I mentioned a while back that we were excited to get our crew numbers as high as they have been for twelve years thanks to a Board decision to increase our numbers by two.  But sadly with a few departures that didn't last long and we have been on the lookout for some extras since.  A couple of advertisements have been placed and it's almost a carbon copy of what has happened over the past couple of years with a lot of applicants, but they obviously just need to send out resumes to maintain their Centrelink payments as there is never any response when I try and contact them about the job.  I even got an applicant for the greenkeepers role who had a "bubbly front of office personality".  I kid you not.  But I have been fortunate enough to land two very promising candidates with an international greenkeeping traveller from Ireland and a greenkeeper from the Glades who is moving closer to home so on Monday we will have seventeen of us with one on annual leave.

The way the weather has been though I could have fifty and it still wouldn't be enough.  The grass growth at the moment is as vigorous as I can recall in recent years and the wind has been its usual strong self and blown debris down on a continual basis.  It's really hard to keep the playing surfaces clean, particularly fairways and the bunkers, which should really be called ''leaf collectors".  The photo below has been all to a common sight for us recently with the Eucalypt trees shedding their bark and leaves constantly.  The volume of play has also been next level which also makes it hard for us to get work done.

A regular sight on 4W fairway.

We are hosting the WPGA qualifying school next Monday and Tuesday and with prizemoney approaching $3M on offer on the tour this season there is certainly some interest being shown.  Sixty plus players from fifteen countries are entered and by the look of those who have already been out practicing there will be some serious talent on show.  It will give us a great chance to showcase the West course so hopefully the wind will be relatively calm and it's a 7.30am 1 tee start so it gives us as much prep time as we can get to get the course in shape.

Speaking of the weather and thoughts are with those courses that have been decimated by the recent weather events.  Fortunately for us we somehow dodged the worst of it which is exceptionally unusual as we are normally right in the thick of it.  So I guess my complaint about a little bit of tree debris about the place pales into insignificance when you hear of what happened to several courses, including some that have never had to close due to a weather event before.