Dear Golfers,
As the season approaches and more of you begin to migrate your golfing days onto the Forest Pines course, I want to take this opportunity to explain why the course may occasionally be closed due to frost and frozen conditions.
Most of us now understand that if there is frost on the leaf and temperatures are in the negative, the Forest Pines course will be closed. However, one area that some find harder to accept is when the sub-surface is frozen. I have included links to studies that explain in more detail why these decisions have been made historically and why they will continue to be made in the future:
- https://winterturf.umn.edu/evaluating-economic-impact-turfgrass-winter-injury-golf-courses-northern-us-and-canada
- https://winterturf.umn.edu/evaluating-economic-impact-turfgrass-winter-injury-golf-courses-northern-us-and-canada
- https://www.pitchcare.com/blogs/news/frosty-the-no-man?srsltid=AfmBOoqh133DBbD3U5i6kZSSBlH9EAQNwK6fajxPl9cPTkQf2b0hlHfF
- https://www.usga.org/course-care/roots-are-not-elastic-54930.html
By Chengyan Yue, University of Minnesota. A European study has evaluated the economic impact of winter stresses and estimated an average annual cost of $40,000-45,000 per golf course (Kvalbein et al., 2017). winterturf.umn.edu |
The majority of golfers respect and accept the decisions regarding course playability, and I sincerely appreciate the support shown to me and my team. That being said, unfortunately, a small minority seem to believe they know more than the greenkeeping team and frequently voice their complaints in the office. While opinions are always welcome, I kindly ask that they be directed through the appropriate channels. I have previously provided my email address, but here it is again for your reference: . If you have any questions, I am more than happy to explain and help you understand our decisions.
I know the statement above does not reflect the views of the majority. The golfers at the British Army Golf Club Sennelager are truly unique in their love for this course and the care they show for it. As we all start heading towards Forest Pines, I hope you will notice some of the changes we have made in and around the course. We have worked on creating new pathways in certain areas and, while our ability to work on the turf has been limited by the weather, the forecast suggests a milder few weeks ahead. This should allow us to focus on improving the greens, tees, and fairways. We will also revisit the rough areas on Forest Pines. Your feedback on the rough has been noted, and changes will be made to the layout accordingly.
In the creation of our pathways, we have managed to implement an eco-friendly approach by using recycled schotter. In fact, some of the schotter we have been using on the course has come from old, unused stones that were previously lying in the forest—making this a double win as we’ve both cleaned the forest and repurposed the stones. Additionally, the nature fencing we have created along the 5th to 6th and the 12th pathway through the woods has been built using wild cherry. The reason behind this choice is that wild cherry has a fast regrowth rate and a minimal negative impact on the forest ecosystem.
Beyond this, we have also taken steps to support local wildlife by creating beds for hedgehogs and establishing migration pathways for frogs and other small creatures.
Please continue to take care of your course by repairing your pitch marks, raking bunkers, and replacing divots.
Please use the webcam viewing the course open and closed information board before traveling to the course to avoid any disappointment
Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Best regards,
Aidan Lennon
Head Greenkeeper