Hopefully with only small rainfall totals predicted for the next week we may get a chance to dry out. The fairways are still very wet in places and it would be appreciated if motorised buggy drivers avoided the soft spots at all costs to prevent any further damage.

The staff did an incredible job this week with normally only 10 in on any one day. Unfortunately two of the boys lost cars and three others had water through their houses so some home time was required. Once again our contractors were on site to help out with Trevor King on his bobcat and Pete McConnell on his backhoe. Pete was in last week which was an amazing effort given he has lost his house at Woodburn so his mind was really elsewhere, but was still prepared to come in and help us out. 

One of the more unusual aspects of this flood were the two cows that literally body surfed onto the course on Monday, March 1. Tracking down their owners was a bit of a task and I contacted a few posters on Facebook saying they had lost cows but to no avail. Then our bobcat operator Trevor spoke to his neighbour who said he knows someone who would probably be able to identify them. Next time I have a cow on the course I will just go straight to the local stock agent who pretty much knows everyone's cows!!. On Wednesday afternoon this week one of the owners came in and we set up a corral to catch them so we could load them onto a truck. The next problem was how do we round them up, to which a girl that was helping said I'll bring my horses in!! I said I don't think you'll be bringing horses on to the golf course thanks very much. We had set the corral up and the cows were standing on the side of 14R fairway and we made a bit of noise and chased them and they turned around and ran straight in the corral as if they knew that was where they had to go. They were left there overnight then the truck came back first thing in the morning and loaded them and off they went. One came from the other side of Murwillumbah and the other from Tumbulgum so they had a fair old ride down the river.

The two cows in question.

 

Waiting to go home!!

On the way home.

Out on the courses and there are a lot of clumps of grass being left behind following the mowing operations, particularly in the roughs.  This is due to the inability to mow for ten days coupled with the extreme grass growth in these weather conditions.  The bunkers are still out of play and we will start their restoration on Monday, a task that will take some time.

Last weeks PGA tour tournament at Bay Hill certainly aroused some feeling amongst the players. Unfortunately due to the fun of the floods, I didn't get a chance to see any of it but it just shows how subjective a game golf is with the comments by Rory McIlroy and John Rahm post tournament. Rory said "I feel punchdrunk to be honest. The weekend it's like crazy golf. You just don't get rewarded for good shots''. John Rahm on the other hand was quoted as saying ''I liked it. I enjoy the golf course. I enjoy the challenge.