February was wet. Very wet.
We only had a handful of genuinely dry days, and those didn’t arrive until the back end of the month. It’s been a real test of both the team and the course, but it’s also been a good demonstration of how well Hunley copes with prolonged rainfall.
There’s no hiding from the fact that when conditions become extreme, even we succumb to temporary closures, just like other courses in the area. But what sets this place apart is how quickly it recovers once the weather eases.
And we’ve seen that again over the past couple of weeks.
As soon as we got a break in the weather, the team moved quickly. We’ve been able to:
- Cut all fairways
- Cut surrounds
- Reinstate all bunkers back into play
- Reintroduce buggies onto the course
That turnaround is a credit to both the natural drainage characteristics of the site and the continued investment in how we manage surfaces year-round.
A Different Kind of Winter
Looking at the bigger picture, this winter has actually been quite significant for us.
For over a decade, the team have consistently been delivering major projects, tackling long-term issues, improving infrastructure, reshaping areas and solving problems that have existed for years. While those improvements have been hugely important for the club’s progression, they’ve often meant splitting our time between construction work and day-to-day course preparation.
This winter has been different.
For the first time in many years, we’ve been able to focus solely on preparing the golf course.
By the end of February:
- All machinery is fully serviced and up to speed
- Every mower has had cylinders and blades sharpened
- Equipment is calibrated and ready for the season ahead
That level of preparation puts us in a very strong position heading into spring.
Protecting and Strengthening the Turf
The greens have also received targeted nutrition to strengthen the plant and help it through the winter period. With the course becoming more and more popular each year, wear and tear has been more evident in recent seasons. Supporting plant health during the colder months has been key in helping us minimise that stress.
Roping has also played a big part. The team have been proactive in moving ropes regularly to spread traffic, protect high-wear areas and prevent excessive turf loss. It might seem like a small detail, but managing traffic properly through winter makes a huge difference come spring.
Where we have seen isolated worn or damaged areas, these have been repaired or returfed to ensure we don’t carry problems forward into the main season.
Focused Course Improvements
With the wet month preventing some of our planned tasks, we took the opportunity to address a specific issue on Walkers Gully.
The approach to the green was very narrow, and the ridge just short of the green was extremely steep. This not only made approaching the green with shots difficult but also limited the team’s ability to maintain the left side of the green effectively.
By reducing the ridge and widening the approach, more balls will now run through onto the green, and machinery can move more easily around the left side of the approach. Once the ridge was softened, the whole area was sand-capped and returfed, creating much better conditions all year round in an area that was notoriously wet.
The new Ventrac mower coming this spring will add the finishing touch, allowing us to cut the left bank much higher than ever before. This will reduce lost balls and even allow them to bounce back into play.
The bunker remains in place to ensure a straight shot is still required, offering the golfer a genuine risk/reward decision, lay up or take on the shot.
Planning Ahead: Fox Covert Drainage
Looking forward, we’ve also prepared for future drainage work adjacent to Fox Covert tee. A small low area has been created that will become seasonally wet. Not a pond, but a place to direct water away from playing areas in winter.
Fox Covert walkway is a wet spot in the colder months, and this new low point gives us a perfect outlet to connect future drains.
As many of you know, one of the key strengths of Hunley is the way water naturally filters across the course from wetland to wetland, eventually making its way out to sea. By creating more wetlands out of play, we can manage isolated wet areas more effectively and add drainage where it’s needed most.
These wetlands also provide excellent environments for nature to thrive, further enhancing the ecological value of the course and maintaining Hunley’s reputation as a course that balances playability with the natural environment.
Building Towards March
Now that the course is beginning to dry up, our aim is clear.
We want March to feel as close to in-season, summer conditions as possible, not a slow recovery month.
With machinery ready, surfaces strengthened, winter preparation complete, and focused improvements like Walkers Gully and the Fox Covert drainage prep finished, we’re in a strong position to push on as soon as growth starts to kick in.
The one main area we still need to improve is sand levels in the bunkers. Some are badly contaminated with clay and silt, and others are simply low on sand in places. March will see us work through each bunker, adding new sand, redistributing what’s already there, and returning the few renovated bunkers back into play.
After such a wet February, the way the course has responded is encouraging. We’ll continue to protect it when needed, but we’re excited about what the coming weeks could bring.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Greg
Course Manager
Hunley Golf Club