Weather and Rainfall
Hooley dooley, what a ride it has been this past month. While the average maximum temperature hovered just over 30 degrees, which might not seem too extreme, the humidity was relentless and made conditions challenging. February brought an impressive 190mm of rain, with a staggering 138mm falling within just over two hours right before the Carnarvon Cup. As a result, by the end of summer our main dams were completely full, and the course profile was thoroughly waterlogged. Here’s hoping for a much drier Autumn ahead.
Greens
Despite the difficult weather, the greens have thrived and continued to improve. There is now full coverage across all green surfaces, and the plant health is excellent. The combination of warmth, rainfall, and humidity typically creates ideal conditions for pests and disease, but our greens have remained free from both. As anticipated, green speeds dipped slightly but stayed above the 9’6” benchmark.
Renovations were carried out under tough conditions and went as well as could be expected. The greens were verti-drained using 8mm hollow tines, then lightly sanded, rolled, and had soil amendments added. Subsequent rainfall helped to wash in the last of the sand, and we were able to cut the greens at 4mm just three days later. The cutting height will be gradually reduced to the standard 3-3.5mm over the coming days.
Tees
Couch grass has flourished in the current climate, which suits its preference for heat, rain, and humidity. As a result, the tees are in excellent condition, boasting full cover and a thick, healthy sward. New turf areas on holes 3 and 12 were opened for play in early February. Unfortunately, these areas suffered considerable damage from members, who failed to properly care for the turf, rarely filling divots with sand. Because of this, the new turf areas have been withdrawn from regular play. The team has worked hard to prepare and maintain these areas, as they have with all tees, making the situation especially disappointing.
Fairways
Like the couch grass, the Kikuyu fairways have responded positively to February’s climate. To manage the vigorous growth, mowing frequency was increased to three times a week, alongside regular nutrition and applications of plant growth regulator. However, the drain area on the 4th fairway has become problematic due to a completely blocked stormwater pipe. We are actively working behind the scenes to identify the best solution for this issue.
Bunkers
The bunkers held up well until the heavy rainfall at the end of the month, after which they suffered some damage and loss of sand. We will be working through the bunkers to repair damage and replace the washed-out sand. On a positive note, the new bunkers on holes 11 and 9 performed exceptionally well; the recently installed drainage systems proved effective, as barely a grain of sand was out of place.
Members are reminded to avoid walking up the face of these bunkers and to always enter and exit from the lowest point.
Shay Tasker
Course Manager