The Course

Greens

Greens remain in great condition with all the extra traffic, light grooming and dusting has kept the greens firm with the increase in moisture percentage as compared to other years. This concentration on plant health has helped with great density on all greens. Nominee is continuing to keep the poa under control without any effect on the Bent. Just starting to see a few pitch marks which we will remove to the edge of the greens for recovery.

Greens have received applications of:

• Primo (Plant Growth Regulator) puts its energies into root growth instead of leaf growth.

• Dusting all greens

• Terra spike Dunes and Cups

• Nominee for Poa

Fairways

The fairway density has really improved over the month and the majority of disease scars have covered over. We have done another spot application of fungicide as some of the patches still looked to have some fungal activity. Several sessions of spot divoting and topdressing have occurred to help recovery and lateral movement of the couch in the scar patches. With an increase in fertiliser, we are starting to see a small increase in Poa which will be sprayed mid-January with Simazine. All sprinklers have been cleaned and several O rings replaced.

The 10th fairway has settled in well with great density and blending in well with its surrounds.

Tees and Surrounds

Tees have been scarified and top dressed. This has left them looking flatter and helped with divot recovery. This process also helps with water penetration and maximises our water efficiency. The couch surrounds will also be sprayed with Simazine to control the Poa at the same time as fairways. Our fescue laps are working keeping the couch away from the bent greens. These will be sprayed with fusillade in the next few weeks to kill off the couch encroachment.

Topdressing all approaches to help with firmness and improve couch density

Bunkers

All bunkers and wastelands have been snipped around and edged; we move large amounts of sand around and added several loads of sieved dune sand into the base of the firm greenside bunkers. The previous hydroseeding of fescue has really settled in well and stabilised many of the undermined faces.

Priority actions for next month

• Dusting greens Dunes and Cups
• Terra spike all greens
• Path works
• Sprinkler clean and lifting
• Scarify and top dress Cups fairways
• Irrigation works

Hydroseeding the sand banks with fescue and tacker to help stabilise and reduce sand blow