Oatlands Enews – Friday 4th March 2022
Content
This week’s Enews covers the following topics:
- From the Course
- Ladies Volunteer Gardening – Tuesday 8th March
- Captain’s Corner – 6th Boundary Fence
- Scaled Tees – Golf Australia Article
- Golf Rules – Casual Water
- Espresso Coffee Now Available from the Golf Shop
- Pennant Update
- Members Only Facebook Group
- Upcoming Trophy Events
- Recent Trophy Winners
- Upcoming Events
From the Course
Rainfall for the Week: 145.0mm, Rainfall for 2022: 510.5mm Dam: 100% Green Speed: Closed
We’re all well aware that it’s been a very wet week, with the total, since this rain period started, reaching 345mm as of Thursday lunch time. Fortunately, we aren’t affected by flood waters like courses out in the Hawkesbury region, the NSW North Coast or in Queensland. Once flood waters reside, a massive clean up is required and entails large amounts of mud and silt to be pushed off surfaces by either hand on green surfaces or mechanically from fairways and tees. I really feel for courses such as Lynwood and Windsor as this will be the third time they’ve had to go through this process in 3 years!
Depending on how long surfaces on these courses stay under water will determine how bad the damage is to the turf. It will be highly likely that the greens will die again, and the process of establishing new grass on the greens by seed will be performed again. After last years floods, we lent Lynwood Golf Club the large white growth covers we purchased when we established our own putting and chipping greens. They never got a chance to return these, but I suspect that they will be used again after this flood, which is the least we can do.
This rain event isn’t over just yet, with predictions that the rain is returning over the weekend and we could receive up to 100mm from Saturday to Tuesday.
Our course was open for play on Monday, as I felt that fairway surfaces had dried out enough to be accessed by foot traffic only. The course was hit by one or two heavy downpours during the morning which was unfortunate for those playing, but also gave them an insight into how surface conditions change very quickly due to the high moisture levels in all surfaces.
As I mentioned in my course update video on the members Facebook page, we were able to cut all tees, collars and aprons on Monday, with some of these surfaces scalping as we hadn’t cut them for over a week. Greens were double cut on Monday morning, and we also managed to cut them on Tuesday morning in between heavy downpours, and once water had drained from surfaces. This process took around 6 hours on Tuesday compared to the usual 3 hours, but it’s vital to try and keep the greens mown as much as possible without causing damage to the surfaces.
We’ve been fortunate with a recent growth regulator application to all fairways, flyovers and rough lines keeping growth on these areas to a minimum. Our fairways haven’t been cut for over a week now and I doubt we will be able to cut them before the weekend. We are starting to see some disease development in our fairway surfaces, and this is from the waterlogged surfaces and the regulated growth. It’s a catch 22 situation though, as if we didn’t have the growth regulation the grass would be higher than your ankles and take many weeks to get these surfaces back into good condition. The disease in the fairways should be controlled with a fungicide application that was already planned to be applied last week, but was delayed with the rainfall as it must stay on the leaf for as long as possible.
Staff have managed to mow rough inside tree lines this week, as these areas didn’t receive any growth regulator. Some wheel marking did occurr as a result but will have been washed away with the heavy rain on Wednesday. Hand weeding of our Zoysia bunker surrounds was also performed this week to tidy these areas up. This is a labour intensive way of controlling these weeds, but it kept staff busy whilst the course was so wet. Herbicide control of these weeds is an alternative, but these herbicides must stay on the leaf of the weed for absorption by the weed which is impossible under the current weather conditions.
All course staff took Annual Leave on Wednesday and Thursday as nothing could be done on the course, and all jobs such as machinery, shed and hand tool cleaning had been performed several times, and even safe gutter cleaning has been performed. Whilst not a tropical holiday, it gives course staff a break from the weather and also helps manage expenses while the course is closed, so I thank all my staff for assisting at this time.
When it is safe and practical, course staff will start the process of repairing and returning the course back to its high standard. This will take time as the course is extremely soaked at the moment. Cutting heights may need to be raised to avoid scalping on greens and fairways, and gradually lowered down to our normal cutting heights. All of our older bunkers require pumping, silt removal and repairing of faces. Our new bunkers performed well and require very little repair work. As of Thursday, only a few branches had come down but this could change if strong winds should hit the course with the ground so wet and soft.
Enjoy the Weekend!
The Course Team.
Ladies Voulenteer Gardening – Tuesday 8th March
The OGC Ladies Committee have scheduled a volunteer gardening day for Tuesday 8th March starting at 8am. If any of our lady members would like to take part, please put your name down on the sheet in the ladies locker room and be here on Tuesday at 8am. This will be contingent on the weather with an update posted to the Club website on the afternoon of Monday 7th March.
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Captain’s Corner – 6th Boundary Fence
From time to time it is timely to revisit rules that apply in certain situations on our course.
I have been asked to clarify the rule in relation to relief from the Copper Logs along some houses on the left hand side of the 6th boundary fence.
These logs are deemed to be an obstruction, and are not part of the boundary fence.
Relief is given for Abnormal Course Conditions (Including Immovable Obstructions) in Rule 16. Where the rule uses abnormal course conditions, it includes obstructions (see Rule 16.1 a and 16.1 b). These rules set out when relief may be given and how the relief is to be taken.
Relief may be taken if the ball is touching the obstruction (ie the Copper Log) or the obstruction interferes with the players intended stance or swing.
Note – the player does not get relief if the fence, which is a “Boundary Object” interferes with the player’s stance or swing
It is also important to mention that the above only applies to that part of the boundary fence on the 6th hole where copper logs (an obstruction) are in place. If there is no copper log, there is no relief.
Good Golfing!
Colin McRae
Captain
Scaled Tees – Golf Australia Article
The following article has been taken from a recent Golf Australia newsletter, (click here for the article).
In the language of golf, new expressions pop up quite regularly. And in Australia, the latest instalment would be ‘scaled tees’.
That’s because of the proliferation of mixed golfing events at a time when the game comes together.
This season the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia is running four Webex Players Series events with men and women playing for the same prize, including one at Bonnie Doon in Sydney this week.
Just more than a week ago Hannah Green won the Murray River instalment held at Cobram Barooga Golf Club, becoming the first woman to win a TPS prize and creating a bit of history as the first woman to win a four-round mixed event on a major world tour. It created headlines everywhere and in many ways, it was a triumph for the setting up of the course for a mixed event. It was not just Green who played well; four women finished in the top 10.
As Karen, Lunn, the WPGA Tour chief executive said recently: “Looking at the rankings Hannah was far and away the best player in the field, and if she didn’t win playing her best golf, we’d done something wrong.”
Scaled tees are the instrument by which the events are meant to be made fair for all competitors.
Not that it’s easy. As PGA Tournaments Manager Graeme Scott once said about the way courses are set up for women and men to play together: “There’s no manual for this.”
In events like TPS Sydney at Bonnie Doon Golf Club this week or in the Hunter Valley next week at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort, there has to be an acknowledgement of the different physiology of men and women; the fact that as a general rule, men hit farther and spin the ball more. That means they can’t play from the same tees if you are running an event that aspires to give everyone a chance to win.
At Cobram Barooga, the women played a course that was 866 metres shorter than the men’s course. At Bonnie Doon this week, it’s 795 metres shorter from the women.
But it’s not as simple as just moving the tees forward for the women. “The key is that we have to set the golf course up so that it plays evenly for both men and women,” said Nick Dastey, the PGA’s Tournaments Director.
“It’s not a perfect science, because everyone hits the golf ball different distances. Some of the women will hit it as long as some of the shorter-hitting men and so on.”
The way this is done is to analyse data about how far men and women hit the golf ball, both here and around the world, and to look closely at the course. At Cobram, Dastey and WPGA Tour chief executive Karen Lunn drove up to the Murray prior to Christmas and Dastey played the course with Steffi Vogel, a trainee pro from the Club, to gauge distances, analyse the course and how it played and clubs used. This practical analysis along with the theory around average distances was then considered in order to come up with the final ‘scaled tees’ positions.
The point in regards to clubs used is crucial to course set-up for a mixed event.
“We’re trying to get to a point where if a guy hits a good drive and he has a nine iron into the green, then we want a woman who’s hit a good drive to have something like a nine iron or a wedge into the same green,” said Dastey. “We want them to have effectively the same iron shot. They don’t have to be side-by-side at 150 metres out, for instance, because at 150 metres the average man might hit an eight or seven iron and the average woman could be hitting a six or a five. It’s more about getting them hitting the same club.
“We also have to be mindful of the spin rate and the fact that men can stop the ball quicker, and that dictates to where you put the pins. So in these events, you won’t have pins tucked away to the same degree like they might be for a male-only event.”
Dastey points out that certain courses will suit the women more than others. For instance at Cobram Barooga, there was a premium on keeping the ball in play. “There’s no doubt that in general the women hit it straighter,” he said. “So on a golf course that’s not overly long, or a course that’s tight and doesn’t lend itself to being overpowered, the straighter hitters might have a better chance.
“We’re aware of all these things, that there might be a hole here or there that works better for the men than the women, and vice-versa.”
Some slight adjustments have been made for Bonnie Doon this week (as they were for Rosebud) as the tours strive for the fairest possible set-up. It’s a work in progress with no doubt that the more this is done, the better it will get.
“That’s been the challenge of the Webex Players series to be honest with you, it’s getting that right,” said Lunn. “Because the difference between the long-hitting men and the short hitting men is probably 60 metres, the difference between the longer-hitting women and the shorter-hitting women is probably somewhere in the middle. It’s a tough job but one we will continue to improve on over time.’’
Golf Rules – Casual Water
When the rain eases and we can all get back on the golf course to play, we are likely to see many areas of casual water on the course. So what is “casual water” and how is it covered in the Rules of Golf.
The Rules of Golf define Casual Water as;
“Casual water” is any temporary accumulation of water on the course that is not in a water hazard and is visible before or after the player takes his stance. Snow and natural ice, other than frost, are either casual water or loose impediments, at the option of the player. Manufactured ice is an obstruction. Dew and frost are not casual water.
A ball is in casual water when it lies in or any part of it touches the casual water.
In other words, “casual water” is water on the golf course that isn’t meant to be there by design. Casual water can be anywhere on a golf course outside a water hazard, which is now called a “penalty area.”
If there’s water somewhere in the “general area,” then it’s casual water, and you are entitled to free relief.
If you are not sure if there is casual water present, simply take your normal stance and address the ball. If water begins to surface around your shoes, then that area contains casual water. If you are unsure, check the status with your marker.
In-conjunction with this, if there is casual water on the line of your putt when your ball comes to rest on the putting green, you may move the ball to an area of the green where the water no longer obstructs your putting line, and no nearer to the hole.
Espresso Coffee Now Available from the Golf Shop
We are pleased to advise our members that we have recently upgraded the Pro Shop coffee machine to a full espresso machine that will allow the Pro Shop staff to produce the same style and quality espresso coffee available in the clubhouse. In the early stages of the implementation of this we will limit the options to full cream and skim milk, however, whether you coffee of choice is a cappuccino, latte, flat white, long black or macchiato, you will be able to get your fix from the Pro Shop from the first tee time 7 days a week.
Pennant Update
Men’s Major Pennant
Happy Friday Ladies & Gentlemen!
I hope you all are surviving the absolute soaking we have been getting all week!
Not much to report from last Sunday as like most of the golf courses in Sydney, Long Reef was a washout & could not be played. In situations like this both teams come away with a drawn result (3.5/3.5).
This Sunday we play Long Reef at home at 7am.
The team:
- Brad Hooper
- Charlie Kim
- Nathan Wareham
- Will Reece
- Rowan Easterbrook (Captain)
- Grant Lomas
- Sam Reece
Reserve: Joey Karam.
Weather permitting, it will be awesome to see the supporters out there as the golf been played by the Oatlands team is just fantastic.
Thanking you all!
Ken Doolan – The happy Irishman and Team Manager.
Ladies Grade
The second round of Ladies Grade was also cancelled due to wet weather with Oatlands due to play Carnarvon at Pennant Hills and the respective clubs sharing the points.
Our ladies are scheduled to play The Australian GC at The Lakes GC on Friday 11th March.
Mixed Pennant
Like most pennant fixtures last week, our Mixed Pennant teams match away at Kogarah GC was cancelled due to wet weather.
Our side is due to play at home on Sunday 6th March with a team yet to be named and subject to weather and play proceeding.
Ladies Silver II Salver
No result for Friday 4th March at the time of publication.
Members Only Facebook Group
OGC Members are encouraged to join the Club’s Members Only Facebook Group which is approaching 300 members.
This social media platform allows members to engage with each other and with the Club, in addition to the traditional communication channels already in place.
Some of the content posted to the Group this week includes video and photo from the Club’s Course Superintendent from OGC and other weather impacted courses, YouTube videos from the Pro Shop staff, and a 90th birthday celebration for one of our members.
To join the Members Only Facebook Group please click on the link below and the click on the “JOIN GROUP” button. You will be asked a few questions to verify you are a member and then approved by the group administrator shortly thereafter.
www.facebook.com/groups/870087546972166/
Upcoming Trophy Events
Men’s
- Saturday 19th March: OGC Memorial Bowl
- Saturday 26th March: NB Carlton Qualifying (top 16 pairs)
Ladies
- Thursday 10th March: OLGA Cup Round 1, Club Medal Round 2, GNSW Medal Round 2, Veterans Medal Round 2
- Thursday 24th March: Club Medal Round 3, GNSW Medal Round 3, Veterans Medal Round 3, Veterans Challenge Brooch
Mixed
- Sunday 27th March: Husband & Wife Trophy
Recent Trophy Winners
The wet weather has delayed the completion of any club trophy events for the last week.
