Panaga Golf Club Newsletter

Greetings Panaga Golf Club Members,

As we move through August, I hope this update finds you all in good spirits and enjoying your time on the course.

Course Conditions and Maintenance

Our greens continue to rebound from the damage they suffered during the prolonged dry season earlier in the year, thanks to the efforts of our grounds staff. The recent weather has been kind, as we’ve seen consistent rains which are helping the recovery. We also discovered that our greens tend to repel water due to the sandy nature of our soil. To combat this, the club has purchased and has begun to apply soil wetting agents to the greens to allow them to be more receptive to rain and the water that we apply through irrigation. You will have also noticed that the green heights have been a bit higher over the past few weeks. To promote more growth, mowing heights were increased to 5.0mm and all greens were fertilized.  Mowing heights have since been lowered to 4.2mm and hopefully you will have noticed the improvement. We’re expecting a full recovery of the greens over the next 1-2 months.

New Landscaping

As many of you may have noticed, we’ve recently completed a new landscaping project outside of the golf shop/golf admin building.  The new design features some native plants and greenery that enhances the overall ambiance of the club. We hope this improvement makes your visit more enjoyable and visually pleasing!

Tree Clearing

As most of you have seen on the course there are quite a few trees that have a red cross marking. As discussed during the 2024 AGM the committee has progressed the 2024 tree cutting and the trees marked will be removed. The main criteria for selection of the trees were that they either impeded normal play (hanging over fairways or not intended as per hole design and are unreasonable obstructions) or are a safety risk (about to fall over or dead trees).

The contractor will start work in the weeks to come and during the weekdays holes will be closed to facilitate the execution of the work. Please be mindful and respect the signage for the safety of all workers and members. There will be a sign at the entrance of the course mentioning the holes under maintenance that day during the work.

Golf Superintendent Update

It is important to recognize that localized dry spots most frequently forms on golf courses that are maintained to provide dry, firm playing conditions. That said, localized dry spot is not always bad. Heavy watering can prevent localized dry spots, but it is not recommended because it produces soft and wet conditions, consumes excess water and puts the grass at higher risk for disease.

We core, aerate and sand topdress throughout the season to control thatch and reduce the likelihood of localized dry spot. To alleviate water-repellant conditions, wetting agents/soil amendment that can be applied so water can penetrate the soil.  

Localized dry spots develop when the soil becomes water repellent. When water cannot wet the soil, grass wilts and eventually turns brown. The brown spots that appear on grass during dry months may be the result of localized dry spot, a condition that prevents water from penetrating the soil.

Under certain conditions, e.g., typically hot, dry weather, a waxy coating can form around soil particles. When this happens, water reacts. with the soil much like it does with wax paper, it beads up and does not penetrate. Once this waxy coating is present, it is very difficult to get water to penetrate the water-repelling soil.

Soil amendment and wetting agents are primarily used in turfgrass management to manage localized dry spot, which is often caused by hydrophobicity or water repellency, which is the result of organic coatings or soil particles.

Root zones of golf course greens commonly have a high sand content because the greens have been treated with sand topdressing or because they were originally constructed of sand. Organic coatings on sand or soil particles can lead to several problems, including lack of available water to plant roots.

Currently, we’re treating our greens with soil amendments and wetting agents in an attempt to irrigate deeper into the soil. These treatments are designed to boost turf quality, even under conditions of water scarcity, excessive moisture, and heavy foot traffic.

Competitions

In recent monthly medals, we have seen many competitors play for the kudos of winning gross or nett prizes in divisions A, B, C, and D. The monthly medal is set to take place on the 3rd Sunday of each month, and we hope it will grow into a bigger and better fixture. With this in mind and at the request of several members, we will move from using the 'System 36' scoring system to standard stroke play using USGA GHIN handicaps. Gaining an official handicap has never been easier! Please call the golf office if you still need to download the app or would like help submitting your scores.

Watch for competition details and signing-up sheets on the notice board outside the golf office. There are few better ways to improve your game than friendly competition, so we want to see more members signing up. 

Some Rules - Start at the beginning….

The Teeing area.

The forward boundary is marked by the respective markers. In our case these are the Black, Blue or Red markers. The rear boundary of the teeing area is 2x club lengths from the tee markers. So, you can tee off behind the marker line, but this should not be more than 2x club lengths.

If you knock the ball off the tee by accident, you may re-tee and take you shot with no penalty.

If you take a shot, not make good contact and the ball comes to rest within the teeing area you may re tee the ball. The shot taken counts and you will be playing your 2nd shot.

Which tee markers should you use???

As such it does not really matter unless you are playing in a competition where the appropriate tee markers will be stated. On a par 4 a good tee shot followed by a good 7-iron should get you near to, or on the green. I see people teeing from the black markers but struggle. The game is difficult enough already. Tee from the markers you are most comfortable with. I often tee from the blue markers.

Final Thoughts

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for Panaga Golf Club. Your participation in events, adherence to course etiquette, and general camaraderie are what make our club a fantastic place to be. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Enjoy your golf, and see you on the course!

Best Regards,
Panaga Golf Club Committee