March Course Update

Hi Members,

Welcome to Autumn on the course. The cooler nights and mornings have been a welcomed accompaniment to our day to day. This combined with lower humidity and less impactful rain has allowed us to work the firmness back into the greens and fairways. Also allowed for us to really ramp up the fairway watering and wetting agent/humic acid dosing.

As we look to sign off summer, we start to reflect on the season that was. I have to say, this summer past has been great for the team on course. Far from easy yet full of milestones. The crew continued to grow as a unit and accomplish new grounds. As many have already seen, Susie has made an impact on the turf industry with her great attitude and work ethic. Being selected to participate in the John Deere Women in Turf initiative is a great opportunity that certainly wasn’t lost on Susie. Very proud for Susie to join this year’s group of women in turf to assist in the preparation of the WebEx event at Cobram Barooga. Even more proud that Susie returns to us at TGC with that same drive and enthusiasm.

Overall, improvements can be seen in the playing surfaces which I am pleased with.

Items look at including reduced weeds in greens/tees/fairways, consistency across greens with growth, moisture movement/retention and vigour to all surfaces in general.  Whilst pleased, there is absolutely room for improvement which we will continue to strive for.

Part of this is credited to the new irrigation system settling in. Another part is the increased focus on water management and a course wide weed, pest and nutrient applications. This season, the course team have been working on logging moisture, salinity and temperature levels to enable sound management decisions. Whenever you saw the team out probing the greens, they were developing a map of data. This gives us all a live view of where we are at and what we can expect when through our afternoon watering. Also enables us to make more informed decisions on when or when not to water.

The drainage work on the 5th hole is approximately half finished. Work still to do is:

• Subsurface drainage laterals across the approach/fairway at 2m centres

• Form pathway further right of green and push turf edge further out to the right

• Complete drain in mid section swale

• Grass future blue tee for 6 with Santa Ana couch

The turf and drainage left of the green is settling in nicely. The drains were certainly put to the test with the extra irrigation for growing in turf through hot humid conditions. All held up well.

The plan is to complete this work second and third week of April. Unfortunately, the work was rained out and focus and resources needed to be shifted to the course renovations.

As I write this, we have completed coring all greens except 11 and the new chipper green. Topdressing with USGA construction sand is close to complete, leaving fertiliser applications to come Wednesday.

In addition to the greens coring, the team have aerated all tee tops and will be commencing all fairways next week. Fairways will be decompacted with our Shockwave machine down to 200-250mm.

In summary, completed in the last month:

• Greens aerated with 8mm needle tine  

• Greens cored with 5/8” hollow times

• Drainage and turf left of 5th green

• Further setting up for new maintenance facility

• Planting of 24 Angophora costata trees along right side of 10

• Planting of native grasses around 5 green and new maintenance facility gardens

• Pre emergent herbicide treatment to roughs and fairways

• Post emergent herbicide treatment to roughs.

Due for upcoming month:

• Complete 5th drainage works

• 14th in play

• New chipping green in play

• Continue planting along 10 as per our vegetation management and improvement program

Thanks again for the continued opportunity and support to work on developing this property and surfaces for you.

Catch you around.

Regards

Aaron Cachia | Superintendent

Slow Play

Members,

At the Match Committee Meeting held last night 15th June, it was brought to my attention and discussed re SLOW PLAY.

Apparently over the past month or so, we have had some groups involved in Slow Play, this has resulted in the fields backing up which has resulted in longer playing times.

Members, our course times is a complete round of four (4) hours fifteen (15) minutes, anything outside that is classed as SLOW PLAY. To determine what groups that are considered in that category, we check the Tee Off Time, and then the time the Score Card is entered into the Computer. We allow a small leeway to enter the result.

SLOW PLAY is considered out of position if it reaches the tee of a Par 3 hole and the preceding group has cleared the next Tee, reaches the Tee of a Par 4 and putting green is clear or reaches the Tee of a Par 5 when the preceding group is on the Putting Green. Please remember, it is your responsibility to keep up with the group in Front, not the Group behind you. If your group is having some difficulty (e.g. Finding a lost ball) and the following group is waiting, please call them up to play through.

GIMME’S

It was also discussed regarding some Members allowing Gimme’s that are well outside the acceptable range of the hole. This was discussed at length and passed that this will no longer apply. All players will putt out irrespective of the distance to the hole. It will become the Lowest Handicapper in the group to please enforce this. Please remember “Gimme’s“ are not in the Rules of Golf.

Good Golfing

Stan Blackhall | Club Captain

Course Projects Update

Hi Members,

You will see that project work has ramped up on the 10th tee complex with a drive to complete all project work by October.

Major projects to be completed

• 10th tee complex

• 19th hole bridge

• Old bridge removal

Read full course projects update HERE which includes commentary from President Jeff Hogan.

Cheers,

Aaron Cachia (CSTM)

Course Superintendent