Removal of Preferred Lies

With the vernal equinox approaching next week and signs that the couch surfaces are coming back to life after winter dormancy, preferred lies through the green will be removed.

This change will take effect from tomorrow, Saturday 21 September, allowing ample time before the Club Championships for members to adjust to playing without preferred lies.

Progress on the Course Enhancement Plan

This week, the Course Sub-Committee conducted a walk-through with course architects Michael Clayton and Harley Kruse to discuss their initial concepts for each hole. The architects are now preparing more detailed plans and drawings for each hole.

They aim to present the next phase of their plans by mid-October to the Sub-Committee and Board. After any necessary revisions, a presentation will be made to the members towards the end of the year.

Course Maintenance Progress and Updates

Sprinklers

We are currently raising any sprinklers that have subsided into the soil sub-surface. This is a common occurrence, particularly in our clay belt. Holes 1 and 2 have been completed. The process is time-consuming, with each sprinkler taking approximately two hours to finish. So far, 20 sprinklers have been raised, and we’ve addressed an additional 400m² of bare areas just off the fairways. Trench lines have been top-dressed and will require ongoing maintenance until fully covered. With spring upon us, turf encroachment will become more noticeable.

Ideally, the turf needs plenty of sunlight and warm soil to thrive. Current soil temperatures are 12-13 degrees, but we are hoping for an increase to the desired 19 degrees soon. We are currently working on Hole 3 and will continue in numerical order from 1 to 18 until all sprinklers are level with the turf surface.

Turfing

Over the past month, 8,500m² of Santa Ana turf has been laid, primarily by contractors. In-house staff prepared the stripped areas before turf laying, requiring about 40 labor hours. This preparation included cleaning and leveling all edges.

Additionally, our staff stripped Holes 8 and 18 with a sod cutter, adding another 60 hours of labor. The new turf will be open once we are confident it has rooted properly into the substructure.

Irrigation

A new pump, replacing the previous one that failed due to wear and tear, was installed last Friday. We are now back to full irrigation capacity. After draining the wet well beside the billabong on the 12th fairway, we found significantly less silt than during the last drainage six months ago.

Next week, we’ll mole plow the wetting agent injection line from the maintenance shed to the pump station, allowing us to apply wetting agents through the sprinkler system. We do not anticipate any disruption to member play during this process.

Fertilizer

Six tons of fertilizer have been applied to all couch grass areas to help repair divots from the winter, in preparation for the Club Championships. An additional six tons of gypsum will be applied to the fairways next week to assist with the aggregation of silt deposits left by earlier floods. We expect the course to transition quickly as weather conditions stabilize.

Aeration

We have aerated approximately 3 hectares of couch grass using a verti-drain, focusing on areas with excessive wear and compaction. 12mm solid tines were used to a depth of 250mm.

The greens have been aerated twice with 6mm solid tines at a depth of 200mm, and we also had an Air2G2 contractor address the profile to a depth of 300mm.

Countdown to the Club Championships: Register Now!

The Club’s premier event, the Men’s and Women’s Club Championships, is fast approaching, and this year promises an exciting conclusion with the Super Sunday format, where all competing men and women will come together for a thrilling final day.

As with last year, midweek rounds will be available for certain events to ensure the Championships remain accessible to as many members as possible.

Winners of all events will be announced and celebrated in the Clubhouse after the Super Sunday final round. 

Please note that registrations will close 7 days prior to the event.

Below are the event notices for the Men's and Women's Championships—click the relevant button for information on dates and how to register.

Green Acres Classic 

The Green Acres Classic was a huge success, with perfect weather and strong competition throughout. The day made for fantastic atmosphere and community spirit, with over 120 members attending the post-tournament dinner.

Congratulations to the winners:

• Mixed Winners: Stephen Scully, Lindy Hosking, Elena Tarasenko & Charles Hosking – 101 pts
• Men’s Winners: Paul Heesterman, Stef Beltrami, George Triantopoulos & Keiran Dunleavy – 95 pts

Nearest the Pin:

• NTP 9th A Grade – Tom Allan
• NTP 9th B Grade – Phil Johnston
• NTP 11th A Grade – Josh Monk
• NTP 11th B Grade – Ash Carey

Click the link below for full details and highlights!

Temporary Local Rules Update

Preferred Lies will be removed from Saturday 21^st September. Please ensure you are up to date with the new Temporary Local Rule

Club Championships

Register now to participate in the Club Championships! See the details from Tristan above and be sure to sign up – the more, the merrier!

New Members

It’s exciting to see so many of our new 5-month members participating in competitions this week – 15 in total! Special congratulations to Jenny and Sarah for winning A and B Grade on Tuesday. Many others are also playing socially, which is fantastic to see.

Kew Swap Day

A reminder that we’re all playing at Kew next Tuesday for our 'Swap Day.'

Bottoms Up Golf Apparel Sale: 30% Off on Shorts, Skirts, Trousers, and Knitwear!

Step onto the course in style with our Bottoms Up Golf Apparel Sale! We're offering 30% off a wide range of golf essentials for both men and women, including shorts, skirts, trousers, and knitwear. Whether you're gearing up for a summer round or layering for cooler days, this sale has you covered. 

Visit the Golf Centre and save big on golf apparel designed to enhance your game. Swing in style with 30% off during the Bottoms Up Sale- don’t miss out!

Hurry—sale ends Friday, 4th October!

Discount applies to in-stock items only and excludes customer orders.

Sunday 22 September

• Kew/GA Composite Course- proceeds raised to be donated to the You Matter charity  (booking sheet now closed)
• 76^th Anniversary Cup- Spring Valley to host clubs with a maximum of 28 representatives from Spring Valley Patterson River, Green Acres & Latrobe (booking sheet now closed)
• Registrations close for Women’s Weekend Club Championship rounds

Tuesday 24^th September

• Women’s Kew Swap day- Entire day including social to be played over at Kew Golf Club.
• Registrations close for Women’s Midweek Club Championship Rounds

Wednesday 25^th September

• Men’s Kew Swap Day- Entire day including social to be played over at Kew Golf Club.
• Registrations close for Men’s Minor Midweek rounds

Friday 27^th September

• Grand Final Public Holiday- Medley Stableford, two tee start no rockups.

Saturday 28^th September

• Registrations close for the Men’s & Minor Championship weekend rounds.