A question and answer session with Matt Manning, Managing Director of Stoke by Nayland Resort

We have already passed the shortest day of the year and are well and truly into the winter season now, so we took some time out to catch up with Matt to hear about some of the work which has been going on and some projects which will be starting soon to maintain our golf courses over the next few months.

Q. The biggest single project this winter has been the introduction of the new Orange and Purple tees on Gainsborough. What was the thinking behind this?
A. “Strategically, for some time now we have been aiming towards presenting both of our courses in the best possible condition between the months of April and October which is the main golfing season for us here at Stoke.
“But we have found it difficult to keep playing through the winter and fight against the weather and the foot traffic and their combined effects on tee boxes and the approaches to the greens.
“So earlier this year we took the decision to invest time and money into creating a new winter course, if you like, to give us the best chance of preserving play over the winter but emerging in the spring with the course in the best possible condition”.
Q. What obstacles had to be overcome and how did you manage them?
A. “The main objective was to build new artificial tee boxes well away from the existing grass tees so that we had the opportunity to aerate them, cultivate them and protect them over the worst months of the year.
“That meant identifying the right spots, guiding golfers away from the existing tees and then sourcing the right material for the mats, enough sleepers to build the boxes and then planning in the construction.
“Of course, it also meant that as we were altering the distances on pretty much every hole, if we wanted the new tees to be qualifying we had to have the course rated. This normally takes a long time, but with the help of Ian McKay we were able to get this through England Golf much faster than normal.
“I think we went from idea to implementation in under three months at a cost of something approaching £20,000”.
Q. How will you maintain the new tee boxes?
“Every morning the greenskeeping team are using blowers on the tees to clear most of the debris. We can already see that golfers shoes are taking mud and dirt on to the mats and, when possible, we will jet wash them as a way of keeping them clean and in good condition”.
Q. As well as the tees, you have roped off the approaches to the Gainsborough greens. How has this worked out so far?
A. “The decision to rope off the approaches had to be taken in conjunction with the new tees because otherwise we would have come out of the winter with well maintained tee boxes, but the usual damage from shoes, trollies and even buggies in come cases leading up to the greens.
“We can already see, after just a few weeks, that the ropes are having a beneficial effect and both members and commercial golfers are adapting to them.
“We are, however, continuing to see members and visitors, taking trollies down the middle of fairways which is disappointing, and I would again ask that players help us to help the course, and when we ask for trollies to be kept to paths or rough then we are doing so for the best of reasons and would hope players will comply”.
Q. With these early benefits, are you now considering the same approaches to Constable?
A. “We are already too far into the winter to attempt the same work on Constable this year, although we might start roping off some areas over the next few weeks as a first step.
“But I think it is likely that we will create a new winter course on Constable this time next year to achieve the same benefits as we will undoubtedly see on Gainsborough next spring”.
Q. What is happening on the approach to the 13th Gainsborough green?
A. “For some years now the approach on 13, what was the original green, has become very, very wet under the surface. This is because of a poor drainage issue there, and in recent times it has become so bad that it is like walking on a magic carpet.
“What we discovered when we dug down is that the drainage within this area is blocked and, in some cases, due to ground movement, going uphill! Additionally, the turf itself has a deep layer of thatch which has become saturated, with no way for the water to drain away.
“We are currently installing new drainage through the approach to join up with the main drainage running down the side of the 11th hole and into the reservoir. This should resolve the problem and make playing that approach much better. At some point we will need to address the thatch levels within the turf”.
Q. What other work is in the pipeline this winter?
A. “Members will recall the major tree work we did earlier in the year alongside Gainsborough 14th and 15th holes. This was part of our ongoing work with The Dedham Vale Landscape Enhancement Group & Stour Valley Cluster.
“We are part of The Stour Valley Cluster, which is a group of landowners who are working collectively to manage the landscape productively and in a way that is good for the environment and biodiversity.
“Removing non-native species such as the huge Leylandii trees and replacing with native species such as Oak, Beech or Scots Pine will be better for our estate overall and will give a better airflow through the golf courses.
“In the next few weeks, all the Leylandii trees which line the entrance driveway will be taken out, along with most of the Leylandii along the 8th Gainsborough fairway between the course and the driving range – although we will keep some in place for safety reasons for now. The Leylandii between the 7th green and the 8th white tee box will also come out”.
Q. And all of this is in addition to routine winter maintenance?
A. “Yes, our team will carry on with path repairs, pruning of trees, cutting back hedgerows and the general care of fairways and greens that we have to do in all weathers.
“But by the time April comes round, I think everyone will see the benefits with the courses set up for the new season”.

If you have any observations or questions on the courses and the winter project work, please, in the first instance, email them to Harry Hibbert on harry.hibbert@stokebynayland.com