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TRANSCRIPT
NSWGCSASUMMER 2016
Official Newsletter of the New South Wales Golf Course Superintendents Association
KIAMA GOLF CLUB
1NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Season’s greetings to all, what a start to the New Year! I wouldn’t be too surprised if there was no more Banner Fairways™ left in NSW after what has been an extremely wet, hot and humid beginning to the year, but at least everyone’s irrigation dams should be full.
STUART GILL
It’s been a couple of months now since the AGM
at St Michael’s and the Rube Walkerden Golf Day. I
must apologise for the way we stumbled through the
presentation evening, with scores being added up
wrong, awards being left out and trophies going to
the wrong people. What was completely evident was
the lack of a run sheet from those who have previous
experience running that day; also it was evident that
the time between golf and the AGM does not allow for
enough time to prepare properly.
Congratulations go to Richard Kirkby on his
Greenkeeping Excellence Award, Peter Watts for the
Environmental Award and Daniel Metcalfe for his
Outstanding Achievement Award. All of which were
worthy winners, unfortunately only Peter could make
it to the AGM to accept his award whilst Richard and
Daniel were both excited about winning their respective
awards. Look out for an article about the award winners
in our next edition.
The AGM also saw the nomination of the new board
of directors for NSWGCSA, departing the board were
Steve Jacobsen, Stuart Hall, Matt Goodbun and Ryan
Fury. Joining the board were Justin Bradbury, Leon
Hennessy, Nathan Bradbury and Shane Herring. I am
excited to have the new guys on board, we had our first
meeting in December at Liverpool Golf Club to organise
the roles and responsibilities of the new board, with an
outline of each board members profile and positions on
pages 9-12.
In December I attended the State Presidents meeting,
where I got the opportunity to discuss with the other
State Associations what is working for them and how
they go about their business to support their members.
With that information we have a few things in mind
in regard to improving our education days and our
communication and membership networking platforms.
Firstly, we have set up a twitter account which is a
great tool for communicating to our members and also
provide a ‘super’ networking platform, so please if you
haven’t already, sign up and follow the association for
updates. We will also be holding a mini trade show as
part of our Annual Ambrose Event at The Vintage Golf
Club on May 9 and 10 this year. Already the interest has
been positive from industry suppliers so please make
sure you attend, more on the trade show later in the
magazine. As for additional education days, we will be
looking to hold a walk and talk with a superintendent
on their golf course which is working really well in
other states, this will give people the opportunity to
chat freely and ask questions as they inspect a course
at the same time. Venues for these days are still to
be confirmed, we will inform you as soon as we get
them locked in, one day that has been locked into the
calendar is November 15th 2016, when the AGM and
Rube Walkerden Day will be held at Terrey Hills Golf and
Country Club.
Now is a good time to be a NSWGCSA member and I
wish everyone an easy close to the growing season.
CONTENTSPresident’s Report 1
Rube Walkerden & 2015 AGM 2-3
Education 5-7
Directors Profile 9-12
Dollar Spot (Sclerotinia Homeocarpa) 13-14
Kiama Golf Club 15-16
30 Seconds with a Super 17
“Old” Assistant Turf Manager Profile 17
A Championship Course 19-21
NSWGCSA Announcement 23
Around the Traps 25-33
Code of Ethics 33
NSWGCSA Contacts 34
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 20162 3NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
RUBE WALKERDEN & 2015 AGM ST MICHAEL’S GOLF CLUB
“ WITH NO WIND THE SCORING
WAS PRETTY HOT... ”
St Michael’s was in excellent condition for a field of 60
players that turned out. Thanks to host Superintendent
Russell Fletcher and his crew for providing some great
turf surfaces to play on.
With no wind the scoring was pretty hot, none other
than incumbent and re-elected NSWGCSA president
Stuart Gill, who won the stableford event with
47 points, beating home Justin Bradbury who posted a
competitive score of 39 points. Also successful on the
day were Guy Thomas who won the Simplot Cup, from
Scott Armstrong for the trade and Craig Easton won the
Former Presidents Cup with 30 points.
Following on from golf, the NSWGCSA held its 2015
Annual General Meeting and handed out its annual
awards. It was great to see some of the association’s
life members in attendance with Peter McMaugh, Reg
McLaren, Bill Hopkinson and Martyn Black.
NSWGCSA and Members would like to congratulate:
• Peter Watts, Muirfield G.C. on receiving the
NSWGCSA Environmental Award
• Richard Kirkby, Pennant Hills G.C. on receiving the
NSWGCSA Excellence in Turf Management Award
• Daniel Metcalfe, Beverley Park G.C. on receiving the
NSWGCSA Outstanding Achievement Award.
The AGM saw the association reported on a good year
and spoke about the upcoming year.
A new board was re-elected:
• President: Stuart Gill
• Vice President: Steve Harris
• Junior Vice President: Shane George
• Secretary/Treasurer: Russell Fletcher
• Committee: Justin Bradbury, Nathan Bradbury, Leon
Hennessy, Mal Harris, Mark Schroder and Shane Herring.
Eastlakes Golf Club course Superintendent, Nathan Bradbury has taken out the NSWGCSA 2015 Rube Walkerden Trophy at the stunning and pristine St Michael’s Golf Club. Nathan posted an impressive 39 points on a near perfect day along the stunning coastal course. In second place was The Ridge Golf Clubs course Superintendent, Ben Grylewicz.
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 20164 5NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
Certificate III in Parks and Gardens Certificate III in Sports Turf Management
National Code AHC31010 (Parks and Gardens) National Code AHC31310 (Sports Turf Management) Qualification Certificate III (NRT) Industry Area Horticulture Training Package AHC10 Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management
Description This course is for experienced industry personnel who do not have a formal qualification and work in the parks and gardens and/or sports turf sectors. You will learn about work health and safety, pest management, weed control, plant nutrition, soils, turf establishment, turf renovation and environmental work practices.
As well you will learn skills from selected areas, such as: arboriculture, chemical application, irrigation, landscaping and machinery operation.
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Fees Subsidised fee This training is subsidised by the NSW Government under Smart and Skilled. To be eligible for the Smart and Skilled subsidised fee you must be an Australian or NZ citizen, permanent resident or humanitarian visa holder. You must also be over 15, no longer at school, and live or work in NSW.
The subsidised fees shown below are indicative only. What you will actually pay depends on your individual circumstances. You will be able to estimate your fee before completing your application or enrolment.
Entry requirements There are no entry requirements for this qualification. This course is offered at Ryde School of Horticulture. Please enrol online via this link for Certificate III in Parks and Gardens Click the APPLY NOW button for the Part Time Evening offering.
Please enrol online via this link for Certificate III in Sports Turf Management Click the APPLY NOW button for the Part Time Evening offering.
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RTO Provider Number 90011CRICOS Provider Code 00591E
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 20166 7NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
Course related charges You may be required to pay a course related charge in addition to the course fee. Course related charges cover the cost of materials, resources, equipment or services you may need to participate in your course.
Unique Student Identifier (USI) All students studying a nationally recognised qualification must have a Unique Student Identifier before enrolling. If you do not already have a USI, go to www.usi.gov.au to create one.
Course outcomes Career options Horticulturist, municipal gardener Greenkeeper, groundsman
Future study options Pathways from these qualifications include: AHC40410 Certificate IV in Horticulture AHC50410 Diploma of Horticulture AHC40812 Certificate IV in Sports Turf Management AHC51010 Diploma of Sports Turf Management
TAFE NSW courses run only if there is sufficient demand and resources.
Enrolments Government Subsidised Part Time Evening
Enrolments for this course are available in Parks and Gardens or Sports Turf Management for students who wish to study either qualification. Commences
01 February 2016 - Classes held on Tuesday and Wednesday between 5:30 PM and 8:30 PM
Length 2 years, 6 hours per week Subsidised fee From $2,170.00
TAFE CERTIFICATE IV TRAINEESHIP
You would be aware that there is a 12 month traineeship pathway for students undertaking AHC40812 Certificate IV in Sports Turf Management.
2016 fees under Smart and Skilled have been released
and all fees for trainees undertaking an applicable
course have been capped at $1000.00. The normal fee
for students who have completed Cert III is $3210.00,
the Cert IV being their 2nd post school qualification.
IMPLICATIONS:
• An apprentice who successfully completes their
apprenticeship (TAFE and on the job component)
and transitions into the Cert IV traineeship within
3 months would be liable to pay the traineeship fee
rather than the 2nd qualification fee.
• The completion of the apprenticeship may be after
the full 4 year term or by the early completion
pathway available to employers.
• There may not been any incentives for the employer
(the incentive is the much lower course fee) although
some payroll tax benefits may apply.
• The employer will have to go through the sign up
process with an AAC and will be responsible for
providing on the job Cert IV level training during the
12 month traineeship period.
• We enrol into Certificate IV each semester which
allows some leeway regarding organisation of the
traineeship to align with course commencement.
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RTO Provider Number 90011CRICOS Provider Code 00591E
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 20168 9NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
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STUART GILLPRESIDENT
Stuart is currently the course
Superintendent at Terrey Hills
GCC and has been since 2008.
Stuart originates from Scotland
and arrived in Australia in 2001 so considers himself
Aussie! Before being employed at Terrey Hills, Stuart
had stints at Cromer and Manly golf clubs on Sydney’s
Northern Beaches. Prior to arriving in Australia Stuart
was the 2IC at Almeerderhout G.C. in Holland following
lengthy spells as a Greenkeeper at Loch Lomond Golf
Club and an apprentice at St Andrews Old Course.
Stuart has achieved a National Certificate in
Greenkeeping, Higher National Certificate in Golf
Course Management, a Diploma in Horticulture (turf),
a Diploma in Business Management and a Level IV in
Environmental Management.
Stuart has a passion for the industry and hopes to bring
some professionalism to the association as well as
gelling the superintendent family throughout the state
by improving the networking platforms and education
days offered by the association.
STEVEN HARRISSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Steven has been in the turf
industry for 25 years starting an
apprenticeship in 1990. He has
worked in 3 states of Australia
and a short stint in USA on the Ohio Program. When in
Tasmania he was a committee member of the TGCSA.
He is in his second year as part of the NSWGCSA in the
position of Senior Vice President. Seeing our association
succeed and continue to grow with the support of its
members is rewarding and to be part of the committee
in driving the success is exciting.
SHANE GEORGEJUNIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Currently employed as the
Superintendent at The Links Shell
Cove G.C.
Over 20 years’ experience in the turf industry:
• 5 years as Superintendent, at The Links Shell Cove G.C.
• 14 years as an apprentice and qualified hort and
qualified greenkeeper at Concord G.C.
• 2 years as an hort/greenkeeper at Bankstown G.C.
• 2 years as an Operations Manager at Lurhmann
Environmental Management
Shane is currently in the middle of redeveloping The
Links Shell Cove G.C., with a long term goal to further
improve the quality of the course, and to enhance the
golfing experience for our members and visitors.
Shane joined the NSWGCSA to meet other turf
industry people who all share the same common goal in
providing the best quality turf surfaces, no matter what
their challenges are.
RUSSELL FLETCHERSECRETARY/TREASURER
Many moons ago Russell’s career
didn’t begin in turf. That didn’t
start till some years later. Way
back then, his first years were at
the South Sydney City Council looking after parks and
gardens around Redfern Park and Ovals. Russell was in
charge of a crew of gardeners after coming out of his
apprenticeship. In the first 10 years from 1975 to 1985
parks and ovals were it for Russell, around the popular
home of the Rabbitoh’s.
It was when he was on the council that he started doing
the Landscape course at Ryde TAFE but didn’t finish as
he asked to complete the Greenkeeping Certificate 3.
DIRECTORS PROFILE
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201610 11NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
Russell didn’t think much of greenkeeping back then but
it was another certificate and a day away from work for
which he got paid, so off he went for 3 years. This was
the start of the 3 year Greenkeeping course at Ryde.
Russell has fond memories of two of his teachers from
back then, Frank Dempsey at a very young age and Peter
Brown, who in later years he found himself working
beside at The Lakes G.C. When Russell looks back at that
time, Peter Brown would have to be one of those people
he puts down as an influential person in his career. Russell
finished Horticulture in 1978 and Greenkeeping in 1981.
It was then that he started having an interest in the turf
side of things and he was fortunate that the council had
under their control Moore Park G.C. Russell became
Assistant Manager of the course in 1985 filling this role
with no background in turf but the only person with
greenkeeping qualifications on the council. He stayed
here for 9 years when the ownership of the course came
under Centennial Park Trust a short time after he was
there. Russell’s 2IC way back then was Mal Durkin and to
his credit he is still there as the manager of the course.
The Trust then in a short time decided to remodel the
course adding a full time driving range and completely
renewing the golf course. It was the start of a fascination
with shaping golf holes. He worked with an Architect
then by the name of Ken McKay and his brother Ross, an
ex-superintendent from Wollongong G.C.
The next port of call was just down the road when Peter
Brown was in charge of The Lakes G.C. He feels that
with the construction he accomplished at Moore Park
helped him gain the Assistants position at The Lakes. A
week into the new position the club was remodelling
all the greens under the watchful eye of Grant, Newton,
and Spencer, but this was not the last of working with
architects at The Lakes. Once the greens had been
finished it was time for the tournaments. The A.N.Z, The
Greg Norman Classics, British Qualifying tournament,
and last but not least were the Australian Opens.
Everyone of these had a story to go with it.
Russell was then fortunate to move to St Michaels G.C.
3 years ago now in his twilight years. Looking back, it is
surprising where you could end up in your career. He
counts himself fortunate to have worked in the industry
where you meet a lot of fine people and some good
friends from the industry are made.
One of the reasons Russell has taken on a role in
the association is so he can gain knowledge and give
something back to people in the golf industry, (it’s never
too late) and now is the right time for him to do what
he was reluctant to do years ago.
MARK SCHRODERFIELD DAYS
Marital status/Children:
Married, 1 Daughter
Nickname: Schrodes
Employment History: 38 years in Golf/Turf Management
Liverpool G.C. – (2010-Current) – Superintendent
Woodburn-Evans Head G.C. – (2007-2010) – Superintendent
Churchill Park G.C. (Vic) – (2006-2007) – Superintendent
Waverley G.C. (Vic) – (1997-2006) – Superintendent
Liverpool G.C. – (1990-1992-2IC/1992-1997) –
Superintendent
Cabramatta G.C. – (1987-1990) – 3IC Greenkeeper
Brisbane G.C. (Qld) – (1985-1986) – Greenkeeper
Goondiwindi G.C. (Qld) – (1982-1985) – Superintendent
Tenterfield G.C. – (1978-1982) – Apprentice Greenkeeper
Education: Diploma of Turf Management – Ryde TAFE
(Distinctions 1995-1997)
Favourite Golf Course: NSW Golf Club
Hobbies: Golf/Music-Singing/Radio Announcing-DJ
JUSTIN BRADBURYENVIRONMENT
Married (wife Erin) and dog
(Cooper)
1997-2000: Bankstown Oval
Apprenticeship
2000-2007: Bowral Golf Club
3½ years as Superintendent
Just over 6 years spent in the USA
2007-2012: Congressional Country Club, Maryland
4 years as Assistant Superintendent (Blue Course)
3 PGA Tour Events and 2011 US Open
2012-2013: Scarsdale Golf Club, New York
Assistant Superintendent
2013-Current: Bonnie Doon Golf Club
Golf Course Manager
MALCOLM HARRISEDUCATION PORTFOLIO
Malcolm has been a
Superintendent for 30 years.
Over these years he has seen the
NSWGCSA play an important role
in supporting and developing the course maintenance
industry and promoting the professionalism of Golf
Course Superintendents. Malcolm is honoured to be
able to serve the associations members in his role as
NSWGCSA Education Officer.
NATHAN BRADBURYNEWSLETTER/SOCIAL MEDIA
Superintendent
Eastlake Golf Club –
Oct 2011-Current
Assistant Superintendent
Eastlake Golf Club – Aug 2010-Oct 2011
Assistant Superintendent
Bowral Golf Club – Jan 2009-Aug 2010
Greenkeeper
The Australian Golf Club – Nov 2007-Jan 2009
Internship
Kinloch Golf Club Virginia USA – 2007-Nov 2007
Apprentice Greenkeeper
Bowral Country Club 3 years, Bankstown Golf Club 1 year
LEON HENNESSYADVERTISING/SPONSORSHIP
Leon has been in the golf
course industry for 24 years and
is currently in his fourth year
as Superintendent at Cromer Golf Club. He began
his career as an Apprentice Greenkeeper at Elanora
Country Club.
In 2002 he become the Assistant Superintendent at
Long Reef Golf Club. While at Long Reef he helped
develop strategies to enhance and protect ESA areas
(Environmentally Sensitive Areas). As a result the
Club was the recipient of the 2006 Claude Crockford
Environmental Award.
Moving back to Elanora Country Club as Assistant
Superintendent in 2007. Where he enjoyed managing a
large and diverse team.
Leon believes that the long-term success of Cromer
Golf Club is linked to developing and maintaining
a course structure that provides a unique and
enjoyable playing experience for members and guests
while maintaining and enhancing environmental
sustainability.
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201612 13NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
Symptoms of dollar spot are small circular sunken patches
2-3 cm in diameter. Leaves will first develop a tan coloured
lesion and then appear bleached. Fungal mycelium will be
seen on the leaf surface when dew is present.
The dollar spot fungus overwinters (if it is cool enough) as
dormant mycelium in infected plants and spread of dollar
spot fungus is restricted to movement of infected leaf
debris by equipment, people, animals, water, or wind.
The cottony mycelium is generally evident on the leaf
surface following dews. Heavy dews increase pressure
significantly due to leaf wetness and hence why we are
seeing more instance of dollar spot longer into autumn.
Dollar spot has become prevalent all year round in
some areas however is most active during spring,
summer and autumn.
CULTURAL CONTROL OF DOLLAR SPOT (THIS WILL HELP ALSO FOR OTHER DISEASES):
• Remove dew daily (also before spraying contact
fungicides especially)
• Avoid drought stress
• Maintain adequate nutrition especially N. Low N
program increases dollar spot severity
• Reduce shade and improve air circulation by either
eliminating trees or cutting back branches
• Dust greens on regular basis
• Roll greens (start this process before onset of disease)
• If seeding choose a cultivar that is less prone to dollar
spot. Many new varieties have been developed over
the past 10 year
• Clean equipment after use
Of most interest is about using a lightweight roller for
greens. Thomas Nikolai from Michigan State University
has conducted breakthrough research with rolling. I
found this great summary on his website
www.michiganturfgrass.org Some of you may have
heard Dr Nikolai lectures at an AGCSA conference.
Over the years I have travelled to numerous locations to
give presentations regarding green speed. Of particular
interest to superintendents are the multiple mowing/
rolling frequencies studies I have conducted on bentgrass
at Michigan State University. As a result of these
presentations I have received numerous Emails, letters,
and phone calls from superintendents that have adopted
mowing/rolling frequency programs at their club for
certain times of the year. To be clear, the mowing/rolling
programs include performed on bentgrass include:
Alternating mowing and rolling on a daily basis. This
mowing/rolling frequency results in daily green speed
measurements equivalent to just mowing every day
and improved turfgrass wear tolerance. Obviously, this
program can also save money; however, there is no
reduction in the amount of dollar spot observed with
this program compared to mowing alone. This can be a
very nice economic option especially during times of the
year with the greatest heat stress on cool season grasses.
Mow and roll every day. We certainly are not considering
saving money with this option, however, results indicate
consistent green speeds from day to day, the possibility
to raise mowing heights for better turfgrass health
and wear tolerance, and significantly more dollar spot
control than mowing every day and rolling every other.
DOLLAR SPOT (SCLEROTINIA HOMEOCARPA)
A FEW SIMPLE STEPS TO HELP
BY NADEEM ZREIKAT COLIN CAMPBELL (CHEMICALS) PTY LTD
Dollar Spot is one of the most prevalent diseases of turfgrass around the world and can be active all year round in parts of NSW especially those nearer the coast.
SHANE HERRINGMEMBERSHIP
Shane has been in the golf course
industry for 19 years and is
currently the Superintendent at
Camden Golf Club. He began his
career as an Apprentice Greenkeeper at Campbelltown
and finished his apprenticeship at Straithfield Golf Club,
the Club where he became Irrigationist and 3IC.
Shane has also worked at Bonnie Doon Golf Club,
Cabramatta Golf Club, as the Irrigation Technician, Ashlar
Golf Club as the Assistant Superintendent and Irrigation
Technician; He became Superintendant at Bardwell Valley
Golf Club at the age of 25 in 2006 til 2011.
Shane came to Camden Golf Club in September 2011 til
present.
Most of the golf courses Shane has worked for as irrigation
technician and it didn’t stop at Camden or Bardwell Valley
Golf Club. At Bardwell Valley Golf Club he put in a manual
fairways and battery operated tees and greens all in
house with 4 staff members. 2 years ago he put in a new
complete Toro Lynx system at Camden Golf Club.
Whilst at Bardwell Valley Golf Club and Camden Golf
Club he was involved in golf course construction
projects including greens, tees, bunker reconstruction
and irrigation installation.
Shane believes that the long-term success of Camden
Golf Club is linked to developing and maintaining a
course structure that provides a unique and enjoyable
playing experience for members and guests while
maintaining and enhancing environmental sustainability.
ALISON JONESASSOCIATION ADMINISTRATION OFFICER
Married to Darren Jones with two
children Ben 13 and Matilda (Tilly)
11 and a mad English Staffordshire
Bull Terrier called Buddy 3.
Alison is a qualified trainer (with not much experience)
a genealogist and a bookkeeper who has worked in
administration and bookkeeping her entire life. Alison
has worked in a lot of different industries, with the
major ones being, Fashion, Hospitality, Registered
Training Organisations and Sports Administration.
Alison has been working for herself for the past 15 nearly
16 years and have had between 13-25 clients during that
time. All of these clients are in varying industries. She has
been working for the NSWGCSA for 12 years and her role
has varied quite a lot from only doing the bookkeeping
to now doing the administration and bookkeeping.
Alison really enjoys her time working for the
Association as it provides her with a lot of variety to
her working week.
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201614 15NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
Roll every day and mow every other. That’s right, rolling
every day and mowing every other. Of all the mowing/
rolling frequencies I have researched this one results in
the most consistent green speeds from day to day, very
good wear tolerance compared to mowing alone, and
better dollar spot control than mowing every day and
rolling every other. Obviously, there could also be some
economic saving with this program as well.
CHEMICAL CONTROL OPTIONS:
ACTIVE INGREDIENT
FRAC (GROUP) & MODE OF ACTION
TRADE NAMES
Chlorothalonil M5 (Contact) Dacogreen® WeatherShield
Daconil® Weatherstik
Iprodione 2 (Systemic) Ippon® 500 Aqualfo
250GT®
Chipco® GT
Triadimenol 2 (Systemic) Tridim®
Bayfidan®
Prochloraz 3 (Systemic) Protak®
Thiabendazole 1 (Systemic) Vorlon®
Tebuconazole/Trifloxystrobin
3 + 11 (Systemic + contact)
Dedicate® (note Tebuconazole active only has dollar spot activity)
Iprodione/Trifloxystrobin
2 + 11 (Systemic + Systemic)
Interface® (note Iprodione active only has dollar spot activity)
Propiconazole 3 (Systemic) Banner®
Propiconazole/Azoxystrobin
3 + 11 (Systemic) Headway® (note Propiconazole active only has dollar spot activity)
Fludioxanil 12 (Systemic) Medallion®
Toclclofos-Methyl 14 (Systemic) Shiba®
Chlorothalonil/Propiconazole/Fludioxanil
M5 + 3 + 12 (Contact + Systemic)
Instrata®
RESISTANCE:
Lastly, dollar spot being such a common disease and we
spray for it more regular than other diseases resistance
risk is very high. To reduce resistance risk make sure you
mix up your groups (FRAC= Fungicide Resistance Activity
Code) all the time. Do not over use a FRAC during a
season. For example I have seen some programs do the
following
• Banner (3)
• Tridim (3)
• Dacogreen (M5)
• Dedicate (3 + 11)
• Headway (3 + 11)
Not a bad range of products but there is an overuse of
FRAC 3 fungicides. Instead I suggest the following:
• Tridim (3)
• Dacogreen (M5)
• Dedicate (3 + 11)
• Vorlon (1)
• Ippon (2)
As you can see there is a broader spectrum of FRAC
groups used and we are only using FRAC group 3 twice
instead of 4 times.
For a more detailed dollar spot plan feel free to contact me.
Article written by Nadeem Zreikat
Colin Campbell (Chemicals) Pty Ltd
All products mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective owners
The course is situated within 100m of the Minnamurra
River and only 200m from the ocean. The first 1m of
topsoil is that of a quality alluvial soil with more than
3m of pure white sand below, this provides excellent
drainage and minimal runoff into the local estuaries, in
fact the drainage is so good that in the past we have
received in excess of 300mm of rainfall in a 36 hour
period and we were open with carts only 12 hours later.
Kiama is a par 66 with 8 par 3’s, 8 par 4’s and 2 par 5
holes. Measuring only 4968m the main emphasis is to
play it straight with some fairways being only 20m wide.
The course in the early days was tree free however
a large planting program in the late 1970’s and early
80’s resulted in several hundred pine trees and
approximately 50 coral trees planted, this has
resulted in a short course that is heavily tree lined
from tee to green on most holes. The trees are
currently the biggest issue for the club due to the
continual decline in the overall health of the pine
tree species, there are currently at least 40-50 trees
that are in need of complete removal and replaced
with a more suitable species.
KIAMA GOLF CLUB Kiama Golf Club celebrated their 100th birthday in 2005. Originally situated in the township of Kiama the club was forced to relocate 7km north to Minnamurra in 1937 and has been there ever since.
The tree pine trees selected has resulted in some tree
root problems where the roots are exposed and have
become a hazard for players as well as encroaching into
the playing areas.
In 1998 the club under the guidance of former course
superintendent Scott McLaurin invested $500,000 to
secure a reliable water supply from the local effluent
treatment facility. This involved several kilometres of
pipe work from the treatment works. The club again
invested another $500,000 in 2008 to completely
upgrade the irrigation system including all new pipe
work, sprinklers and a new pump system. These
investments have secured a quality water supply that is
both efficient and cost effective.
10th and 18th Fairways 4th Green
Floods 2011
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201616 17NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
The use of recycled water has placed some limitations
on the club and all irrigation is carried out at night.
Quarterly water testing from four ground water
bores situated throughout the course is part of our
environment management plan. Water testing monitors
any possible contamination to the existing water table.
Kiama Golf Club over the past 5 years has traded well
and we have been able to start a quality machinery
replacement program with the purchase of the
following machines:
• Toro Spray unit
• Toro tow behind Debris blower
• Toro tow behind top dressing unit
• Toro 360 Rough cutter
• Caterpillar Skid steer loader
• Mitsubishi Triton Ute ( For the Super)
• Jacobsen Fairway mower
• Kubota 34hp tractor
Future purchases will include a new Greens mower, Skid
steer powered stump grinder, greens roller and a 50 plus
hp tractor to operate the wood chipper. Hopefully the
machinery replacement program will continue over the
next 3 years.
The two major projects for us in the next 2-3 years
will be to progress with the tree management and
replacement program. Another area that will need
attention is our riparian dam system that captures
almost all of the surrounding urban water runoff,
these dams have not received any major works for
approximately 20 years and during this time the silt
has built up and reduced our catchment capacity, the
dam system is vital in cleaning the water runoff before
entering the Minnamurra river.
Staffing at Kiama Golf Club consists of:
• Course Superintendent 22 years industry experience.
Cert 3, 4, 5 in Turf, Cert 3 in Business Management and
Cert 3 in Landscape Design.
• Assistant Super 37 years experience in the industry as
both a greenkeeper and as a Chemical Rep.
• Mechanic qualified fitter and turner with 12 years
of machining in the mines as well as a car mechanic
background with V8 racing.
• Horticulturalist has 22 years in industry including the
Sydney Botanic Gardens.
• Groundsman 22 years working at Kiama Golf Club and
has just completed Cert 3 in Landscape Construction.
• Apprentice has just started his second year and has a
passion for the game of golf.
• We also have an 83 year old who comes in for 16
hours a week to cut tee and green surrounds, he has
been doing this work for almost 18 years.
The staff are highly skilled and an asset to the club and
we hope to maintain the same personnel well into the
future.
As I mentioned above the club has improved their
overall trading significantly in the past 5 years this has
not only allowed new machinery purchases for the
course but the clubhouse has invested $1 million on
stage 1 of 3 with a complete upgrade of the bar, poker
machines and gaming areas, this investment has proved
successful and stages 2-3 will be scheduled within the
next couple of years.
2nd green with new pathway
2nd green pathway before improvements
MARITAL STATUS/CHILDREN: Married 11 years Children Jack 11, Ella 7 and Lucy 5
NICKNAME: Yatesy and Princess by my 2IC
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: Port Kembla Golf Club and Kiama Golf Club
EDUCATION: Cert 3, 4, 5 in Turf, Cert 3 Business Management and Cert 3 Landscape Construction
MAIN PROBLEM LAST SUMMER: Stem Weevils
WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT THE JOB: The lifestyle, picking my kids up everyday after school and the people I work with
ONE PRODUCT YOU COULDN’T DO WITHOUT: Primo and any insecticide that controls Stem Weevils
BEER/WINE/SPIRIT: Beer then spirits
FAVOURITE FOOD: Thai
HOLDEN/FORD: Porsche
FAVOURITE GOLF COURSE: Barnbougle Dunes
FAVOURITE HOLIDAY LOCATION: Hawaii
HOBBIES: Golf and I pretend to play 3rd grade cricket
FUNNIEST MOMENT:Installing an on course security camera to prevent theft only to catch one of my staff taking a leak in full view of the camera just 3 days after installation. I then had a team meeting with my staff and watched him go a bright colour red when I showed them.
MARITAL STATUS/CHILDREN: Married, 2 children
DOB: 8.7.62
YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 37
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: Lots
EDUCATION: Cert 4 Turf
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES: To do whatever the boss tells me to do
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK: The Boss
WHO HAS BEEN THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN YOUR CAREER: Andy Knox, Rob Cooper
WHAT ARE YOUR BEST ATTRIBUTES IN THE WORKPLACE: Lots
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH: The Boss
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 TO 10 YEARS’ TIME: At Kiama Golf Club as a 2IC, I don’t want his job
30 SECONDS WITH A SUPERMARK YATES STUART MILLER
“OLD” ASSISTANT TURF MANAGER
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201618 19NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
Syngenta Australia Pty Ltd, Level 1, 2-4 Lyonpark Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. ABN 33 002 933 717. ®Registered trademark of Syngenta Group Company. ™Trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. AD 14/244
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FLAME_SYN1659A_10/14
Whether a golf course designer is routing the holes on a brand new layout or re-working an existing course the prime goal should be to maximise the potential of the site.
This statement should simply mean unearthing the
best individual golf holes but somehow, in today’s
modern age of golf architecture, there seems to be so
many more extenuating factors that cloud and influence
this goal.
Without even considering budget constraints there are
many items to be considered in building the best overall
layout for the golf course. Some of these might include:
• Returning nines
• Starting and finishing holes playing towards the rising
or setting sun
• Property boundaries and safety
• Par and course length
• Practice zones
• Movement around the clubhouse precinct
• Playing strategies
If we looked at all of these items individually I would be
presenting a fairly long and detailed essay on the pros
and cons of each item that influences the routing of
a golf course. For the sake of brevity this short article
will mainly focus on Par and course length as it’s always
a hot topic when working with clubs during master
planning projects.
THE COURSE ROUTING
Let me ask if this sounds familiar. During the initial
stage of a master planning process at an existing golf
course and there are a group of people at the table
that includes the Superintendent, General Manager,
President, Captain, Treasurer and Course Committee.
I usually ask about their thoughts on the current golf
course and generally get a detailed response from the
Course Superintendent about grass issues, heavy traffic
areas, cart issues, drainage and day to day problems
with the health of the course. I find that the Supers
generally don’t throw too many suggestions at me
regarding improvements for course strategy but simply
focus on how to keep the playing surface performing at
its best.
When the question gets asked to the remainder in the
room there are often suggestions to add a tiger tee here
and there, planting trees to “toughen it up” (primarily
from the low markers at the table) and of course
the common complaints about the condition of the
bunkers. Sometimes I feel like I’m Groundhog Day as this
is a very common theme with the clubs I visit.
When I begin asking questions about the proposed tree
plantings and tiger tees for the course the responses
are often geared towards overall par, overall length or
that godforsaken slope rating number. I suspect the use
of the term “godforsaken” has outed me as not being a
fan of the slope rating process and you’d basically be
spot on.
A CHAMPIONSHIP COURSEWHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201620 21NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
I understand there has to be some sort of system in
place for assessing player’s handicaps when they play on
all types of golf courses but I really can’t see any system
being used without being some flaws in it. What the
slope rating has given us is an excuse for golf clubs to
embark in a dick measuring competition with their nearby
neighbours to gauge whose layout is the more difficult.
The question I ask is, “when did difficult mean better” ?
Time and time again I see tees and greens squeezed
into places that are built to maximise every square inch
of the property and make each golf hole as long as
possible. In many cases the flow of the layout and the
general safety for patrons and neighbours is severely
compromised in this pursuit of adding length.
Then there’s this nugget. If we remove those trees we
can move those tees back 30m and turn that 400m Par 4
into a 430m Par 5, then the overall Par will go to 72. If it’s
a Par 72 it’s a “championship” course. A Championship
length course, what the hell does that even mean?
I never want to immediately dismiss this idea as the best
way to evaluate its merit is a comparison between the
two golf holes. Sometimes this type of change will work
if the short Par 5 is a genuinely heroic golf hole that
presents a clear risk/reward option but I can assure you
most of the time it results in the loss of a good strong
Par 4 to make a weak Par 5 just to make a bigger number
in that bottom part of the scorecard.
The obsession with added length, reaching a fictitious
number on the scorecard, and the obsession with slope
rating is one of the biggest concerns with golf clubs.
Instead of trying to create that “championship” golf
course, whatever that really means, they should be more
focussed on making the golf holes fun and interesting
for their general member base. If the pro’s come along
once a year in a Pro-Am and cut it apart then so be it. I
honestly think a lot of the members would prefer the
Pro’s shot a really low number on their golf course than
battle around par. If greens are designed well then it’s
a lot more logical to slide the pins into tight corners of
the green and sneak the green speed up than squeeze
golf holes into a space they were not meant to fit.
As I walk around golf courses, with the club personnel in
tow, I urge them to consider moving a few tees forward
rather than always looking back over the shoulder for
added length. I think you’d be surprised how some golf
holes could be vastly improved by being shortened
resulting in the obstacles being at a more tempting distance.
Another comment that is quite frequent in my
movements around the countries courses is the urge to
tell me how far their big hitters of the club knock it on
each golf hole. “Big Jimbo can knock a drive over those
trees and get it very close to that 320m par 4, so should
we consider adding a bunker here and there to shop
him”, is a common question.
Adjusting a golf course to purely combat the very long
hitters is fraught with danger. Whilst their long hitting
prowess cannot be ignored they generally make up a
very small percentage of the total member numbers. I
never try to remove the driver from the players hand as
I believe if these guys can hit it extraordinary lengths,
with accuracy, then they deserve to be rewarded. What
I do try to ensure is that the shorter hitters have a wider
landing zone than the big hitters and ask the longer
hitters to take more risks with the obstacles ahead. The
golf course can be as easy or as difficult as the player
decides to make it based on how daring they are to take
risk in order to shoot a lower number.
SHORT PAR 3’S AND 4’S
I am an unadulterated fan of short Par 3’s and 4’s. The
Par 3’s less than 130m are a dying art yet some of the
most exciting holes on the planet are barely more than
100m long. The reason for their popularity is that whilst
they usually demand a very precise shot to get near the
flag there is the opportunity for most golfers to get
it there. Once Par 3’s start extending beyond 170, 180
and 200m it’s simply a slog for a large portion of the
member base. Where’s the fun in that?
The short drivable Par 4, and I mean drivable at a
distance of sub-260m, are some of the most exciting
holes to play. Designed well, these holes are there to
tempt the heroic shot and get near the putting green in
one hit, however the severity of the surrounds ensures
a very difficult recovery if the heroic shot is not quite
executed perfectly. Once again the enjoyment of these
holes is that even guys that normally hit it 220-230m
may be tempted into have a crack at the green. Holes
that are near 300m are really only reachable for the very
long hitters and I don’t believe are quite as exciting for
the bulk of the playing field.
Of course, once you’ve added a few short Par 3’s and
4’s onto the layout the scorecard starts to look a bit
short and the old chestnut of length and rating rears
its head again. Forget the fact that those types of golf
holes are exactly what the club member needs, the
arguments continue about lengthening something else
to compensate.
VARIETY
The best courses are those that provide a variety of
golf holes. A great blend of distances, dog-legs, uphill/
downhill and plenty of options for recovery shots
around the greens.
To be faced with the task of producing a Par 72 with the
pre-determined routing that includes 4 x Par 3’s and 4 x
Par 5’s is a very difficult task on a tight piece of land but
there are many out there that do not think a golf course
is “championship” unless it possesses this mix of golf
holes.
To give you a few examples consider these statistics.
Three well known courses in the Sydney area, Royal
Sydney, New South Wales and St Michael’s all have a
Par 72 and all have a course length of between 6200 –
6400m. Their overall course area measurements are:
• Royal Sydney – approximately 43 Ha (106 acres)
• New South Wales – approximately 51 Ha (126 acres)
• St Michael’s – approximately 49 Ha (121 acres)
NSW and St Michael’s are both coastal courses with
ample areas of vegetation in between some golf holes
yet Royal Sydney has maximised its smaller space to
fit the same length layout. You should note that Royal
Sydney has a lot of walk backs from each green to the
next tee in order to maximise the space on the property
and also provide the safest possible angle of play with
the nearby boundaries. Whilst all of these courses have
varying sized plots of land they have each routed their
golf holes differently to achieve a Par 72 layout.
With these lengths in mind try to consider how a club
like Royal Perth has also managed to fit in a Par 72
layout (6000m) on only 34 Ha (84 acres) of land. It’s
certainly one of the tightest layouts I’ve experienced,
but do often wonder if too much golf course has been
squeezed into that space. I do have doubts over the
safety of this layout at times, whether it is internal or
external safety, and do question if a par 69 or 70 might
be better suited to that size parcel of land.
CONCLUSION
The world of golf course design is not an exact science
and effectively the entire industry is an art form and
totally subjective as to what is liked and disliked. There
is no clear right or wrong in its opinion of golf courses,
simply grey areas of preference when dissecting the
merits of a golf hole or an entire golf course.
It was certainly a lot less complicated many years ago
during the “golden age” of course design as many of
these constricting issues were not prevalent. There were
certainly no litigation issues with property boundaries
and errant golf balls back then and I wonder if this is a
clear reason as to why many of these golf courses are
still great tests of golf.
I believe the process of course design has become a
little sterilised to a certain degree over time however
the best designers of this modern age somehow manage
to tiptoe through this minefield of obstacles and
litigation and still produce great golf courses.
I urge the decision makers at golf clubs to think outside
the box more and not be too intent on the need to
product long, difficult, “Championship” length golf
courses, whatever the hell that actually means.
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201622 23NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
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NSWGCSA are now on Twitter and Facebook, we would like you to join us.
Please follow us on our Twitter account @NSWGCSA1 and please follow us on
Facebook on New South Wales Golf Course Superintendents Association.
NSWGCSA ANNOUNCEMENT
The NSWGCSA board of directors are proud to announce a new approach for the services to its members.
@NSWGCSA1
PJC Sportsturf and Syngenta proudly sponsor the
NSWGCSA’s Annual Ambrose Event for 2016. Please
support these two companies by purchasing your
products from them. This event will be held on Monday
the 9th of May 2016 at The Vintage Golf Club at a new
time of 12pm, registrations will be from 11am with a
dinner and presentation at 7pm with the opportunity to
network with your fellow superintendents afterwards.
Following the Monday’s Annual Ambrose Event the
NSWGCSA will be holding it first ever Outdoor Trade
Event on the 10th May 2016, this will give our Trade
Members an opportunity to display their products
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU SUPPORT THE ASSOCIATION THAT SUPPORTS YOU!
The association has sample templates, documents and forms available in the members area of the website for your
daily, monthly and annual requirements for golf course management. Please feel free to let us know if you suggest or
need any others. Go to the members area of www.nswgcsa.com.au website to find all the documents available.
to you onsite. This will be a hands on approach
opportunity for members to trial products before you
buy. Breakfast will be available from 7:00am and the
trade show and demonstrations will start at 7:30am and
continue until 12:30pm. Following the demonstrations
and outdoor trade fair lunch will be available from
12:30pm and the day’s activities will conclude by 1pm.
Registrations are available now to register and reserve
your place at NSWGCSA first Outdoor Trade Event and
Annual Ambrose Event. Early bird discounts will apply.
Watch for your invite via email. Accommodation will be
available from $90 per person (twin share) or $180 per
person (single) at Chateau Elan.
NSWGCSA ANNUAL AMBROSE EVENT
Monday, 9 May 2016 The Vintage Golf Club
12pm
NSWGCSA OUTDOOR TRADE EVENT
Tuesday, 10 May 2016 The Vintage Golf Club
7:30am-1pm
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201624 25NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
BONNIE DOON GOLF CLUBJUSTIN BRADBURY
I hope everybody has had a friendly late spring and
summer to this point and managed to enjoy the festive
season. Best wishes to all for the year ahead! At Bonnie
Doon we have had a relatively low key spring and
summer to this point as far as projects go. Our main
focus has been course preparation and some minor
renovation practices. We cored the fairways, tees and
surround in mid November successfully and they have
maintained a nice healthy coverage of grass to this point.
As I’m sure many of you can sympathise with, traffic is a
constant challenge for us on a tight property. We have
installed grass shield at the end of numerous paths which
has held us in good stead, with encouragement of the
growth of the couch in these areas. Something that we
have just introduced to our greens maintenance program
is the 4mm Ninja Tine. This was done successfully to a
depth of 1” with removal of a small amount of thatch
from the profile. This will be done monthly as part of
our program and we will be eliminating our Autumn
renovation. We have been getting some solid storms
recently, like most of the metro and coastal areas.
Fortunately any damage has been minimal. Some minor
bunker washouts and that’s about it. Beauty of being
sand based and not a high volume of trees!
On the weekend before Xmas we were kindly the victim
of some vandalism on our 2nd green. The repair work
kindly occupied 2 hours of my Saturday morning that
weekend. Being the first week of school holidays I was a
bit nervous to think what may lie ahead, but fortunately
nothing has happened since then.
The big news from Bonnie Doon and something that
has kept me busy with meetings and planning recently
is the commencement of Stage 3 of our Master Plan
construction work. The DA was approved a couple of
months ago and it has been full steam ahead since.
For anyone that is familiar with the property, it will be
the southern paddock that will be redeveloped in this
set of works... the 3rd through to 7th hole along with
the spare par 3. 6 Holes will become 5. OCCM are our
course architects and work will begin April 26th. We
will be operating a 16 hole course during that period.
At this stage the intended length of time for the work
is 11 months. I will keep you all updated as the project
progresses.
For anyone that may be looking for some Poa/Bent
greens quality sod, there will be approximately 3000
square metres available. Feel free to contact me if
you are interested. Must cut and collect yourself
after April 26th.
AROUND THE TRAPSNSW GOLF COURSE REPORTS
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Principle Investigator: Dr. James Murphy
Study Parameters: Competing products were tested and compared at multiple rates, including low, off-label rates to determine strength of actives using multiple testing protocols. Research focused on differentiating leading products’ ability to treat organic matter as found in peat, thatch and organic amendments.
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NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201626 27NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
CAMDEN GOLF CLUBSHANE HERRING
It has been a fair while since my last around the traps and
we have been flat out with finishing our new Toro Lynx
irrigation system, which has just about been in a full year
now (Wow, time flies). The new system has been a life
saver compared to our old system that was contributing
to about 80% of my time with an average of 20 leaks a
month at its final stage. (I have not had to fix a leak since).
During winter we completely rebuilt the bunkers on
another 4 holes with a fantastic job done, with all the
works done in house and with a fantastic outcome; we
have been rebuilding 3-4 holes every year for the last
4 years with the finish line getting closer.
Every two years we root prune around greens, this year
using our Ventrac we were able to do our problem areas
in two days, trenched and backfilled, compare to previous
years of around a week. We also cored all fairways with
5/8 tines and left to dry out then we used a drag mate to
completely rub the cores in, then fertilised, we were able
to do roughly 4 fairways a day finishing up with a get result.
It was the first time I was able to open them up here.
We have just rebuilt our 11th tee, we raised the tee level
by 200mm and returfed with Santa Ana Couch. We have
also been trying to level out rough/bumpy areas of the
course of late, as well as path ways.
Hope everyone had a good Chrissy and looks forward to
a easier 2016 hopefully (fingers crossed)!
CROMER GOLF CLUBLEON HENNESSY
This summer is the first time our stormwater harvest
system has been put into action. The golf club
purchased a 70 Megalitre licence for South Creek and
last winter we installed the harvest system.
The system comprises of a 900mm concrete pipe from
South Creek that is connected to a wet well and pump.
The water is then pumped 300 metres to our irrigation
storage tank. The system is fully automatic with pressure
sensors for levels, flow metres and a variable speed
pump. When water is available we can pump 18L/sec.
This allows us to fill the 1.2 Megalitre tank within
24 hours. South Creek has a large catchment area so a
few millimeters of rain keeps this creek running.
So far this season we have not had to use any bore water.
The water quality from South Creek is far superior to the
high sodium and chloride bore water we have been using
in the past. This coupled with all the recent rainfall has
helped us present the golf course in excellent condition.
Cromer recently hosted the Fuso Truck and Bus Legends
Pro-Am. The course played well and the greens were
running fast and true.
EASTLAKE GOLF CLUBNATHAN BRADBURY
I am guessing my traps will be similar to a lot of others
when it comes to a very inconsistent summer; heavy rain
falls in short periods, 38 degree days followed directly by
an 18 degree day. If the grass isn’t confused I surely am.
The main project on the course at present is the Eastern
Suburbs Storm Water upgrade which is crossing 2 of
our holes. The project has been 2 ½ years in the making
with all geotech reporting finalised 18 months ago
and the contract was put to tender. Enviro-Pacific was
awarded the contract and begun work once our 17th
hole was reconstructed. 2x2m concrete pipes are being
installed over 800m. This involves installing 9m high
sheet piling vibrated into the soil profile at a space of
6m; hydraulic stabilising arms are then placed across the
top of the sheet piling. Once all this is in place the 40t
excavators go to work digging out a 6m wide by 6m high
“trench”. At present 150m of pipe is in the ground and
back filled and the head wall is ¾ constructed. Once
the head wall is finished Enviro-Pacific will be starting
to reconstruct the wetland and lake system to have a
natural filtration system of 5 separation/filtration ponds
before the water enters the lake system.
• Turf Washing Facility• Line Planting• StaLok Reinforcing & Instant Play Turf• Transformer Stabilised Sportsturf• Topmaking• Turf Laying
259 Pitt Town Bottoms Road Pitt Town NSW 2756Josh: 0418 617 203David: 0418 261 484Fax: 02 4572 3933Email: [email protected]
BUFFALO, KIKUYU AND COUCH PBR VARIETIES AVAILABLE
NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201628 29NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
Fingers crossed things will be back to normal in
12 months’ time, the only disruption to the course has
been our par 3 17th hole which was shortened from
204m to 150m and my irrigation main line has been
diverted out into the lake and floats approx. 40m from
the lake edge. A lot of safety fencing and directional
signage to allow the golfers a smooth run past the
construction site has helped.
I hope everyone has an enjoyable end to summer and
look forward to seeing everyone at the Hunter Valley
trade show and Ambrose Event.
ELANORA COUNTRY CLUBDAN G S COOK
Rainfall and storms dominated November. November’s
rainfall was double the average. This now takes the year
to date total of 1392mm, with good rain at the end of
December looks like we are going to hit 1500mm for the
calendar year of 15’. Debris removal has been constant
and seems to be dropping faster than it can be picked up!
Greens were Verti drained with an 8mm solid to a depth
of 200mm. This was done on a 1.5” x 1.5” spacing. Sport
Grass Solutions (Warren and Jason Jones) as a contractor
to the club carried out this work, with great flexibility
around the weather. All the Christmas trimmings were
applied to make sure the greens are in good health
during the Holiday season.
Fairways were double scarified and cored. Coring was
¾” tine on a 3” x 3” spacing to a depth of 100mm. They
were cleaned up and topdressing will be applied early
in the New Year to areas that have previously been
drained. This is to recover the smooth surface after the
drainage process.
Tees were also cored with a ½” hollow tine on a 2” x 2”
spacing and top-dressed. Top-dressing to the tees was
quite heavy to try to rectify some tees that are not level.
As Christmas approaches it looks like it will be a
Superintendents Christmas with cool temps and some
rainfall about. I hope every one gets a quick break and
comes back into the New Year refreshed and ready for
the next stage of the Season.
LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUBMARK SCHRODER
It has certainly been a roller-coaster start to 2016 with
over 250mm of rain coupled with extreme heat in the
mix resulting in much high humidity along with fungal
disease preservation.
Severe storm conditions with extreme high-wind on
Thursday 14 January 2016 resulted in much tree damage
with particular reference to the 8th tee area and other
areas adjacent to Prospect Creek.
Following on from the above, a hole by hole survey of
tree health and associated safety on the golf course has
been carried out highlighting and prioritising current
status in line with the objectives and strategy to the
Club’s Vegetation Management Plan.
Recent on-course activities have included selective
herbicide application around collars of greens for Kikuyu
& Couch-grass invasion. Also, chemical control of Kikuyu
invasion into Santa ana couch-grass on tee-tops.
Adjacent to the 8th tee
Rough zone adjacent to the 11th green
We have also further embraced ongoing bunker
improvements including re-shaping, re-turfing and
contour definitives as well as sand distribution.
Upcoming winter project plans include fairway drainage
works at several low-lying areas of the golf course, along
with the sub-surface drainage replacement of some silt
contaminated bunkers.
Finally, as one of the Field Day Board Members I thank
everyone for either re-joining or joining for the first time
and encourage you all to consider attending as many
NSWGCSA events as possible this year. The full program
of events and dates will be out shortly to enable
everyone to plan ahead.
NORTHBRIDGE GOLF CLUBMALCOLM HARRIS
We are in the process of rebuilding the 1st hole. We
have now completed the green and all the drainage and
shaping. We have 1 bunker left to finish and 1500m² of
turf to lay. We will then rebuild the tees and have the
hole ready about March. I am so fortunate to have some
very dedicated staff during a particularly difficult period.
There has been some serious stem weevil activity here
this summer. Despite what I believed to be a thorough
preventative program a couple of greens have suffered
a fair bit of damage. We also have a significant ground
pearl infestation in the kikuyu fairways and roughs
which has been an ongoing problem for a number of
years. I have tried quite a few different products to
control them without any success. If anyone has had
success controlling them I would love to talk to you.
ST MICHAEL’S GOLF CLUBRUSSELL FLETCHER
Just before Christmas St Michael’s G.C. was hit with a
mini tornado that luckily centred in a small area of the
course adjacent to the maintenance shed. Sections of
the roofing became unattached and falling about 40
large Banksia and Eucalyptus trees in and around the
shed. The winds got to 120km an hour, so you could only
imagine what it would be like in a large scale tornado
and double the wind speed. Hell I recon!!! It took a few
weeks to clean up mainly due to the Christmas break.
It was luck that we took delivery of two new Jacobsen
eclipse ride-on mowers, ½ hour before the storm hit;
otherwise these would have been damaged by the hail.
John Purtell stood in my office and was counting his
luck that he was not out there in this.
Summer in Sydney at the moment feels like we’re in the
tropics. Overcast days then major storms and severe
rain in the afternoons has been the norm, making you
believe that we live in the North of Queensland. The
relentless spraying of greens, is that you just can’t miss a
week in of spraying but it’s not far to go when summer
is over and reno’s start.
Apart from the normal route of looking after a golf
course in summer, staff have found that we just don’t
cut and spray here at St Mich’s. Building tees and paving
footpaths, making sand-waste and the last project
recently is re-contouring 2 green surrounds. The 10th
green surrounds involved a bit more than the normal
in that 100 tonnes of road-base was brought in to
construct a maintenance road, 20 metres adjacent to
31NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
the green, and approximately 100 metres long. This was
then coated with bitumen and decretive gravel applied
over the top. Changing the green surrounds involves
spraying ½ the surrounds out on one side, then rotary
hoeing, shaping, and then turfing with Windsor Green
turf that is on fairways.
Committee decide some 8 to 9 years ago to convert
the fairways from kikuyu to Windsor Couch, leaving the
kikuyu green surrounds until the club embarked on a
greens remodelling project. Recently the club decided
not to do all the greens remodelling in one year and
take on the financial risk, but to redo the greens that
struggle in turf quality or have design issues. A decision
will be made shortly, to do the 16th green and 17th
tee complex and redesigning the whole area. It will be
towards the end of the year when warm weather is
upon us again, in whether to go ahead. Golf Shapes will
be contracted to undertake this project.
That the moment staff will take the role of reshaping
green surrounds that the club thinks is beneficial for the
future of the course.
TERREY HILLS GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUBSTUART GILL
What a start to the new year, just shy of 300mm in the
first couple of weeks. Like everywhere else this time of
year, focus is on presenting the golf course and we are
lucky at the moment that we are looking pretty good.
Good grass cover, dams are full and the members seem
as happy as you can hope for. Photos never do any
justice but I’ve included a couple of when I returned
from a couple of week’s annual leave, who ever said you
can’t take time off in summer? A big shout out to my
Assistant, Oliver Bell, and our crew, a job well done!
We recently purchased some new scarifying heads
for our fairway mowers which are allowing a monthly
groom of the couch at minus 3mm which has resulted
in an exceptional playing surface. Normally, our roughs
struggle a little at this time of year with poor irrigation
coverage however Mother Nature has helped out a
great deal with that.
Our main focus for 2016 will be to eradicate bare areas
next to the concrete cart paths which our members
and guests like to straddle with one wheel on and one
wheel off. Recent trials of using plastic protective turf
matting has shown positive results so we will be looking
to install a strip along our paths as well as adding some
much needed irrigation.
We have recently had our DA application install above
ground fuel tanks rejected by council so instead it
looks like another rethink and to continue on with an
underground system. Although we do have a current
exemption through the EPA it seems that the regulatory
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NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 201632 33NSWGCSA Newsletter – Summer 2016
body will change from the EPA to local council in June 2017
so the goal posts may get moved again. We have gone
from looking to upgrade our underground tanks to being
told we must go above ground to now being told we have
to stay underground, I’m sure this isn’t the end of the saga
but it almost seems worth sitting on for another year!
THE LINKS SHELL COVESHANE GEORGE
It’s been a very busy season to date and will continue
into the later part of the year when all re construction
work is completed. Golf Shapes are carrying out all the
construction works, from Richard Chamberland design,
work started in November 2015.
Zone 1
• with re building the current 2nd tee, fairway landing
zone and bunkering
• 3rd fairway extension to remove water hazard carry in
front of the tee
• 8th green and surrounds and fairway width extension.
Originally we were going to use cores from our existing
greens for the turf on the new 8th green, so we could
keep consistently on all greens, but had to change to
seeding the surface because of a rain storm that hit on
the 16th December. The 8th green was completed and we
spread cores over the green on the 15th December. But
come next day we received 68mm in under 30 minutes.
It washed the cores from the surface and left rutting on
the putting green surface. Just what you want leading into
Xmas. Over the next week the green surface was repaired
and seeded on the 29th December. We could not re core
CODE OF ETHICS Each member shall uphold the standards of this Association by observing the following code of ethics:
1. Acting and speaking in a manner which will not cause discredit to our profession and fellow superintendents.
2. Before applying for a position ensure that the position is vacant and where possible confer with the superintendent who is being succeeded.
3. Avoid dissemination of any malicious information concerning other golf courses and/or other golf course superintendents.
4. Extend technical assistance to any golf clubs when called upon by the superintendent.
5. Negotiate salary and conditions in accordance with standards expected of the position for which application is being made.
greens again because of the golfing numbers that were
booked in during the holiday period. This is our peak
revenue time with golfers teeing off from 5.30am through
to most days 3pm. The green surrounds were turfed with
Kikuyu, and the fairways have been stolenised. To date all
turf is growing in nicely and already under Primo.
Zone 2 construction started in early January 2016:
• Splitting up our current 14th par 5 into par 4 and par 3.
This work entails width extension of the par 4 fairway,
new green and surrounds, a new tee complex for the
par 3 to the existing green
• The current 15th par 3 will be extended to a par 4,
works to carryout are new tees, rebuild and shaping of
fairway and bunkering.
Zone 3, 4 and rebuilding of all bunkers, as the year goes on.
THE VINTAGE GOLF CLUBSTEVE HARRIS
It has been extremely busy at The Vintage over the past
few months.
We have installed a new pump system which has meant
a new pump shed and some modifications to the
pipes but the good news is that we are running at full
capacity. Huge relief with the hot dry weather we were
receiving up to the start of December.
Our cart path project is progressing well with another
3 holes completed. With the Christmas break and the
wet weather that momentum could slow down. The
completed paths are making a massive difference and
have received some great feedback.
Our current project is the construction of a spare hole.
We are building a par 3 on some land between the 6th
and 7th holes. This green will come into play when we
do any course works and will enable us to close the
hole being worked on. If the weather is kind to us I
hope to have it in play ready for the start of our Bunker
project in March.
Hope to see you all at the Ambrose day in May.
PRESIDENT Stuart Gill Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club
Mobile 0417 445 888
Email [email protected]
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/FIELD DAYS Steven Harris The Vintage Golf Club
Mobile 0409 740 818
Email [email protected]
JUNIOR VICE PRESIDENT/NEWSLETTER Shane George The Links Shell Cove
Mobile 0409 772 626
Email [email protected]
SECRETARY/TREASURER Russell Fletcher St Michael’s Golf Club
Mobile 0419 267 622
Email [email protected]
FIELD DAYS Mark Schroder Liverpool Golf Club
Mobile 0401 095 083
Email [email protected]
ENVIRONMENT Justin Bradbury Bonnie Doon Golf Club
Mobile 0432 390 171
Email [email protected]
DIRECTORS CONTACT DETAILS
EDUCATION PORTFOLIO Malcolm Harris Northbridge Golf Club
Mobile 0411 841 605
Email [email protected]
NEWSLETTER/SOCIAL MEDIA Nathan Bradbury Eastlakes Golf Club
Mobile 0418 215 407
Email [email protected]
ADVERTISING/SPONSORSHIP Leon Hennessy Cromer Golf Club
Mobile 0422 699 717
Email [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP Shane Herring Camden Golf Club
Mobile 0408 682 068
Email [email protected]
ASSOCIATION ADMINISTRATION OFFICER Alison Jones PO Box 595, Matraville NSW 2036
Mobile 0412 516 428
Email [email protected]
NSWGCSA ABN 63 365 403 933 PO Box 595, Matraville NSW 2036 Australia Email [email protected]
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www.nswgcsa.com.au
NSWGCSA Editor’s Disclaimer: The opinions expresses editorially and the contents of this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the policy or view of the NSWGCSA