GOLF
Members tell us the
greens are the finest in thirty years. The more golf we attract the better and Chipstead is a tight, entertaining course with a few hills
”
week, whereas applying it at half rate maintains a constant level in the plant.” Humic and fulvic acid boosters and CMS Shoot add essential nutrients for a vibrant, healthy summer sward.
All the good work is in danger as Chipstead’s golf rounds tally rises - one reason why Sam’s tightened up on traffic management. “Posts and roping off around banks help prevent apron wear and trolley lines,” he says, “whilst buggies aren’t allowed around the greens anymore.” Since the acquisition, the maintenance regime has shifted dramatically. “The strategy is to work around the golf. Every other Monday between April and October we undertake greens maintenance and don’t now need the rolling temporary greens. We’ve agreed a maintenance week in May as well. It was April, but we stay colder longer because the course is higher up.” And the good news just keeps coming. “Members tell us the greens are the finest in thirty years. The more golf we attract the better and Chipstead is a tight, entertaining
We were very happy with what we’ve agreed and Suba and his team are
”
showing trust in us to help them run Chipstead as a business
26 PC December/January 2019
course with a few hills.” “We have our own Amen Corner - the 11th, 12th and 13th long par 3s, with trees, bunkers and thick rough. With six par 3s in total, golfers think they can rip the course to pieces, but they get a shock.” “Green fees have risen markedly, players are signing up as members after their experience here and society days are rising.”
The club has much to offer, Sam maintains. “Chipstead is an affluent area, but that isn’t reflected in the membership profile. We were once a feeder club for clubs like Walton Heath, but not any longer. There’s no social divide. Everyone sits together and chats. Our priority is to increase the numbers playing here and attending functions.”
Soon after acquiring Chipstead, Suba
asked Sam for his wish list. “The dream and the reality were not too far apart,” Sam says. “They have an understanding of how the club can be run sustainably and how the course management function fits within the
overall plan.” “We were very happy with what we’ve agreed and Suba and his team are showing trust in us to help them run Chipstead as a business.”
As a major element of the budget, machinery is high on the list. “The shed holds plenty of Toro, on a five-year lease until 2021. “The electric-drive mowers we have tried from another brand didn’t quite suit the course topography. Hydraulic drive machines are a better option, I find. We’ll be working hard to strike the keenest deal for sure.”
His call for a turf iron greens roller, utility vehicle and an extra cut brush for the Toro tees and aprons mower have been answered, as has his request for an apprentice.
Irrigation issues loom large too. “Summer 2018 saw plenty of hand watering of greens and tees, so replacing the irrigation system, installed in 1984, is on our hit list. We’re looking at the cost of one that supplies tees, greens and aprons.”
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