Course Update - 23 March 2026
As many of you will have noticed, our herbicide application programme is now well underway. Tees and selected turf areas have taken on a white appearance, which can be quite confronting, but this is a positive sign that the product is working effectively. It has also highlighted the extent of unwanted grass species that have established in these surfaces. These areas will unfortunately remain discoloured for a few more weeks.
Some areas will require a second application to ensure an optimal level of control. As a result, certain tees—particularly those with higher populations of kikuyu or couch (such as the 13th tee and 6th black tee)—may experience some temporary loss of turf cover. Each tee will be assessed individually to determine whether reseeding is required or if natural recovery will occur. Please be assured that all areas will be restored to a high standard in due course.
You may also notice that some approaches and collars around the greens are looking stressed. This is due to targeted applications aimed at reducing ryegrass and promoting our preferred browntop species.
Why are we removing ryegrass? While it can appear similar, ryegrass behaves very differently to browntop. This is especially noticeable during the winter months, where ryegrass grows at different rates and creates an inconsistent playing surface. Our goal is to have approaches and collars performing to the same standard as our greens.
While it is encouraging to see the ryegrass declining, some of the browntop has also been affected. This is expected, and we will now take a careful approach to support recovery. We ask that you please do your best to keep traffic off these areas where possible to help achieve the best results.
In areas where ryegrass was dominant, we anticipate significant turf loss and plan to re-turf these sections once the herbicide cycle is complete. Other areas with lighter infestation will recover naturally as the desired species re-establish.
Attached are photos of the 18th and 6th green collars, both of which were heavily dominated by ryegrass. The browning visible is the ryegrass declining as intended. These areas will be replaced with new turf at the appropriate time.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
 
Ben Simons
Course Superintendent
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