday golf may have had something to say.