END OF WINTER RESTRICTIONS
You must be signed in as a member to view this information. Sign In END OF WINTER RESTRICTIONS Add something here In November 2025, the course protection measures were brought into play as wet and cold conditions can hinder growth and accelerate wear, especially in high-traffic areas. A series of protective measures were implemented to preserve the quality and playability of our golf courses. These measures included: Increased Use of Posts and Ropes: Directing traffic away from vulnerable areas, especially around greens and tees. Electric Trolley and Buggy Restrictions: Maintaining electric trolley and buggy use in the rough areas, protecting the fairways from heavier traffic, and promoting greater coverage and recovery. ‘Carry If You Can’: Encouraging members who are able to carry to leave their trolleys at home, reducing additional wear. Fairway Mats: Have been available throughout the winter period, providing an opportunity within general play rounds, to reduce wear and tear through divots, whilst providing consistency of lie for players within the fairways. I wish to thank the Membership for your support in adhering to these measures which help to ensure the courses you play within the main golfing season are presented in the best possible condition. Post-winter, the fairway coverage and green surrounds are measurably in better condition than previous years. This is, in part, due to Members adhering to these restrictions despite the longer routes around the golf course. Effective from Wednesday 1 April, these restrictions will be lifted. However, please keep the following considerations in mind: Post and Rope: Areas requiring additional maintenance, whether through sanding, seeding, or tining, will remain roped off until it is appropriate to access them. These areas should not be approached with buggies or trolleys, and play will occur under preferred lie rules. Ground Under Repair (GUR) and drop zones will be established where necessary. Sensitive areas, such as the back of Hole 2 (Old Course), will remain GUR as they have been recently turfed. Electric Trolley/Trolley Use: Whilst it has been encouraging to see the majority of Members observing the winter restrictions, in some instances, golfers have been observed taking either electric trolleys or push trolleys close to greens. Whilst the white lines are being reintroduced, regardless of whether a white line is in place or not, trolleys are not to be taken within close proximity to the greens. This additional traffic reduces growth and recovery and impacts the playing experience for our Members. Buggy Restrictions: Buggy usage follows a ‘Red, Amber, and Green’ policy, which will remain in effect. Starting April 1st, buggies will be allowed back on fairways. However, as we enter the growing season, the courses are not yet able to handle high levels of wear and tear. Therefore, the Amber status will primarily be in effect, allowing access only for those with medical requirements. The Green status will be reinstated as temperatures rise and the rate of growth and recovery improves. Thank you for your support this winter. It is exceptionally positive to see the course recovering which is both thanks to the hard work and dedication of Iain Dye and his team combined with the restraint and respect shown by the Membership. This helps ensure the courses are playing well this season. Rhys Beecher Director of Golf
VOLUNTEERING AT WALTON HEATH
You must be signed in as a member to view this information. Sign In TOURNAMENT VOLUNTEERING At Walton Heath Golf Club In 2026 Walton Heath Golf Club will be hosting two tournaments which will attract leading Amateur as well as Professional golfers. They have built an enviable reputation for combining challenging courses with warm hospitality, and the support and engagement of local clubs and the wider golfing community is vital in helping to enhance the playing experience enjoyed by all competitors. In 2025, over 200 local people generously offered their time to volunteer at the US Open Qualifier, the Walton Heath Trophy and the R&A Senior Amateur. They very much hope that the golfing community will be able to offer their time and support to help deliver these tournaments in 2026. These events will be taking place on the following dates: US Open Qualifier: Monday 18 May Walton Heath Trophy: Tuesday 21 to Thursday 23 July Across these events, there will be three days where volunteer support is required. On each day, there will be up to three shifts to cover the hours of play, with options to assist for individual shifts or for the full day. We hope that more volunteers will be able to offer their help in 2026, and ideally across multiple days. As a token of our appreciation complimentary refreshments will also be provided for each shift. If you are able to offer your support, please complete the online registration. As in previous years, we will also be inviting other golfing enthusiasts to assist, so if you know anyone who may be interested, please feel free to share the link.
NEWS FROM THE COURSE
MEN’S SPRING MEETING
You must be signed in as a member to view this information. Sign In MEN’S SPRING MEETING Online sign-up opens on Saturday 28 March Stableford: Saturday 25 April on the Coronation CourseMedal: Sunday 26 April on the Old Course We are pleased to announce that the online sign-up for these two Honours Board competitions opens on Saturday 28 March. Both competitions are open to male Golf Pass Holders with a handicap index up to 18.4. Please play off your playing handicap (95 per cent of your course handicap). Tee times will be available from 7.30am. The last time to sign-up is Wednesday 15 April. Tee times will be allocated shortly after this time. Entry fee for each day is £7.00. Pass Holders must have played in at least three qualifying Medal or Stableford competitions at the Royal Automobile Club 364 days prior to the date of the competition. If a Pass Holder has transferred in from another club within the last six months, they must have a full complement of twenty scores on their WHS Handicap Index record. On the Saturday you will be competing for the Hedges Butler Shield (Stableford competition) and Coronation Challenge Cup (putting competition on the putting green). If you would like to take part in the putting competition, please ask Golf Reception for a putting scorecard when you collect your scorecard on the day. The 18-hole putting competition will be set up as a 9-hole putting competition. Please play the 9-hole putting competition twice. Iain and his team will also set up two practice holes on the putting green. New for this YearThe top eight putting scores will go through to a putting finals event on Friday 12 June evening. Please do not enter if you can’t make this day. On the Sunday, you will be competing for the Hele Shaw which will be awarded to the lowest gross score. The Spring Meeting Medal will be awarded to the winner of the handicap stroke play. New for this year- As previously communicated, up to 11.4 handicap index on Sunday 26 April will playing for the honour’s boards Hele Shaw Trophy and the Spring Meeting Medal. 11.5 to 18.4 handicap index will be playing for the Spring Meeting plate non honours board. The top 16 nett scores overall will qualify for the Seligman Knockout competition.
LADIES’ SPRING MEETING
You must be signed in as a member to view this information. Sign In LADIES’ SPRING DAY ALTERNATE DAY MEDAL Online sign-up opens on Saturday 28 March Saturday 25 April and Tuesday 28 April The online sign-up for this year’s Ladies’ Spring Meeting competition will open on Saturday 28 March. They will be held on Saturday 25 April and Tuesday 28 April and alternate day rules apply. The last time to sign-up is Wednesday 15 April. Tee times will be allocated shortly after this time. The Spring Meeting is open to all Lady Pass Holders with a handicap index up to 36.0. New for this Year As previously communicated and shown in the Honours Board rules, up to 24.4 handicap index will playing for the Honours Boards Scratch Trophy. Handicaps from 24.5 to 36.0 handicap index will be playing for the Spring Meeting plate non-Honours Board. Pass holders must have played in at least three qualifying Medal / Stableford competitions at the Royal Automobile Club 364 days prior to the date of the competition. If a pass holder has transferred in from another club within the last six months, they must have a full complement of twenty scores on their WHS Handicap Index record. Competition entry fee is £6.00. We will be running a 9-hole Stableford competition alongside the Spring Meeting on the Tuesday on the Coronation Course for ladies who: • Are returning from injury. • Find 18 holes difficult to complete. • Are seeking to put in their handicap cards. • Do not meet the three qualifying card criteria for the main competition. • Have played in the weekend alternate day of the above-mentioned competition.
JASON’S TIP FOR MARCH
JASON’S TIP March 2026 Golf would certainly be easier to master if we played every shot from a level lie, alas this is not the case. There are four types of sloping lies, each demanding adjustment to your setup and swing. All slope, no matter how slight will affect the impact of the clubface on the ball, so understanding how this works is vital if you are to be consistently in control. You will need to adjust your address position which will have an effect on your swing to take account of these challenges. There are two sidehill situations, where your feet are level with each other, but higher or lower than the ball. There are uphill and downhill sloping lies, where your left foot is higher or lower than the right foot. UPHILL LIE Hitting up the slope creates the need for an upward angle of attack; this approach makes the ball fly higher and stop quickly. The hill inhibits the lower body action and therefore restricts the clearing of the left hip during the forward swing. The tendency is for the hands to become very active closing the clubface to the left. Points to note are: Take a club with less loft than normal for the yardage. Play the ball nearer your higher foot. Aim slightly more to the right, remember it is only tendency for the ball to fly left. Set yourself more perpendicular to the slope. Swing with the slope not against it, allow the sole of the club to “surf the turf”. Swing with a reduced speed helping balance from an uneven position. DOWNHILL LIE The downhill shot requires a steep downward angle of attack; this approach makes the ball fly lower with more ball speed. The slope of the hill encourages weight shift and tends to leave the clubface open, so the ball moves to the right. Points to note are: Take a club with more loft than normal for the shot. Play the ball nearer your higher foot. Aim slightly more to the left, take care it is only a tendency for the ball to move to the right. Set yourself more perpendicular to the slope. Swing with the slope, allow the sole of the club to “surf the turf”. Swing with a reduced speed helping balance from an uneven position. BALL ABOVE YOUR FEET The ball sitting higher than your feet will make your posture more upright and promote a flatter swing. A flatter swing leads to more activity in the hands which tends to close the clubface to the left. Points to note are: Grip further down the shaft. Position the ball in the middle of the stance. Aim slightly more to the right, it is a tendency for the ball to fly left. Swing with a reduced speed helping balance from an uneven position. BALL BELOW YOUR FEET The ball sitting lower than your feet will make your posture more horizontal and promote an upright swing. An upright swing leads to more activity in the upper body which tends to make the golfer swing across the ball promoting an open club face. Points to note are: Stand slightly closer to the ball and bow over more. Position the ball in the middle of your stance. Aim slightly more to the left, it is only a tendency for the ball to fly to the right.Swing with a reduced speed helping balance from an uneven position. This has been written for a right-handed golfer.
WINTER MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME REVIEW
WINTER MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME COMPLETION With the winter maintenance programme complete, it has been fantastic to finally enjoy some much needed dry weather, along with encouraging daytime temperatures. Even better, the forecast suggests more of the same over the coming days. During the recent Old Course closure, the team has been extremely busy delivering a number of projects designed to enhance the golfing experience for our members, alongside carrying out a full aeration programme on the main playing surfaces. While the course was closed we also took the opportunity to drill seed the 8th fairway. Behind the scenes, our workshop team has been sharpening equipment and preparing machinery for the upcoming season. As part of our long-term strategy to introduce additional run-off areas around the greens, similar to those already completed on holes 7 and 13, we have constructed our largest one to date at the rear of the 2nd green on the Old Course. This spot has always attracted golf balls but has historically struggled due to heavy shade and tree roots competing with the turf. Over the closure period, approximately 700 square metres behind the green were stripped out and drained with 230 tonnes of rootzone material applied to create the proper foundations for a high quality run off area. Turf has been ordered and is due to arrive this week. Once the work is complete, the area will be marked as Ground Under Repair with the aim of bringing it into play for the Spring Meeting. New irrigation has also been installed to ensure consistent and uniform coverage across the area. We look forward to seeing the finished results come together and the different shot options it will offer members who overshoot the green in the future. In addition to the irrigation installed around the new 2nd run-off area, we are also installing 44 new irrigation heads around the greens on the Old Course. These will allow us to independently water the areas surrounding the greens, which can at times struggle due to the volume of foot traffic they receive. This will also enable us to carry out more targeted seeding, fertilising and aeration, while carefully managing moisture levels to ensure successful recovery. As part of our forestry management plan, and in line with the felling licence approved by the Forestry Commission, we have carried out thinning works to the left of the 1st hole and within the woodland to the left of the 4th green on the Old Course. Any dead, damaged or diseased trees have been removed, while the best specimen trees have been retained and will now thrive in the improved environment. All felled material has been chipped, with the woodchip being reused elsewhere on the golf course, including on maintenance tracks for course vehicles. Over the coming weeks, our main focus will return to overall course presentation and overseeding areas that have struggled due to the four droughts experienced in 2025, combined with an extremely wet and challenging winter. Localised areas of Ground Under Repair will be used in the short term to protect these surfaces once work has been completed and to give them the best opportunity to establish successfully. Rhys Beecher Iain DyeDirector of Golf Golf Course Manager
COURSE MAINTENANCE PROGRESS
COURSE MAINTENANCE PROGRESS 11 February 2026 News From The Course The start of 2026 has presented significant challenges for courses throughout the UK and more regionally within Surrey. Approximately eight inches of rainfall has been recorded so far this year, accompanied by persistent low cloud cover, minimal wind and very few meaningful drying days. January also saw substantial disruption, with 14 days of full course closure due to snow coverage across both golf courses, as shown above. In recent weeks, we have received an increased number of enquiries from other clubs regarding course status and current ground conditions. It is evident that clubs across the South East are experiencing similarly testing circumstances. Ground ConditionsBoth courses are currently affected by a high volume of worm casts. Due to the saturated ground, machinery such as blowers and brushes cannot be used without risking further surface damage. As soon as conditions allow equipment to operate safely, the team will prioritise clearing and restoring affected areas. Coronation Course – Maintenance ProgressThe Coronation Course has remained closed since the start of the month, providing the team with an opportunity to complete essential winter maintenance ahead of spring. Greens MaintenanceLight scarification has been undertaken to remove excess thatch resulting from the prolonged wet weather. This work is intended to firm up the putting surfaces and support strong growth heading into the main playing season. Aeration ProgrammeGreens, tees, approaches and fairways have been aerated using a range of tine sizes. This programme will improve drainage, enhance root development and support drying once weather conditions become more favourable. Turfing and Landscaping WorksPathway edges have been re turfed across sections of the Coronation Course. Selected bunkers impacted during last summer’s drought have also been re turfed to restore quality and presentation. Forestry thinning has been carried out around the 6th green. The green’s limited daily sunlight and extended snow retention made it particularly susceptible to a Fusarium outbreak. A group of ash trees infected with Ash Dieback has also been removed as part of the long term forestry management plan.These works will significantly increase airflow and light penetration, supporting improved turf health and resilience. Practice Area EnhancementsThe practice bunker on the driving range has been completely rebuilt. Following a review of comparable facilities, the team has installed an artificial (AstroTurf) bunker face to reduce wear from sand splash and ball strike. This will ensure improved durability and consistent presentation throughout the year. Old Course – Upcoming ClosureWork will begin next week as part of the scheduled Old Course closure. A new run off area behind the 2nd green will be constructed to improve fairness and playability. This enhancement will provide a more consistent lie for balls finishing long, offer greater variety in recovery shot options and maintain the strategic challenge of the hole while improving turf quality and presentation. A further update on progress will be provided in the next edition of Golf News in two weeks’ time. Rhys Beecher Iain DyeDirector of Golf Golf Course Manager
VETERANS’ SUMMER SINGLES KNOCKOUT
VETERANS’ SUMMER SINGLES KNOCKOUT Draw will take place on Wednesday 25 March There is no Handicap Index restriction for men only aged 60 and above on the closing date of entry. Matches can be played on either course from the yellow plates. The Semi-Finals and Final are to be played on the Old Course. Please view the Veterans’ Summer Singles Knockout Rules. Pass holders must have played in at least three qualifying Medal or Stableford competitions at the Club a year prior to the date of the competition. If a Pass Holder has transferred in from another club, they need to have a full complement of twenty scores on their WHS Handicap Index Record within the last six months. All entries must be received by Sunday 22 March. The knockout draw will take place on Wednesday 25 March.
CLUB MATCHES 2026
GOLF MATCHES 2026 Please sign up online Sign-Up for Matches Online We are pleased to announce that you can now sign-up online for Golf Matches 2026. How to sign up: To sign-up for matches please use the following steps: Login to Intelligent Golf. Click on ‘Competitions’. Click on ‘Matches’. Click on ‘View all Squads’. Join which squad you would like to participate in. Join that squad. Very important: please go back and click on ‘Competitions’. Click on ‘Matches’. Then set availability. Then save availability. Match organisers will be in contact regarding selection for each match. The following matches are available for sign up: Ladies’ Friendly Matches (open to all lady pass holders with a Handicap Index) Men’s Friendly Matches (open to all men pass holders with a Handicap Index) Men’s Senior Friendly Matches (open to all men pass holders aged 60 years and over with a Handicap Index) Men’s Signature League Matches (open to men pass holders with a Handicap Index) Men’s Herbert Fowler Matches this is new for 2026 and replaces the Hilliard League (open to men pass holders with a Handicap Index) Men’s Warren League (open to men pass holders with a Handicap Index from 9.0 to 26.0) Mixed Matches (open to all men and lady pass holders with a Handicap Index) Please make yourself available for home and away matches. Preference will be given to those who make themselves available for both, as opposed to just away matches. When setting your availability for matches, please do not leave this section blank. Please make sure you only sign up for 2026 matches only. Please email golfoperations@royalautomobileclub.co.uk if you would like assistance.