? Greens & Course Update 31st July 2026 A huge thank you for all the positive feedback! We are very pleased to hear so many positive comments about our greens, especially considering we’ve been battling through the driest July on record. A special shout-out to everyone who played in the St Ives Salver—the feedback on the playing surfaces was great and much appreciated by the whole team. ?? Greens Maintenance & Upcoming Work Despite the tough, dry conditions, the team has been working hard to keep the putting surfaces running smoothly, and in good condition. This Week: Earlier in the week, we applied high-quality wetting agents and a targeted feed, alongside verticutting, cutting, and rolling. We are continuing to closely monitor and nurse any worn patches as the greens settle. Next Week: We will be carrying out a light tine scarify and top dressing across all greens to help maintain their overall surface quality and health. August Maintenance Update: The hollow coring originally scheduled for August 17th & 18th has been pushed back to the first week of October due to the extreme drought. Instead, we will be carrying out further top dressing during that week in August to protect the turf while avoiding heavy stress. ?? Tree Care: “Summer Branch Drop” You might have noticed we lost a major branch on the beech tree by the 1st hole this week. This is down to a natural phenomenon known as Summer Branch Drop (which you may have seen featured on BBC News recently). During extreme drought, trees pull water directly into their cores to survive, leaving outer branches severely dehydrated and prone to suddenly snapping. Please take extra care when passing under large trees around the course! ? Bunker Conditions & New Rakes The prolonged dry spell has made some of our bunkers extremely tricky: Grass Thickness & Surround Care: We’ve listened to member feedback regarding the thickness of the grass around some of our bunkering and have addressed these areas directly this week. Sand Conditions: The extreme dry heat has turned the sand ultra-fine. Past experience has taught us that topping them up in this weather just creates “dust bowls,” so we are holding off on adding new sand until we get some decent rainfall. Exposed Liners: The drought conditions have also exposed some bunker liners. We’ll be working our way through fixing these over the coming days. The first fairway bunker on the left of the 11th hole is now marked as GUR. You have the option to play the ball as it lies or to take relief under rule 16. The new bunker on the 3rd hole is open! New Rakes On The Way: We’ve ordered some brand-new rakes on a trial basis. These will feature one smooth side (ideal for levelling out the sand and smoothing bunker sides) and one traditional spiked side for raking through deeper footprints. ?? Tee Maintenance 4th, 7th & 15th Tees: Over the coming weeks, we will continue to run fine-misted sprinklers on the 4th, 7th, and 15th tees to help protect them from the scorching heat. These tees will remain open and playable as normal. We kindly ask that members do not move or adjust the sprinklers while playing. Thank you all for your ongoing support and patience as we manage the course through these extreme weather conditions. Your feedback is always welcome—please continue to send any comments directly to the Greens Directors via the office. See you out on the fairways! — Your Greens Team