Green Improvement Plan FAQS

FAQs

What happens if we get another deluge of rain in the 7 to 10 days post overseeing?
The reason Poa was selected is because it will grow in cooler temperatures.  If we had experienced a deluge of rain we would have possibly needed to overseed again. Fortunately, we look like we will get through this period without any heavy rain.

Why has the Poa overseeding not undertaken earlier in the year?
It was important that we gave the greens as much time as possible to recover from the maintenance works completed in February 2024 under warmer conditions.

Will Club Championships be rescheduled given its close proximity to urgent work on the greens?
This would have only been considered if the Poa didn’t strike. At the time of writing this response the Poa has germinated and the coverage of the greens has improved. The Club Championships will proceed as scheduled.

When can we expect our greens to achieve the speed and true running that we see in other premium courses around SEQ?
Now that the Poa has germinated the mowing heights of the greens will be slowly lowered. In the short term we expect the performance of the greens to improve. In the long term foreign grass is a problem and the Committee will investigate a way forward with our new course superintendent and Troon.

What will be done about the bare patches on the fairways which have not over grown with grass since they were exposed in August 2023.
We will discuss this with our new course superintendent and Troon. We are pleased with the appearance of our fairways, outside of the bare patches mentioned. Overall, the process of spraying out weeds was successful but it will take at least another season or two to remove the foreign grass from our fairways.

What other parts of the course are the Committee concerned with?
The Committee and management team are always looking at ways to work with the course superintendent to improve the presentation of the golf course. While the greens have been the biggest concern recently, we are looking to continually improve the quality of our bunkers, fairways and rough. Additionally the presentation of our on course gardens and surrounds suffered during the ‘weed’ season.

Will the involvement of Troon impact the course enhancement plan?
We will seek advice from Troon on the CEP.

What is the long term plan for the greens? When will the club look to re-surface all greens?
The Club intends to re-surface our greens. These discussions have commenced. How and when greens are re-surfaced will require significant discussion, consultation and planning. We are working on providing the best putting surfaces possible until a green resurfacing plan is developed by the new Course Superintendent and Troon.

Will all 18 greens be replaced in September this year?
No.

Will the club look at removing the Champion Putting surfaces and replacing with TifEagle ultradwarf hybrid grass and Zoysia surrounds? This worked well at Sanctuary Cove the Pines.
Absolutely, what courses in South-East Queensland are using on their putting surfaces will inform what grass is selected at BGC.

Do we have in place a protocol that overseas ours coarse maintenance from fairway to greens?
We have appointed Troon to assist in updating the protocols in place for our course.

Do we have adequate ground staff to tackle our course?
We believe we have a more than adequate labour budget for the course.

Will you be able to protect the new Poa grass seedlings from ducks and geese?
We will overseed areas that remain bare until a good standard of coverage is achieved. In Queensland all native animals are protected.

What is overseeding?
Overseeding is a process in which grass seed is spread onto existing turf to promote new growth.

Why are we overseeding our greens?
Our greens are not currently at an acceptable standard and we are concerned without action they will worsen during Winter. We are overseeding to improve the playing surface during this period.

How does the process work?
Our course staff will put down grass seed along with some sand. Regular watering will see the seeds germinate and supplement the existing grass is place.

What type of grass seed will be used?
Poa trivialis will be used.

Has the Club overseeded before?
Yes. Prior to the installation of the Champion grass, the greens were overseeded with Poa annua every year for several years.

What is the aim of the work?
The new grass along with the existing grass will ensure we do not have bare patches on our greens. They will not only look better but also roll better.

Are there any negatives?
Yes. The greens will have sand added to them over the first 7 to 10 days when the seed is put down. Additionally, the Poa trivialis will need to be sprayed out at the end of Winter. During these periods the greens will not be ideal. However, the Committee is comfortable with the advice it has received that these periods are worthwhile given the improvement we are expected to see in our greens during winter.

Will the course be closed at any time?
No, the overseeding will be done while the course is open.

How long will the overseeding process take?
It is expected to take up to two days for course staff to put down the seed and sand. It will then take approximately 7 to 10 days for the seeds to germinate. The exact time it takes for our greens to improve will depend on weather conditions.

Why are we using Poa trivialis?
Poa trivialis is a common type of seed used in South-east Queensland. It was also the seed used when overseeding was regularly done at The Brisbane Golf Club. It has been recommended by Troon and is used at Brookwater every year.

Why aren’t we continuing to oversow with bent grass?
All greens were oversewn with bent grass in January 2024. The bent grass did not survive the harsh summer or the green maintenance procedures used at the time.

Do our course staff know how to manage the overseeding?
Yes. However, they will be supported by David Lundardelli from Troon who has over 30 years experience in agronomy and by Matt Legge, a previous employee of The Brisbane Golf Club, who is the Course Superintendent of Brookwater Golf Club.

Will the Poa trivialis become an unwanted foreign grass after Winter?
No. The Poa trivialis will be sprayed out of our greens at the end of winter and is expected to die out over a four-week period. In the past, it is our understanding that the Club did not spray it out and just allowed it to naturally die off in the warmer months. This approach meant that some of the Poa trivialis remained in place.

Will overseeding need to be done every year?
No. Due to the amount of foreign grass in our greens their resurfacing is an issue the Committee must investigate and consider. If our greens are re-surfaced and managed correctly overseeding will not be required. This year we will be putting strict processes in place to ensure our greens are not renovated as late in the Summer as they were this year. All things going well overseeding will not be done next year.

Why has the Committee appointed Troon and what is their role?
The Club has engaged David Lunardelli from Troon. David has over 30 years’ experience in course construction and maintenance in the Asia-Pacific region.  His appointment will assist the Club transition to a new course superintendent and also help us to improve the quality of our course, cost controls, communication to members.

Have Troon been appointed because the quality of the applicants for the position of course superintendent have been underwhelming?
No. Troon have been appointed for the reasons above. The Committee and CEO and very pleased with the quality of applicants received to date. Applications close on 30 April 2024.