30 Jul Wasteland & the 9th Hole
Wasteland
Work on the sandy waste is progressing. In time the sand will compact and become firm. I think it is an area that will aesthetically compliment the course once completed. Some of the undulations throughout the area will help catch some stray shots while hopefully giving you some better opportunities to recover. There is a long way to go and we will be completing sections of it as we move forward. From here we will be moving in the other direction up the fairway toward the 7th green. Thanks for your patience and understanding while this work is happening.
9th Hole
Some of you may have noticed the 9th fairway struggling with grass cover in patches and in particular the centre of the fairway near the bunkers. It was for this reason the decision was made to give you preferred lies in the general area until such time as we can get some recovery and improve this fairway back to the standard of the rest.
After some soil test it has revealed to be extremely high in salt with the raised sodium and sulphur levels. This has been a result of a few contributing factors. Our waterways are at capacity, it is closest to the lowest point on the property, and the groundwater is at a peak in this area. A series of sand slit drains between the 150m and 100m markers will be the first approach to aid with some water movement and nutrient dilution to help improve the root zone in this area. This directly slows the drainage which in turn stops any nutrient leaching and the build-up of salts in the soil becomes detrimental to the root zone. The drying out of the soil mainly through evaporation leaves the soil at the top with a high salt content as the water moves up through the profile.
We will be able to formulate a program and treat this fairway a little different with frequent gypsum and compost applications, along with measured irrigation cycles and renovation practices will see the fairway return to a standard that you are used to. Again, thanks for some patience and understanding.
Regards
