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Tee To Green March

25th March 2026

Find out the latest from our Greenkeepers in this month's Tee to Green.

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The Downs course

March has certainly brought a nice welcome change in conditions, and at last, the Downs Course is beginning to look like a golf course again! After what has felt like an unrelenting spell of wet weather, the recent dry period has allowed surfaces to firm up nicely and given the team a real opportunity to push on.

One of the biggest milestones this month is that the irrigation project is now nearing completion. This has been a major undertaking for the course and the team, and we’re very much on the home straight. In addition, we’ve received permission from Historic England to continue works across holes 11, 12, 13 and 14. This approval has been over six months in the planning, so it’s a huge relief to finally get the green light and keep the momentum going.

You may also have noticed a significant improvement in presentation, particularly on the tees. With the team now hand cutting these surfaces, the visual quality has lifted enormously and really enhances the overall aesthetic of the course.

Looking ahead, we will be commencing our spring maintenance programme on Monday 30th March. This will include scarifying, coring to a depth of 3 inches, applying approximately 70 tonnes of top dressing, along with a general tidy-up across the course. During scarifying, we will be removing built-up thatch from the surfaces, which will significantly improve playability by promoting firmer, truer conditions. While we appreciate this work will have a short-term impact on playability, these practices are essential for long-term surface health, firmness, and consistency - benefits that will be felt throughout the season ahead.

We will also be fertilising the fairways shortly to encourage strong, healthy growth as we move into the main growing season. With the recent improvement in weather, we have been able to return buggies to green status, and we are hopeful that these favourable conditions will continue.

Finally, we would like to thank all members for your continued patience and support while these works are carried out. It is genuinely appreciated by the entire team. We wish you all the very best for the upcoming season and look forward to seeing you out on the course as conditions continue to improve.

Dan Cornish, Head Greenkeeper, The Downs course

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The Park course

After what seemed like nonstop rain for 2 months, Spring has finally arrived. The grass started to grow but ground conditions were slightly too soft to start cutting straight away. It took us a couple of weeks to get everything under control like the fairways and semi rough but now we are seeing good definitions on the course and taking shape for the summer.

As we come out of winter and into spring, we have started our granular fertiliser programs on greens, tees and aprons as we head into another busy golfing season. At this point of the year grass species, especially greens, grow at different speeds. This can impact trueness and speed. The Bents species, loving it, the Poa Annua not so much. With the granular fertilisers we use will promote even growth across the green, giving a much more consistent green. After heavy winter play on the tees, the fertiliser will help recovery and density as we head into the season.

As you may have seen on the course, The Park Masterplan Phase 2 is well under way. Holes 1,2,7,9,10 and 11 are all having some redesign, from bunkers being filled in, new bunkers being added and some just being reshaped into more modern bunkers like we have from Phase 1. As well as new bunkers, reshaping fairways is taking please to incorporate these changes. It will change the dynamic and playing of The Park. We thank you for your patience during the construction process with hole closures, but it will be worth it in the end. All these areas will be turfed and then sprinklers set up to water, so please be careful if retrieving your ball from the GUR area, thank you.

The tree planting has now been completed for this year. This will also enhance the golf course and add character. Please can buggy users stay out of the long grass areas where these trees are planted as we are trying to grow these areas, especially on 3 and 12.

The Copse

The Copse is starting to recover from the winter. All greens and aprons have also been fertilised as well as walk off areas. The whole area from the Short game to Copse is getting busier and busier. Pleasing to see families using the facility and larger groups booking it for the day like the Sussex County Girls squad.

There have been a few changes in the team this month with Sam Enticknap moving from the Downs course and becoming Deputy Head Greenkeeper on The Park. Sam has a wealth of experience having worked at both Sunningdale and The Wisley. Samuel Bell has also joined us as an Assistant Greenkeeper from Chichester. We are delighted to have them both on the team as we move into this exciting time of change on The Park Course.

See you on the course

Scott Peterson, Head Greenkeeper of The Park and Copse Courses

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