Greg’s Greenkeeping Blog August 2026

Greg’s Greenkeeping Blog – August 2026

By Greg Fitzmaurice, Course Manager  ·  August 2026

August has continued in the same vein as July — dry, warm and demanding on the irrigation system. A few days of rain mid-month made a noticeable difference to the course and were well timed. Aside from managing the effects of the drought, it has been a fairly routine month for the team, with the focus on maintaining standards across all areas as the season moves towards its final stretch.

With water supply still limited while the new irrigation storage tank connection is completed, the team has had to prioritise carefully. The greens have taken the majority of the available water — at a cutting height of 4-5mm, putting green turf has very little leaf area and almost no capacity to store moisture. Without daily irrigation in hot conditions, heat stress develops quickly and surface quality deteriorates fast.

Elsewhere, water has been applied sparingly where possible to limit turf loss, particularly in the higher traffic areas most vulnerable to the combination of drought and wear. Grass can enter a dormant state during drought — turning brown but remaining alive at the root — and can recover well once moisture returns. That recovery was evident mid-month when the rain arrived, with the course responding quickly as the turf rehydrated and growth resumed.

The greens have played consistently well throughout the summer. Managing moisture on a putting green during a prolonged drought is a careful balance — the rootzone needs to stay moist enough to support the grass plant, but overwatering creates its own problems. A grass plant that receives too much water becomes reliant on that support, developing shallow roots and reduced resilience. Achieving the right balance across 27 greens daily, at a cutting height of 4-5mm, is one of the more demanding aspects of the summer programme.

Soil health plays a significant role in how well a green manages water. A biologically active soil — where organic matter and micro-organisms are present in the right proportions — retains and distributes moisture more efficiently than a compacted or depleted one. The aeration and soil management work carried out over recent years has contributed to the greens holding up as well as they have this summer.

One challenge that comes with late summer conditions is Dollar spot, a fungal disease that becomes active when temperatures are warm and humidity rises — typically the conditions we see in August. It presents as small, bleached, roughly circular patches on the putting surface and can spread quickly if not caught early. We monitor the greens closely at this time of year precisely because early intervention makes all the difference. Our response is to apply iron sulphate, which acidifies the surface and effectively knocks back the fungal activity. The effect is temporary but in most cases sufficient to carry the greens through the period of highest disease pressure. This August we had two outbreaks that required treatment, both of which were identified and addressed promptly before any significant spread occurred.

The fairways have remained in good shape through the dry. Fescue and bent grass species tend to be more drought-tolerant, developing deeper root systems that allow them to access moisture further down in the soil profile. We also benefit from a soil that holds water more efficiently on the fairways, which is a genuine advantage during a prolonged dry spell and has helped surfaces hold their quality longer than might otherwise be expected.

That said, during an extended drought our ability to prevent issues entirely is limited. Water supply, turf stress and the sheer scale of the course mean that some impact is inevitable. Because of that, the approach has to be twofold — building resilience into the turf so it can withstand pressure for as long as possible, while also planning for recovery once conditions improve. Managing a drought well is as much about how quickly you can bring a surface back as it is about how long you can hold it.

The tees have coped better this year than last. Tee surfaces carry concentrated wear in a relatively small area, and in dry conditions that wear accumulates quickly. The preparation work done in spring — fertilising, overseeding and the use of protective mats on the par 3s through the colder months — has given the tees a better base to work from, and it has shown through the summer.

It is worth noting that how turf performs in difficult conditions is largely determined by its condition going into those conditions. Grass that is well-rooted and nutritionally sound will cope with drought far better than a surface that has been neglected, regardless of how much water is applied. That principle underpins the approach taken through the year.

The rough has been in good condition this summer. Cut and collect has been part of the management programme for many years, carried out predominantly in autumn but with additional cuts mid-season where conditions and resources allow. Rather than cutting regularly and leaving the arisings on the surface — which returns nutrients and builds vigour — removing the material gradually reduces the fertility of the soil over time, weakening the more aggressive species and allowing finer grasses to establish. The difference between a rough managed this way and one that is simply cut and left is significant, and it takes time to achieve. The quality of the fringing areas this summer is a reflection of that long-term commitment.

The bunkers have been the most challenging area to manage through the summer. Hard-baked sand has been a widespread issue nationally during the drought — conversations within greenkeeping networks confirm it has affected the majority of courses, with only those with significantly larger resources and staffing levels able to manage it more effectively.

As the sand dries out, fine particles and organic matter bind at the surface and form a crust that hardens in the heat. In a typical British summer this does not develop significantly, but in an extended dry spell it becomes difficult to prevent. It is also worth noting that bunkers are hazards — designed to be difficult. There is a reasonable argument that firm, testing bunker conditions are doing what a hazard is supposed to do. When rain returned mid-month the sand softened quickly and conditions improved, as they tend to once moisture is restored.

September is another busy month, with lots of visitors booked in at a popular time of year. Attention will need to address any areas where the drought has left its mark. At Hunley we get an extended season due to our location and the nature of the course avoiding the issues with leaves that many inland courses suffer. The pace of the season eases slightly too as growth begins to slow and that gives the team the opportunity to really refine the course.

Thank you for your patience and support through what has been a demanding but also excellent summer for golf.