Dear Members,

As part of our continued commitment to course improvement, I would like to provide an update on the bunker sand trial currently in progress on the Church course.

The trial began with two bunkers (Church 3 front and Church 6 front), and following encouraging initial feedback, we extended it to all greenside bunkers on Church during the 2025 season.

Early-season feedback from Members, supported by our own analysis, highlighted a noticeable reduction in plugged lies. While not a complete elimination, this represented a promising development.

During the trial particularly in early June, when we experienced rainfall it became clear that the new sand compacts more than the previous material. This contributes to improved stability on bunker faces (one of the key selection criteria), but feedback indicated it can be more challenging to play from in the bases when firm.

 

In response, the greenkeeping team adjusted maintenance practices to soften the bunker bases by using a different and deeper raking technique. Since implementing these changes, feedback has once again been largely positive.

It is important to remember that one of the key reasons for trialling new sands was the growing number of issues associated with the previous sand, including inconsistent playability and an unacceptably high number of plugged lies under certain conditions.

Our objective remains to identify a sand that is:

• Readily available and sustainable
• Consistent in performance across all bunkers
• Effective in reducing plugged lies without compromising playability
• Maintainable to a high standard throughout the year

We recognise that no bunker solution will ever be perfect; however, we remain committed to continuous improvement. We also acknowledge that having different sand across our nines is not ideal, and we look forward to selecting the most suitable option to restore consistency across the course.

The trial will continue for the remainder of the season, during which we will monitor performance and gather further feedback. Our aim is to make an informed decision at season’s end, allowing us to deliver consistent, high-quality bunker conditions across all 27 holes for 2026.

Thank you for your continued engagement and support. Please continue to share your feedback – it remains invaluable in shaping our progress.

​David Shepherd
Chief Executive