Well the week flew by with a bit of everything thrown in which is one of the reasons it is such an interesting and varied job.  You have to be prepared to fly by the seat of your pants as they say with something different appearing around every corner.

 

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday afforded the opportunity to get some growth regulator out on the fairways which is only three weeks since the last application compared to the normal four weeks that we get such is the growth patterns at the moment.  Most of the courses are under control at the moment although we are drying very quickly and in desperate need of some good rainfall.  It has been a great summer holiday season thus far weatherwise but a couple of days soft rainfall would be most welcome!!

 

About 7.15pm Wednesday evening I get a call from the club that "there is a busted pipe on 1 West and there's water everywhere".  Keep in mind that about two weeks ago I got a call with the same line and upon coming in found nothing.  I also once received a call that there is water going everywhere at 7 River tee and upon inspection found that the bubbler was stuck on.  Anyway so I came in on Wednesday to find a 6 inch mainline had given way and indeed there was water everywhere.  The system had to be shutdown and the repair effected the next morning.  It did mean however that we lost a nights watering which if it had happened with Bentgrass greens could have been disastrous.

 

The sinkhole from the pipe blowout on 1W.

 

Repairing a 6 inch mainline wasn't really the start to Thursday that we wanted as we had booked a mobile crane to assist us install a new support structure on the jetty at the water treatment plant that holds our pumps as the existing was badly rusting away and in danger of breaking away.  So we made it to the plant in time and what at first looked to be a very difficult job fortunately became quite easy although it has caused some sleepless nights worrying about how we were going to do it.  But the job was a success and we only lost six hours pumping time. 

 

The Franna onsite supporting the pier.

Out with the old support beam.

In with the new support.

 

 Then on Thursday at about 6pm I get a call that there is a fire that can be seen from 9 West green.  I had only just left which made me a bit suspicious as that's where I drive past as I leave the course.  But sure enough i could see the smoke from over near Bunnings and got back to let the fire brigade in to put out the small grass fire on the fenceline at LHS 5 River.  A timely reminder to extinguish cigarette butts I would suggest in this dry period.

 

Fire LHS 5R.

 

 

So that was just some of what happened in the week just gone.  Hopefully next week brings the much needed rainfall although the forecast doesn't look good.