The new toilets are coming along as scheduled on the Balcomie course

 Last week saw our first real frost of the winter, which meant play was on winter greens on the Craighead course to help protect the full greens

 When we do get frosts its a good time to get on with our gorse management plan over both courses, as the staff are away from the main playing surfaces so not to cause damage

 Another job was to edge/weed the maintenance path at the 18th on the Balcomie course

 Trench work is ongoing

 We have managed to get another application of sand on the Craighead course greens, surrounds and par 3 tees to help dilute thatch and produce a firmer surface

 Aeration to fairways is still ongoing when weather permits to help reduce surface compaction from the summers play and mowing

the 9th green side bunker on the Craighead course is being rebuilt to replace the worn and damaged face

 We applied liquid iron to the Balcomie greens & surrounds to harden the plant up through the winter months

 8th green side bunker on the Balcomie course rebuilt

 Aeration work ongoing to all fairways over both courses

 the new irrigation pipe/duct and water mains pipe installation ongoing, we are covering the pipes with sand so reduce any damage from stones etc to the pipe work

 It's the start of the mid week closures on the Balcomie course for the next 2 weeks, so we have rebuild greenside bunker at 13 and made a start to digging out the 8th greenside bunker ready to be build next week

 All greens & surrounds were slit tined to a depth of 6" then cut then top-dressed to help dilute thatch and produce a firmer surface

 We are continuing to rebuild the 11th wall on the Craighead course

 The edges round the 15th storm hut were edged and weeded to tidy up this area

 13th tee path on the Craighead course was edged and weeded

The trench work across the driving range is still on going and the new irrigation pipe has been getting fusion welded together ready for being laid with the water pipe to the new toilets

 That's the foundations poured for the toilets

 The Green staff are digging a 350metre at 1metre deep trench to supply the new toilet with mains water and at the same time lay a new 4" irrigation mains pipe onto the Balcomie course

 It's the second mid week winter closure on the Craighead course, so we have sprayed greens, surrounds, tees & fairways with soluble iron, plus we had to spray the greens with a fungicide as we had an attack of fusarium

 with the course closed, we took the chance to carry out small repairs to sprinkler heads etc

 We have a demo of the Rotoknife aerator to try on fairways and areas above drainage lines etc, these discs cut into the turf to a depth of 125mm helping relieve compaction and improving drainage

 minimal disturbance from the discs to the playing surface

 John building the new 5th bunker face

 5th bunker completed

4th bunker completed