Course Update – Monday, 2 February 2026
Into February already, and things are moving quickly in our last stage of the GRP. You should have all seen the works start outside the Clubhouse and Pro-shop which will house the new 1st Tee and Tif-Eagle Putting Green. Atlas have done a great job with the earthworks to shape up the majority of that complex quite quickly, and this week will see the Irrigation mainline go in (which had to be moved due to conflict of the new green location), and all the new laterals and sprinkler heads which will irrigate all the new turf surfaces up there.
The rock wall retaining the old putting green being removed will allow all the turf surfaces to tie-in nicely with the bitumen extension, and will allow cart traffic to flow through past the garden room without the tight squeeze. The area on a whole will open up really nicely, and should provide a great outlook onto the 1st Hole as you enjoy your meals made by our Executive Chef, Gillian.
As the Irrigation is being installed this week, it’s an opportunity for Atlas to kick on with the resurfacing of the last of our three Champion Greens. Works began this morning to sod cut the tops of the greens, which will be removed before the existing sand profile gets taken out and utilised elsewhere on course. Once they’ve excavated the 200mm of profile and filled it back in, they’ll to their shaping works to rectify the contours of the greens before doing a final float in time for us to sprig them hopefully by the 17th of this month. This will allow adequate time to grow them in with the warmer weather, just in time for the winter months.
Out on the course we can now officially enjoy 18 brand new TifEagle putting greens, which is going to provide a much more consistent and enjoyable experience for all members. We can appreciate that they still have some time to go before they’re at their best, and we are constantly working to improve them each day. The greens are now on a fortnightly verti-cutting program, which will assist in providing a smoother ball roll as the greens knit in and tighten up over the next 12 months, and whilst the weather is favourable, we will continue to dust them every week, which again helps provide the best putting surface possible, whilst diluting the thatch accumulation on the greens.
We continue with our balanced nutrition program, providing good results and clipping yields on Greens, Tees and Fairways, as well as our herbicide program to eliminate weeds in the rough. You also may have noted a few off-colour, or yellow patches on green surrounds and on Tees, these are spot treatments to eliminate the crow’s foot which will continue as we look to improve the surfaces overall on the course.
Green speeds on the new TifEagle are getting more consistent as time goes on, hovering between that 9 ½ – 10 ½ feet. These will get more consistent the more we can give them a light Verti-cut, along with the weekly top-dressings. 10, 17 & 18 are only just shy of 15 weeks old, with the general consensus that the greens won’t be at their peak until after 12 months, they’re performing quite well considering.
Elsewhere, the course is handling the dry conditions fairly well. It’s amazing how quickly we can go from wishing the rain away to praying it to fall down. An unusual storm last weekend saw our rain gauges cop 40mm, whilst the catchment didn’t seem to get as much, it didn’t cause too many concerns to the rest of the course. Not the type of rain we hope for but nevertheless a good flush for our surfaces. Some localised dry spots on fairways that we are trying to keep on top of as well as the edges of these new greens, as we aim to give them a good hand water throughout the day to ensure they keep spreading and filling in as well as frequent top ups of sand to maintain smoothness and levels. Being pure sand, those areas without coverage will dry out very quickly, and it is hard to keep moisture up to them throughout the day, so be mindful of the crew when you do see them out on the hose trying to get those edges to fill in!
A busy start to 2026, as we push through the last stages of the GRP, but by the middle of the year, we can all enjoy 23 new TifEagle greens for years to come.
Alex Blakey
Assistant Course Superintendent
The Brisbane Golf Club
