Greenkeepers Blog

Superintendents Blog – January 2012

 We received 47.5mm of rainfall during the month of January, with 7 days recording rainfall.  Will Ockenden has settled in well with the greenkeeping crew, staff moral is good and it is great to hear some positive feed back from members about the condition of the course.

The overall condition of the course continues to improve however the predicted wet weather for the remainder of February may favor some fairway disease although I hope the preventatives I have in place will limit the disease damage.

Greens

The greens have been fairly consistent all month and have a relatively good roll however they were a bit slow for the February monthly medal due to almost 70mm of rain falling in the 3 days prior.

We are currently Verti- draining the greens (using solid steel tines to punch holes in to the surface for improved root development and to increase surface drainage). The greens will then be double verti- cut and then rolled to limit the damage from the verti-drain.      

Tees

Tees are being cut twice a week.I have been unable to spray the selective herbicide to control the Kikuyu, hopefully this month.

Fairways

Fairways have recovered well since they were under stress from the irrigation problems in January. We are still having problems with the irrigation system however the course is holding up well with the rainfall.

Preferred lies has been removed and we will try to G.U.R most of the remaining problem areas.

We have also extended some of the fairways to the surrounds of the greens this is to reduce the carry required by the golfer to reach the green and to speed up maintenance in these areas by using a large mower to do the cutting.

The second fairway has been re directed to help maintain the hole as a dog leg and to hopefully direct the traffic away from the problem area on the right hand side.Returfing of the problem area on the 2^nd has also taken place.

Bunkers

Bunkers will be trimmed next wee for the A pennant matches set down for February 19. The bunker on the right hand side of the 16^th has been rotary hoed in the base and the approximately 8 tonne of screened sand was replaced.

We will continue this on the back right bunker on the 14^th when time and staffing are available.

 Machinery

Basically the same problems as last month.

We have purchased an older model Holden Rodeo ute at a good price for use on the course.

Trees and Gardens

 A large Coral tree has been removed from the second hole near the mound.

Hedge maintenance and some new plants in the Western carpark have occurred.

 Thank You   Mark Yates

Superintendents Blog – December  2011

We received 61mm of rainfall during the month of December, with 9 days recording rainfall, however there was no rain recorded in the last 10 days of the month. The yearly total for rainfall was 1328mm.

With the start of the new year it seems that summer has finally arrived with warmer temperatures and prevailing north easterly winds quickly drying the golf course fairways.

I would like to welcome Will Ockenden to the greenstaff as our new assistant superintendent; Will has 20 years industry experience and has worked at four other courses around the Illawarra and southern Sydney areas.

 Greens

The greens have been fairly consistent all month and have a relatively smooth surface; the greens will improve as the dusting program continues.

A couple of problems have occurred during the month with a hydraulic hose blowing on the greens mower on the 7^th green causing an oil burn on the front section of the green, this area will be repaired when the full extent of damaged is apparent.

The 12^th green suffered from heat stress over the Christmas period, this is due to a failure in the electrical decoder component that controls the sprinkler, the problem has been fixed and recovery will be monitored and repair work will follow.     

 Tees

Tees are being cut twice a week. I will try to spray a selective herbicide this month to control the Kikuyu encroachment on the couch tees.

Fairways.

Fairways have deteriorated over the past 2 weeks due to the onset of dry weather, this dry weather highlighted a deficiency in the pressure from the irrigation pumping station on the 7th dam. The self cleaning filter system was not cleaning its self and this resulted in blockages and reduced  water flow to the sprinklers. The problem has been identified and repaired and 6 monthly maintenance will be carried out to prevent any future problems.

Frustratingly I have been unable to complete the turf work on the 2^nd fairway; however with our staffing back to normal we will be able to repair the area ASAP.

Bunkers

Bunkers have been trimmed during normal maintenance.

We continue to screen sand from our stockpile and place it in the bunkers.

Machinery

The skid steer loader is having overheating issues during prolonged use however the overall condition of the machine is very poor and it is difficult to justify any considerable money on it to make any repairs, basically the machine will be our next priority replacement when funds are available.

The electric golf style cart need all 6 batteries replaced. The cart can only operate for about 40 minutes at the moment after a full charge.

The John Deere tees mower has blown a front oil seal and is currently out of action for atleast the next week or two. We have raised the height of our older greens mower to 10mm so we can continue to cut tees and green surrounds.

Trees and Gardens

 All gardens on the course have been sprayed with a herbicide pre emergent that will give us at least 3 month control of any new weeds seeds germinating.

The problem we have at the moment is that our woodchip stocks are very low  and we all know that a well mulched garden helps to control weeds.

Other projects

-          Garden work, trimming and mulching.

-          Round up spraying under pine trees gardens and course boundaries.

-          Tree maintenance.

-          Pathway repairs

-          Turf work on the 2^nd fairway

 Thank You  Mark Yates

 Superintendents Blog – November  2011

 We received 140mm of rainfall during the month of November, with 7 days recording rainfall, with 111mm falling in a 5 day period.

A huge thank you to the dedicated group of volunteers, who have managed to top-dress most of the bare areas and some uneven areas on the fairways.

This has helped the re-growth of the Kikuyu grass and helps to regain a smooth and consistent playing surface.

The group managed to achieve this task over two working bees on consecutive Mondays, Thanks again for your support.

Greens-The greens were a bit slow during the month however an application of “Primo” growth retardant and

verti-cutting the greens twice have helped to smooth out the surface and to achieve an increase in green speed.  

Tees-Tees are being cut twice a week. I will try to spray a selective herbicide this month to control the Kikuyu encroachment on the couch tees.

Fairways-Fairways are being cut twice a week.

All fairways have been sprayed with the growth retardant “Primo” and also mixed in the spray was a fungicide to help with the control of the disease “Black Helminsthoporium”.

Most of the bare areas have been topdressed.

Bunkers-Bunkers have been trimmed during normal maintenance and we have managed to screen approximately 15- 20 tonne of sand for the bunkers on the 16th. We will place the sand in the bunkers over the next week.

Trees and Gardens-A couple of larger branches came down during strong winds on the 2^nd and 7^th holes. Planting has been completed at the front garden at the entrance to the club house. The selection of plant has been chosen for the drought tolerance and hardiness for the conditions. The strappy type foliage will also contrast well with the stained timber screen.

 Other projects

-          Garden work, trimming and mulching.

-          Round up spraying under pine trees gardens and course boundaries.

-          Tree maintenance.

-          Pathway repairs

-          Work on the 6^th and 15^th pathways.

        Thank You  Mark Yates

We received 84mm of rainfall during the month of August, with 6 days recording rainfall.

With the start of spring I have already noticed an increase in grass growth and I expect to see some considerable re growth in some of the bare areas.

I would like to thank the garden party for their continued work around the course and as well as Clive Hollands for his efforts on the weed removal from the 2nd and 8th dams.

Greens

The greens were cored on Monday 15th and have recovered well.

The green staff worked extended hours on the Monday and Tuesday to get all the work completed.

The coring needed to be carried out while the greens and soil were dry and lucky for me it rained on the weekend before we started the rained within 3 hours of the completion of work. I have started my dusting program for the greens, this involves using the new Toro topdressing machine to apply a fine layer of soil over the greens surface, and this will be carried out on a weekly basis throughout summer.

Tees

All tees have been sprayed for weeds. All couch tees will be sprayed with a selective herbicide to control the Kikuyu encroachment. This is a time consuming task and will need to be carried out on a monthly basis. However I am confident we will see some improvements over time; please expect some yellowing of the Kikuyu grass once the applications start.

Fairways

The height of cut on the fairways has been reduced from 22mm to 15mm and has given the fairways more definition. The height was originally raised to help with recovery going into winter months. Selective weed spraying, eg clover bindii and flat weeds should be completed this week.

I have managed to borrow a fairway spiking machine from Calderwood golf course, and we have so far managed to aerate the fairways on the southern side of the golf course.

The purpose of this work is to break up the soil surface and to stimulate better growth. The northern side of the course will be spiked in the coming weeks.

I hope to carry out this practice four times over the next 12 months

Bunkers

We have topped up the bunkers on the right hand side of the 11th green with approximately 9 tonne of sand in the front bunker and 6 tonne in the back bunker with more still needed, it just give you a n idea of the sand needed to top up all of the bunkers.

Trees and Garden

Continual weed spraying and mulching

The new garden at the front of the club should be completed this month.

Thank You
Mark Yates

We received 185.5mm of rainfall during the month of July, with 5 days recording rainfall. 181 mm fell on the days between the 20th – 23rd of July. The dam on the 8th hole has been flushed of the surface weed due to the heavy rainfall. We will attempt to keep this dam weed free by doing weekly weed removal.

Greens

The greens will be cored on Monday 15th and will take approximately 3 days to complete the coring.

Please expect some temporary greens during this maintenance.

The reason we are coring the greens is to:

• Relieve surface compaction
• Increase surface drainage
• Promote deeper root growth
• Add amendments to the soil while the core holes are open

We have a narrow time frame to complete this task to ensure there is significant recovery before the Minnamurra open bowl in late September. Weather is critical during the coring and if it is raining then I will have to postpone the renovations until the weather is more favourable.

I apologize for any inconvenience during this process however it is necessary to help with the continual improvement of the greens.

Tees

There are some flat weeds present on some tees and these will be selectively sprayed in the coming weeks.

Fairways

A second application of the selective herbicide to control the wintergrass has been applied in early August. The effects of this application will be evident in approximately 3-4 weeks, just in time for spring

Calcium based products will applied to the fairways to start the program to reduce the concentration of sodium and bicarbonates in the soil and to improve the soil structure.

With the removal of the wintergrass from most of the fairways another disease has been evident. This disease is called winter fusarium and became noticeable after the heavy rain fall. The disease has probably gone un diagnosed and not treated in the past resulting in the deterioration of the kikuyu which would have only contributed to the increase in winter grass.

I now have a control program in place so that no more damage occurs to the Kikuyu from this disease.

Bunkers

Nearly all the bunkers received a full sand relocation from the back of the bunkers to the playing areas, mainly due to the major washouts during the heavy rainfall.

We have managed to screen several tonne of local sand that can be used to fill in some of the worst bunkers on the course and to try and achieve a minimal standard of sand to create consistency in all of the bunkers.

We received 83.5mm of rainfall during the month of June, with 7 days recording rainfall.

I would like to welcome Helen Peters to the greenstaff. Helen has been hired for her sound knowledge in the horticulture industry and will be mainly working around the club house gardens to improve the overall appearance and beatification. Helen will be working one day per week and hopefully this will increase to two days per week in the summer months.

Greens

The greens will continue to be firm until we carry out greens renovations in August when the greens will be cored. Greens are in average condition with a consistent surface however a little thin in some areas. I am applying a light frequent fertilizer every fortnight to help with recovery.

Tees

Tees are being cut once a fortnight, mainly to keep them tidy. The winter grass program is working well and most tees are winter grass weed free.

Kikuyu will be removed by hand weeding when the time is available or selectively with round up (refer to the 17th tee).

Fairways

The fairways are showing discoloration (Yellowing) from the application of the selective herbicide to control the wintergrass. Some wintergrass has grown back in some areas and a repeat spray will be carried out when required.

Calcium based products will applied to the fairways to start the program to reduce the concentration of sodium and bicarbonates in the soil and to improve the soil structure.

Bunkers

Trimming and relocation has been carried out as normal maintenance.

Machinery

The Board of directors has approved the purchase of new machinery that will improve the condition of the golf course.

The machinery to be purchased is:

• Toro Workman utility with a spray rig attachment
• Toro tow behind topdresser
• Toro Proforce debris blower
• Toro 360 Rough Cutter

Trees and Garden

The volunteer garden party helped with the removal of weeds from the gardens behind the 3rd green and to the left of the 4th tee. Thank You for your help.

Pathways

No work on pathways has been carried out during June.

However work on the pathway on the 6th and 15th tee is expected to start by the end of the month.

Vandalism

Two flags sticks have been stolen from the 10th green during the month.

Other projects

• Garden work, trimming and mulching.
• Round up spraying under pine trees gardens and course boundaries.
• Tree maintenance.
• Pathway repairs
• Front clubhouse gardens
• Dredge the 7th dam
• Work on the 6th and 15th pathways.

Thank You
Mark Yates

We received 79.5mm of rainfall during the month of April. However we recorded 13 days of actual rainfall.

Greens

Greens are in average condition with a consistent surface.

The wet weather with more the frequency than the volume has made it difficult to dry out the greens surface, with excessive wear showing on the first and 10th greens, I have been using light frequent fertilizing to help the grass to recover however with the moisture remaining on the surface from light frequent rain showers and heavy dew the recovery has been slow.

I will be trying some selective sprays and additives on the greens to hopefully force the worms to go deeper into the soil profile and not leave the casting everywhere. This problem is increased by the lack of air movement in the soil profile; hence the worms come to the surface to survive.

Tees

Tees are being cut once a week and the growth has definitely decreased in the past month. Fertiliser will again be applied at the end of the month to help maintain winter colour.

Fairways

The fairways have seen some recovery over the past month.

Again the frequency of the rain and heavy dews are not helping the situation as the surface is staying wet and the soil temperature is decreasing. This results in slower turf growth. The surface moisture also benefits the existence of some disease and we are continuing with dew removal on a daily basis to help reduce any further issues.

Bunkers

Trimming and relocation has been carried out as normal maintenance.

Machinery

We have experienced machinery down time with the Toro Fairway mower (water pump), Toro workman (clutch spring), John Deere tees mower (Battery and starter motor) and the John Deere fairway mower (left hand wheel hub and hydraulic leak).

Trees and Garden

The volunteer garden party helped with the removal of weeds and the mulching of gardens on two occasions in the past month. I thank everyone for their efforts in helping to maintain the aesthetics on the course.

The dead pine has been removed from behind the 7th green and will be replanted with Casuarinas’ to continue the theme planting in that area.

Pathways

No work on pathways has been carried out during April.

Vandalism

No vandalism was recorded for the month of April.

Other projects

• Garden work, trimming and mulching
• Round up spraying under pine trees gardens and course boundaries
• Tree maintenance
• Pathway repairs

Thank You
Mark Yates

We received 348.5mm of rainfall during the month of March, with 300mm falling on the course for the 3 days of the 19th, 20th, 21st.

The overall condition of the course is good, considering the wet weather.

There has been several water and soil tests carried out over the past couple of weeks. The purpose of these test is to hopefully highlight any problems on the course and there connection with the quality of the water used for irrigation. This water is supplied to the golf course from the Bombo sewer works. We will be able to start a long term program to amend any irregularities found with the tests.

Greens

Greens are in good condition with a smooth and consistent surface, they should be in top condition for the A pennant final and Kiama open in early April. Recent verti- cutting has helped to maintain a true and consistent surface.

The wet weather has bought a lot of the worms to the surface in some of the greens, notably the 9th and 18th resulting in little piles of soil being deposited on the greens these are know as worm castings. They are easily removed when greens are cut on a daily basis.

Tees

Tees are in good condition overall with exception to the 10th 11th and 18th tees. The 18th will be renovated and re-turfed in the near future.

The tees have been fertilised with a slow release granular fertiliser to help maintain growth and colour as we approach the cooler months.

Fairways

The fairways suffered from several stress factors over the last few months that culminated in the loss of some turf areas as a result of disease infestation. These factors include:

• The drought stress experienced in mid January caused by irrigation faults.
• The use of the older John Deere fairway mower for 6 weeks while the Toro was being repaired, this resulted in a poorer quality cut of the turf that caused the scalping of some areas, and made the turf more susceptible to disease attack.
• I applied a herbicide in early February to control the Oxalis (little yellow weed) in the fairways. This application probably contributed to the overall decline of the turf surface, although only recommended rates were used, the turf resistance to the chemical was reduced due to the above factors.
• The notable absent of wintergrass in the fairways has probably highlighted the bare areas were the Kikuyu has suffered from the disease.

The disease seemed to strike in the same positions as last year eg first fairway, which has allowed me to identify the areas that need a major renovation to prevent any future repeat problems. This renovation will include:

• The rotary hoeing of the surface to break up the compacted soil structure.
• The addition of any soil amendments required eg Gypsum
• The re-turfing of the area with 50mm + cut turf from the practice fairway, this turf should recover quickly.

Bunkers

Trimming and relocation has been carried out as normal maintenance.

The bunker on the 5th has been re shaped due to the large wash out that resulted from the heavy rain.

Machinery

Justin has been kept busy in the greenkeepers shed with a lot of scheduled maintenance, and improvement to the overall operation of all the machinery.

Trees and Garden

Maintenance of the clubhouse gardens and surrounds is continuing as well as maintenance to the gardens on 5th, 11th and 17th tees.

Pathways

No work on pathways has been carried out during March.

Vandalism

The usual missing flag stick on the 10th green continues on a weekly basis.

Other projects

• Garden work, trimming and mulching.
• Round up spraying under pine trees gardens and course boundaries.
• Tree maintenance.

Thank You
Mark Yates