The past month has been very much consumed by the Course Renovations Activities. The major part of this work was completed between October 16 & 17 and albeit we appreciate that it does disrupt Member play, having the Course/Club closed for these couple of days, truly aids the process.
As previously explained, the renovation process this year was quite invasive which was motivated by a goal to increase the removal of thatch and the volume of grain. Over time, this approach will ensure a superior putting surface and more consistent product. The Club can report that at this stage, we are very happy with the recovery progress and the rainfall that we have received over the past 10 days has been ideal.
For those that may be interested, this year’s renovation process involved the application of 820 tonne of top dressing/sand, 80 tonne of gypsum and 7 tonne of fertiliser. As some members may be aware the Club did experience some minor contamination/stones in some of the fairway top dressing. It is important to note, that the fine white product (Gypsum) was to be expected. We can report that the supplier was fast acting and had staff on site to remove the stones and the Club has since negotiated further benefits and a reduction in the cost of the product.
Periodically, the Club is asked why sand is used for the top dressing and the renovation practice is often followed up by what we call periodic dusting of the greens. To best clarify these practices, the below link to the USGA’s website provides an excellent explanation – click here to view.
Looking forward, the major focus over the next 3 months will be general maintenance and seasonal mowing practices that increase through the warmer months.
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