Dear Members,
This week was another busy schedule for the course team, starting on Monday, Tuesday and into Wednesday we scarified, cored and top-dressed all of the Santa Ana Couch tees. Our greens are recovering very well from their renovation last week, and we are certainly seeing the benefit of the additional time we had to complete the process with more detailed hand-work. The greens are recovering at a much faster rate than previous years, so much so that we did our first cut on the greens on Tuesday only 4 days after completing the renovation.
OCM Course Works
This week the course team and shapers from OCM completed the bunker restoration on the 9th hole and 1st hole, as well as the restoration of the sandy waste on the 1st hole.
The team completed all of the irrigation installation on the 9th hole, and laid 700m2 of Zoysia grass on the newly shaped bunker lips. This hole will be ready for play next week, noting that bunkers will remain as GUR (no play zone) until the grow-in is complete.
We are providing ball scoops for Members to use when their ball goes into the newly shaped bunkers, and we please ask that Members use them and avoid walking on the new turf wherever possible.
While the 1st hole has been closed we have also taken the opportunity to excavate the thatchy kikuyu in front and surrounding the collar of the green. There are two benefits to this, firstly we are able to provide a firmer surface for balls landing short of the green to bounce onto the putting surface, and secondly to create a flat transition from the green surrounds onto the putting surface which will improve ball roll when putting from off the green.
Irrigation installation on the 1st hole will be completed early next week, and the hole will be fully re-turfed by the end of next week.
Hole Closures
The schedule for hole closures the week beginning the 10th November is the 1st and 3rd holes.
The schedule of hole closures the week beginning the 17th November is the 2nd and 3rd holes.
We do appreciate Members understanding and patience as we complete this work, whilst the above schedule is the intended program please note that factors such as weather, turfing and irrigation works can impact the schedule.
Any changes to the schedule will be communicated via my weekly blog and Russell’s team in the golf shop.
Anthony Mills