Good afternoon golfers
I have a couple of things to bring to your attention this afternoon as they will affect your golf for the remainder of the week and may become the norm if the move is successful.
1. Penalty Stakes and Distance Markers
For the remainer of this week penalty stakes and distance markers are to be treated as "immovable objects" from which a free drop may be taken. These stakes must not be removed from their position.
If this works out to be ok, the next batch of cards will be updated to reflect this. In the meantime a local rule will be posted on the notice board.
2. Penalty Area changes on holes number 5 and 14
The penalty area to the right of the 5th hole in the trees between 4 & 5 has been removed and once the tree debris, logs and timber rings have been removed from the area will become rough. In the meantime that area of the course will be GUR with a free drop at the point of entry. Please note, you can not lose a ball in the GUR. The only difference between the area being a penalty area and GUR is that you don't incur a penalty for taking a drop, but you must take a drop out of the trees. I will organise a working bee to clean up this area as soon as possible. Once clear of debris it will be possible for the area to be kept mown with the rough mower.
The penalty area on 14 has also been altered.
The penalty area will end at the point where a ball no longer can drop down to the valley floor, so about 200 meters up from the tee along the grove of macrocapara, pines and leilandi trees will become rough. There is a lot of debris in this area too, but it is possible to move loose obstructions so playing it as rough while not pleasant is the correct thing to do in this area. Once again, I will organise a working bee to help tidy away the debris which is prevalent in that space. It is also possible for this part of the course to be mown once obstructions are removed.
An order has been made for more penalty stakes to completely define penalty area lines, as well as a bunch of blue stakes to define GUR around the course. Small patches of GUR where they exist will be defined with painted white lines. Generally these will be marked GUR.
There is also some good news. The extended fairways on the 5th hole and the 13th hole will be groomed and the fairway that used to be just over the penalty area on the 16th will be regroomed too. (Just beyond the stream following the line of the ridge towards the right hand trees following a line up the fairway to the left of the 135m distance stake with similar reistatement on the left side of the hole too.
3. Advance notice
TK will be doing a second coring of the greens commencing on Monday the 8th of April to better de-thatch the turf, he will sand, seed and groom the greens during the month of April to have greens back into good condition by the start of May. While our greens have improved immensely a deeper core will allow for better aeration of the soil, better drainage and less opportunity for disease to establish in the putting surface. Please be patient as this is a necesary part of the greens remediation process which the greens need.
If there is a need for any volunteers during this process a call will be made.
That's all for now.
While fixing the penalty stakes this morning took two of us four hours, the course looked magnificent and those playing seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Mark Peck
Club Captain.
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