| Round The Traps - 11th February 2021 |
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| G'day Members,
The course is holding up incredibly well through all the heavy rainfall of late. We’ve been receiving a lot of positive feedback from long term members about just how well the course is draining (and playing) at this time of year. It’s a testament to all the drainage work over the past few years that our on-course team have been putting in.
On the subject of weather and conditions, we’re looking at getting a small weather station that will plug into our website to give updates on conditions at the course. The information would be accessible to all and may help players decide if they want to leave home. We’re also looking to get some daily course conditions added to our website so all players can see for example, if its “Carts on Paths” without having to make a phone call to the shop. We’ll keep you posted as we go.
We are planning to install the new concrete cart path to the (new) 18th tee early next week. Obviously, its weather dependant, but shouldn’t really impact on competition play, unless you really duck hook one! In the coming weeks, the new 18th tee complex will be constructed, but again that is weather dependant too.
The irrigation upgrade project is getting down to the pointy end of discussions. We’ve done a significant amount of work and really dialled in the design and costings. While we can’t yet release all the details, its an incredibly exciting step forward for the Club, its members and all users of the facility. The short version is, we will have a new irrigation installed in this calendar year.
St Patricks Day is coming up on Wednesday 17th of March, and at CGC Staffer Siobhan Griffin’s special request, we’re holding a fun day with a bit of Irish flavour to remind her of home. Golf will be an Irish 4Ball event (yes, we’ll have a “How to play” information sheet) as well as popping a few Guinness to celebrate the day. The golf competition will be open to both Men and Women with prizes for best dressed. Lock in a group and get your Irish on for the day.
Hope to see you around the traps.
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We are nearly halfway through the “true wet” and the course is in pretty nice shape for this time of year. Although we have had 116mm in the past 48 hours, the course is taking the rain well and we have been blessed with a few dry spells in between downpours. We dried out so much prior to the rain this week, that we even managed to get a sand delivery with 40 tonnes of sand across the course on Monday. Unheard of for this time of year!
Having our couple of extra team members has really been a blessing and we have been able to turn the course around quicker than ever before after rainfall events. The bunkers have definitely been in play more this wet season than in years passed and this is solely due to the extra labour. Having caught up on most of our regular tasks this month, we took the opportunity this week to rebuild the bunker on the 2nd green. While the weather hasn’t been that kind (I gave myself an upper cut for choice of weeks to do this), the bunker has turned out quite well so far. There is not a lot more rain forecast for this week, so if that’s the case, we should have most of that bunker finished for the weekend.
Reshaping bunkers is something I have had in my sights since I arrived here. We dedicate a huge amount of labour trying to maintain them and at this time of year it is a constant battle. With our weather patterns in mind, I have made a few changes to the bunker on the 2nd. Firstly, I have rolled the faces in a little more, as opposed to having big flashed faces that wash out. We have revisited the drainage and installed new drainage lines and will also be placing a liner between the sub-base and the sand interface to prevent contamination.
Aesthetically, the footprint of the bunker is much the same, but it is ever so slightly deeper. When shaping, I also considered the visual aspects of the hole and you should now be able to see the sand from the tee (previously you couldn’t). All in all, the bunker should be more enjoyable to play out of, drain properly and be considerably less maintenance for our team.
While the 2nd hole was closed this week, our team took the opportunity to turf out some more foreign grass that had emerged over recent months. While we had previously finished off most of this green, we always knew there would be more to do because of the way it was spread throughout the green. This time we have taken out some larger areas to ensure we get all the foreign material. Unfortunately, many of these issues were not dealt with when they first arose, which has made it very challenging for my team to rectify. Having said that, we are continually chipping away at this process and with the extra team members this year, we should be able to make even more headway.
On Wednesday it was too wet to work in the bunker so we took the opportunity to clear out a few drains with the excavator. This has included along the right side of the 5th leading around to the 3rd men’s tee, as well as the rear of the driving range. I have also started clearing up the old dump on the left side of the 3rd hole so that eventually this area will be more aesthetically pleasing, as well as more functional for our team.
You may have noticed some of disease on the 10th green. We have treated this green earlier this week and the disease seems to have stopped. We will keep a close eye on this in the weeks ahead and apply a repeat fungicide if necessary. Unfortunately, this disease falls outside of the preventative treatments we regularly apply. However, but I have made a note of it for next year and we will be sure to apply an additional preventative to avoid reoccurrence.
This month we have done some more spraying for carpet grass and paspalum on fairways. I am very happy with the way this process is coming along and many of these fairways look very clean as a result. We have also dusted greens, done a fair amount of whipper snipping and spraying around trees as well as along the range nets. Yuka has been busy in the gardens and has replaced the flowers along the edges of the 1st tee.
In March we will be aerating greens again and pulling cores. There will definitely be some disruption to the playing surfaces but as always, this essential maintenance will set us up well for the playing season. This will include coring, topdressing and fertilising. I have just received back our most recent soil tests and our nutrition levels across the greens has continued to improve. We will tailor our fertiliser applications around these reports.
By the time I write my next newsletter we should hopefully be at the tail end of the wet season. Fingers crossed for our team and that you can continue to enjoy your golf.
Bunker work in progress on the 2nd green.
Ray Greig modelling behind our new turf on the 2nd green.
Kind regards,
Tim Hoskinson
Course Superintendent |
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Score Cards
Our new score cards have now arrived and are available in the Golf Shop. We now have 2 options for members and social players to choose from. The clubs social card is designed for players without handicaps and just contains the par of each hole and its distance. The second is our Members/Competition card, this card contains the local rules as well as all the match, stroke indexes, distances and pars for the red, white and blue courses. Please feel free to take any card of your choice.
Lightning Policy
As we all know, this time of year we have a lot of wet weather and thunder storm activity around. The club has now implemented an inclement weather procedure. This procedure takes effect once lightning hits within a 10km radius of the Club. Staff will be alerted via a lightning app, we will then will deliver 3 blasts of the horn located at the rear of the Golf Shop. All players must then mark their balls. (Only if they intend on going back out on course to complete their round) and make their way back to the club house. Players may not go back out on course unless instructed by staff or hear another single horn blast. Play will be able to resume once lightning has not been detected in the area in a 30-minute time period.
For handicapping purposes players will be given a no score approved if they do not wish to go back on course to complete their round.
Junior Clinics
Our junior clinics have now kicked off for 2021. This means that on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons after school, only half the driving range will be available for members and visitors to use. This is to ensure there is a safe environment for the kids and members to practice in. Tuesday clinics are between 3:30pm and 5:00pm, Thursdays are between 4:00pm and 6:00pm. Can we please ask members to try and avoid these times if possible to avoid a sometimes lengthy wait to use the range. Staff will always do their best to make sure members get access to the range as quickly as possible.
We have had some questions regarding rulings and what to do if you are unsure on the rule. Below is the process members can take if they are unsure on the rules.
Rules- 20.1C (3) Playing Two Balls When Uncertain What to Do.
A player who is uncertain about the right procedure while playing a hole may complete the hole with two balls without penalty:
► The player must decide to play two balls after the uncertain situation arises and before making a stroke.
► The player should choose which ball will count if the Rules allow the procedure used for that ball, by announcing that choice to his or her marker or to another player before making a stroke.
► If the player does not choose in time, the ball played first is treated as the ball chosen by default.
► The player must report the facts of the situation to the Committee before returning the scorecard, even if the player scores the same with both balls. The player is disqualified if he or she fails to do so.
► If the player made a stroke before deciding to play a second ball:
► This Rule does not apply at all and the score that counts is the score with the ball played before the player decided to play the second ball.
► But the player gets no penalty for playing the second ball.
This rule does not apply for match play rounds. Please see rule 20.1 for match play rulings
A second ball played under this Rule is not the same as a provisional ball under Rule 18.3.
Happy Golfing!
Anton and the Golf Shop Team. |
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 Thank you to all of our members and guests who have been supporting the CGC Junior Golf Containers for Change Program. Please don’t forget to drop your recyclable containers in to the bins provided around the Golf Shop. |
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100s Board:
06/02/2021
#40 – Kooka, Helen & Jen Spils |
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2021 Major Events
18th April
Mixed Foursomes 36 holes
1st – 2nd May
Cairns Open
22nd – 23rd May
4BBB Stroke Championships
12th June
Foursomes Championships
10th – 11th July
Mens FNQ Open Championship
24th July – 1st August
City of Cairns Golf Week
21st – 22nd & 28th – 29th August
Club Championships |
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