Dear members,
Up until this week, November saw mostly dry conditions, albeit still quite cool temperatures for this time of year. We are still yet to crack a day over 30 degrees, which has had positive impacts on areas such as greens and cool season tees/surrounds. However, the negative aspect of this cooler weather is the lack of growth on the Santa Ana surfaces and an influx of winter grass spreading rapidly on these same surfaces.
GREENS
It was another busy month in our greens maintenance, which saw us undertake two rounds of double verticutting and a dusting of sand prior to the rain that fell last week. A whole host of fungicides, fertilizers, and organic products have been applied in the last fortnight in preparation for the large amount of rain that’s been forecast. This should hold them in good stead to manage what’s expected to be a significant amount of rainfall.
The greens as a whole have been in excellent shape with a good combination of firmness and smoothness, creating favorable ball roll conditions. I’ve been very pleased with their current healthy state, which is always a good start to the summer period. We will look to vertidrain greens with small 8mm solid tines before Christmas, including an application of sand and gypsum to help them manage through the busy period of the year when lots of public holidays restrict our staff from being on the course as frequently as normal.
TEES/FAIRWAYS/SURROUNDS
As mentioned, the cooler weather has had both positive and negative impacts on our fine cut playing surfaces. Our cool season tees and surrounds have particularly thrived in these conditions. They are currently in excellent shape as we head into summer and, provided we can get occasional rain events through summer, they are in a good position to withstand the warmer weather.
Our Santa Ana surfaces have taken some time to get going. It’s only been in the last week, with some warmer and humid weather, that we have seen a noticeable shift in their density. Due to the cooler weather, we have seen a larger than normal increase in winter grass (poa) on these surfaces, prompting us to apply a herbicide last week to try and eradicate this pesky species. By doing this, it will help limit the competition for the Santa Ana to grow freely. With another application of fertilizer scheduled in early December, I fully expect these surfaces to be in excellent shape by Christmas.
17th DAM
By now, those who have played in the past week would have seen the completed 17th dam, which has been positively received by a large majority of members. It certainly changes the hole from a strategic aspect and, in my opinion, has improved the hole. As I write this report, we are in the middle of a significant rain event, and I expect this dam to be completely full and overflowing by the end of the week. With no water being added manually, it shows just how much water runs through this area of the course for it to fill up so quickly. The impacts this will have on such a wet area of the course will be highly beneficial. With the addition of drainage scheduled early next year, we should see the wettest area of our course managing the wet conditions much more efficiently moving forward.
There is obviously some cleanup work required near the 18th tee from the machinery, which we will attend to once we get dry enough conditions to do so. For now, until we get a break in the weather, we will continue to play the 18th from the beginning of the fairway to avoid traffic entering this area.
CART PATHS
Provided the weather is okay, work on our cart paths will begin this Friday, 1st of December. This will start with what I believe to be our most important areas: the 2nd and 3rd holes. The concreters will continue to work through each one as time goes on. These works will likely take several weeks, resulting in some slight disruptions to play while the work is being undertaken.
In deciding which areas were a priority for these paths, the number one goal was to position them in areas where access was either impossible or very difficult for carts during the winter months. The main objective for these paths is to increase the possibility of carts being allowed on the course during winter, as directed by the board. Hence, their locations have been chosen for this specific goal. Concrete paths are not cheap, and sticking to a strict budget has required being very specific with their placement in order to stay within the specified budget. Many of the paths will extend from the existing gravel paths, leading to the drier side of the fairway. The carryways from tee to fairway often become very wet due to minimal, if any, drainage underneath them. The focus over many decades has been to ensure our fairways and short grass surfaces are drained first. In an ideal scenario with no budget constraints, we would have built these paths all the way from the tees. However, as there are already gravel paths doing their job to keep carts on course, most of these concrete paths will simply extend from the end of these gravel paths to limit costs.
I’m sure everyone will have their own thoughts and opinions on where these paths should be located. Please be assured that, as the one who observes the course conditions daily through the middle of winter when torrential rain is falling, I feel I’ve done my best to locate them in areas that will give our members the best chance to play in carts more frequently during these wetter months within the budget I’ve been given.
DRAINAGE
The drainage work will commence on January 8th, starting with the first 100m of the 6th fairway all the way across to the low point and left side of the 17th. This is where the new dam will also have an impact as this drainage will flow directly into this dam. The contractors have been given a very strict budget to work with, and as the works take place, they will continually update me on the progress of costs.
I am hopeful that the budget will allow for additional works on our 2nd and 3rd fairways, following the 6th and 17th. If there is still money left over, then the 9th fairway will be our next target.
With lots of exciting projects taking place on the course, I hope, like me, you are all excited to see some great improvements beginning to take shape. It’s certainly a great time to be involved at our club.
Ryan Hammond
DG&CC Course Superintendent
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