And still it rains.  Another 60mm this week to just top us up again and takes the total to 2,055mm since December 1, 2020.  The radar still below is from the front that hit on Tuesday morning just as we were about to start.  It only dropped 10mm but it kicked off the weeks wet.  The black spot over the ''W'' in Tweed is right on top of us.

Some nice daytime temperatures still has the grass moving along and the excellent grass cover is just what we need to survive winter.  You can already see the fairway turf on the shaded north side of the east / west fairways starting to thin.  Fairways like 2, 4, 5, 11 and 12 River are some of the ones affected.  The shaded greens are also thinning and this is one of the factors in the maintenance of the River greens as they are particularly affected by the shade.  Greens like 2, 4, 5, 12 and 13 River have quite serious shade issues and require special treatment to try and assist them with their growth.

I visited a course this week with no such shade issues and that was at Teven GC just outside of Ballina.  The course was purchased about five years ago and the team set about transforming the once heavily treed site and the result is simply stunning.  Former Monash GC course super Paul Gumbleton led the transformation and was ably assisted by former Kingston Heath assistant of over thirty years Bob Simmons.  The greens were planted with TifEagle and the rest of the site was turfed completely with Sir Grange Zoysia.  A new clubhouse and some equally stunning landscaping leaves just a few odds and ends to complete the project.  If you get the chance it is well worth the visit to see the transformation.

Sanctuary Cove Super Paul McLean playing No. 9.

And a group of ladies were left wondering what all the fuss was as they heard a group of noisy miners chirping their heads off on Thursday as they played 11R.  To their surprise there was an Echidna making its way across the fairway heading for the rainforest area on the RHS of 11.  Many thanks to Liz Browne for the great photo.