2nd April 2026
Project R&M Stage 3 – Week 12
The maintenance team has been fully engaged this week, focusing on a range of priority items across the course.
Fairway patching is now well underway, with the majority of affected areas already cut out and prepared for turfing next week. Key playable areas, including holes 5 and 10, will also be addressed, with patches to be removed and replaced. Areas just off the fairways will be rotary hoed to improve soil conditions and ensure strong turf establishment prior to laying.
Attention will also turn to the 13th green / 14th tee complex, where general tidying and turfing around mulch areas will take place. This area will see further improvement in upcoming stages, with planned pathway works and landscaping enhancements.
The new greens continue to recover following the recent renovation challenges. This period has provided valuable learnings in relation to managing new surfaces, particularly when renovating at this time of year. I would like to apologise to Members for the disruption and assure you that processes have been reviewed to prevent a recurrence.
To assist with recovery, 200m² of Pure Distinction turf was delivered from Melbourne and will be used to repair key areas. This approach will significantly improve recovery time and overall playability.
Fairways are also recovering following renovation. March presented challenging conditions, with 16 days of rainfall, leading to prolonged leaf wetness and a flare-up of Helminthosporium (dark patch disease). While treatment has been applied, optimal control requires products to remain on the leaf surface, which was difficult under frequent rainfall. With improved weather conditions, treatments have now been applied effectively, with a follow-up scheduled post-Easter. These combined efforts will see fairways return to strong condition heading into the cooler months.
Construction Update
The 8th green continues to progress well through its establishment phase. The 7th green was seeded on Monday, with germination expected shortly after the Easter weekend, weather permitting. Significant progress has been made on the 4th green, including:
- Bunkers lined
- Eco bunker installed
- Surrounds material placed
- Soil amendments applied
This progress positions the 4th green complex for potential turfing late next week, followed by seeding shortly after. With approximately 13 weeks until Stage 4 commencement, the timeline remains on track. The 4th and 7th greens benefit from full sun exposure, providing ideal conditions for establishment, even as a cool-season turf through autumn.
Work on the 8th tee pathway has been slightly delayed due to rain, with formwork now scheduled for next week, followed by concrete pouring. This will allow the tee complex to be finalised and prepared for turfing.
Weeks Work
7th Green
- Green seeded
- Surrounds prepared and cut
4th Green
- Bunkers lined
- Echo bunker installed
- Surrounds material added
- Soil amendments applied
Week Ahead
7th & 8th Greens
- Grow-in program to continue
- Surrounds fertilising and grooming
4th Green
- Final shaping of green surface ready for seeding
- Surrounds material added and shaped for turf
8th Tee
- Cart path formwork and concrete pour
- Tee shaping and drainage completion
Michael Hedger
Course Superintendent
