The courses are OPEN!

Both courses have opened this morning after a 9.0am review.

Ground conditions remain hazardous in places and some snow and ice-cover lingers across many playing surfaces.

All the Pam Barton course is set-up off forward tees to target pins in safe areas short of the main greens.  The front-nine of the JHTaylor course is set-up in a similar fashion and the back-nine are playing to the frost greens.

The ground conditions dictate that manual pull-trolleys only will be allowed until further notice.

At this sensitive time of year, the greenkeepers' care of the course needs to be closely supported with the golfers care of the course and robust self-policing of members by members to guard against turf conditions deteriorating. 

To ensure that the playing surfaces are receptive to both course renovations at the end of this month and Spring Meeting preparations later in the year, it is vitally important that all traffic is scattered responsibly around the courses as the ground starts to thaw.

The ground is currently frozen down to 4-6 inches.  As the top 1-inch starts to thaw it will float and tear away from the underlying frozen ground if golf-traffic movements are inconsiderate.  This will damage the roots and can potentially leave sensitive areas of turf scuffed and scarred moving into the mid-spring.     

http://www.usga.org/course_care/articles/other/winter_play/Playing-Par-with-Jack-Frost/