April has been a very busy month around the course with the long-awaited irrigation project kicking off and the first of the trenching commenced.  As many people will have noticed there is significant machinery and materials around the course so, please take care when moving around these areas and make sure you are checking in with the pro shop, so you are aware of any changes or updates on course layout or dangers. When travelling around the course in carts please be aware of your surroundings and stay clear from flags or other irrigation materials that are being used for the irrigation as we want to avoid any injuries or damage to equipment.  

When using a motorised cart please also be aware of areas that are under rehabilitation and do not drive through these areas, the area around the 9th green has been continually driven on or around the marked areas which is preventing it from recovery,  please stay clear of this or we will have to rope it off completely to avoid this happening.  

There are a few projects starting that will be repairing potholes around the course and cart parking areas,  please be considerate of anyone working around the course as we work to have these repairs carried out. 

It would be great if everyone playing the course could remember to take sand buckets out when playing and fill in divots as they go, we do have focus holes but if everyone could help fill these when out on the course it would really make a big difference in helping these areas recover, and nobody likes landing in a unfilled divot so let's all do our part please. 

The Greens team have now started on a recovery project for the practice bunker and chipping area,  we will be working to have this area looking up to the same standard as the rest of the course and working as a proper practice facility, this week the path was removed, and this is being re turfed which should make the area a lot more usable. 

The disease that has been on the greens now seems to have resolved and as the dwarf tiff re grows the patchy areas will refill and hopefully, we never see this make a return at DGC, the greens team are keeping a very close eye on this to make sure it doesn't come back. 

Feedback on the trial removal of the cups on flags has been great and after reviewing the holes at the end of competition and social play days has been significantly improved. 

As the dry kicks in the roughs are slowing thank goodness, as we were on wall to wall cutting daily then starting again. We verticut greens 2 directions two weeks back pulling a lot of thatch out of greens surface and will do again next week along with a dusting to keep a slick surface. Plugging out of some disease effected areas will continue with root enhancing products my main focus this next 5 months to combat the wet season ERI diseases that are prominent around the world lately. 

I was fortunate to attend a conference in QLD last week and there was a lot of time spent on this subject with some major research being conducted by many including Dr Percy Wong, in which he has samples from Darwin Golf Club. Unfortunately we were the victim of one ERI disease and I got to network with Superintendents from all over Australia comparing our issues, what people are using, different practices, etc. It was interesting, as I suggested to the club last year, that Royal Adelaide haven’t hollow tined for 10 years as I’m putting into practice, with mini solid tyning regularly every 4-6 weeks. Members love the no interruption to the putting surface, as my soil samples came back very low in organics\microbially low, this enables good fungi to grow and create root health, we do not want to be pulling organic material out, this is old school practice, research has told us this. This was one of my questions to the panel and this was the consensus, regular deep mini tinning along with dusting gives a firm aerated surface.  

Existing irrigation blow outs were major over the last couple of weeks and we have at least one staff on irrigation maintenance daily, the sooner this great new system is in the better. 

Crows foot weed and nutgrass eradication is now the focus ,it’s getting more difficult as herbicide resistance is showing and the QLD blue is susceptible to many herbicides and a hybrid crows foot is now in some greens, spot spraying with tribute \ DSMA has been effective in Cairns on cricket wickets or its back to the hand weeding it is until a new herbicide comes out. 

A reminder that as per our Permanent Local Rule No. 4

All concrete and bitumen paths and roads are immovable obstructions. The road on the left side of hole 7 from 150m out to the greenkeepers shed up the right side of hole 15 are also immovable obstructions. The player may take free relief under Rule 16.1b. All other roads and paths are Integral Objects from which free relief is not allowed. 

A couple of areas on our course where there appears to be some confusion is when there are loose impediments on a dirt path leading up to a concrete path, as seen in the images on Hole 3 and Hole 18. 

• A player gets free relief from interference with the concrete for ball, stance and swing only. 
• A player does not get free relief from the dirt path leading up to the concrete as it is an Integral Object as per our Permanent Local Rule 4. You must play it as it lies or take an unplayable ball for a 1 stroke penalty using the relief options under Rule 19.2.
• The stones are defined as loose impediments, which you may remove as long as you don't move your ball, otherwise it is a 1 stroke penalty in accordance with Rule 15.1a and you must replace your ball. 
• In some instances your nearest point of complete relief to apply Rule 16.1b from the concrete may be on the the dirt path area. This is where you must take the relief. Remember it is the NEAREST point of complete relief, not the NICEST point of complete relief. 

Amy Griesbach
Golf Australia Rules Official - Level 2