Raglan Golf Club has reopened after a dramatic turnaround that saw the course brought back from more than six years of neglect.

When new owners took over in spring 2024, the South Wales course was virtually unplayable, with overgrown fairways, failing drainage and greens that had fallen into disrepair. Course manager Lucy Sellick was appointed later that year and tasked with leading a 10-month restoration programme ahead of reopening in April 2025.

“It really was a case of starting again,” Lucy explains. “We were lifting tree canopies, re-wilding areas and bailing off grass that had been left to grow unchecked.”

Ten greens were completely re-laid, while the remaining eight underwent intensive renovation. Those greens were scarified, aerated and topdressed before being overseeded with Johnsons J All Bent, a mixture Lucy has used extensively during her career.

“The coverage was poor and there was a lot of coarse Poa annua,” she says. “The aim was to improve uniformity and outcompete what was already there.”

The greens were overseeded in autumn 2024 and again in spring 2025, and Lucy says they have coped well with the immediate spike in play following reopening. “The course has been very busy and the surfaces have stood up well, despite some tough environmental conditions.”

Attention has since turned to achieving greater consistency across the remaining greens, which were laid with a fescue-dominant sward prior to Lucy’s arrival. In the short term, the team has been overseeding with J Ultrafine Rye 100 while thatch levels are reduced.

“The establishment has been excellent and the feedback from golfers has been really encouraging,” she adds.

Lucy now leads a team of five as further refinements continue across the course, supported by ongoing technical advice. “Having that extra guidance on seed choice and overseeding strategy has been a big help as we continue to move the course forward.”