Oct 17
gbeauclerc@playmoregolf.com.auGolf Course Maintenance
160mm for the month of August with 110mm recorded over 4 consecutive days. The weather which of late has been the topic of all conversations held off long enough for the staff to complete several projects which were dictated by the rain. The drain on the 16th tee was constructed to take away the massive amount of residential run off created from the new housing development. Like all drains they are ugly to say the least. This is why we created the dry creek bed theme with plantings of lamandra & mulching of the area to aesthetically improve this eye sore. The 18th, 3rd, 10th, 14th,& 11th tees were all selectively cleared & mulched. Several large wattles, most of which were past there life expectancy were removed to allow more sunlight onto these weak shaded tees. The 5th hole has had the copper log posts installed & we are now just awaiting the 25mm rope. This hole will not be permanently roped off. By installing 100mm PVC pipe sleeves in the ground it just allows us quick & easy convenience for roping off the hole when required. Carts will be back on this fairway as soon as it dries out. On the greens: One application of liquid fertiliser One light dusting of sand We commenced our spring growth programmes in this last week of the month. All greens were aerated with solid tynes & fertilised. The greens under went a trial with a wire brush attachment to the greens mower for the removal of thatch build up over winter. By removing this thatch layer it will increase the health & vigour of the plant, improve fertiliser uptake, encourage better water percolation, as well as remove any host environment for disease. With winter over& spring in the air I’m looking forward to mild days with plenty of sunshine & little rain. Let’s hope that September is a terrific growing month to get the course up & going from its winter dormancy. See you on course, Glenn Beauclerc Your Friendly Course Superintendent.
Aug 07
gbeauclerc@playmoregolf.com.auGolf Course Maintenance
How good was it to see the sun out & shining for the month! June was officially the driest month we’ve had this year with only 3 wet days totalling 20mm of rain. Clear skies & day time temperatures of 20 degrees made not only for good working conditions but for great golfing weather. Some chilly mornings & a couple of frosts saw the maintenance boys looking more like bank robbers than green keepers with an arrangement of beanies, balaclavas & hoodies. No beauty pageant contestants amongst us, but we all kept warm! The growth throughout the course has stopped to a minimum. Roughs & surrounds are being cut once a month & the fairway unit needs only to go out every fortnight. The greens are in great condition, in fact I was told to slow them down as many a weary golfer are getting a case of the “yips” when standing over a down hill put. With a good coverage of grass & little growth we have lifted the height of greens to 4.5mm. Rolling & brooming now dominates the daily programme more than mowing. Through out the month we have continued with tree pruning & mulching of gardens. The 16thwas the centre of attention with the removal of several wattles along the left hand side of the hole. These trees had reached there life expectancy &were only taking up space needed by the more attractive Callistemon growing around them. The mulch from these trees was utilised on the gardens surrounding the green. We have roped off the 3rd green on a permanent basis with copper logs & 25mm rope. By keeping the carts on the path in this area you will see a rapid improvement in the quality of turf surrounding the bunkers & green surround. The major project for the month involved the improvement of the fairway bunkers between the 1st & 18th holes. These bunkers had all the old contaminated sand, drainage gravel & drainage pipes removed & replaced with 6O tonne of new bunker sand, 2m3 of drainage gravel & 80 metres of slotted “Ag flow” drainage line. Finally we have them looking better than new. Although the sun has been out & shining we are still wet in several areas on the course due to shade. Thanks to every one for staying on the paths in these areas & looking after our golf course. See you out there, Glenn Beauclerc Your Friendly Course Superintendent.
Jun 28
gbeauclerc@playmoregolf.com.auGolf Course Maintenance
Another 125mm of rain can be added to the ever increasing total for the year thus far. It was only after a recent discussion with the course Superintendent of Bonville Golf Course that I sat down & looked over exactly how much rain & how often we had received it for 2011. Bonville receives on average 3metres of rain per year & had recorded rain on 76 occasions this year already. (Tongue in cheek) I can say we average 1.85metres of rainfall a year & have recorded rain on 55 occasions so far. There for on average rain is recorded every 3 days at Robina Woods. It’s like trying to grow greens hydroponically! With the night time temperatures getting down to single figures, the shade getting longer& the days getting shorter Winter is definitely on the way. Add wet days to that equation & it can only mean one thing…………………………Winter grass (Poa annua). Yes, one of our dreaded cool season weeds that thrives on the current conditions each & every year. To combat this we have sprayed all greens, Tees & fairways with a pre-emergent herbicide& will follow up again in 60 days. The growth in the fairways & roughs has slowed down incredibly with the cool change. This means we can spend more time on the winter projects such as garden construction, tree pruning, mulching,& vine eradication. One of the must do jobs this winter (weather permitting) is the drainage upgrade & sand replacement of several bunkers through out the course. The greens continue to roll nice & have a good coverage coming into winter. The 5th& 16th greens are of some concern being so thin coming into winter. These two greens continue to be spoon fed with liquid fertiliser every week& only cut on Saturday. The ropes are up yet again for another year; please abide by this simple measure of keeping carts on paths for these holes. Thanks for your patience during these wet & trying times. See you on course, Glenn Beauclerc Your Friendly Course Superintendent.
May 15
gbeauclerc@playmoregolf.com.auGolf Course Maintenance, Newsletters
The announcement onApril 19th 2011 that Robina Woods has gone into voluntary administration was some what of a rude shock to us all. The course that we all love & have so much pride in had become another victim in the ever increasing financial market. A letter from the owners was read out to the staff outlining the reasons for the demise of our golf course. The letter went on to describe such factors as economic climate, competition from neighbouring golf clubs, & atrocious weather (mainly rains & floods) being the catalyst towards poor cash flow.
Cash flow is the back bone to any successful business & with out it, well, we’veall seen what can happen.
We now have a very successful team of receivers / managers’ looking after the operation of the golf course & the feeling is there will be a successful outcome. From a course maintenance point of view I can promise you that the high standard of excellence that I set & you expect from the playing condition of the golf course will not lessen. Robina Woods has always been held in the highest regards by members, guests & staff& this tradition will continue.
To the course:
129mm of rain was recorded for the month of April. Although this was half the amount we received in February it all adds up to one thing…….it’s still wet!
The boys have been out in all weather getting on top of the mowing of roughs & fairways knowing we have a couple of short weeks with Easter, Anzac day & Labour Day holidays. Although 4 days on & 5 days off is enjoyable returning to work to see an overgrown golf course wouldn’t be. To aid in the reduction of growth we sprayed all fairways with “Primo” a growth retardant.
Once again with the inclement weather providing unsuitable conditions for turf we aerated all Greens & tees with solid 6mm tynes to encourage good air exchange in the soil profile. Greens were then rolled resulting in minimal disturbance to the golfers.
On the greens:
Ø Two applications of liquid fertiliser
Ø Two applications of fungicide
Ø One application of insecticide
You may have noticed that our 15th& 16th greens have been struggling of late with irregular shaped patches of thin turf. Both these greens have a turf grass disease known as “Curvularia“which has been brought about by in favourable weather conditions. We have been treating these two greens with fungicides, aeration, & fertiliser to try & improve there condition. We have also lifted the height of cut on these two greens to encourage new growth before winter arrives. As with most turf grass diseases they are present all year round & just need the correct conditions to thrive. These conditions include prolonged leaf wetness for several days, temps between 25-35c & excessive levels of thatch.
We have already noticed a drop in night time temperatures & an increase in shade through out the course so it won’t be long before we have to rope off the usual areas for winter. Until then please continue to follow course signage & avoid driving through wet areas.
See you on course,
Glenn Beauclerc.
Your Friendly Course Superintendent
Apr 08
gbeauclerc@playmoregolf.com.auGolf Course Maintenance
MEMBERS NEWS LETTER MARCH 2011
Another month gone & another wet month.
We recorded rain for the first 15 days of March with 215mm collected for the month. It seems Mother Nature is adamant on making her presence felt each & every month. On the days it didn’t rain we saw temperatures reach 33 degrees & winds of up to 25 knots. Tough conditions I must admit for presenting a golf course to a high standard.
On the surface the greens look fine & are putting well but as is the case with green keeping we start with what’s under the ground. The largest problem we’ve encountered over the past few months has been the depth of the root systems on the greens. Constantly being wet for months on end has resulted in a shallow system where the plant hasn’t had to chase deep down for water. This then becomes crucial on hot blustery days. Hand watering, aeration & the addition of root hormones has proven to be beneficial in getting the greens through this tough period.
The fairways have a sensational coverage of couch & are mowing up a treat, lots of very positive comments regarding their appearance so thanks very much to those members who went out of their way to let me know.
Slowly but surely we’re keeping on top of the roughs & surrounds thanks to extra hours being done by the maintenance team. I was concerned when told by one golfer he had no troubles finding his ball in the rough……………………… but couldn’t find his motorised cart!
We have finally got around to fixing the drainage issues on the 3rd fairway. It seemed that every time we hooked up the excavator it rained for the next week, prolonging a start.
Robina Woods Even Greener:
Over the past 12 months, Robina Woods has been involved in a Turf Sustainability Cluster bringing together 20 participants – 18 golf clubs, 1 Racing Club and the State Golfing body Golf Queensland. Picture below of myself & the honourable Minister Kate Jones who is Minister for Environment and Resource Management. The objectives of the cluster was to showcase practices occurring within the turf management industry that promote sustainable activities such as energy reduction, fuel and GHG emissions reductions waste management practices and water management.
With the installation of our “Waste to Water” controlled loop wash-down bay along with our new rainwater tanks, & changing our wash down practices to blowing grass off mowers instead of using water to wash them. I was very keen to see what savings we had incurred.
The results were very pleasing with figures showing a 90% reduction in the amount of potable (town) water used at the maintenance facility & a 20% reduction of energy used. Through the drum muster programme we also recycled over 200 plastic 10L & 20L containers reducing landfill waste by 20m3. All of which I’m sure you’ll agree is a step in the right direction.
See you on course,
Glenn Beauclerc
Mar 14
gbeauclerc@playmoregolf.com.auGolf Course Maintenance
Two months gone already of the new year & it only seemed like yesterday we were getting ready for Christmas! I’m not sure if it’s me getting older or the days becoming shorter but the years seem to be flying.
Weather wise February has been the best month we’ve had for a while. The biggest priority for the maintenance team is to get on top of all the mowing which I can happily say we’ve done. We are now comfortably back to our regular mowing practises which are:
Ø Greens cut daily & rolled 3 times a week
Ø Fairways & Tees cut twice a week
Ø Roughs mowed one a week
We have increased the height of our tee surrounds to 50mm. Not only does this save mowing time it provides a far better definition of our tee decks cut at 12mm.
The fairways are looking a lot cleaner with a very successful result from the January herbicide spraying. We will give them a feed of slow release fertiliser in March which will provide all the nutrients required through to winter.
The greens have a great coverage of grass & are rolling well.
We have recently sprayed all greens to eradicate the large amounts of Crows foot & Blue Couch that has appeared in the putting surface after the recent renovations& heavy rains.Monthly programme of solid Tyne aeration along with rolling will continue during the growing months ahead. This process releases compaction & increases the oxygen in the soil that has been otherwise water logged for the past several months.
It was nice to see our migrating swans return once again to the golf course for another breeding season. This year they hatched out 4 signets. As per usual the male did all the work, building the nest before sitting on the eggs, and where you ask was the female……………………….watching!
See you on course,
Glenn Beauclerc
Your Friendly Course Superintendent.
Feb 22
gbeauclerc@playmoregolf.com.auGolf Course Maintenance, Special Offers
A very sad & devastating way to start 2011 with the horrific floods seen throughout Queensland, Northern New South Wales & now into Victoria. Not since 1974 have we seen such treacherous conditions & my thoughts go out to any members, friends or families who have been affected by the floods. We really did miss the deluge on the coast. When the rest of the South East corner was being hammered by rain the Gold Coast corridor seemed to miss most of it. In saying that we still managed to record 172mm for the month keeping the course still very wet under foot. The greens have recovered well from the December renovations. Considering the 600mm of rain for the month coupled up with low temperatures they have been under extreme pressure of late & are at about 85% to where I would like them. Not only did the rain flush any sodium build up in the greens profile which is a positive, it also flushes away the valuable nutrients we require for healthy turf. Additionally we have been applying liquid feeds to keep the greens ticking over nicely & soil amendments trying to get the balance correct. The roughs have been growing out of control with many of the days to wet to get machinery out of the shed. On the days we could utilise all mowers the boys were doing 12 hour days just to try & get on top of the roughs. All tees & surrounds along with all fairways have been sprayed with a herbicide for weed eradication. We will apply 2-3 applications, 7-10 days apart over the next few weeks. There is a yellowing off on these surfaces due to the salt based nature of the herbicide. Thanks for your patience during these testing times with the inclement weather. The team is dedicated to the course & want to see it back in sensational condition sooner than you do. See you on course, Glenn Beauclerc. Your Friendly Course Superintendent.
Feb 22
gbeauclerc@playmoregolf.com.auSpecial Offers
A very sad & devastating way to start 2011 with the horrific floods seen throughout Queensland, Northern New South Wales & now into Victoria. Not since 1974 have we seen such treacherous conditions & my thoughts go out to any members, friends or families who have been affected by the floods.
We really did miss the deluge on the coast. When the rest of the South East corner was being hammered by rain the Gold Coast corridor seemed to miss most of it. In saying that we still managed to record 172mm for the month keeping the course still very wet under foot.
The greens have recovered well from the December renovations. Considering the 600mm of rain for the month coupled up with low temperatures they have been under extreme pressure of late & are at about 85% to where I would like them.
Not only did the rain flush any sodium build up in the greens profile which is a positive, it also flushes away the valuable nutrients we require for healthy turf. Additionally we have been applying liquid feeds to keep the greens ticking over nicely & soil amendments trying to get the balance correct.
The roughs have been growing out of control with many of the days to wet to get machinery out of the shed. On the days we could utilise all mowers the boys were doing 12 hour days just to try & get on top of the roughs.
All tees & surrounds along with all fairways have been sprayed with a herbicide for weed eradication. We will apply 2-3 applications, 7-10 days apart over the next few weeks. There is a yellowing off on these surfaces due to the salt based nature of the herbicide.
Thanks for your patience during these testing times with the inclement weather. The team is dedicated to the course & want to see it back in sensational condition sooner than you do.
See you on course,
Glenn Beauclerc.
Your Friendly Course Superintendent.
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