Royal Aberdeen Golf Club – Golf Course Blog

Tag: travel

  • BIGGA Awards – Project Of The Year 2025

    The Royal Aberdeen Greenkeeping team were recently recognised at the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition – BIGGA Awards as the winners of the Greenkeeping Project of the year 2025 category.

    The BIGGA Awards were established to recognise and reward the exceptionally high standards, professionalism, innovation and dedication demonstrated by greenkeepers throughout the year. The awards hosted once again by Sky Sports presenter Sarah Stirk, shines a light on those who deliver outstanding renovation and improvement projects, highlighting innovation, sustainability, excellence in project management and outstanding contributions that strengthen the wider profession.

    The award highlights all the hard work the greenkeeping team have completed through a difficult 2025, but mainly for the massive reconstruction projects that were undertaken to ensure we safeguard the future of the historic Balgownie Links. Ongoing coastal erosion prompted a complex reconstruction programme, including a new contingency 1st hole, reconstruction of a new 3rd tee, green and approach, new 4th tees, new grassed pathways and a new turf nursery. All of which was completed alongside the day-to-day maintenance of the links and many other general winter improvement projects.     

    The team overcame some strong opposition and managed to hold off the other 2 finalists of Royal Birkdale and Bearsden Golf Club who also completed huge renovation projects during the last 12 months. The project demanded meticulous planning and adaptability amid challenging weather and tidal pressures, with judges praising the balance between preserving heritage and delivering practical, forward-thinking solutions. 

    The Greenkeeping team lead by Course Manager Richard Johnstone worked closely with Golf course architect Martin Ebert, Golf Link Evolve construction, Callum Chalmers Irrigation and W.M Donald engineering to plan and implement the various projects across the site. We appreciate all the support shown from the club membership, council, General Manager and especially the master planning committee throughout the whole process.

    A huge Congratulations to the greenkeeping team for picking up the BIGGA Greenkeeping project of the year 2025 award and for all their hard work and dedication over the last 12 months.

  • Winter Improvement Programme 2025/26 – Balgownie Links

    Hole 1

    Reconstruction of left-hand fairway bunker. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf

    Reconstruction of both greenside bunkers. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf

    Hole 2

    Increase size of Green tee and turf to allow more tee space and improved wear tolerance.

    Hole 6

    Reconstruct left hand greenside bunker. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf

    Hole 7

    Reduce height of green tee to improve visibility of fairway and right hand fairway bunkers. Increase size of teeing area to allow winter play and increased wear tolerance.

    Hole 8

    Reconstruction of green and approach to include the revetment of all 10 bunkers and improved walk off to 9th tee. Remove existing turf, improve roortzone, re contour green and bunkering and re lay turf. 

    Hole 10

    Reconstruction of left-hand fairway bunker. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf

    Reconstruct 2 Right hand greenside bunkers. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf

    Hole 12

    Reconstruction of both Right and left-hand fairway bunkers @ 50 yards from green. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf

    Hole 13

    Reconstruction of Right-hand greenside bunker. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf

    Hole 14

    Reconstruction of Right-hand greenside bunker. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf

    Hole 15

    Reconstruction of both yellow/white and red tees. The tees will be raised and new rootzone added to provide a drier links like surface and a better view of hole/less intimidating tee shot. Reduce mounding short of road to give better visibility of the fairway and north sea/ city backdrop from the tee. Improve pathway from tee by removing gravel and introducing double width turf pathway. 

    Reconstruction of all 3 greenside bunkers. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf

    Hole 16

    Reconstruction of all 3 left-hand greenside bunkers. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf

    Hole 18

    Reconstruct 3 x greenside bunkers. Add new revetted face and replace surrounding turf.

    Improve pathway from tee to fairway by increasing width and removing out of character steep gravel path

    Turfing worn areas

    There a quite a few areas around the course which require re turfing due to drought conditions and wear throughout 2025.

    Gorse Management

    This will continue throughout the winter period using our own machinery and the hire of a machine suitable to work on steeper slopes. There was also fire damage to gorse which will need to be cleared to allow regeneration

  • Bunker Etiquette / Advice

    #1 – Locate the lowest spot around the edge of the bunker that is convenient to your ball try not to walk down a steep face possibly damaging the turf edge, and leaving deeper footprints.

    #2 – Carry the rake into the bunker if needed. Contrary to what some golfers believe, it is within the rules and can speed up play, be sure you do not allow the rake to touch or test the sand except when you drop it.

    #3 – Before playing the shot the rake should be dropped behind the area where you take your stance and not used to align the shot.

    #4 – Begin raking over the signs of play, to restore the surface without displacing too much sand by pushing the rake away from you a few times to spread the excess sand forward towards the face.

    #5 – Step out of the bunker and make a final few passes. The Rake Should Be Placed Inside the middle of the Bunker. This is normally a balls natural finishing position (especially in our small links pot bunkers) and if your ball hits it , you’re already in the bunker. We feel there is more likelihood of a ball being deflected into, or kept out of, a bunker if the rake is placed outside the bunker.

    If the sand was to be all raked back towards the entry point and rakes left around the edges it almost makes it impossible for the next person who lands in the bunker to escape.