Fresh from the Fairways: May Edition

Introduction

By Jon Wilson, Centre Manager

Hello everyone,

We’re kicking off this edition of Fresh from the Fairways by celebrating Aaron Rai’s historic PGA Championship victory – defying 150-1 odds to become the first English player to lift the Wanamaker Trophy in over a century!

Closer to home, our greenkeeping team has done an exceptional job preparing Duxbury Park Golf Course to the condition you expect for the peak season.

With Rory’s back to back Masters win in April, the buzz heading into The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale this July is unlike anything we’ve seen. With Birkdale just down the road from us here in Lancashire, the excitement for the Claret Jug feels incredibly close to home. Who is your pick to lift it?

Whether you are sharpening your game on the Toptracer® Range or taking on our rolling parkland fairways and challenging mature trees, we are thrilled to welcome you back to a course that is looking sharper by the day.

Here’s what we’ll be covering in this edition of Fresh from the Fairways:

2026 Loyaltee Golf® Customer Survey Results
Golf Course Update
Claim your free copy of the 2026 Golf Society Playbook.
Clubhouse & Catering
Team Update
Community News

You Spoke, We Listened!

By Jon Wilson, Centre Manager

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the Loyaltee Golf® 2026 Customer Survey! Your insights are absolutely vital in helping us engineer the perfect golf season for you at Duxbury Park.

What You Love

We are absolutely thrilled by the glowing feedback regarding the condition and layout of the course! It was amazing to read comments from golfers who first played Duxbury in the 1970s and 1980s stating that the course has truly “never been better”. Many of you highlighted that it remains one of the best-laid-out courses you have ever played and you continue to consistently rate us highly for our fantastic value for money.

Our Focus for 2026

We know this historically wet winter made ground conditions incredibly tough across the UK, but with the sunshine approaching, we are turning your feedback into an exciting action plan. Based on your top requests, here is what we are focusing on:

Course Drainage & Bunkers: We are looking at ways to continuously improve our drainage (especially around the 5th and 6th holes) so the course recovers faster from heavy rain. Our greenkeeping team is also making it a priority to level the tee boxes and add better quality sand to all the bunkers.
Pace of Play: We hear your frustrations regarding slow play during peak times. We are reviewing our tee time gaps and looking at introducing active Course Marshalls to ensure a smooth, enjoyable pace of play for everyone.
Clubhouse & Catering: You want more time to enjoy a post-round drink and bite to eat. We are looking into extending our food service hours later into the evening on weekends, alongside exploring options like live sports in the cafe and mid-round pasties to keep you fuelled.

Huge thanks to our friends at The Masters Golf Company for supporting our survey and providing a fantastic iCart Evo Trolley for the prize draw! ️‍Congratulations to the winner, Lori P (a regular at Richmond Park Golf Course)!

Golf Course Update

By Jon Wilson, Centre Manager

Despite a challenging, cold Q1 and slow growth through April and early May, warmer weather has arrived, and the course is in great condition.

Key Project Updates

Holes 8 & 9: Six bunkers were fully excavated, fitted with new drainage, and filled with fresh sand. One bunker was subtly reshaped to improve playability and aesthetics.
Tee Reconstructions (13th Yellow & 16th Main): Both tees underwent full reconstruction, including turf removal, power harrowing, laser leveling, and turfing. Opening is imminent, though slightly delayed by the unseasonably cold spring.
Greens Maintenance: To optimise putting surfaces, the following intensive maintenance program was completed:
Aeration: Deep-soil Air2G2 and Verti-drain treatments to relieve compaction.
Surfacing & Nutrition: A recent light vertical cut, followed by an application of 18 tonnes of sand top-dressing and Terralift TX10 fertilizer to stimulate healthy growth.

Special Offers & Events

By Jon Wilson, Centre Manager

Charity Bingo Nights

Our Charity Bingo nights continue to be a resounding success. Thanks to your fantastic attendance and enthusiasm, the prize pools are getting bigger and, most importantly, our charity pot is steadily growing. It is a wonderful way to bring our community together for a great night out while supporting worthy causes.

9-Hole Defibrillator Competition

We are incredibly grateful to the Duxbury Club for their generous donation of two defibrillators for the golf course. To fund the vital ongoing upkeep and maintenance of these life-saving devices, we have launched a dedicated 9-hole competition. We encourage everyone to get involved – it is a great excuse for a quick, competitive round while directly supporting the health and safety of our entire golfing family.

Foodie Fridays

Our recent ‘Foodie Friday’ event was a massive hit! The lively combination of fantastic live music and a delicious variety of local street food vendors created a brilliant atmosphere around the clubhouse. Given the overwhelmingly positive feedback, we are already looking into hosting more of these evenings soon. Keep an eye out for upcoming dates!

Planning a Society or Golf Day?

Being a Society Organiser can be a thankless task – so we’ve made it easier. We’ve just released our FREE 2026 Golf Society Playbook, designed to help you plan a day your group will actually talk about for years.

From choosing the right format to securing the best dates at Castle Point, it’s all inside. Click here to download your free Golf Society Playbook.

Why join for a year when you only play in the summer?

Love the course but not ready to commit to full membership? Our Loyaltee® Flexi plan is the perfect summer solution. It’s our most popular flexible option, where redeem points for rounds.

Click here and sign up today.

On The Menu

By Andy Silverman, Group F&B Lead

From the First Tee to the 19th Hole

Whether you’re hunting for birdies or just trying to survive the bunkers, one thing is certain: you’re going to need refuelling. From quick snacks at the turn to celebratory rounds at the bar, we’ve got your cravings covered.

Grab & Go Made Easy

Don’t let hunger ruin your scorecard! Our Grab-and-Go stations are stocked and ready for action. Swing by the Clubhouse Cafe to grab your stash before you tee off, or at the turn.

New Flavours at the Clubhouse

The Clubhouse kitchen has been busy! We’ve launched our new Clubhouse Menu to feature classic favourites and fresh new dishes (the Belgian waffles look a highlight to me!).

The kitchen is now open till late. Serving pizzas, wraps, burritos and toasties until 8pm. Ready to see what’s cooking – click here and check out our brand new menu.

Team News

By Jon Wilson, Centre Manager

We are thrilled to announce that Josh Clarke, our dedicated Assistant Greenkeeper, has been awarded Employee of the Quarter!

Josh has been an invaluable part of the greens staff, especially when navigating the challenging weather conditions we faced earlier this spring. His relentless hard work, positive attitude, and meticulous attention to detail during our recent course improvements – including the extensive bunker renovations and intensive greens maintenance – have been instrumental in getting Duxbury Park into the pristine condition you see today.

Please join us in congratulating Josh on this well-deserved recognition the next time you see him out on the fairways!

Community News

By Jon Wilson, Centre Manager

Growing the Game: Coaching & Development

It is fantastic to see our practice facilities so busy, with coaching programs expanding across all age groups and abilities:

Golf Fore The Ages: Due to fantastic demand and an ever-growing community, the group has now added an extra day to their regular schedule with us.
Junior Golf Foundation: We are proud to have The Golf Foundation, supported by the R&A, at our driving range three times a week delivering excellent junior group lessons to the next generation of golfers.
Rudi Ryan Coaching: Last but certainly not least, Rudi Ryan’s coaching programs continue to thrive, with both his individual tuition and group clinics growing in popularity.

Whether you are a beginner picking up a club for the first time or looking to fine-tune your swing, there has never been a better time to get involved!

And Finally...

The days are getting longer and we’ve reached that glorious stretch of the season where twilight golf is a perfectly valid excuse for being late home.

Our maintenance team has the course in peak condition, but the excitement doesn’t stop at the 18th green. We’re gearing up for a blockbuster summer of sports, including Wimbledon, followed immediately by the high-stakes drama of the FIFA World Cup. To top it all off, we’ll be watching the world’s best take on the links at The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale.

Let’s make it a classic. See you on the fairways!