Recent comments

Following the recent micro-tining & top-dressing and the resulting negative comments, I thought they deserved a reply.
The greens have been slow to improve this year due to the really late spring and low temperatures. We are not the only courses which have been affected, as even many of the coastal links courses are behind their normal recovery rates.
The perception that all we have to do is cut the greens for them to have good surfaces is wrong. Mowing helps a great deal, but is always carried out in conjunction with rolling, verti-cutting, aeration and top-dressing. The more you cut and roll the more remedial work you have to carry out. St. Annes Old links were today deep tining their greens to a depth of 250 mm!
If you copy & paste the link below you will be able to read our Agronomists (Robert Laycock) report from May this year.

http://www.mangc.co.uk/Laycock%20Report%20May%202013.pdf

The comment about "20 years of talk about Bent & Fescues has come to nothing" is also incorrect. 10 years ago there were no fine grasses in the greens at Hopwood. Now some of our greens have over 50%. The issue in the spring is that the weedy Poa Annua is slow to recover from the winter, while the finer species recover quickly. It is the Poa that causes the uneven surfaces.

On Sunday morning before the Hulbert Trophy the course was saturated following heavy overnight rain. The greens were dry and free from puddles allowing us to mow and prepare the course for the comp. The reason for this was the micro-tining we carried out the week before allowing the water to pass through the soil profile quickly.

Following the very wet year last year, the rough grew very thick and caused problems in the playability of the course. Problem areas were identified and the rough was cut back. These area have been continued to be cut this year, with a lot of extra width on the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 10th, 14th, 15th & 17th holes. More work is being carried out at the moment to thin out any other problem areas and it is hoped to keep these area down through the season.
I can understand members frustrations with lost balls and slow play, but modern technology in golf tends to concentrate on distance and not accuracy.

As for the comment that the course is in "poor condition", this I cannot accept and I know of many members & visitors who have expressed their pleasure in enjoying the Hopwood experience.

Congratulations Ken on winning Captains 4th round last Saturday with a 67!