Sand Stripping

As part of the 5 year ecology report recently submitted by the STRI work has begun on stripping the rank vegetation from areas in the rough. The plan here is to scrape away the grasses and underlying soil to reveal clean sand. The soil/grasses are buried deep in the hole and covered with clean sand to a depth of 750mm. The bare sand area is then left as it is for the natural plants and fine grasses to colonise it over the next 7-10 years. Weed seeds will not germinate in the sand which will allow the finer Fescue grassses to establish over the coming years. This has been trialled at several courses and has proved very succesful. These areas are now integral parts of the course and a ball should be played as it lies from the sandy area. These areas at 7/8 and the 12th holes are the first to be done and we will monitor how they develop over the coming months. The area at the left of the 12th fairway was covered in rushes and very penal if a ball landed in them but now a ball will be found and can be played from the sandy area.