News FROM THE SHED – April 2018

FROM THE SHED – APRIL 2018

You will be amazed at what is involved behind the scenes in preparing and maintaining our course. From The Shed aims to keep you up to date with these activities. But first some context.

Responsibility for greens, course proper and surrounds rests with the Greens Director supported by the Greens Sub Committee, Course Superintendent and Greens Staff.

The Greens Sub Committee is chaired by Dave Lyons, Greens Director, and comprises Tony Bernhagen, Tony Gordon, Wayne Patston and Bob Read.

We recently introduced Todd McNamee, new Course Superintendent.  Paul Dawson continues as a member of the Greens Staff along with Alex Delbridge and Brendan O’Brien. The photo left shows left to right – Todd, Alex and Brendan in front of our current fairway mower, which will soon be traded for a bigger more powerful model. Paul Dawson took some overdue leave the first week of April, with Brendan to do the same soon. Alex is a second year apprentice who has three good mentors helping him, while Paul and Brendan will benefit from Todd’s experience and management style.

Course Superintendent, Todd McNamee and Greens Director, Dave Lyons meet monthly with Men’s Captain Cyril Trist, Women’s Captain Terri Cairns and Vets Captain Grant Smallacombe to help align course activities to best suit important match events. With course presentation in mind, Todd has suggested a couple of volunteers take down the flagpole near the clubhouse to give it a much needed clean and coat of paint before the next special day (pennants, host day).

Feedback from members on course issues and suggestions for course improvements are welcome but please direct them to our Greens Director, Dave Lyons, Green’s Sub-Committee members or the respective Golf Captains rather than to greens staff to avoid distracting them from their work.

The organisation described provides the process for setting course priorities however, there are the overriding constraints of staff and volunteer resource availability and, a tight club financial environment.

Current and proposed activities/priorities include, in no particular order:

  • Greens renovation completed with 8mm solid tynes and fertilisers applied. Top dressing not attempted because of weather and now considered not necessary. Low light conditions and heavy rain have encouraged more algae on some problem greens, e.g. 10th and 12th. It is not coincidental that these greens have the most couch encroachment on the course. Tiffgreen (328) struggles with algae unlike couch. The greens staff will be applying an algaecide to affected greens.Also, an organic amendment will be applied to greens to improve the nutrient holding ability of the soil, thus keeping fertiliser where it will work best – not leached below the rootzone.
  • Mowing practices have increased and watering reduced on the new Tiffdwarf greens nursery. Top dressing has been applied and weeds sprayed – it is looking good. Stolons from this nursery will be used next growing season to redo at least two greens on the back nine.
  • We will be acquiring a new fairway aerating machine (Groundhog Aerator) which will be used to improve the soil physical status (and ultimately nutrition) of tees and landing areas of fairways. It will be turned loose on large bare patches when soil moisture is favourable.
  • Course presentation and aesthetics are priorities especially adjacent to the road. To improve appearance during winter in front of 18th ladies tee, it is proposed to seed ryegrass after aeration of bare patches and topdressing
  • To improve airflow on course and drying, as well as aesthetics, it is proposed to raise the tree canopy on course by removing as much undergrowth as possible. An ideal activity for volunteers – working bees will be arranged.
  • Last week some overhanging branches and undergrowth that impact on tee shots were removed on the 1st and 3rd holes (as identified by the Greens Committee), along with cutting back of much undergrowth on left hand side of the 7th hole.We can now see the left side of the green from the tee.Thanks to the following volunteers – Rex Williams, Jim Henderson, Don Clelland, Greg Michael, Graham Laing, Doug Pearce, Terry Lyons, Ron Blount, Bob Reid and Dave Lyons.