Oswestry Golf Club
Greens Update July 24
After losing Gareth Jones we have another member of the Green Staff resign.
This leaves the club with three full time green staff.
I want to say a big Thank You to Gary Barnfield, Oswestry’s Head Green Keeper, Richard Peate and Johl Barnfield Assistant Green Keepers. Running the course with three green keepers is a mammoth task. These lads are giving their all to keep the course in the excellent condition you all expect.
A quiet Thank You would be greatly appreciated.
Garry’s son Josh who worked on the course before has volunteered to come in weekends; this allows a member of staff to have at least one day off a week.
Programmed work will continue with volunteers helping with cutting, Scott Harris is coming in twice a week to rake bunkers. Thanks Scott.
Neil Jones Estate Director has volunteered to give us two days a week. Thanks Neil
We have advertised for an unqualified green keeper to join the Green Staff on a permanent basis. If anyone is interested please apply, the advert is on The Club Face Book page.
Thank you to all the members who have offered their assistance to help on the course. We have it covered for the moment. Thank you.
On Wednesday 3rd July the fairways were sprayed with a weed and feed, this is an annual event. Unfortunately following the spraying we had a few sunny days which caused the fairways to burn off, this is nothing to worry about, and a few days rain and they will be back to normal.
Monday 12th Of August 2024 is Greens week. The course will be closed on Monday all day. Tuesday morning closed hopefully open at 10am. Wednesday closed until 10am. Please checks to make sure you are aware of course closure times.
If members could replace divots, repair pitch marks and where possible take out a divot bag this would help. Thanks.
Keeping to designated paths as directed will keep footfall to a minimum on in play areas.
Can I remind members we do not take trolleys between the green and green side bunkers? We do not take trolleys under any circumstances across greens and tees. Using the practice putting area and first tee to travel to the 8th tee must stop please.
Can members stop taking the ball out of the hole using the flag pole and stop using their putter to retrieve the ball from the hole? Thank you.
There are a number of worn areas on the course; far too many to white line, most caused by heavy traffic, if members could avoid worn areas and vary their route from greens to tees, tees to fairways and around the greens this would help enormously. Thanks.
We have a GUR area back right of the 3rd green. This is a very heavy traffic area, if golfers could travel to the 4th tee via the left side of the 3rd green this would help to reduce foot fall. Thanks.
The Chairman has started a project to refurbish all the wooden Tee Markers. This is a mammoth undertaking for one person, he has completed eight, it takes between four and five hours to refurbish one marker. If any member is willing to help can they contact The Chairman on 07730 370381. Your help will be gratefully appreciated.
Your Green Committee meet monthly, if you have any ideas or suggestions on how we can improve your playing experience at Oswestry Golf Club please let me know, Thanks.
Our ALS contractors have purchased a sand banding machine which they trialled on the practice area Tuesday 16th July. (Those are the marks in the middle of the practice area).
In brief a sand banding machine is pulled behind a tractor; it has a number of rotating disks which makes channels in the ground to a depth of 10”, sand is then run into the channels. The channels allow water to make its way through the earth to the drains and assist in drying the ground.
Gary has a very good working relationship with ALS and is in the process of persuading them to demonstrate their machine to other green keepers later in the year. Hopefully on our 10th fairway. If we provide the sand they may just cover the 10th wettest areas.
For members who are interested, we had 3394 rounds of golf played at Oswestry during June 2024. The majority of these rounds were before 2pm.
Ian Pearce
Course Director.
28.07.2024
Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
