Oswestry Golf Club
Greens Committee Update June 24
Member.
I think you will agree the course is looking and playing very well.
Visitors from Sandiway Golf Course commented on how Oswestry was 2/3 weeks ahead of their course at this time.
Perhaps there is something to be said for course closures and temporary greens during the winter months…..
You will have noticed areas of GUR, (white circled areas) appearing in various parts of the course, play is prohibited from these areas to give the worn area time to regenerate.
The use of divot bags is starting to decline, if I could ask members to please take a divot bag out one round a week to fill in divots not replaced or removed by birds will help to improve the fairways particularly from 150 yards in.
If anyone has a divot bag forgotten in the boot of their car could they return it to the stand on the first tee, we are running out of bags. Thanks.
Your green committee is actively looking at the bunker situation on the course, we would like to get consistent sand in both quality and depth but restricted finances are making it difficult. If we could ask members who are unfortunate enough to go in a bunker if they could smooth out divot marks and foot prints rather than moving quantities of sand in the bunker. Thank you.
Green staffs are experiencing dangerous encounters from unexpected golf balls, first thing in the morning. Members are starting before their tee times, example booking 0740 and starting at 0650 are catching up green staff before expected. Please stick to your starting time.
At present members are allowed the choice of playing off the white tees, this is causing problems on a few holes, the par 3’s and some par 4 and 5’s where an iron is used to tee off. If you make a divot on the tee please fill the divot from your divot bag. Thanks.
The practice of playing off the back boards will cease immediately for practicing purposes.
The large tree to the left of 8 which crashed down has now mostly been removed by your Chairman with the help of member Marcus Thomas. Thank you Marcus.
There are logs for sale, please contacts The Chairman for price and availability on 07730 370831 Thanks.
The position of Competition Director has now been filled by Stuart Foulkes, immediate Past Captain. Thanks Stuart.
If you have any ideas or suggestion on how we can improve your playing experience at Oswestry Golf Club please let your Green Committee know.
Today 30th May 2024 we had our last visit from STRI, (Soil and Turf Research Institute). We have decided to cease using STRI for two reasons; it has become obvious from their visits that their agronomist is only confirming the procedures the Head Green Keeper is carrying out are correct. Secondly it will save the club £3000 per year.
It was interesting to hear from the agronomist that on all the greens at Oswestry we have a hard core barrier below the surface at 10 cm which is preventing the water from draining and causing the top layer to flood making it soft. Our groundsman machine aerates to a depth of 10cm maximum.
In my first newsletter I said we would be renovating the 4th green this year.
The Head Green Keeper and I have decided that it is better to have eighteen greens aerated to a depth of 30cm using 10mm tines to minimise disruption breaking up this hard core and hopefully improving the drainage of all the greens rather than spend money we don’t really have to improve one green.
This work will be carried out on Wednesday 12th June 2024 followed by top dressing immediately after. This will cause some disruption to the green being worked on.
In June the fairways will be treated with a weed and feed, this will not cause any major disruption to play. The date will be circulated as soon as we know.
Ian Pearce. Course Director. 30.05.24.
Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
