The playing of the, 'Phoenix Trophy,' and the, 'Mothers and Daughters,' benchmarks the start of the golfing season at Royal Mid-Surrey.
Marquee-events come quickly after these early season events and, 'The Portuguese Ambassador's Trophy,' at the end of the month is soon followed by three weeks of Spring Meetings.
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| view off the Pam Barton 2nd-tee |
The Pam Barton course is now recovered from the early-March greens renovations.
There will be no further activities with heavy machinery before the end of the summer - but occasional, light, dusting topdressing operations will maintain smooth, true and medium-paced surfaces.
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| view of the Pam Barton 8th |
The priority for the greenkeepers this year is to maintain consistently conditioned greens with no peaks and troughs in the pace we deliver.
To achieve this we must maintain robust and true surfaces. Routine monthly topdressing activities will smooth out surfaces pitted from scuffs and scars from golf-traffic and unrepaired pitchmarks.
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| Pam Barton 11th-fairway |
The recent Mothers and Daughters competition of April 12th has set the tone for the rest of the year. There was plenty of evidence across the course that course-conditions are on the cusp of flourishing.
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| view from behind the Pam Barton 1st-green |
Essential greenkeeping activities are now becoming more routine as the weather and ground conditions improve moving into May.
There is evidence of sustained growth across most surfaces but without any supporting April-showers there is not quite the vigour yet to cut striking definition between the semi-rough, the primary rough and the eco-rough.
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| Pam Barton 4th hole |
Deputy Head Greenkeeper, Harry Cannon micro-manages daily activities on the Pam Barton course.
He is supported by the Course Manager's office with strategy, engagement and communication.
Harry regularly consults with RMS Professional Matthew Paget in golf and rules matters to ensure that the minutiae of turf-management operations and course set-up activities keep the Pam Barton course usable and relevant for all standards of golf.
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| Pam Barton 11th-green and surrounds |
The heights of cut across all golf-play areas are now set-up for the season.
The putting surfaces are cut at 2.5mm. It is anticipated that this height-of-cut allied with our,
- chemical armoury
- TruTurf-roller
- turf-groomers
- turf-brushes
- sand
- steel-dragmatt
- and irrigation system . .
. . . will conspire to produce robust and smooth surfaces ordinarily at just under 10-feet quick.
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| view from behind the Pam Barton 9th green |
The Pam Barton course will be set-up this year to best define it as a course which demands a golfing strategy.
Golfers will not be encouraged to stand on every tee, loosen their shoe-laces, open the shoulders and swing like they're trying to kill a snake in a phonebox.
The management of the rough will promote discipline and accuracy off the tee.
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| Pam Barton 12th |
The Pam Barton course is maintained with four full-time staff. Consequently this team are extremely grateful for any help and support they can get with the care of the course.
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| In the Pam Barton 18th fairway |
Essential course etiquette demands that golfers will not pull trolleys up onto teeing platforms or in-between greens and greenside bunkers; divots are repaired on the tee, divots are replaced in the fairway, bunkers are raked, pitchmarks are repaired and all litter is placed in the litter bins provided.
The members attempts at The Captain's, 'Drive to Improve,' initiative are greatly appreciated by the greenstaff.
