We entered the environment competition  in 2013 and reached the final selection process again. After a visit by David Lawson the STRI assessor we were COMMENDED for our work  but missed out on the winning categories .
The stormy weather which has brought in more periods of rain and wind did cause some damage especially to our greenhouse with many of the panels being blown out and twisted.

We have continued working on the paths around the clubhouse  and 9th heron  and hawk greens by adding road planings and wacker plating them in to form an improved footpath surface.

While Sean and I discussed the new path area at the foot of the Verandah Craig Raymond one of our assistants suggested that we create a new flower bed in this area, agreeing this was a good idea we have put this in place and called it Raymond's triangle.

The prolonged wet weather has caused problems on a few greens with standing water which was unable to run off the greens, so we have installed gully pots on the edge of the5th and 9th heron greens  and drainage pipes to remove the surface water away 

  back of the 5th heron green

left side of the 9th green Heron

Installing pipe and stone

Finished work

                                            sometimes the sky is blue instead of grey
                            Finally some unusual fungi seen growing on dead wood around the course

Its no surprise that January 2014  was our wettest January since 1998 when our rainfall records began with a total of 130mm during the month.The Met office stated that its been the wettest January since there records began in the South East. This  wet weather has certainly caused some issues especially in the high traffic areas around tees and greens.

heavy rainfall in the car park with not many customers in sight

flooded bunkers

puddles

wash outs on paths

mud on traffic areas

 

hopefully the sun will shine ,the grass will grow and with our turf management programmes  in operation the course condition will change to how we remember  a golf course looking

 

We contacted Thornden Park G.C. who allowed us to dig up some of there Laurel shrubs from out of there woods so that we could plant them to create a screen over our compound area