COURSE POLICY DOCUMENT 

Click on the photo of the course plan to view or download the Course Policy Document approved by the Board of Management in 2009 in consultation with Management & Players Committee.

 
ANNUAL COURSE MANAGEMENT PLAN 

Click on the photo of the course plan to view or download the 2010 Course Management Plan, which provides a summary of routine maintenance to be undertaken during the year.

20 MAY

The course has benefited greatly from both the continued milder temperatures and the near four inches of rain that fell on the course last week. We have seen an encouraging amount of growth on the fairways and rough and even the warm season Windsor green has taken on a bit of colour which is great for this time of year.

The greens are recovering really well from both the intensive Carrus preparation and the subsequent aeration and fertilisation programme. The greens are healthy and have an excellent cover of grass on them heading into the colder winter months which is a far better situation than we were in last year after the Carrus.

The windsor green fairways have been sprayed with a herbicide to help keep them clean of any Poa Annua weed grass over the winter months. There are two main benefits of keeping couch grass clean. Firstly, it helps promote quicker turf green up in Spring and secondly, it looks much better as a pure sward of grass.

The continued mild weather has seen the Kikuyu grass in the rough bounce back from the last herbicide spray so these areas have been sprayed again with a herbicide.

Whilst the fairway sand divoting programme is working well, I am concerned at the lack of divots being repaired on the tees especially the par 3 ones. It would be of great help if all divots were sanded using the sand provided for this task.

Upcoming tasks – we will carry on the aeration programme on the tees and once this is complete we will begin the process of verti draining the fairways with 18mm solid tynes for aeration purposes

Graeme Duncan

FIFTH TEE - NOTICE OF HAZARD

The new retaining wall at the front of the 5th Tee has been marked with stakes and tape as the height of the wall could represent a health and safety hazard to the unaware. The intention is to reduce the overall height of the wall by raising the ground below it with a planter garden or fill.

WORK PROGRAMME FOR MAY

We intensified our programmes especially on the greens in preparation for the Carrus tournament and immediately after the Carrus, the greens and tees were verti-drained (aerated) with 12 mm solid tynes for compaction relief. Verti draining is a process which involves driving solid metal tynes into the ground and at the lowest point in the ground they are forced or kicked backwards providing a shattering effect to the soil profile. The purpose of this process is to relieve compaction from both foot and machinery traffic and helps drainage, promotes a deeper root structure and allows oxygen into the root surface to help the turf surface. Verti draining is completely different from hollow core aeration (coring) which removes dead and dying material (thatch) from the greens and allows the incorporation of fresh sand into the profile. Whilst both of these processes are targeting different depths in the greens profile they are essential maintenance that need to be carried out regularly to provide good healthy greens.

The greens and tees will be sprayed with herbicide for control of hydrocotle.

The Windsor Green fairways will be sprayed for Poa control to help keep them as clean as possible throughout the winter.

The work on leveling the other half of the 5th tee will be completed.

WORK PROGRAMME FOR APRIL

Routine maintenance per the Annual Plan. Greens managed post coring to bring into standard heights. Preparation for Pennant hosting and peaking for the Carrus Open at the end of April.

WORK PROGRAMME FOR MARCH

Routine maintenance per the Annual Plan. Renovate greens with 12mm solid verti drain tynes, followed by 12mm hollow coring tynes. Fill holes with 50 tonnes sand, overseed with 50 kgs brown top seed then feed with granular fertilizer and gypsum. Specific work items include:-

• Tees will be verti-drained after coring is completed and sprayed for hydrocotle weed.
• Areas of the rough will be sprayed to removed Kikuyu Grass.
• Fencelines and areas around trees will be sprayed for weeds.
• The first 60m of the 8th Fairway will be returned to rough and planted with a cool season grass to cover the bare areas and improve playability.

The rest of March following coring will be dedicated to bringing the cut height of the greens down to 4mm as quiickly as possible, plus general course maintenance.

GOLF COURSE SUSTAINABILITY

Click HERE to view or download an article written by NZ Sports Turf Institute Agronomist David Ormsby on Golf Course Sustainability and the complex issues facing all NZ Golf Clubs as they are forced to deal with the reality of increased maintenance and compliance costs and falling membership and external revenue from Charitable Trusts.