The Downs Bunker Renovations – The final cut

I am sure you will agree that the work carried out has made a dramatic impact on the course.  The architect, Tom Mackenzie from Mackenzie and Ebert, is delighted how the bunkers have ‘grown in’ and we feel our objectives set out at the beginning of the programme have been achieved.

The Final Cut

The final stage of the bunker remodelling process is for the greens team to begin gradually lowering the heights of cut on and around the new turf areas and start to reshape some approaches and fairway edges.

With the deadline of the 28 April approaching fast, the height of cut on the new turf must be methodically reduced slowly so as not to cause stress to the turf by inadvertently removing too much of the leaf blade at any one time.

People often forget the basic fact that grass is actually a plant, and like all plants, they need to be able to grow leaves which use sunlight to make food for the plant using the biological term photosynthesis. If too much of the leaf blade is removed at any one time the effect can be very serious and the plant's ability to survive significantly reduced.

Having said that, grass is extremely tough and if the cut reduction is monitored and methodical the grass will call upon energy reserves in their roots and grow new leaves and eventually adapt to its new lower height of cut.

Over the coming weeks, I will be using red marker spray to identify the new cut shapes and areas on the course where I need the new turf to be mown to. The green staff team can then mow to these new lines over the next four weeks.

I apologise in advance for the inconvenience of this disruption but assure you that it will only be for the month of April or until all my red marker spray cans have run out! Whichever happens first!

As always, we greatly appreciate your positive feedback for all the work we have done over the last few months and for your continued support and patience while we strive to realise our vision for the golf course.

Thank you and look forward to seeing you on the golf course.

Phil Helmn, Golf At Goodwood Course Manager.