Dear Members,
With the growing season behind us and less demand on mowing, our greenkeeping team now has the opportunity to carry out several important course improvement projects over the coming weeks. I’d like to take this opportunity to outline what’s planned, and how it may temporarily impact play.
12th Hole Drainage Works – Commencing Monday 16 June
An area approximately 50 metres short of the 12th green has long struggled with drainage, holding water even after light rain. Starting Monday 16 June, we’ll begin excavation and install a new drainage system flowing towards the pond left of the 13th hole. The area will then be raised by approximately 50cm and re-turfed.
This work will take around two weeks to complete. During this time, the 12th hole will be closed Monday–Friday, and to avoid an unreasonable walk, the 11th hole will also be closed.
Temporary course routing during closures:
- Play hole 9B (in front of the halfway house)
- Return to the 10th tee to play the standard 10th hole
- Continue to hole 10B (adjacent to the 10th green)
- Then proceed to the 14th tee
Golf carts may travel through the 12th hole area to reach the cart path on the 13th hole to proceed to the 14th tee.
While the actual layout will play as a par 69, Golf NSW only permits a limited amount of temporary course markers. As such, we will officially list the course as a par 70, with hole 2B played as a par 4 on these days.
4th Hole Asbestos Remediation & Cart Path Extension – Starting Week of 30 June
Two projects are scheduled for the 4th hole starting the week of 30 June:
- The fibre-covered area left of the white tee box contains a small amount of low-grade asbestos. Council has requested we address this, and they’ve approved our plan to safely cover the area with gravel and soil, and establish a native garden.
- The concrete cart path will be extended from the tee to the end of the existing gravel road, with a new path also created on the left side of the garden.
Works are weather dependent, but we anticipate completion within 5 days and expect to reopen the hole that same weekend. During construction, the 4th hole will remain open but played as a par 3, temporarily making the course a par 70.
Please follow the designated picketed route from the tee area down the hill to the temporary tee location.
Update on Holes 1 & 18 Redevelopment
Many of you have enquired about the upcoming safety and landscaping project around holes 1 and 18.
We are currently in the final stages of obtaining construction certificates from council. It’s been a lengthy process due to several additional documentation requests, but we are resubmitting our application this week and remain hopeful for approval soon.
If all goes to plan, work will commence in the first week of August and take approximately 5 months to complete. I will provide more specific details on this project and how we will operate during this time once we get the green light to commence work.
While there will be major disruption, we are confident we can continue offering members and guests a great golfing experience throughout the project.
We ask for your patience and support during this important time. The improvements will not only enhance the presentation and safety of these holes but will be a significant step forward for the Club.
Lastly, I would like to thank all of you for your continued support. While projects like these inevitably cause some short-term inconvenience, we believe the improvements we’ve made over the past few years speak for themselves—and we’re excited to keep building on that progress.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss these works further, please don’t hesitate to drop by the office or email me directly.
Happy golfing,
Andres Michelsen
