It's been a hectic time to start the New Year with high player numbers making it difficult to get our work done in amongst it all but the courses are drawing lots of good comments from the visitors which is nice.

 

It is stating the obvious to say that we need some rain and the one weather record that I don't really want to set is for the lowest ever January rainfall which is what we are heading towards.  What a difference 12 months makes with last year virtually inundating us to this year with the driest conditions I have now seen in my 13 years.  The irrigation system is stretched to its limit and can't really keep up in the hot dry conditions we are experiencing.

 

That situation wasn't helped when a malfunction at the Council treatment plant this week meant I lost a day and a halfs water supply which is certainly not what was needed.  Players today would have seen the staff hand watering tees which was done to not waste any with overspray.  Hopefully the wind will ease tonight and some of the irrigation will actually hit the ground.

 

The only upside of the lack of rain is that the roughs haven't started the normal summer growth although the number of leaves on the ground still make it hard to find balls.

 

The green surrounds on both courses were sprayed for some weed control over the past two days which will result in some temporary dis-coloration.