Dear Members,
It is unfortunate that we have to write again in relation to the current condition of the greens.
The current condition of the greens is totally unacceptable and not close to what we are trying to produce as a club. While we may traditionally have had a few “problem greens”, to have the whole of holes 1-18 in their current condition is extremely disappointing and a massive set back.
The Board considers the communication in relation to this issue has been far from acceptable, and in turn, the communication to our membership has been lacking. For that, we sincerely apologise. While certain assurances were provided internally during February/ March about the “scalping” of the greens and that the greens would improve, they have not.
There have been varying rumours as to the reason behind the poor condition of the greens, but it is one of human error which, although disappointing, happens. What we have confirmed is that:
- On 1 February, the programmed green renovation was undertaken. This task was completed without incident.
- A dusting program with sand was then undertaken in the ordinary course from 8 February to 15 February as programmed.
- During the week ending 13 February and early the week thereafter, it would seem the irrigation program did not run at points in time (reason currently unknown), but the greens were still cut and continued to be so until (and including) 17 February.
- What happened when the greens were mowed without the sand being wet was to blunt the mower blades. Rather than “cut” the grass, the mowers basically pulled out the grass in patches creating what we saw at the end of February. It removed the leaf of the grass, leaving it without the necessary leaf to collect the sun and grow.
Since mid-February, a dusting and fertilising program was undertaken to stimulate plant growth to repair the damage. Unfortunately, and this is where the weather comes in, the rain in late February and through the whole of March did not allow either the fertilising programme to continue or the grass to get the required conditions to grow. The weather is not an excuse as the greens should never have been in the condition they were in late February but is a factor as to why they are today. And obviously, without the necessary grass cover, the weeds moved in, which love the wet conditions, and the rest is what we see today.
The plan to rectify the damage is now under elevated management, with dusting/ fertilising having recommenced with improving weather conditions. Both the short and medium-term options are being evaluated mindful of the upcoming cooler months. We are committed to keeping you informed along the journey as the greens improve to where they need to be, inclusive of any adopted strategies.
Fixing the greens is the short term priority. In the medium term, maintenance practices and communication must change so this does not happen again, and so there is better consistency in our greens (and the course in general). This is fundamental for the Board and what is considered a minimum expectation of our members.
Part of realising the medium term is to get our staffing numbers in the maintenance team to the desired level. As some members may know, we have been extremely low on personnel in the green shed for way too long for multiple reasons. This has not been due to financial constraints or lack of support from the Board, but rather access to suitably skilled personnel. The boys in the shed have been peddling hard with the resources they have. Still, staffing numbers must improve to meet minimum expectations and to go some way to mitigate mistakes occurring (not an excuse for lack of communication or failure of process). On a good news front, in the last month, we have recruited three exceptional candidates into the team being Tim Inglis, Nick Thomas & Jackson Burrell. Tim commences Monday 19 April as the new Assistant Superintendent; he is presently the 3IC at Cronulla Golf Club in Sydney & brings 18 years of industry experience, including an overseas appointment at Coombe Hill GC in London. Nick & Jackson will join the team over the next three weeks.
We ask for your patience while the issues with the greens are fixed. We share your frustration.
Kind regards,
Luke Simpson – President Doug Tester – Captain
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