Crocodiles

We have 3 crocodiles on the golf course. This is our largest, around the 3m mark who was out today on the 9th taking a bit of time to dry off following the rain over the past few days.

Heavy Rain Effects - 12th Green

Apart from the cleanup, this is one of the main concerns I have during the wet season. The 12th green sits in one of the lowest points on the golf course. As water seeps down the fairway and hits the green, it rises up through the profile (due in part to capillary action) to where the entire green is completely saturated, or full of water. This then creates a situation whereby all of the available oxygen is pushed out of the profile where the roots are located, which in turn results in a downturn in turf health - in our case by the yellowing of the leaf blade. We'll keep an eye on the green, but if the rain eases, then the natural reversal of water moving down through the profile will result in oxygen being sucked in and an improvement in turf health. Once firmer we will also be able to aerate the green to increase the recovery and oxygen levels.

February Rainfall

Just when we thought during the past couple of weeks, with all of its sunshine, that may have seen a reprieve from the norm at this time of year, down it came as many of you would have been aware.

A total of 705mm for February, the wettest February on the golf course in 5 years. Almost half of this has fallen over the past few days and now brings our total for 2011 to 1,130mm. I heard recently that La Nina was supposed to continue with us through 2011, and present indications suggest that it may be another wet year ahead.

Overnight Rainfall

That time of the year again, although one could be excused for feeling some sort of promise over the past 2 weeks with the great weather we received.

A total of 130mm overnight, with no sign of it letting up. Carts on path only today for those adventurous enough to head out.

TPC Sawgrass

When I head to the US for the GCSAA conference I always try and make it to some notable courses to discuss and compare maintenance practices. In recent years I have been to Riviera CC, Shoal Creek GC and the Cypress Point Club. This year I got to visit TPC Sawgrass, home of The Players Championship designed by Pete Dye. Here is the famous island green on the 17th.

Design Influences at Sea Temple - No. 1 'Punchbowl'

The 1st green at Sea Temple would have to rate as one of the great greens in Australia with its size and contouring. Any misplaced second, or third, shot can result in quite a difficult putt depending on where the pin location is for the day. The golf course architect, Mr Micheal Wolveridge, has kindly penned a few words about the design process behind the 1st, 'Punchbowl'.

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Opening holes have their own special place in the golfing pantheon. Always considered ideal, the 1^st hole on the Old Course at St.Andrews offers a wide open tee shot down a fairway 150 yards across. There are no bunkers yet immediately before the green, there runs across a small stream, Alas! too wide to bounce across, the Swilcan Burn formerly acting as a town sewer is now a babbling brook. This was most certainly the first water hazard in golf. The putting green is a large affair, simple and inviting just beyond the burn, it becomes devilishly difficult towards the rear as it disappears into a series of small humps reminding the unwary of the importance of clearing the burn by the very least amount. The real pressure for the visitor however is the very act of teeing off to the booming voice of the Starter from his little hut, “Play Away Sorr”. There you are, no practice, excited, tired and immediately in front of the imposing windows of the Royal & Ancient clubhouse, with God knows who staring out at you! Your caddie calls across..."Ye’ll be needin’ a ba’ to hit". Oh, where to hide!

A classic beginning hole in Australia is the 1^st at Sorrento Golf Club...quite my favourite! Most revered opening holes allow room for manoeuvre off the tee and often save the ‘shock treatment’ for the vicinity of the green....it’s the very best way to clear one’s head, or so thought I at the Links when due to the necessity of the clubhouse siting near to the road, the links aspect of the golf does not occur until players have reached the corner of the dog-leg at the first. At that point the essence of links golf takes over - open ground, a fresh southerly breeze at your face and that splendid sight of the hills and Black Mountain beyond. I wanted to make a huge green that might be easy to hit but somehow, it needed ‘livening up’ in the centre, a little hollow perhaps? Thus we settled upon a delightful punchbowl to split it in two portions with room for one pin spot only in the bowl, offering some old fashioned golfing entertainment and a positive announcement that says: “Wake up, we have arrived at the Links”.

GCSAA Conference

I'm in Orlando, Florida, at the moment attending the annual Golf Industry Show, run by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. It is the world's largest turf and education exhibition which this year has attracted approximately 18,000 attendees from across the globe.

Back

A bit quiet of late on the blog! I had a week off in Melbourne at the tennis, then came back to Yasi. We got very lucky when the storm moved south the day before, but our thoughts are with those people whose lives have been affected by the storm.