Scoonie Golf Course Information

08/09/2026

August Update

August has been another productive month on the course.

All the tee signs, marker posts and tree bases were strimmed. We have mown the line of out of bounds between holes 5 & 6. Previously, there was an awkward couple of metres of semi-rough which made it difficult to decide from the tee whether your ball was in bounds or out of bounds. It should now be much clearer that if your ball disappears into the long grass, it is most likely out of bounds!

This month we also received the results from Robert Paterson’s independent data testing from July. The feedback is very positive and shows that the coring carried out last autumn has has had the desired effect and rectified the increase in organic matter meaning this year the work will have minimal disruption. I have attached his overall summary below.

The greens were solid-tined using 8 mm pencil tines which is essential routine maintenance and helps reduce any surface tension and aides moisture movement throughout the profile. Once greens are rolled it’s barely noticeable and doesn’t affect the surface.

This work will be carried out regularly, either monthly or every couple of months, depending on the needs of the greens, without causing the level of disruption associated with hollow coring.

We also tidied up the bottom of the tree at the 2nd (picture below). We identified golfers who go slightly right were struggling to see their ball landing, so this should help improve visibility. There are other holes where doing the same to certain trees could be beneficial.

Scoonie has taken delivery of the last of our new machinery. Fife Golf Trust has invested £2.4 million in new machinery across all seven courses.

For Scoonie, we now have:

* 2 × Jacobsen Eclipse 360 Electric Triple Mowers
* 1 × Toro 5010-H Hybrid Fairway Mower
* 1 × Jacobsen AR530 Rough Mower
* 1 × Toro 1260 Greens Roller
* 1 × Cushman Hauler Pro Electric Utility Vehicle

This represents a monumental step forward for Scoonie and provides the staff with state-of-the-art equipment to help us continue improving course performance, playing conditions and presentation.

10/08/2026

There has been a granular fertiliser added to the greens. This fertiliser will help with recovery from any wear caused during the dry periods and also improve the colour.
It’s currently being watered in.

06/08/2026

July Update

Jeez, I lost track of time and it’s the 6th of August already!

July was a month that saw the course start to change colour and play much more like a links course. The ground became very hard, and there was next to no rain for most of the month. We went 28 days with only 5mm of rain, with temperatures on some days reaching the mid-20s. Then, in the last three days of July, we finally got the rain we’d been missing all month. Around 35mm fell in just over two days, which unfortunately washed out the bunkers and meant they all needed repairing.

Overall, July was mainly a general maintenance month. With only three members of staff, one of us was almost full-time going around with hoses and sprinklers to keep on top of the greens that were drying out.

Each morning we watered all the greens, and after our break we focused on the driest areas that needed extra attention. That left the other two of us to keep on top of cutting the course, whether it was the fairways, rough, tees, approaches or greens.

The bunkers were also strimmed and weeded, along with the shin rails, yardage markers, posts and several tee signs.

Looking ahead, August will see a visit from Robert Patterson, who will carry out the annual testing of our greens. We’ll hopefully be able to share the results here once we receive them.

30/06/2026

Scoonie Golf Course Update – June

June has been a busy month on the course.

At the start of the month, we took the ProCore out to solid-tine the greens. This relieves some of the compaction caused by heavy footfall while allowing air and water to pe*****te the surface more effectively. This work is essential throughout the season and causes minimal disruption. It also gave us a great opportunity to try out our new Toro greens roller.

Speaking of new machines, we also welcomed our brand-new Jacobsen rough mower. It had a few teething problems throughout the month, but now that it’s up and running, it’s proving to be a great addition to the fleet.

This month saw just over 75mm of rainfall. In the first four days of June, we had the same amount of rain as we received during the whole of the previous month. It then stayed relatively dry for most of June until last Friday, when the weather turned biblical with heavy rain and thunderstorms.

On the course, we’ve been concentrating on some of the poorer areas, particularly the approaches, where we’ve been carrying out soiling and overseeding. Some of the par 3 tees have also been divoted to help improve the playing surfaces.

All of the tee signs, distance markers, tree bases and shin rails have been strimmed and blown clean. W**d killer has also been applied around tree bases and other problem areas to keep everything looking tidy.

Our new tractor mounted blower has also been put to work, and what a difference it makes. It’s been fantastic for clearing grass clippings after cutting on dewy mornings or in wet conditions, leaving a much cleaner finish.

Finally, we’re delighted to have been ranked 91st in the UK & Ireland for the best golf courses £40 and under. It’s great recognition for all the hard work that goes into maintaining the course, but we’re not stopping there. With a bit more hard work, hopefully we can climb even higher up the rankings. 💪🏽

01/06/2026

Scoonie Update

Going forward, the greenkeeping staff will be providing monthly updates on this page about all things Scoonie. These updates will give golfers an insight into the work being carried out around the course and the reasons behind it.

May has seen the course start to take shape again, with a clear definition now visible between the fairways, rough and greens. The greens have been verticut, which removes thatch and excess lateral growth. We then applied a fertiliser and have seen a very positive response over the last week.

New ball washers have been fitted to the bins that arrived at the start of the year, and these will be topped up regularly. Divot bins have also been added to all par 3s, along with broken tee holders.

On that note, there are still a lot of broken tees being left on the tee boxes. Please use the broken tee holders where possible. If one isn’t available, please throw broken tees into the semi-rough. Once our new machinery arrives, debris such as broken tees can easily damage or knock a cutting unit out of alignment.

We were delighted last week with the arrival of our new fairway mower and greens roller. The fairway mower has already been put to work and is looking the part. Hopefully the rest of the new machinery isn’t too far behind. 🤞

We’ve recorded 33mm of rain during May, which isn’t a great deal all things considered. As a result, we’ve had to carry out a fair amount of manual watering alongside our regular daily tasks.

16/04/2026

Disappointed

Hi all I was out playing the medal tonight and noticed ppl have been putting there ci******es out on the top of the new bin these bins are plastic 😢
As a smoker myself there is no reason to be doing this the members and the trust have paid £4000 for these bins to make the course look a bit better and to keep the course tidy.
If anyone sees anyone doing this could they please let the club know as action will be taken against these halfwits.

23/08/2025

Serious damage found on the 12th green this Morning. This really is frustrating as if thing's aren't difficult enough. Keep an eye out folks . If you see any strange goings on.

21/08/2025

02/06/2025

We have had minor damage to the Course at the 1st ,2nd 4th,8th and 10 holes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night .
Can I ask if anyone sees anything, report it to us.
Hopefully the new cctv will show some evidence