Frinton Golf Club, Essex - What we do in January

We’ve just completed one of our par-3 tee rebuilds and the next one is scheduled to start on 5 January. It’s another full re-level and re-turf job, roughly 200 square metres, and it will take three or four of the team out of day-to-day operations for a good stretch.

With 475 square metres completed before Christmas, getting this next tee done cleanly and on time will be a big focus and, if it goes well, I’ll be absolutely over the moon.

Alongside that, I’m hoping to begin our fairway aeration programme. Under normal circumstances I would have already completed the first pass by now, but the ground has been too firm and dry. We’ve put a lot of money into overseeding and fertilising the fairways following the damage from the summer, and with some areas still quite weak, I’ve been cautious.

If I go in too deep or too hard while the surfaces are still dry, I could set recovery back significantly. So the plan for January is to start with a shallower depth and then, ideally, crank it down for a second pass when conditions allow.

Beyond those headline jobs, it’s the usual January work where possible – cutting, ironing, strimming, weeding, bunker sand work and keeping presentation standards up. We’re still mowing most areas weekly at the moment, and if winter growth and ground conditions allow, we’ll continue that to maintain a consistent look across tees, collars, fairways, rough and surrounds.

While we’ve been fortunate as a club to invest heavily in fairway renovation, some of the weaker areas remain fragile. That will affect other cultural practices too. For example, I normally verti-drain twice and carry out a spring rake with the Wiedenmann Terra Rake. If the young grass hasn’t filled in as strongly as I’d like by early spring, I’ll have to avoid those thin areas so that I don’t rip out what we’ve only just managed to establish.

A lot will depend on what sort of spring we get – warm and wet, and golfers won’t notice much; another cold and difficult one, and the difference will show.

We ended last year in decent shape, and if we can get these two tee projects chalked off without major issues, the whole team will start 2026 in a good place.