We have spaces available on Saturday for the Team Competition 2 best from 4 if any of you would like to play. Please give us a call if you are available. This is the last of the Shotgun starts so booking for the next competition on Sunday morning will be back to normal times.

I hope you are all now used to the slight change in course order which will hopefully improve the area around the 1st green & 2nd tee. This week the Greenstaff have started work on the area in front of the 14th tee so if any of us hit it left we can see where it's gone and also see the practice chipping green.

Ladies Results for the Treble Five Stableford:

Winners: Margaret Page, Deirdre Watson, Carol Gunn with 50 Points on countback
Runners Up: Lady Captain, Gill Arthur, Kath Bartley also with 50 Points

We now have a great selection of Titleist, Callaway & Motocaddy Bags, FootJoy shoes & the new range of Odyssey putters in the shop which have all come in recently.

Before Christmas we got some FootJoy club logo shirts in, which went well so new stocks have just arrived with some additional colours and the new clothing ranges for this year will come in over the coming weeks.

W/C 26/01/2015

I thought it would be useful to give an up-date on the work in progress for the rest of winter.

We have finished cutting at the back of the sixth for now. We shall remove the stumps and tidy the whole area. We plan to remove the remaining scotch pines but only after, we have planted and allowed to mature a little, new trees e.g. Rowan, Field Maple or other lower growing trees to allow for sunlight and optimum airflow to reach the green.

It is fair to say that the legacy of scotch pines around greens and tees is not a good one! They are too tall and have not been managed effectively. So we shall continue to remove many more over the years ahead. We shall under-plant with appropriate species more suited to a parkland course and as directed by STRI and our Ecology Committee.

We are presently clearing trees and scrub from the bog to front left of 14th tee - this will provide a line of sight to the chipping green. I appreciate the point of view that it also opens a path for golf balls to pass towards the chipping green, but on balance, it is safer to be able to see activity on and around the chipping green. We shall then try to find the drain outlet into this bog to establish whether it is still viable.

Other projects are; clearing trees to the rear of the 13th tee in preparation for the rebuilding of that tee next winter. Following discussion with our colleagues on the "Golf and Handicaps Committee", we shall remove the left hand poplar to the right side of the 15th fairway on the ditch line.

These poplars are approaching the end of their life. During the STRI Ecology visit, we discussed the planting of at least four trees, possibly two oaks and two alder on the greens side of the poplars so as to ensure these trees grow in a protected manner. This will be pursued in Autumn.

All of this work is to be finished by the end of February. We have a long list of items to be addressed in readiness for the new season.

I realise that tree removal is an emotive issue, but I assure you it is all part of a much longer term plan to improve the trees across the course. It is a very big job and will take years to complete.

Looking forward to some better weather.

Rod Backhouse
Chairman of Greens Committee.