Practice Area - Access Road

We have now completed the upgrading of the first forty-meter section of the practice ground access roadway.

Recycled railway sleepers have been used to form a kerb edge along the roadway, which should help prevent washout of the surface and ultimately reduce wastage.

The surface has been dressed with a 100% recycled material called Ultitrec.
Ultitrec contains recycled asphalt, concrete, inert construction & demolition waste, natural and artificial aggregate, bricks, sand, ceramics and glass. Because the material has a wide range of particle sizes and shape (20mm down to dust), it packs down well and when rolled, produces a reasonably smooth surface.

The roadside bankings have been built up with excavated soil and spoil from this winter's drainage works on hole 12. It is our intention to seed these bankings in the spring with a wildflower seed mixture.

Some pictures of our progress

Excavating trench for railway sleeper kerb edge.

One of three kerbs that will be installed to divert surface water off the roadway 

Surface dressing applied

Looking back down the access roadway

Practice Nets

The practice nets beside the practice putting green have been receiving an makeover today. The rubber crumb base has been power washed, the bay enclosure netting and baffle nets have been replaced and new mats have been installed.

Tomorrow we will be removing some of the surrounding undergrowth and pruning back some of the low and overhanging branches. Hopefully, this will this allow a little more daylight into this rather gloomy area.

Power washing the rubber crumb base

Makeover completed

5th Green Re-Opens

Our tree surgeons felled the uprooted beech tree behind the 5th green today.

The tree surgeon attaching a pull-rope, which is used to tug the tree in the desired direction of fall

A second rope is being attached at right-angles to the direction of fall to help prevent the tree twisting and falling over the 5th green.

Something we didn't expect - massive decay through the centre of the tree

Tree Planting

This week we have been busy planting a number of young deciduous trees, on both courses.
Most of the trees are direct replacements for trees that have been removed because of disease, decay or storm damage. Others have been planted as long-term replacements for trees that only have a very limited life span remaining.

The trees that have been planted are all native and are of small leaf size, which should not only help to minimise leaf collection and removal operations but reduce lost golf balls. 

Some of the Oaks that have been planted between the 1st & 18th fairways

Oaks being planted on the left-hand side of the 14th fairway

Green Closed on Hole 5

Due to safety reasons we have a short temporary green in play on hole 5. This is because a mature Beech tree has been uprooted and is lying in a dangerous position close to the main green. 

We have contacted our tree surgeons but unfortunately it may be a few days before they can attend and make the tree safe. 

Heading in the direction of the 5th green

The 35 mt Beech tree uprooted

 We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but I am sure you will agree the safety of players and staff is paramount.

Update to follow. 

Course Update February 2015

Despite the adverse weather and difficult ground conditions we have had an extremely productive period.

Out on the courses we have been busy with a number of scrub and woodland projects. We have also felled and burnt a number of Elm trees that had been identified by Edinburgh Council as infected with Dutch Elm Disease. The diseased Elms have been removed to prevent the spread of the disease and to minimise risks to public safety.

The right-hand green-side bunker at the 12th green has now been re-positioned and new drainage installed. When ground conditions improve the final shaping and grading works will be completed and the bunker and surrounding area made ready for turfing.

We have also been repairing and rebuilding some of the collapsed boundary walls on the course and are at present tidying and resurfacing some of the paths and walkways.

At the halfway house we have finished landscaping the area between the facility and the 16th tee and are at present erecting more fencing to screen the patio area.

To ensure that the course, balcony and halfway house benches and tables are in the best possible condition for the new season they have all been power washed, sanded down, re-furbished and received several wood treatments.

In the workshop, the maintenance and servicing of our extensive range of machinery and equipment continues. Regular in-house servicing not only improves reliability and performance but also improves longevity and keeps residual values of machines high for trading in.

Tee furniture, flag pins, hole cups and all other course accessories are being prepped and made ready for repainting, to ensure they are in pristine condition for the start of the new playing season.  The welfare facilities walls and woodwork have also been washed down and are now at present being painted.

Some pictures that have been taken recently:

12th Green-side bunker re-positioned

Course Closed

Recently refurbished bench at the 13th tee, looking like new

Upgraded pathway to the 17th tee

Screening the halfway house patio area from the 10th teeing grounds

Installing recycled sleepers to form a curb edge on roadway to quarry practice ground