Course Managers Update - Around the Greens in September 2021

August was a dry month until the last week when 70mm of rain was delivered to the course in a two-day deluge. The rain could not have come at a better time with renovations being completed just a few days prior and the course closed due to COVID restrictions. The days were warm with an average maximum of 19⁰C and only three light and one heavy frost.

The greens were renovated with 16mm hollow tines to a depth of around 100mm. Forty tonne of USGA top dressing was applied and rubbed in followed by soil amendment applications. With the rain and a two week closure the greens recovered very well and are extremely healthy. Poa seed suppression began as scheduled early in the month with the second application going out at the end of August and the 3^rd and final application is scheduled for the end of September.

The tees were cored with 19mm hollow tines while the course was closed, and I hope to follow up in November. The tees have come through winter quite well and certainly enjoyed the break during the course closure. Surfaces are clean of weeds besides the odd stubborn patch of Kikuyu which should be taken care of with upcoming herbicide applications. Gypsum and organics will be applied to tees in mid-September.

The fairways were renovated with 19mm hollow tines during the renovation week. Cores were then rubbed in with a steel drag mat and the loose debris blown into the rough. Five tonne of Calcium was spread over the fairways. The height of cut has been dropped to 10mm to chop out any thatch and Poa, this height will be raised to 12mm once the first Primo application takes place in September. There are still a few small bare patches from Ground pearl, and I hope to have these areas turfed as soon as I can get a full team back on site. With some good rain predicted through this summer I believe we can really start to get the fairways back into great condition. Extra organic and gypsum applications have and will continue to be carried out on the 11^th fairway in the coming weeks.

Tree root pruning was carried out on a couple of areas on 11^th during August and in renovation week arborists removed some dead trees on the 1^st and 16^th and some dead wood was removed from several trees on the 14^th fairway.

  

The earth works for the construction of the 14^th path, funded by the NSW Government Local Sport Grant, began during the course closure and the concrete contractors laid the path on the 8^th and 9^th of September.

Floating wetlands, funded by the Golf NSW Foundation, were delivered on the 3^rd of September and the first of three have been ‘launched’. The wetlands are designed to vegetate ponds, waterways, dams and water bodies requiring either an aesthetic treatment, habitat production or water rehabilitation to reduce pollutants and nutrient loads.

Shay Tasker
Course Manager