Welcome to the Sandfield Pitch and Putt #1 course update for 2022. It has been a long wet winter since we were forced to close early due to waterlogging in September. The course has remained heavily waterlogged right up to the middle of March making difficult to get anything done and that combined with the sad absence of Tom who we hoped would guide us through our first winter it has proved a very testing time. We are hoping to start some major drainage work on Lough Beg and the land drain that runs from Morgan’s Lough to the R261 that will hopefully take away the water when we get heavy spells of rain.
Course Damage
Between the waterlogging, leatherjacks and birds digging up the greens and surrounds we are working to get the course in a decent condition to be able to open on Good Friday. Unfortunately the 10th 12th and 18th greens are the worst affected with 12th Green very badly damaged to the point of half the green needing to be re-seeded. Grass cutting of the fairways using the light mower has started and the greens have had their first cut since September along with the dreaded strimming around the Tees and banks!
Bird Damage 
More Bird Damage 
12th Green
Clearing some of the Whin Bushes
One of our aims is to reduce the number of Whin Bushes on the course over time, especially the older ones, and replace with Rhododendrons and other flowering bushes to add more colour to the course and more importantly to hopefully help reduce the level of lost Golf Balls. This work has started on Holes 4 and 11.as seen in the photos below.
11th Hole Before 
11th Hole During 
11th Hole After
Course Readiness Status
So to wrap up the #1 Course Update we think the current course readiness status is 60% as this point. Lots more to do but looking forward to getting open, weather permitting!