Update on the Golf Courses

The Golf Course Maintenance team addressed the below tasks this week:

• Bunker trim detailing of The Palms bunkers
• Herbicide application on The Pines green and tee surrounds for Mullumbimby couch
• Herbicide application for couch encroachment in zoysia collars
• Verti-cutting, amendments application and light dusting on The Palms greens
• Sodium flush application on The Palms greens
• Foliar fertiliser application to The Palms tees, green aprons and fairways
• Pre-emergent herbicide application to The Palms tees, green aprons and fairways
• Insecticide application to The Pines bunker surrounds
• Foliar fertiliser application to the practice range fairway
• Rock drain completion through the garden area on the right side of The Pines 13^th green
• Commencement of sprinkler head trimming on The Pines

Next week the team plans to:

• Verti-cut The Pines greens
• Apply amendments to The Pines greens
• Complete the sprinkler head trimming on The Pines
• Edge paths on The Pines
• Aerate selected areas on The Palms
• Trim irrigation valve boxes on The Palms

Removal of Ropes and Poles on Course

Members will notice that our golf course maintenance staff are removing some of the ropes and poles from around the golf courses. This trial aims to minimise potential trip hazards from tee and green surrounds.

The Pines Golf Course

This month, our Agronomist conducted water and soil tests using the saturated paste extraction method to analyse the current growing conditions and give us a snapshot of what’s going on under the playing surface. We conduct these tests regularly throughout the year to ensure that we are putting together the appropriate nutritional programs for optimal plant health. The results of the soil analysis showed that poor quality irrigation water is significantly impacting the root-zone in a negative way. This has the potential to cause turf decline through spring and summer unless decent rainfall is received.

The simplest way to demonstrate the impact of the irrigation water is to calculate the quantity of the sodium chloride (i.e. table or pool salt) that is applied to the greens during an irrigation event. 519,230L of water is applied over 3Ha of greens during a bi-weekly irrigation cycle. This quantity of water with the contained salts will apply 590kg of “table” or “pool” salt over the greens. The greens are often irrigated twice per week, so that is 1180kg of salt applied in a week. Over a month approximately four tonne, i.e. four pallets of “pool” salt has effectively been applied to the 3Ha of greens.

We have considered this in our ongoing programs, with applications of calcium being the main antidote to the applied sodium salt. Cultural practices such as regular aeration are also important to maintain a free-draining root-zone that can leach much of the applied salt. 

However, in extreme conditions such as a prolonged period of hot and dry weather, these practices may still not be able to prevent turf decline to some degree.

Verti-cutting The Palms greens	Dusting The Palms greens
Dusting on The Palms greens	Applying amendments to The Palms greens
The Pines golf course 13th hole	Rock erosion drain The Pines 13th green