The Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort

Captain's Log

CAPTAIN: James Mcginty Sutherland

With the season well underway the past month has shown that summer is not just a figment of our imagination here in Scotland. We always have a tough start to the season with our March & April Temperatures which can affect growth and this was even truer with how high up the course sits here.

We would like to thank all the Green Staff for their efforts over the past two months as the course has come on leaps and bounds since April and I would say it is in as good condition now as it has ever been in the last 10 years. We have thick growth on the fairways and greens and the definition is clearly visible, which is something that we have always struggled with. A combination of kind weather and hard work is taking Westerwood to where it should be and we look forward to our new holes opening next year to enhance it even more.

A big thank you goes out to all members who have contributed to our nominated Charities of The Scottish Spinabifida Association and The St. Andrews Hospice. With our Opening Day, Quiz Nights and Captains Scramble we have raised nearly £1,000. Every little bit helps these charities and through the year and we can continue to support them with your help. Let’s see if we can reach £2000 by the end of the season!

Remember, if you haven’t already registered to use the online booking system and are not sure how to do this, contact one of the Golf Staff who will enable you to do this. By booking online you don’t need to wait until the shop is open to book a tee time and you can also check to see what time you are playing for competitions. This also gives us a note of your email address which means we can keep you up to date on what’s new and happening.

Let’s enjoy the season and get those handicaps down!

Greenkeeper's Log: Thomas Sutherland

April saw some better weather this year than we have had in previous years which has allowed us to keep more on top of things with a chance to cut more without damaging turf. All Greens, Tees & Fairways were fertilised so we all saw a marked difference in growth from the start of May.

Presently we are cutting greens at 4mm, fringes and tees at 12mm, fairways at 14mm and the semi-rough at 25mm which has given us greater definition in all areas. We need to continue cutting on a daily basis to keep on top of the growth as cutting and area like the rough for the whole course can take up to two days so this is a big part of summer maintenance.

The Greens were not lowered too much during May as cutting them too short would have only risked losing them, especially with the East wind we had. We had to top dress in May which smoothed out the bumps and cover the holes. This was another reason for not going too short as they would have burnt with some of the warmer weather towards the end of the month. Once this was done we used a vibrating roller to spread the top dress and this saw a vast improvement in how the ball rolls on the surface.

We have created some new paths on the 1st, 5th & 7th tees using rubber matting which in time will allow grass to grow through it. This has also been done on the Bridge near the 18th green to allow growth and prevent damage. It is important these paths complement areas surrounding them which is the main reason for roping off these areas with an aim to create a more professional finish.

All ruts and damaged areas of fairway have been filled in and marked as GUR. These areas should not take long to repair themselves as the temperature has improved. All golfers are reminded that if your ball lands in one of these marked areas you should take relief and not play as it lies as damaging these areas will only take longer for them to heal. We recently saw some damage done to the 11th green due to vandalism but thankfully this has now healed itself.

We will be over seeding and topdressing again shortly which should do us until the end of the season. The greens will quicken up a little and surfaces will continue to improve.

I know there may have been some confusion at the 13th hole as to the hazard on the right regarding GUR, but as of now the area will be in play along with the hazard. Any GUR in this area will otherwise be marked.

Thank you all for your support.