Message from our Golf Course Superintendent


Cameron Smith, Golf Course Superintendent

Sunday delivered a fantastic day for the 2025 Sanctuary Cove Professional Shootout, with The Pines golf course presented in excellent condition thanks to an exceptional effort from the maintenance team over the past three weeks. While completing another annual renovation on The Palms golf course, the team worked tirelessly to ensure The Pines golf course was prepared to the highest standard. Although a little sunshine would have been welcomed, the event remained a great success despite the overcast conditions.

As we approach the end of the three-week closure on The Palms golf course, there have been several challenges, as well as some outstanding achievements. The new 16th/17th tee complex is progressing well, with the bulk earthworks now nearing completion and irrigation installation scheduled to commence mid next week. Multiple palm trees have been successfully relocated throughout the course, particularly around holes 3 and 10, and approximately 700 new plants have been installed on hole 3.

As The Palms golf course reopens, there will be minor GUR areas in place while turf repairs are completed and the new garden beds are established. Overall, the course is in excellent condition and remains well on track for a strong recovery.

 

This week, the maintenance team completed the following:

  • Prepared The Pines golf course for daily members’ play

  • Applied insecticide to the greens on The Pines golf course

  • Applied foliar fertiliser, growth control, and miticide to the tees, green aprons, and fairways on The Pines golf course

  • Undertook weed control in the Clubhouse gardens through herbicide spraying and hand removal

The Palms golf course renovations:

Greens

  • Applied fungicide and insecticide
  • Mowed at 2mm
  • Completed Verti-Drain aeration with solid tines
  • Applied second topdressing

Aprons

  • Mowed at 6mm
  • Completed solid tine aeration
  • Applied topdressing

Tees

  • Mowed at 6mm
  • Completed Verti-Drain aeration with solid tines
  • Applied topdressing
  • Mown tee banks at a lower height

Fairways

  • Completed dethatching
  • Mowed at 10mm, followed by mowing at 6mm
  • Applied topdressing

Rough

  • All areas mowed

Bunkers

  • Fully raked to smooth surfaces and break up algae
  • Removed grass chaff

Irrigation

  • Completed repairs on the 3rd and 18th holes

Contractors

  • Transplanted palm trees on the 3rd and 10th holes
  • Continued earthworks and rock wall construction for the 16th tee
  • Installed Hydro-Wick drainage on the 12th hole

 

Next week, the following will be addressed:

  • Verti-cutting and light dusting will be completed on the greens at The Pines golf course

  • Rough on The Pines golf course will be mown

  • Bunkers on The Pines golf course will be trimmed and detailed

  • Hazard lines will be repainted on both golf courses

  • Gypsum and granular fertiliser will be applied to the fairways on The Palms golf course

  • Path edges will be detailed on The Palms golf course

  • Landscape plantings will be completed on the 3rd hole of The Palms golf course

The Pines and The Palms golf courses

Website by MiClub