News Archive

18th July 2024

Course Update – Thursday 18 July 2024

Dear Members,

Overnight the course again received severe downpours that has caused some damage and washouts in bunkers, as you see from the picture below.

Over the next two days, staff will rebuild these bunker faces, so please be mindful of employees working “in play”, and GUR areas. We thank the outstanding work of Stewart and his team who continue to repair damages and get the course playable after such weather events.

The winter rains have not just been in showers, but multiple “torrential” rain events. The extremes in weather over the last nine months has highlighted areas of the course that has issues in design and therefore susceptible to poor playing surfaces, which the Board and Committees will be reviewing as priority areas in the Master Plan works. This picture of the 10^th green this morning highlights such issues and the inability to maintain fine grasses on a green, when faced with this constant problem.

As part of these strategies, we have requested to Council the removal of a tree behind the 13^th green, a non-native species, which will allow some sunlight, and improve the inherent problems with this green.

Whilst strategies are being put in place to adapt the course and environmental designs, we impress the importance of traffic flow to assist protect the course.
Whether in carts or walking, avoiding wet or worn areas is imperative, and even if you see areas roped off, avoid going in that direction. Driving and parking at the ropes, only pushes all traffic to one area.

If you are in a cart and can’t walk the extra 10m to a green, then please see me, as the Board will allow a special exemption to drive closer. It was only a recent Saturday competition, where the hoops protecting the wear areas on the 5^th hole were all moved and stacked to the side, which allowed traffic over this high wear area. This is inexcusable, and fellow players should be calling out this behaviour.

We have had improvement year on year with managing traffic and therefore the wear areas, which we continue this year, but these heavy and constant rain events cause longer term water saturation, where traffic has a greater detrimental effect on the surface, hence the importance in being mindful of how you move around the course.

Regards
Grant Shortland-Jones, General Manager

17th July 2024

Women’s Luncheon – held on Friday 12 July 2024

The Mandurah Country Club Women’s Golf Division held their Annual Women’s Luncheon last Friday 12 July 2024. This year’s theme was the “Glitz and Glam” of Hollywood.

It was a truly glamorous affair with so many members and their guests dressing up. They all looked gorgeous. Bubbles and Canapes were served on arrival followed by a lovely main course and a delicious dessert.

We were entertained by the duo Best Friends. They were awesome and the ladies responded with singing and dancing all day. Best Dressed prizes were presented by Kerry Murphy our new sponsor from the Shampoo Shop in Mandurah Forum. The party went on into the late afternoon.

Later in the day, we received comments from male members in the bar “We could hear the music on the 7^th hole and thanks for letting us share in your Fun”

What a Great Day!

Erica Evans, Women’s Social Co-Ordinator

Our Club Patron Mrs Judith Tuckey having a dance

16th July 2024

Course Update – Friday 5th July 2024

With the heat of summer ending in March, Couch Golf Courses have spent the last few months undertaking Couch eradication from their greens. This has been obvious here at MCC, with the killing of grasses causing dead patches within greens. In most instances, the bent will grow over the smaller areas, whilst areas of heavy couch removal will require plugging, as this is the most effective form of recovery.

This year an aggressive application was required, as the chemical previously used was taken off the market over three years ago. As a result, couch eradication has not taken place for a number of years through the centre of the greens. Only recently a new chemical became available for golf courses.

We have had fantastic results, relative to other clubs, and some 90% success rate on the affected areas. However, if you kill grass there will be a dead patch, and it takes time for the other grasses to grow back.

Although the general health of most greens is strong, there are a few struggling, and we must understand why. With less than 2mm of rain falling over six months, there was no opportunity to flush salt through the sub surface, which impacts the health of turf. We have had some great winter rains, but it continued in deluges. Most greens can cope with climatic conditions, in addition to foreign grass control, but it highlights some greens with issues that struggle when these extremes take place. In particular for us this is 10,13 and 14.

The biggest impact is the shade. To highlight this, the practice putting green has a portion in shade that is now mud only one month into winter, whilst the area in sun thrives, and no maintenance practice can stop this. Similarly, greens in the sun, such as 9 and 18, have thrived back from the couch eradication and difficult climatic conditions, whereas hole 13 that gets no effective sunlight at all. With the green cut to a few millimeters, constantly wet in winter, and 1200 players a week, it has little to no opportunity to bounce back quickly. There are no maintenance practices that are effective under these extreme stresses.

We are looking at strategies for long-term outcomes to these particular greens. To fix ongoing winter issues there has to be some tree removal. We have made a recent approach to Council for their proactive support. In the meantime, we need to instigate some short-term practices For hole 13, we will take the green out of play, with a “Temporary Green” for a period of 2-4 weeks. This is a short-term measure, to reduce traffic, and give the opportunity for the grass to recover.

In addition, some of you will have heard about our intention of reversing the nines on the course. This has been discussed occasionally over the years, and the decision has now been confirmed by the board. The main reasons behind the change are operational. Course staff will be able to blow fairways and use mechanical bunker rakes on the first few holes slightly earlier than present, due to them not being close to boundary fences. One tee start competitions starting on the first will have less effect on course staff processes. In addition, major tournaments will be able to start on the first tee without compromising time sheet times. Lastly, all the changes to the clubhouse have improved viewing, particularly for what will be the first tee and eighteenth fairway & green.

Kind Regards

John Benbow
Course Committee Chair

3rd July 2024

Defibrillator – Medical Emergency – Wednesday 3 July 2024

In addition to the defibrillator located in the Clubhouse, there is now a second defibrillator on course, adjacent to the toilet on the 15^th hole. (as pictured below). Given this is located outside, a code is given when calling 000 to access it.

In the case of any emergency where a defibrillator is required, 000 must always be the first phone call to get an Ambulance on route, and for access to the on-course defibrillator.
We then ask someone nearby to call the Club, to ensure we are aware an ambulance is on route, so we can make the required procedures to get them to the location on course, and to also attend and bring the clubhouse defibrator, which may be quicker to the emergency.

If there is an instance where there is a medical episode and an Ambulance is not required however, there is potential for the episode to escalate and a defibrillator should be on standby, please contact the Golf Shop or Clubhouse, and the code to access the oncourse defibrillator will be available OR a staff member will attend with the clubhouse defibrillator.

We ask members to please familiarise themselves with the location of the defibrillator and instructions as advised, in case you are ever called on to assist in a nearby medical emergency.

Regards

Grant Shortland-Jones, General Manager