Course Care

Care of the greens....
Players are encouraged to wheel buggies with pneumatic or soft tyres across greens, to spread wear and tear.  Avoid walking around the apron of the green, and particularly between the apron and any greenside bunkers. Concentrated foot traffic causes soil compaction which inhibits grass growth, leading to bare patches.


Repairing Pitch Marks...video

Research shows incorrectly repaired pitch marks can take up to 4 weeks longer to recover.

There are two distinct types of pitch marks:

Indentation, but no tearing of the green -

1. Insert your repair tool at an angle and raise the centre of the pitch mark as you work around the perimeter.
2. Lightly tap down with putter.

Tearing of the green -

1. Insert your repair tool at an angle into the back of the pitch mark and move the top of the repair tool inwards as you lift, ensuring you have a full cover of turf across the damage.
2. Do not simply raise the centre of the pitch mark. This exposes soil and results in ugly, uneven marks and takes the longest time to recover.
3. Lightly tap down with putter.

Flagstick Handling

Players should ensure that, when putting down bags or the flagstick no damage is done to the putting green. Also, care should be taken to avoid damage to the hole and surrounds when handling the flagstick and when removing the ball from the hole. The flagstick should be properly replaced in the hole before the players leave the putting green.

1. Do not drop the flagstick on the putting surface as it will cause damage. Always lower the flagstick by club or by hand.
2. Avoid damage to surrounds by placing the stick in the centre of the cup.
3. Players are requested NOT to use their putter to remove their golf ball from the hole.

Repairing Divots ...video 

Incorrectly repaired divots can give other players a poor lie, damage expensive course machinery and they take longer to recover.

There are two distinct types of divots:

Shaved turf with the roots left in -

1. No action required other than to simply tap down the edges inward with your foot.
2. The grass grows back better without sand on top.

Chunk of turf and roots removed -

1. Tap down the edges with your foot or cut surrounding turf in with a golf iron.
2. Fill the divot with sand and smooth the sand with your foot. To avoid damage to mowing equipment, please ensure that the sand is not raised above fairway height.
3. Toss or kick the divot into the rough. Do not put the divot back in the mark as it will invariably die off and delay recovery.

Maintaining Bunkers ...video 


Although intimidating to look at, the small base of a properly raked bunker is often easier to hit out of than a non-revetted bunker, thus making the maintenance of the sand paramount.

The primary objective is to ensure that the ball rolls to the centre of the bunker if it hits a bunker wall. Incorrect technique can give other golfers bad lies and cost more in course maintenance.

1. Always enter and leave a bunker from the lowest point.
2. Put down your club outside the bunker and use two hands on the rake.
3. Start at the divot left by your shot and begin raking backwards and forwards as you retreat out of the bunker, repairing your footmarks as you go.
4. Be careful to spread the sand evenly to avoid it being pushed towards the edges of the bunker, which causes shallow areas and exposes the clay base.
5. Rake the edges on an angle to allow the ball to roll towards the centre.
6. When finished, place the rake in from the edge of the bunker pointing in the direction of play.

Motorised Golf Carts

The recommended considerations for the use of motorised golf carts are as follows:

1. The driver shall at all times operate the cart in a careful and responsible manner, observing operating instructinos displayed in the cart.
2. The cart shall not be driven within ten (10) metres of any tee, green, bunker or water hazard, unless there is a prepared pathway provided inside the distance.
3. No person under the age of eighteen (18) years shall operate the vehicle.
4. No more than two persons shall ride in a cart at the same time.
5. Feet and arms shall be kept inside moving carts.
6. To help protect the condition of the course and, in order that all players can enjoy their golf, no cart shall travel over:
• fragile flora
• steep gradients
• lines defining cart exclusion zones, between the lines and the greens
• sandy areas
• muddy or saturated areas

The following points are provided to assist the upkeep of any golf course and ensure that you and your fellow golfers have an enjoyable round of golf:

• Sand buckets must be carried and used at all times.  
• Repair all plug marks on greens with a pitch repairer.
• Do not lean on your putter when on the green.
• Players are encouraged to take buggies across greens, but not around or near the edge of greens.

Pull turf to centre, and cover soil.

Cut sides in, then ensure sand is not above fairway height

Ensure carts are kept on designated paths

Correct flagstick handling