Rainfall for the Week: 8.5mm,  Rainfall for 2023: 745.5.0mm, Dam: 100%   Green Speed: 10.0 feet

New turf has been laid on the 3^rd and 11^th collars this week as we progress through to replace all the collars this summer season. Next week we will be turfing the 1^st collar, apron, and right hand side surrounds between the bunkers, and all the 12^th collar. We will be laying Sir Grange Zoysia on these two greens as a trial to compare how it performs and copes with certain things that our existing Santa Ana collars struggle with, those being wear during the winter months of the year and injury from herbicides that we spray on greens to reduce the seedhead of the poa Winter Grass plants in our putting greens.

As all members are aware, we have placed ropes and posts across the front of certain greens to encourage members to access the green from around the outside of the bunkers thus reducing the traffic workload on the pinch points between greens and bunkers. These ropes and posts will stay in place as old habits seem hard to change, with staff members having to constantly re-install these ropes and posts after being left down from players.

To reduce the incidence of injury to the collars, we are changing our maintenance practices and how we perform the application of herbicides to our greens to reduce the over spray onto the collars. Because we are applying these products with a straight or square boom spray to a circular green, inevitably over spray or under spray is going to be the result. Over spray harms the collar and under spray will increase the amount of seedhead on the greens around the perimeters. To avoid this, we will be spraying around the perimeter first and then spraying inside this with all growth regulator applications.

Another application of growth regulator to fairways and roughs has begun on the back 7 holes. Humidity levels have increased this week, and this certainly increases the growth rate of the kikuyu on our fairways and green surrounds. A peat and carbon based fertiliser has been applied to selected tees which still have visible wear areas on them from the winter. Couch turf across all Sydney golf courses has been slow to start growing this spring season due to night-time temperatures falling too low, consequently reducing soil temperatures. Mites on couch have also been a major problem on golf courses this spring, and we will be treating for this pest again next week on all tees, collars and apron playing surfaces.     

Our volunteers were on course Monday morning assisting with the picking up of the turf from the collars on the 3^rd and 11^th greens, poisoning of the Parramatta Grass and trimming of sprinkler heads on fairways continued, and the practice nets were checked and tidied up. A few of the regular Monday volunteers backed up on Tuesday morning and were a great help laying the new turf on the 3^rd and 11^th collars. Mike Cuming continues to work on the rose garden and has the roses looking as good as they ever have! Thank you to everyone that volunteered their time this past week, I very much appreciate every hour that is offered especially at this time of the year when just maintaining the course doesn’t leave much time for any extra work like we have been completing.

Greens will be cut and rolled on Saturday, with only the dew removed from them on Sunday.

Have a great weekend and happy golfing!

The Course Team.