Fairway Focus
Prioritising a Permanent Fix on the 5th/14th Fairway
Dear Members,
We’re writing to give you a full update on the vital work on the 5th fairway. The land-raising project is essential to finally solve the debilitating winter flooding that has made the hole unplayable for months at a time. While the project is moving forward, we’ve made some key adjustments to the schedule to guarantee the final quality of the fairway.
We must acknowledge that, due to these vital quality measures, it is very unfortunate that we must delay the opening date of the fairway. We are truly sorry for the extended wait, but we guarantee we will do our best to ensure it is open as soon as possible, without compromising the long-term success of the work.
A Quality Commitment: Why We Are Adjusting the Timeline
The heavy groundwork—bringing in fill material and building the new contours—has gone well in many areas. However, recent heavy rain has slowed work considerably, and, critically, it has made sourcing and laying the high-quality topsoil needed for the final surface extremely difficult.
This led to a crucial decision based on expert advice: we are pushing back the final seeding date to ensure a quality, durable playing surface.
We met with our specialist grass seeding contractors, AMS Contracting, who advised that rushing to finish and seed by an ambitious target like April would likely result in a poor, weak turf that wouldn't hold up under play.
The New Plan for a Perfect Fairway:
To avoid this risk, we are investing the extra time now to do the job right. The experts have identified essential steps that must happen before we lay the seed:
Installing Proper Drainage: Because the new fill material is not naturally free-draining, we must install a comprehensive drainage scheme to prevent waterlogging, especially in the middle of the new fairway.
Ground Preparation: This includes specialised preparation like stone burying and using a rotor rake to remove large stones and firm the ground.
Applying Rootzone: A crucial step will be capping the whole area with 25mm of specialist rootzone material. This layer is essential to bury any remaining stones deep enough to prevent them from damaging your clubs when you play a shot.
Our new goal is to complete all this meticulous groundwork, drainage installation, and topsoil prep by January, putting us in a perfect position to seed at the optimal time for strong, healthy growth in the spring.
The Financial Reality: Budget and Investment
We want to be transparent about the financial impact of ensuring this work is completed to the highest possible standard.
The Committee initially sanctioned £50,000 for this project, allocated roughly as follows: £27,000 for imported land and levelling, £10,000 for seeding and turf establishment, and the remaining amount set aside for contingency.
The necessary changes identified by our specialists—namely the addition of mandatory engineered drainage and the cost of specialist rootzone material—will inevitably mean the final cost will exceed our initial sanctioned budget. We are currently awaiting final costings for these essential land improvement requirements, which also include approximately £3,500 in professional administrative fees for the planning application.
While we are working diligently to keep the final cost as low as possible, we must prioritise quality above everything else to ensure the fairway remains playable for decades to come.
Addressing the Planning Process (Getting the Paperwork Right)
We want to be completely open about the regulatory aspect of this major project.
While we had initially secured approval from Gosport Borough Council in their capacity as our landlord (which governs our rights under the lease to manage the course), we now acknowledge that the works require a separate, formal Planning Permission for what is legally termed a large-scale ‘engineering operation’.
We believe the administrative delay occurred because the distinction between the Council’s two roles—landlord and Planning Authority—was not clearly or consistently communicated to us by the Council in the early stages of the project. This poor communication regrettably led to a procedural error.
We are now taking the most direct route to resolution by immediately submitting a comprehensive application for Retrospective Planning Permission.
Positive Ecology Report
We are pleased to confirm that we have received the Ecological Report required for the area of the works. Our ecologist has already concluded that the works will have a minimal impact on the site, and the area will quickly return to normal once the final landscaping and seeding are complete. This positive finding will be a key piece of evidence in our application.
By running the legal process concurrently with the extended construction timeline, we are ensuring that when the turf is finally ready for play, the entire project will be fully sanctioned and secured for the future.
Thank you for your patience as we prioritise quality and compliance to ensure the 5th fairway is truly flood-proof and playable for decades to come.
We’re writing to give you a full update on the vital work on the 5th fairway. The land-raising project is essential to finally solve the debilitating winter flooding that has made the hole unplayable for months at a time. While the project is moving forward, we’ve made some key adjustments to the schedule to guarantee the final quality of the fairway.
We must acknowledge that, due to these vital quality measures, it is very unfortunate that we must delay the opening date of the fairway. We are truly sorry for the extended wait, but we guarantee we will do our best to ensure it is open as soon as possible, without compromising the long-term success of the work.
A Quality Commitment: Why We Are Adjusting the Timeline
The heavy groundwork—bringing in fill material and building the new contours—has gone well in many areas. However, recent heavy rain has slowed work considerably, and, critically, it has made sourcing and laying the high-quality topsoil needed for the final surface extremely difficult.
This led to a crucial decision based on expert advice: we are pushing back the final seeding date to ensure a quality, durable playing surface.
We met with our specialist grass seeding contractors, AMS Contracting, who advised that rushing to finish and seed by an ambitious target like April would likely result in a poor, weak turf that wouldn't hold up under play.
The New Plan for a Perfect Fairway:
To avoid this risk, we are investing the extra time now to do the job right. The experts have identified essential steps that must happen before we lay the seed:
Installing Proper Drainage: Because the new fill material is not naturally free-draining, we must install a comprehensive drainage scheme to prevent waterlogging, especially in the middle of the new fairway.
Ground Preparation: This includes specialised preparation like stone burying and using a rotor rake to remove large stones and firm the ground.
Applying Rootzone: A crucial step will be capping the whole area with 25mm of specialist rootzone material. This layer is essential to bury any remaining stones deep enough to prevent them from damaging your clubs when you play a shot.
Our new goal is to complete all this meticulous groundwork, drainage installation, and topsoil prep by January, putting us in a perfect position to seed at the optimal time for strong, healthy growth in the spring.
The Financial Reality: Budget and Investment
We want to be transparent about the financial impact of ensuring this work is completed to the highest possible standard.
The Committee initially sanctioned £50,000 for this project, allocated roughly as follows: £27,000 for imported land and levelling, £10,000 for seeding and turf establishment, and the remaining amount set aside for contingency.
The necessary changes identified by our specialists—namely the addition of mandatory engineered drainage and the cost of specialist rootzone material—will inevitably mean the final cost will exceed our initial sanctioned budget. We are currently awaiting final costings for these essential land improvement requirements, which also include approximately £3,500 in professional administrative fees for the planning application.
While we are working diligently to keep the final cost as low as possible, we must prioritise quality above everything else to ensure the fairway remains playable for decades to come.
Addressing the Planning Process (Getting the Paperwork Right)
We want to be completely open about the regulatory aspect of this major project.
While we had initially secured approval from Gosport Borough Council in their capacity as our landlord (which governs our rights under the lease to manage the course), we now acknowledge that the works require a separate, formal Planning Permission for what is legally termed a large-scale ‘engineering operation’.
We believe the administrative delay occurred because the distinction between the Council’s two roles—landlord and Planning Authority—was not clearly or consistently communicated to us by the Council in the early stages of the project. This poor communication regrettably led to a procedural error.
We are now taking the most direct route to resolution by immediately submitting a comprehensive application for Retrospective Planning Permission.
Positive Ecology Report
We are pleased to confirm that we have received the Ecological Report required for the area of the works. Our ecologist has already concluded that the works will have a minimal impact on the site, and the area will quickly return to normal once the final landscaping and seeding are complete. This positive finding will be a key piece of evidence in our application.
By running the legal process concurrently with the extended construction timeline, we are ensuring that when the turf is finally ready for play, the entire project will be fully sanctioned and secured for the future.
Thank you for your patience as we prioritise quality and compliance to ensure the 5th fairway is truly flood-proof and playable for decades to come.