Course Update
The courses continue to play and present well. As the daylight saving period now concludes, our focus has turned to delicately position the turf surfaces for the cooler months. Strong focus and preparation is required here to ensure the plant health and recovery potential extends as long as possible up and into the winter period. This intent will minimise the dormancy period length of the warm season grass areas of green surrounds, tees and fairways that shut down during the deep winter period (June – September). Several important autumn and winter turf programs will be implemented within this period and are listed below in the future turf programs.
After the recent 40mm recorded (March 20) Our storm water storage in the dam for greens usage is now close to full capacity.
The focus over the past few weeks, and going forward, is presenting the courses for member/guest events, club championships and pennant rounds.
It was fantastic to see the Men’s and Youth pennant teams win at PK on Sunday, and we wish the Women’s Friday and Sunday teams good luck for our hosting round.
See below a range of photos captured by our drone this week.
Green Collar Treatment Program
This week we recommenced and will continue our control program to alleviate warm season grass (couch grass) encroachment into our greens collars.
The program will selectively control/contain the warm season grass without impacting the desired bent grass turf. The program will require three applications 2-3 weeks apart.
Expect to see a strong highlighting of the target plant impact when the program is in the early weeks of implementation. The tips of the target plant will turn “bright white” before it decays. See below photos of the application in progress and a photo from last year of the program effectively working.
Current and Future Maintenance Programs
- Course preparation for Member/Guest, Club Championships and Pennant Events.
- Bunker and wasteland general maintenance and renovation programs (In-progress and ongoing)
- Greens scanning and selective hand-weeding program. (April/May)
- Couch grass encroachment program on green collars. (In-progress)
- Rough density reduction and mowing line extension program. (In-progress and ongoing)
- Wintergrass control/prevention program within warm season grass areas. (New programs to commence from March through October, currently in-progress)
- Warm season grass turf nutrition program (Autumn)
- Weed control programs in bunkers, wastelands, roughs, vegetation and creek areas. (In-progress)
- Vegetation maintenance programs that include selected slashing, dead/hazardous tree and woody weed removal, blackberry eradication treatment, non indigenous tree suckers and woody weed removal 12/16/17 South. (In progress and ongoing).
- Annual Drainage Program continuation. Target areas 9N fairway, 2S teeing complex and other selected smaller areas (timings to be confirmed).
Glenn Stuart
Director of Courses