Woodham Golf Club is pleased to announce that a £150,000 investment is to be made in course improvements throughout 2022, with a five year improvement programme under preparation to deliver ongoing enhancements to the golf course. Orders have already been placed to purchase new drainage equipment including trenching equipment, sand/gravel bander together with a further rough cutter and tractor. Delivery of the new equipment is expected in January 2022.
Subject to suitable weather and course conditions, drainage works will initially be carried out to the 5th, 6th and 17th fairways to improve the condition of these particular fairways. We hope this will minimise the need to shorten the 5th and 6th fairways and the closure of the 17th fairway during periods of heavy rainfall and the winter period. Further drainage works will follow during 2022 in the wetter areas of the course, as and when conditions permit, these will be carried out in a manner to minimise disruption to the playing of the golf course. A programme to permit drainage improvement to all areas of the course will form part of the five-year improvement programme.
The additional rough cutter has been purchased to enable a first cut to be created between the fairway and the general rough. The current rough in and around the tree lines, adjacent the fairways, will be cut and mowed shorter, to make it a little easier to find balls that have gone astray.
Erosion control measures will be constructed around the pond edge of the 13th green during the early part of 2022, with materials sympathetic to the location and in a manner which creates a pleasing visual feature to the edge of the green. Orders for the materials have been placed with installation works expected to commence in late January 2022, weather conditions permitting.
As part of the greens improvement programme, the current irrigation system is to be repaired enabling watering to be carried out automatically. This in turn will assist in the improvement of the condition of the greens generally. The sand injection works to the greens, undertaken over the last few years, will continue providing further improvements to the condition of the greens. A sprinkler head replacement programme will be started with a view to complete replacement of all sprinkler heads within three years.
The golf buggies will undergo a full maintenance review during the winter period and appropriate measures taken to improve reliability and appearance. In the longer term a replacement programme for the buggies will be implemented.
None of the works noted above will impact on the routine course maintenance work carried out by the club’s excellent greens staff.
As most members will be aware improvements to the club’s website have been made recently. A web booking system will be added to the website to permit booking by both members and visitors. This will be in place in time for commencement of the new season on 1st April 2022. This addition will supplement the current competition booking system. We believe the above works will offer a golf course with both an improved appearance and enhance the playing conditions of the course.