Dear members
From a weather perspective it was a tail of two halves for June with some relatively dry and mild conditions during the first few weeks followed by some much cooler and wintery conditions. In total we received 81mm of rainfall which is pretty close to average but it was the 30mm over a three day period during the middle of the month which had a significant impact on course conditions.
Overall the course is hanging in there quite well considering the past couple of weeks have been persistently wet and we’ve been able to maintain some pretty good surfaces with very few limitations on cart access to this point.
GREENS
The combination of applying multiple soil penetrants and verti draining twice through June helped to achieve a firmer and drier putting surface over the past few weeks. Our number one goal for greens during winter is to promote the driest soil we possibly can however this is always a battle with our clay and heavy thatch layer that we possess. By punching holes twice in the space of four weeks it gave the water a better opportunity to penetrate down into the profile and we undertook this task prior to forecast rain events for that reason. The addition of a penetrant applied shortly after assisted in pushing the water even deeper into the soil and away from the surface. Not only does this provide better playing conditions for golfers but also helps keep air in the root zone which is vital for plant health.
To further assist this process we also applied 150k/h of gypsum to all greens which plays a key part in soil structure while adding vital calcium to the soil.
All in all the greens are performing really well considering the time of year and with minimal disease issues it’s a good indication that they are in a healthy state heading into the heart of winter.
FAIRWAYS/TEES/SURROUNDS
In addition to the greens we also applied the soil penetrant to tees and specific areas in the surrounds where they succumb to high traffic, poor drainage or both. This was done for the same purpose as we do on greens with the additional benefit of helping high traffic areas manage more efficiently.
We are yet to have a serious frost which has enabled the couch grass to maintain a slight tinge of green color which is typically gone by the beginning of July. This has delayed the couch grass from going into full dormancy which has helped keep a more dense grass coverage and allowed playing conditions to be at a fairly good standard for winter.
We will continue to be hopeful of some drier conditions over the next few months to help assist in keeping these surfaces in good playing condition.
ROPES AROUND COURSE
Those that have played recently would have experienced more ropes around the course than what we are used to seeing with the intention to guide traffic into more specific areas which can cope with the wetter conditions. I dislike ropes out on the course more than anyone but they are a necessary part of traffic management and play a key role in protecting the golf course during winter.
There are some specific holes where the ropes forces transport users to one side of the fairway and it is expected that once on this side that you stay to this side for the remainder of the hole. If you are in a situation where you must get to the other side of the fairway please cross over on a 90 degree angle (avoid driving directly up the fairway) and cross in a dry area. It is encouraged that even when course conditions are relatively dry that all transport users spend more time driving in the rough than on the shorter grass surfaces to assist in protecting the course. If members can stick to these rules it will not only protect the course but also play a big part in helping keep transport on for longer which is good for transport users and business.
On top of keeping transport off the tee tops and a minimum of 5m from green surfaces, can I also remind all members that we do not encourage golfers walking their pull buggies over the greens either. This is especially important through winter as we do not want to increase more traffic onto greens during wetter and colder conditions. The other reason is from a visual standpoint as the buggies naturally build up a lot of mud on their tyres which then leaves very unsightly wheel marks over the greens. Please keep pull buggies off greens at all times
TYRE DAMAGE NEAR 18TH TEE
The racetrack committee were recently undertaking some necessary maintenance which unfortunately resulted in a couple of their vehicles getting bogged next to the 18th tee. This required a large tractor to come in to retrieve both vehicles which has resulted in quite a bit of mess from tyre damage. The race club have ensured us that they will come in to fix the damage as soon as they can.
ANNUAL LEAVE
From July 1st Ill be taking two weeks of annual leave which leaves our trusty assistant Mark at the helm during the next couple of weeks. Preparing the course in the early morning particularly before competition days is difficult enough with two staff let alone one, and the addition of poor weather can make getting jobs completed near impossible. I ask that members please be understanding of this.
Ryan Hammond
DG&CC Course Superintendent
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