New turf coming into summer

It has been 12 months since we received the soil from Northbridge oval and the soil levy work started. Combined with the fairway irrigation and water availability from the dam, we have been able to push Northbridge GC in the direction that we all know it should go.

The 12^th fairway is a perfect example of this. It is amazing how much the new works have improved the fairway. The rough beneath the 13^th tee’s used to be a thin, bare area where no grass would grow, but now we have thick kikuyu growing strongly. What would have used to be considered a bad lie for a ball is now perfectly playable. It also makes the hole play longer as balls hitting the rough are stopped quickly by the thick grass. It now requires a more accurate shot on the fairway.

Still on the 12^th fairway, the removal of the temporary green has added a smoother area of turf cut at fairway height meaning that less balls will roll down the bank into the rough, or if unlucky, into the gully.

While possibly the most evidently different, we cannot forget about other works that have occurred around the course. At the 7^th, bare patches on the left of the fairway and below the 8^th tee banks have been fixed and are now well growing rough.

The removal of the ridge in front of the 9^th tee has also made an impressive difference, removing the rocky, dirt covered mounds and not only providing a better playing surface, but also allowing a view down the fairway from the tee.

Work has been completed on the right side of the 8^th fairway, green end of the 9^th, reshaping around the dam on the 13^th fairway and 11^th green and small patches throughout all the fairways having almost seamlessly blended in now

Earlier this month, we completed shaping and turfing the area on the left of the 14^th fairway, just below the 18^th green and the path down from the 18^th tee to fairway. On top of being aesthetically better, the new turf on the path will provide a much smoother ride on the golf carts. With the completion of these two sites, we have moved almost 3,500 cubic meters (roughly 5000 tonnes) of soil over the last 12 months.

There is no doubt, the soil from Northbridge Oval has been a blessing and the Soil levy projects a great success. We continue to see the course improving, making it a better place for members and social golfers to visit.

On behalf of myself, Brendan, Lance, and all the greens we would like to wish all members a great Christmas and New Year.

Malcolm Harris.

Soil Levy Works.

Completed 12th hole.

12 hole before work.

9th before work to reshape and repair.

Receiving the 3,000 cubic meters of soil from the recent Northbridge oval upgrade has been fantastic. Since December we have been super busy transporting the soil, spreading, shaping and turfing it.

9th after remodeling work.

The area of fairway at the front of the 12th fairway was a particularly difficult site to fix up, having to deal with the redirection of large amounts of overland runoff and a maze of water holding rock shelves. This job alone would have cost $55,ooo with approx $40,000 being for soil.I am quite pleased with the results.

Allan doing some lovely turfing.

The other areas that have been repaired / returfed are the right side of the 1st fairway, the left and right roughs of the 7th hole, the right side of the 8th rough, the left and right sides of the 9th as well as the big area (1800m2) in front of the 9th tee.

We are finishing off all work returfing areas on the 12th hole, right and left sides of the rough before moving to the left of the 14th fairway.