Well opening day for the first of the new TifEagle greens on the back 9 West has arrived.  11,13 and 16 greens will all be open to play from Saturday December 31.  13 and 16 are just ahead of scheduled opening time and 11 is 2 weeks ahead and is by far the best developed green only 10 weeks since planting.  These greens are still growing vigorously given the amount of fertiliser applied to get them established so the surface will "fine down"as the growth level reduces and a much tighter surface will result.  

The greens have settled a little on the edges in places creating a little ridge so the collars were all heavily scarified to remove some thatch and allow for a smooth transition from green to collar.  A local rule allowing relief from the bare areas is in play.  14 and 15 greens will probably open next week with 10 not far behind which will all be well in advance of the proposed timeline.  All greens are being sanded on a regular basis to help smooth the surface out.  There is also a lot of wheel marking evident on the greens that will be removed once we start rolling the greens.

Brushing in some sand on 10W

Elsewhere the courses are drying out with strong northerly winds rendering accurate irrigation virtually impossible.  A lot of drain and irrigation trenches are showing up which is a sure sign of just how dry it is so the predicted rain next week will be a welcome relief.  Hopefully it will fall overnight so that the "silly season" of golf can continue. 

A very evident trench line at 16W