Dear Members,
February has been an huge month filled with major activities on our calendar. Events like the Pro-Am, Leanne’s Day, and club championships contributed to over 1,000 rounds played in just those three alone, making it an especially busy time for both the club and its staff.
The past two months have brought some extreme weather (dry, hot, and windy) with almost no rain. Between December 20 and February 21 we only had one day of rainfall, and January marked the first time in my 15 years working at the club that we went an entire calender month without any precipitation… just 12mm across two months. This unprecedented dry spell has certainly made our work challenging.
As I write this on Tuesday February 24, there’s some promising rain in the forecast over the next day and a half, and by the time you read this I hope it has arrived as predicted.
Despite these tough conditions, I’m happy to report the course remains in excellent shape. That’s thanks to the hard work and commitment of our staff, reflected in consistently positive feedback from members and guests. Major events like the Pro-Am and Leanne’s Day saw visitors praise our course standards, and I couldn’t be prouder of everyone involved who continues to grow our reputation.
Greens
Our greens are performing and looking fantastic even under harsh weather, and their resilience demonstrates the value of our management techniques. With close to 1,000 rounds being played each week the turf endures a lot of traffic, yet there is no sign of disease, dryness, or thinning. Key practices like verti-draining, verti-cutting, and topdressing remain essential for maintaining these conditions, and even if they’re sometimes critiqued, the recent weather shows just how crucial they are.
Fairways, Tees, and Surrounds
The fairways, tees, and surrounds are holding up well, with only minor stress in high-traffic spots and near trees. More golfers means more wear, but our team has responded by putting extra hours into hand-watering those areas. Over 200 hours were spent last month alone targeting stressed patches, ensuring these remain healthy and green. It’s easy to forget how quickly conditions can worsen during extended dry periods, but our team’s ongoing efforts are keeping all short grass areas thriving.
Our recently line-planted areas are coming along, despite less-than-ideal weather during their initial establishment. Nevertheless, the fairways are developing nicely.
19th Hole
Many of you may know that Randall, the board, and I are working toward adding a 19th hole which is a really exciting development. This will let us keep improving the course without needing temporary greens or closing holes, so 18 holes will always be available for play. The new hole, located near the clubhouse, will also serve as a top-class short game practice area when not in play. Given our successful driving range, adding this facility will give us the best practice complex in Gippsland and possibly rural Victoria, further cementing our status as a premier golf venue.
Tree Removal
Recently, Drouin Tree Services began removing certain trees around the course. One of my key responsibilities as superintendent is to ensure we create the best growing conditions for quality turf, and trees, because of the shade and dryness they cause, are often the biggest obstacle. While this might not matter in a park or backyard, here, excellent turf is non-negotiable. Removing trees that harm our main playing surfaces is essential for improving conditions.
Over the last 10–15 years, we’ve removed many problem trees, especially those affecting green health. While our greens weren’t necessarily bad before, they used to get soft and bumpy particularly in winter due to too much shade. Now they perform superbly year-round thanks in large part to strategic tree removal.
Work has started with the removal of several large trees on the left of the 13th fairway where grass isnt able to grow beneath interfering trees. In addition to clearing dead or dangerous trees, we’ll focus on removing others too close to fairways giving the turf a better chance to thrive.
Volunteers
Finally, I want to thank our volunteers for their continued dedication to course presentation. Over the past several weeks especially, their help clearing fallen trees, debrias and branches after strong winds has been invaluable. It’s hard work and takes a lot of time, and we truly couldn’t maintain our high standards without their support.
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