Introducing the Greg Norman East Course

EAST COURSE REDEVELOPMENT – Update as at 14th February 2012

The final holes to be reconstructed, the 12^th and 18^th holes have been removed from play in the past fortnight now that holes 3, 5, 6 and 7 are back in the rotation.  Work has begun in earnest in this area, as we move closer to the completion of the construction side of the project.  The 18^th green and bunker complex through the approach has been shaped, with the green seeded on Friday 10^th February.  The sodding of the bunker edges is complete, with some further turf surrounding the bunkers to complete the area.

Sand is being removed from the beginning of the 18^th fairway, which is being used to coat the newly created waste area along the 8^th and 9^th holes as well as being stockpiled for future top dressing works.  Prior to the excavation works in the area, we removed the wetlands and irrigation pipe lines, and lowered the power supply and bore delivery lines that crossed the 18^th fairway to Bore 4 on the 4^th West.  The 18^th tees have also been rough shaped and irrigated.  

The 11^th green has been finished, with the seed germinating well in the past week.  The new green sits in the area very well, and is a vast improvement on the old green.  The surrounds have been sodded into the 10^th tees, which have been reshaped, irrigated and sodded.  The 10^th green has germinated very poorly, with a lack of organic material in the existing sand along with wind damage and smothering with sand off the surrounds thought to be contributing factors to the disappointing result.

Hole by Hole Notes

Hole 1

-          Green being mown at playing height – 3mm
-          Fairway scarified for further leveling and regrowth of couch

Hole 2

-          Green being mown at playing height – 3mm
-          Fairway scarified for further leveling and regrowth of couch

Hole 4

-          Green ready for play
-          Sprigged end progressing
-          Fairway bunkers prepared for sand

Hole 8

-          Green being mown at 3.5mm 
-          New fairway bunker roughly shaped; old fairway bunker filled in
-          Tees irrigated and tops sodded
-          Tee surrounds prepared for turf

Hole 9

-          Green being at playing height – 3mm
-          Fairway through old 8^th hole sodded with maxi rolls from 18^th fairway
-          Tees irrigated and tops sodded

Hole 10

-          Green germination poor
-          Surrounds partly sodded with maxi rolls from 18^th fairway
-          Tees irrigated and sodded
-          Path shaped through tee complex

Hole 11

-          Green germinated
-          Surrounds sodded into 10^th tees and towards 18^th green

Hole 12

-          Green and greenside bunker rough shaped
-          Irrigation installation of green beginning

Hole 18

-          Green seeded on Friday 10^th February
-          Bunkering shaped and edges sodded
-          Excavation of sand underway through fairway
-          Tees rough shaped and irrigated

Richard James
Course Superintendent

EAST COURSE REDEVELOPMENT – Update as at 23rd January

The past fortnight has seen us bring a further 2 holes into play, the 13^th and 14^th, which allowed us to close the 10^th and the new 11^th (old 17^th).  The additional time given to the 14^th fairway allowed the couch to establish well throughout the fairway, and it is providing a good playing surface.  The turf from the 10^th green has been put to good use, aiding us to remove some of the couch from the collars on the west course and chipping green.  Following some minor alteration, the 10^th green has been reseeded, with the sodding of the surrounds underway.  The 11^th green is to have its greens mix placed in the coming week, and will be seeded shortly after.  Tees on 8, 9, 10 and 11 are in the process of being reshaped and irrigated prior to grassing, as is   the 9^th fairway extension through the area that once occupied the 8^th green.

The week on the 23^rd January sees the opening of another 4 new holes, being 3, 5, 6 and 7.  This leaves the playing order for the pink 9 as follows – 3, 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 13 and 7.  Members will use the new path along the new practice tee to access the 3^rd tee, following which they shall walk the 4^th hole along a path through the trees on the left hand side to the 5^th tee.  Following the playing of 5 and 6, we will jump across to the back 9 and play the stretch of 14, 15, 16 and 17, hitting off from the new 17^th tees as the alternate hole will initially be out of play.  It is anticipated that the alternate hole will be used at times during coming months to give the 15^th hole a rest.  Following completion of the 17^th, play will continue on the 13^th, and then the 7^th hole as the last hole of the pink 9.  Members will their make their way to the clubhouse along the back of the new mounds separating the 9^th green and practice fairway.  Please follow all ropes and directional signs through this nine.

Whilst the holes are being opened, they are far from completely grown in and ready for play.  The 7^th fairway has established fairly well via sprigging, however is still thin in areas and has had some of the weaker areas sodded in the past couple of weeks.  The 6^th fairway has also had some sodding carried out, and the 5^th green has been quite badly damaged in recent weeks by Corella’s, which has necessitated plugging through the entire green.  All bunker edges are still establishing and likely to be quite soft, and the rough areas outside of the turf lines are at various stages of establishment.  Members are asked to play through these areas with caution, and follow all directions and signs as posted, keeping all buggies off greens and bentgrass collars, and carts a minimum of 10 meters from greens and out of the weak areas on fairways.

Hole by Hole Notes 

Hole 1

-          Green being mown at 4mm
-          Fairway rotary hoed and leveled for regrowth of couch

Hole 2

-          Green being mown at 4mm
-          Green end of fairway re growing

Hole 3

-          Green ready for play
-          Bunker sand installed and shaped  

Hole 4

-          Green ready for play
-          Sprigged end progressing
-          Fairway bunkers prepared for sand

Hole 5

-          Green ready for play
-          Bunkers prepared for sand

 Hole 6

-          Green ready for play
-          Sodded fairway lightly scarified and topdressed
-          Bunker sand being placed                                                  

Hole 7

-          Green ready for play
-          Sprigged fairway growing well, with some minor sodding carried out
-          Bunker sand installed and shaped

    Hole 8

-          Green germinated
-          Irrigation installation complete
-          Sodding complete on surrounds and approach
-          New fairway bunker roughly shaped; old fairway bunker filled in
-          Tees rough shaped for irrigation and laser leveling

 Hole 9

-          Green being mown
-          Reshaped mound on right of fairway sodded
-          Irrigation complete through fairway and underway on tees
-          Tees rough shaped for irrigation and laser leveling

 Hole 10

-          Green reshaped and seeded with A4
-          Right side bunker reshaped, with left bunker filled in
-          Surrounds to 11^th tees shaped in preparation for sodding
-          Tees reshaped ready for irrigation

Hole 11

-          Green rough shaped for placement if greens mix sand
-          Irrigation installed on green and surround
-          Left side of fairway reshaped
-          Tees reshaped, and joint back tee with 13^th shaped

  Practice Fairway

-          Practice tee in play
-          Concrete and old entrance path removed

 Richard James
Course Superintendent

EAST COURSE REDEVELOPMENT – Update as at 9th January

Christmas and New Year may have come and gone, but work continues unabated on the east course, with plenty of work going on during the past few weeks whilst both of the shapers returned home for the festive season.  With the 13^th and 14^th holes opening in the first week of January, plenty of last minute jobs were undertaken to ensure the playability of the holes, including placement of sand in the bunkers and tidying of paths, vegetation areas and the continuation of re growing the fairway surfaces.

Along with the preparation of these holes, we have been preparing the bunkers on 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 for the placement of sand ahead of opening late in January.  The sprigged 7^th fairway has enjoyed the recent spell of warm weather, showing some strong establishment, and the tee end of the 4^th fairway has also come along well.  The playing surface on the 6^th fairway is coming in quite well, with the turf harvested from the 8^th fairway lightly scarified to assist knitting in of the joins and leveling of the surface.  Topdressing will also be carried out to further level the surface.

All of the newest greens are moving along well, with the 1^st and 2^nd being mown, the 9^th ready for its first cut and the 8^th showing a nice even germination.  The surrounds on all of these holes are establishing, with some mowing lines now evident.  The 9^th fairway through the area of the old 8^th green has been rough shaped, and is currently being irrigated.  Tees on holes 8 and 9 have also been shaped ready for irrigation and laser leveling. 

With the 10^th and 11^th holes now closed for reconstruction, we will be utilizing turf from the fairway to complete sodding on the practice tee around the completed path, along with minor patching on various holes as required.  We are also utilizing some of the A1 turf from the 10^th green on the west course where required.

Hole by Hole Notes

Hole 1

-          Green being mown at 4mm
-          Fairway rotary hoed and leveled for regrowth of couch
-          Exposed aggregate path installed and sealed for practice area and 1^st tee access 

Hole 2

-          Green being mown at 4mm
-          Green end of fairway re growing
-          Sod harvest being completed on tee end of  fairway 

Hole 3

-          Green ready for play
-          Bunkers being prepared for sand 

Hole 4

-          Green ready for play
-          Green end of fairway sodded with turf from 8^th and 9^th fairways
-          Sprigged end progressing
-          Fairway bunkers prepared for sand

Hole 5

-          Green ready for play
-          Bunkers prepared for sand 

Hole 6

-          Green ready for play
-          Sodded fairway lightly scarified and topdressed
-          Bunker sand being placed

Hole 7

-          Green ready for play
-          Sprigged fairway re growing well
-          Bunkers prepared for sand placement

Hole 8

-          Green germinated
-          Irrigation installation complete
-          Sodding complete on surrounds and approach
-          New fairway bunker roughly shaped; old fairway bunker filled in
-          Tees rough shaped for irrigation and laser leveling

Hole 9

-          Green ready for first cut
-          Reshaping of mound on right of fairway and clearing of fairway underway
-          Irrigation of tee end of fairway underway
-          Tees rough shaped for irrigation and laser leveling

Hole 10

-          Out of play|
-          Turf harvest underway from green and fairway 

Hole 11

-          Out of play

NEW WEBSITE LOOK

The Grange website homepage has a new look with a “Greg Norman Game On” banner displayed prior to the Members Login page.

If you click on the “Game On” banner, you will be taken to the latest update for the East Course Redevelopment. On the right hand side is a hole by hole course layout with holes being released on a progressive basis. By clicking on the holes available, you will get a detailed hole design including design notes from Greg Norman Golf Course Design along with playing tips.

Hole 13 is the first available hole for viewing.

http://www.grangegolf.com.au/welcome/index.mhtml