GOLF COURSE NEWS 2007
The unpredictable weather throughout 2007 and the 1st half of this year plus the intrusion of wild boars created a challenge to us in the maintenance of the golf course. However, we overcame all challenges to ensure that the course was in tip-top condition throughout these 18 months. The greens were aerified as part of our preventive maintenance work. Aerification relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green’s roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch.

The greens and tees were also de-thatched and top-dressed for a better golfing experience for our members. The greens were recently verti-cut and top-dressed to get rid of the excess thatch that had been accumulating on our greens. The works were concluded in the second week of September. De-thatching will result in smoother and faster putting surfaces. Intensive re-turfing works will be carried out on the bunker faces. The bunkers are now more asthetically pleasing and provide a better challenge to our members. Throughout the year 2007, the greens were in perfect condition. Several tee boxes including tee boxes No. 3, 5, 10 and 11 were enlarged and renovated. This provides more challenges to golfers.

The grass had thrived very well and stayed compact. We were able to attain the green speed at 9.5 – 10 feet (stimpmeter measurement) during major competitions at the Club. The Iskandar Johor Open 2007 was the biggest competition held at Royal Johor Country Club. With early preparations, we were able to provide the golfers an excellent course to play on. With the recent fuel rise hike, golf course operation cost will certainly rise, as most maintenance machinery is diesel run and there will be an increase in logistical cost of both the Clubs and their suppliers.

As many types of pesticides and herbicides are petroleum based, and the cost of these turfs held products have already been increasing steadily in recent years in tandem with international oil prices. Taking all these issues into consideration, the Management Committee decided to out source the maintenance of golf course.

This exercise will result in a considerable saving for the Club. The contractor took over the maintenance of the golf course in July 2008 and we have in place a golf course maintenance programme that is measurable and will get the course in tip-top condition for our members. We ensure you the course will be better maintained than it was before.In spite of the favourable condition of the course, maintenance work continued to be carried out from time to time. Efforts to maintain and improve the course will continue to be carried out.

 

GOLF COURSE NEWS 2006
Looks like the weather has not been kind to us recently. the wet season that started in November 2006 has been unkind to us as far as the maintenance of the golf course is concern. As you are aware, the nett result was quite bad. Balls got plugged and sometimes lost in the fairway, conditions have been muddy and we could not mow the grass as often as we would have like to. This could not be helped, as putting heavy machinery into the soggy fairway or rough meant living deep ugly tyre tracks on the course. Anyway we have been monitoring the conditions very closely and try to do the best we can.

Occasionally we had to resort to the "preferred lie" rule for competition. The wet weather did not just affect our fairways, but number of greens were also infected with pythium and algae. There are some perpetual wet areas in the course and we aim to tackle in the near future. Top on the list is the fairway of hole 6 and 8. Instead of just a simple fishbone drainage, we concluded that the problem can only be resolved by a complete overhaul of the fairways.

The maintenance of the golf course is an ongoing process to ensure that the golf course as a whole is in good playable condition. As the saying goes "good courses need expert maintenance and maintaining a course in tip-top condition comes at a price". To keep a golf course in good playing condition not surprising requires a hefty investment. Not only are there costs to pay but sometimes, playing conditions may, temporarily, be less than ideal. Under extreme conditions this may require the temporary closure of certain holes that are badly damaged as well as the carrying out of additional maintenance works as and when necessary. However so far we have managed to address the situation without temporarily closing the course.

Generally throughout 2006 our golf course was in good condition and we will definitely maintain it to the required standard if not better.

 
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