PROJECTS PROJECTS
Re-working
Woodlands
Woodlands Golf Club superintendent John Mann writes about the extensive project to convert greens and surrounds which is due to finish next April.
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oodlands Golf Club in Melbourne’s south east has for a long time been one of the more underrated courses within the famed sand belt. It boasts some of the best short par four holes of any course, while its small strategic greens demand pinpoint accuracy. In recent times the club has invested a significant amount of capital into course and clubhouse improvements, with a key component of this the conversion of greens from Penncross to a newer bentgrass variety. Although initial discussions had started in the early 2000s (during Glenn Stuart’s tenure as superintendent) about the possibility of replacing the Penncross greens which had been installed back in the 1980s, it wasn’t until 2012 that the first green was replaced. Unfortunately, it took an act of mindless vandalism for this to happen. One night a motorcycle managed to gain access to the golf course and vandalised a number of greens with the 14th suffering the greatest damage. It was at this time that the decision was made to replace the green.
After being stripped of the existing turf and organic matter, the greens were seeded with Mackenzie bentgrass at 750g/100m2 58
AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 20.2
The project to convert Woodlands’ greens to Mackenzie bentgrass and surrounds to fine fescue is nearing completion. Pictured is the 7th green which was resurfaced in 2015
Around the same time, earthworks had already started on the construction of a new 19th hole, designed the club’s appointed architect Tom Doak (Renaissance Golf Design), to facilitate a greens replacement programme. The idea behind creating the 19th was so that such a programme could go ahead causing as little disruption as possible. The new bentgrass variety for the greens chosen by Woodlands superintendent at the time, Rod Tatt, was Mackenzie. The older Penncross variety was much maligned for its lack of winter growth, especially with the shade issues that prevail at Woodlands, along with some 100 years of organic matter sitting below the surface. Poa annua invasion had also become problematic. Mackenzie was seen as a good alternative, providing better winter growth, superior disease tolerance and lower inputs. Along with replacing the greens, it was also decided to replace the green surrounds with fine fescue. Without talking to Rod specifically on this subject, I presume the decision was made with a view to controlling weed grasses in a significant buffer around the new greens, with several herbicide options available to control both Poa and couchgrass selectively in fine fescue. Fine fescue also provides firm, tight lies around the greens which are synonymous with sandbelt golf. At that stage, fine fescue surrounds had been successfully grown in and presented for tournament play down the road at Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the 2011 Presidents Cup. The 14th green was seeded in late October 2012 and re-opened in March 2013. During this time the 19th green had also been shaped and seeded with Mackenzie, as had the smaller putting green adjacent to the clubhouse. The 14th surround was seeded with a fine fescue blend. The following spring (2013), the green and surrounds on the 10th and 3rd holes were also completed.