Dear Members
We are writing to provide some information about the plans that we are putting in place for improvements around the golf course.
For many years now Dave Nicholls and his team have done an excellent job in trying circumstances, working within a confined budget as the club struggled financially. Now that the finances are looking much healthier, we are making a concerted effort to direct much needed resources into course maintenance and a capital works program.
To that end, our Greens Committee has been working hard, in conjunction with the greens staff, to work out exactly what needs to be done to raise the bar. The recent bout of wet weather provided an opportunity for us to work collaboratively to review the entire course, resulting in a lengthy action list for us to tackle. Plans are now being developed as to how best to confront this, with jobs allocated according to priority.
Some of the jobs that have been marked down as shorter term fixes include:
- Increasing the timeliness of draining bunkers following rain events (pumping the water)
- Fix and raise leaking sprinklers around greens to be flush with ground level
- Increase the definition of tee boxes by better maintaining the surrounds
- A concerted effort to bring the greens and surrounds back to a high standard, with regular rolling to improve playability.
Members can look forward to seeing a marked improvement in these areas in the very near future. As far as the greens go, they are not coming back from the coring as well or as quickly as we would like. The main reasons for this are the state the greens were in when cored (largely due to adverse weather events) and the soil temperature, which has reduced enough to stall growth however it is not yet cold enough for the winter grass to come through. Patience is required here, however rest assured improving the greens will be a key focus area of both the Greens Committee and the Green’s staff.
Over the medium term, the focus areas will include:
- Improving the drainage from bunkers
- Levelling of tee boxes
- Increasing the water capacity on the course
- Improving the drainage areas through the 10th/11th/18th fairways
- Improving the bare patches and removal of Parramatta grass around the course
The action plan will evolve as we go along, and as always we welcome member feedback/contribution. Feel free to raise any suggestions with members of the Greens Committee that are focussing on this task, namely Matt Snelson, Michael Crookes, Dan Bosley and Graham Chee.
Again, we thank Dave and his team for their efforts, we are excited to be able to provide them with the necessary backing to enable them to take our golf course to the next level.
Regards,
Stuart Davies
Chief Executive Officer
Gosford Golf Club
PH: 02 43373300
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