Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club Homepage
Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf ClubThe 15th Oldest Recorded Club in the World
Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Course

Welcome to Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Course

Links Golf Since 1793

 

Mike MacDonald

by

A little update on what has been going on of late.

Holes 5 to 8 – disruption
Installation of rock armour was completed at the start of the month (March) down at the 6th tee. A new path was created left of the 5th green by GF Job to allow access. This area will be seeded with a wildflower seed mixture.

Cable was laid by SSE and the projected date of pole removal is the end of April. As you will have been able to see, there is quite a lot of disruption where the ground was dug up. This area will be left GUR for the foreseeable future while we try to get growth back. A straight fescue seed mix will be used to help recover the area.

In addition, there are still a few other areas around the Links that will remain as ground under repair for a while, so please be aware of these.

Course Maintenance
Growth has been slow so far at this stage in the season and all mowing will be done when required. When the season is in full swing, we will be mowing greens every day. Tees and approaches will be done twice a week; fairways and rough weekly. This season we will be rolling the greens on a more regular basis.

This season can all players please leave bunker rakes in the middle of bunkers after use. Greens staff will continue to flat rake bunker faces to allow the ball to roll away from the face.

This season we will also be doing a lot more aeration work on the greens with the use of pencil tines. By doing this it will improve the playing surface and allow water and oxygen into the root system a lot easier, which will improve root growth and a stronger plant structure. This will be weather dependent, and also be determined by how busy the course gets. The task takes roughly one full day and a morning to complete.

New Equipment

The club purchased a moisture metre which will allow us to monitor the moisture on the greens, to help prevent any over watering and help firm the greens up. Ideally, we are aiming to keep the moisture level between 18-25% in the soil. This will help us reduce the amount of water the club uses in the future.

We will also shortly purchase a disc-seeder which will allow us to get seed into the ground without any disruption to the playing surface. It will be a massive asset to the club for over seeding in the future.

Finally, I encourage all golfers to repair divots and pitch marks when they are out playing the links. It makes a huge difference to the condition of our course if all players can be vigilant about this.

I wish everyone an enjoyable season ahead.

Thank you

David Munro – Head Greenkeeper

by

We are now 90% complete with our winter projects. We have resolved the issue with the sand scrape left of 4th fairway. Some grasses will be planted in the area to build a root structure to try to help hold the sand in place.

We have removed the white stones @ 5,12,13,14 and replaced them with wooden posts that can be easily removed. This makes these areas look a lot smarter and will help the green staff maintain the areas better and quicker. In the future we will consider doing the same down the 4th roadside.

The ridge at the 16th fairway has been stripped and reshaped, the old fairway bunker at 17 has been levelled and the re-vetted turf has been removed.

We have cleared gorse by the tee at 12 and hope to build a new winter tee in its place for the gents as the current tee I feel is too small.

We will now spend the remaining time focusing on the course and getting that ready for the start of the season in less than 6 weeks. The greens have coped well through some cold periods and we managed to verti-cut them last week and solid tine them 2 weeks ago to help firm them up.

The number of unrepaired pitch marks on the greens this winter has been concerning. Unrepaired pitch marks make it incredibly difficult to have the quality of greens we want.

When arriving on greens could members’ please repair any pitch mark they make. It would also be very helpful if members could also look for and repair at least one other pitch mark whilst doing so which would be really appreciated.

Thank you!

David Munro – Head Greenkeeper

by

Work completed, work in progress and work still to do:

Bunkers:

We have completed 4 bunkers and filled in 2 bunkers to the left side at the start of the 8th rough.  We have also stripped and turfed the island on the bunker between 6/12, removing the long grasses. The fairway bunker to the right side on hole 15 has had the face re-built and the grasses have been removed.

We still have 3-4 more greenside bunkers to rebuild prior to mid-March 2026.

Greens

The greens will be solid tined when the weather turns milder and they will be given another feed of TX10 which is a low and slow feed through colder conditions. We gave the greens a light dressing last month.

There are still far too many Pitchmarks that are not being repaired properly or even at all. If your ball is on the green, please take the time to check for Pitchmarks as far too many people just walk straight to their golf ball without checking. It’s a really simple thing to do so please look after your own course.

Fairways

We will continue to patch the fairways during the off-peak season and the intention is, to invest in a new disc-seeder that will allow us to overseed the fairways at the start of Spring and they will then be top-dressed after that.

Tees

Tee’s have been cut and we won’t continue with striping tees.  The summer tees will be put back in place on Friday, 13th March 2026.  The tees will then be rotated on a weekly basis.  All tees will be verti-cut and fed in the Spring.

Mounds and Banks

We have removed the mound on the right-hand side of 15th hole in the rough close to the green and will look to remove the one at the start of the 16th fairway around 100 yards from the tee.

The ridge around the 110-yard mark short of the 16th green will be stripped and reshaped (not removed).  The sand scrape to the left side of the 4th fairway will also need some work done to it as it is a health and safety issue so needs reshaped.

David Munro – Head Greenkeeper

by

Recent discussions between the Greens Team and the Council have highlighted a number of areas where developments to the course are being considered in order to continue to deliver a high-quality experience on the course for all members, guests and visitors.

Below is a summary of works proposed (or already in hand). If you have any comments or suggestions, please submit these by email to the Council at the following address secretary@fortrosegolfclub.co.uk.

 

Area Maintenance Development Implications/ Comments
Practice Area Routine; ongoing Purchase and installation of replacement artificial turf. Provide a more consistent surface for play and improve alignment of practice surface; better protect caravan site and road from errant shots.
Area behind the Pro Shop & Path

beside the 1st Tee

 Resurface this area and relocate electric charging points for buggies. Improve approach to course; improve drainage; move buggies off the course to the area behind the pro shop.
Hole 1 Routine; ongoing Cutting back of gorse to the right of the fairway to encourage regeneration. Reduce number of lost balls; speed up pace of play.
Hole 2 Routine; ongoing Gorse will not encroach nearer the fairway than its current position.
Hole 3 Routine; ongoing Allow the grass bunker on the right side of the fairway a year to settle to assess turf quality and impact on play.
Hole 4 Routine; ongoing Fill the large sand hole on the left side of the fairway and stabilise the surrounding ground. Make the area safe for golfers/walkers; allow golfers a viable shot from this area.
Hole 5 Routine; ongoing
Hole 6 Routine; ongoing 1) Bury power supply cables to the left of the fairway.
2) Install rock armour at seaward side of tee.		 1) Improve aesthetics of the area; reduce risk to persons being hit by rebounding golf balls.
2) Shore up tee against collapse.
Hole 7 Routine; ongoing Bury power supply cables to the left of the fairway. Improve aesthetics of the area; reduce risk to persons being hit by rebounding golf balls.
Hole 8 Routine; ongoing Remove 2 bunkers situated in the left rough: the bunker the shortest distance from the tee, and the bunker furthest left of the fairway. Allow players in these areas the opportunity to advance the ball a reasonable distance
Hole 9 Routine; ongoing Reduce the heights of the lips on the bunkers short left and short right of the green. Improve the aesthetics of the hole; align more with the tradition of links courses featuring “pot bunkers”
Hole 10 Routine; ongoing  
Hole 11 Routine; ongoing Long term: consider extending the white tee to widen it – in the direction of the 8th hole Provide a wider selection of tee placements; provide even greater opportunity to emphasise the dog leg nature of the hole
Hole 12 Routine; ongoing    
Hole 13 Routine; ongoing Removal of one patch of gorse to the right of the fairway next to the 14th tee on the downslope. Reduce possibility of lost balls; speed up pace of play.
Hole 14 Routine; ongoing    
Hole 15 Routine; ongoing Removal of mound on right hand side of fairway sited between the fairway bunker and greenside bunker. Enhance ability to maintain this area of the rough to a consistent standard.
Hole 16 Routine; ongoing 1) Removal of rough mound on the fairway and restore it as fairway.
2) Reshaping of mound running across the fairway		 1) Enhance aesthetics of the hole. Allow players in this area the opportunity of a reasonable recovery shot.
2) Allow maintenance of turf to a consistent standard; more consistent lies.
Hole 17 Routine; ongoing    
Hole 18 Routine; ongoing Gorse on left to be controlled. Gorse on the left of the fairway will not encroach nearer than its current position.
Out of bounds area to the right of the road on the 4th hole, just short of the “holiday house”.   Erection of a shed for storage of sand, leaving space for a turning area for greens’ vehicles. This will allow sand to be stored dry, speeding up its application & assimilation onto greens across the season.
Wooded area behind 7th green and ahead and to the right of the 11th tee.   Provision of electric power supply. No cost implications to the club;
Gives the club the option of the possible installation of a “halfway house” in the future.
Area beyond and to the left of the 5th green at the rear of the Chanonry Point car park.   Installation of new electricity substation and removal of large pole. Improve aesthetics of the area.
Area on shoreside of the path behind bushes near 8th green/9th tee.   Installation of new electricity substation. Necessary for burial of cables.
All bunkers Council ask that players replace bunker rakes in the middle and bottom of bunkers after use.   Reduce the likelihood of balls entering the bunker and resting in unplayable positions.

Members are asked to contact the club using secretary@fortrosegolfclub.co.uk should they have any rubble, hardcore, sand etc. that they wish dispose of as it could be of use to the greens staff.

by

GREENS

Hollow Tine/Heavy Sand/R117 Fescue Seed (mid-October) – DONE

Feed Terralift TX10 (mid-november)

Spray Greens against Leatherjackets(early/mid-November) Acelpryn

Spray Greens with Instrata Elite Fungicide (mid-October) – DONE

Spray Greens with Pervade Penetrant, Defender & Fiata Stressgard Colourant (November/December)

Pencil Tine (weather dependant) periodically & put on a light top-dressing

TEES

Feed Tees (early November)

Feed Winter Tees

SL6 Solid Spike Tees (3/4″ solid tine)

Spray Tees with Krista Mag + Iron (November)

Verti-drain Tees (December/January)

Core & Sand Weaker Tees (holes 3, 6, 7, 8 & 16)

FAIRWAYS

Spray Fairways Krista Mag + Iron (November)

Solid Tine approaches (October) – DONE

Sand Weaker Fairways (February/March 2026)

Granular Feed Weaker Fairways (March 2026)

WALKWAYS

Verti-drain and rope off heavily used areas & sand/seed any weaker areas

Turf over heavily worn areas

Edge and dust paths and re-dust where needed

ROUGHS

Cut and collect tall rough (October) – DONE

Granular Feed weaker semi-roughs on holes 3 & 4

Spray with Laser (March 2026)

GORSE MANAGEMENT

Cut back remaining bushes on the mound to the right side of hole 1

Cut back encroaching bushes on areas to the left side of holes 8 + 10 plus both sides on hole 18

BUNKERS

Revet the second bunker on the right side of the 6th fairway (October) – DONE

Reduce the mound on the front greenside bunker on hole 8

Reduce the mound on the left greenside bunker on hole 9

Revet the 10th greenside bunker on the right hand side

Revet the 11th greenside bunker on the right hand side

Re-do the middle section on the 15th fairway bunker on the right hand side

Other bunkers on the Links will be revetted as normal throughout the off-peak season.

MATS ARE COMPULSORY ON ALL FAIRWAYS, APPROACHES & THE FIRST CUT OF ROUGH.  YOU WILL PLAY AS NORMAL FROM THE SECOND CUT OF ROUGH.

THESE RULES APPLY FROM MONDAY, 10TH NOVEMBER 2025 THROUGH UNTIL FRIDAY, 13TH MARCH 2026