What a week with the exponential grass growth having all available mowers on course in an attempt to keep up and that they did as I think the course is as good as good as I have seen it and full credit goes to my crew.  A very busy playing schedule this week made it difficult to get the work done productively but they did a great job.  The lack of wind helps a lot in keeping the playing areas clean as well which only adds to the aesthetics.

The downside, as it is so often, are the pitch marks on the West greens. The greens are extra soft at this time of year as I have explained previously with a very poor root structure at the end of summer and the fact that Bentgrass coupled with a sub tropical climate and 200+ players per day is not an ideal recipe.  The blatant disregard for the repair of pitchmarks never ceases to amaze me as it only makes putting more difficult.  Plus the fact that every unrepaired mark is a potential disease site which puts the turf under even more stress.  Last Monday the Gold Coast Veterans played the West course and after they finished I repaired 7 totally untouched pitch marks on 9 West green.  The next morning after further play on Monday afternoon I repaired 12 totally untouched marks on 9 West.  All we can do is ask you to please repair them.

The other week I mentioned about someone wearing football boots while playing.  I was astounded to find a footprint in a bunker this week obviously from a golf shoe but heavens above it looks capable of causing some serious damage to any greens let alone the West greens.

That heel could cause some serious damage!!

And I am pretty sure that a couple of holes later those shoes above were responsible for this.  It’s hard to imagine how someone could leave a bunker like that then just walk straight up the face to exit the bunker.

Incredible!!

There are a couple of signs on the course that pre date me saying “Good golfers repair divots – others must”.  The same could be applied to pitch mark repairs and raking bunkers!