January has brought over 135mm of rainfall to Newbiggin’s Links this month. The ground has barely had time to breathe. Saturated profiles, standing water, and very few workable windows have made it extremely difficult for the team to get out and operate consistently.

But they’ve been outstanding.

Despite the conditions, we have cut and translocated approximately 2,000m² of fescue/ bent turf, repositioning it onto the new mounding area on the 9th fairway. The aim is simple: reshape, restore, and strengthen the dune character of this part of the course using our own indigenous material.

In addition, we introduced a small scrape in an area where ground conditions were poor. This will reduce organic loading, improve sand dominance, and create a better foundation for dune restoration.

In April, we will begin sprigging Marram grass in the hope that it will colonise successfully and begin stabilising and rebuilding the dune network in this area. Marram’s deep rooting habit and sand-binding capability make it critical to long-term success on links terrain.

This is not a quick project. We expect it to take around two years for the area to fully establish and mature into something that looks natural and feels like it has always been there.

Below is a timeline of the project so far.

Progress in January wasn’t about perfect conditions.
It was about persistence.