Course Closure

Q. Why is it that the course is sometimes closed in frosty conditions and not others?

A. Playing on a frosty surface does not have any long term effects on the surface all the time it is frozen. The one time when there is a problem of severe damage is when there has been a prolonged frost which has penetrated below the surface. As the frost starts to thaw from the top the underneath remains frozen. Feet walking over the surface under these conditions will cause the roots to be sheared off causing severe damage. Because of the fracturing effect of frost the ground becomes very soft and liable to severe surface disruption as it thaws. What also has to be remembered is the fact that not all of the course will thaw out at the same rate. Shaded places will take a lot longer so if for instance the 18th green has thawed out the 6th may well not have. (07/01/2009)

Q: Why is it that some times the West Course is closed but the Old remains open?

A: Size is quite a large factor. The putting surfaces, the tees and the fairways on the Old are double the area of the West, so it is much easier to spread wear. The Old naturally drains better than the West for many reasons.

One huge factor is that the West from hole 7 through to hole 16 is the site of a WW1 army training camp which had 3000 troops stationed upon it. With their respective horses it became churned up for the 4 years they were on it. When the army left the site in 1919 they merely levelled out what was there, leaving concrete, footings and old broken drains buried below. All soil structure was destroyed along with any natural drainage.

Another consideration is the fact that the West was built on a very small budget and for 25 years was completely abandoned whereas the Old was still having improvements and maintenance. To drain the West would be a very expensive operation but something that will be undertaken when funds permit.

Q. Why is it necessary for the course to be closed in very wet weather?

A. When very wet all the soil particles become mobile i.e. the water acts as a lubricant allowing them to slide over one another. When the ground becomes saturated feet push down the turf into the soil. Very soon the soil has worked its way on top of the turf and the turf dies. Remember it is the roots that bind the soil together so all sorts of erosion problems are caused. Surface levels are easily damaged causing greens to become bumpy. The surface can become very smeared which in turn has a very detrimental effect on water draining from the surface.

Different areas are affected in different ways depending on the clay content of the soil, which can vary greatly from one area to another. In the winter months very little if any water is being taken up by the roots so that it takes less rain to cause a problem than it would in the drier summer months.