In the interests of proactively maintaining our Class A rated golf course the Course Committee asks that ALL Members, their invited Guests and Visitors treat the course with respect and inline with accepted ‘quick healing’ procedures and practices to ensure the course recovers and is quickly restored following normal damage from playing the game.

Normal damage from the playing of the game can involve club pitch-marks and divots on fairways, ball pitch-marks on the greens, club and foot marks in bunkers following a shot. There are accepted practices depending on the type of repair needed, more details as follows;

Club Pitch-Marks and Divots on Fairways - the accepted practice if for the divot to be replaced and then it is ‘heeled’ in, this will result in the repair work taking effect in approximately 24 hours, not doing this will result in the repair taking about 24 days.

Pitch-Marks on Greens - always start at the back of the pitch-mark and slowly easer the turf around the edges towards the centre of the pitch-mark with a suitable long-pronged pitch repair tool, do not lift the turf upwards as this damages the root base. Once complete lightly tap down with the sole of a putter. Here again a repair carried out after it happened will take about 24 hours to recover, not doing so will result in it taking upwards of 24 days to recover.

You can see a number of on-line videos showing how to repair pitchforks and we would suggest you look at these.

Making Good Bunkers - before leaving a bunker a player should carefully fill up and smooth over all holes, footprints and club marks made by him, and any others, and then leave the rake in the bunker with the handle pointing back towards the tee of the hole being played. As a guide the person entering the bunker should:

• Always enter at the lowest point.
• As you exit the bunker pull the rake towards you to cover any footmarks.
• If required, rake other affected areas.
• Avoid piling sand at the edges of the bunker, push excess sand towards the middle.
• Leave the rake in a flat part of the bunker, do not throw it back in.

Damage to Greens, Flagsticks, Bags Etc - Players should ensure that when putting down golf bags, or the flagstick that no damage is done to the putting surface, and that neither they or their caddies damage the hole by standing close to it when holding got flagstick or when removing the ball from the hole, avoid ‘hooking’ the ball out with the putter head. The flagstick should be properly replaced in the hole before the players leave the putting green.

Handling the Flag - All the flagsticks at Manor Park are fitted with glass prisms to enable laser measurement devices to be used to determine distances, DO NOT drop the flagstick onto he putting surface as it will cause damage.

• Always lower the flagstick to the ground by hand or by using your putter head.
• Avoid any damage to the cup surrounds by placing the flagstick in the centre of the cup.

Golf Carts - Golf carts must only be driven by those authorised to do so. Users are required to abide by the rules governing the use of golf carts, and they MUST NOT be driven onto any tees, greens or greens surrounds.

Damage Caused by Practice Swings - when taking practice swings players should avoid causing damage to the course, and particularly on the tees by removing divots.