Update on the Golf Courses – Friday 9 January - Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club

Message from our Golf Course Superintendent

Cameron Smith, Golf Course Superintendent

As we commence 2026, the maintenance team is preparing for an exceptionally busy three‑month period. This includes the closure of The Pines golf course next week for its annual renovation, alongside preparations for the Australian WPGA Championship in mid‑March on The Palms golf course.

This week, as part of the regular summer greens programme, the team completed a light verticut, followed by a light dusting of sand. This process will be repeated regularly over the next two and a half months as preparations continue for the WPGA event, while maintaining the high standards expected by members on The Palms golf course.

With The Pines golf course now entering its renovation phase, significant work has been undertaken to trial processes, depths, and desired outcomes on the nursery green. A slightly more aggressive approach will be implemented on the greens during this renovation period. As the greens continue to mature, the accumulation of organic material and thatch must be managed accordingly to support long‑term turf performance.

Three distinct practices will be implemented, targeting depths of 6mm, 18mm, and 50mm. Each process has a clearly defined material removal target, ensuring effective control of organic matter within the soil profile.

This week, the maintenance team completed the following:

Verti‑cut and dusted the greens on The Palms golf course
Completed bunker trimming and detailed edging on The Palms golf course
Mowed the new 16th and 17th tees on The Palms golf course at 20mm
Applied foliar fertiliser to the fairways, tees, and aprons on The Pines golf course
Applied fungicide to the greens on The Pines and The Palms golf courses
Mowed the rough on The Palms golf course
Mowed the tee banks on The Palms golf course
Sprayed bunker runners on The Pines golf course with a non‑selective herbicide
Continued irrigation trimming on The Pines and The Palms golf courses
Commenced irrigation installation for the new nursery on The Palms golf course, located on the left‑hand side of the 13th hole
Commenced excavation and preparation works to re‑turf wheel tracks across the 18th fairway on The Palms golf course

Next week, the following will be addressed:

Foliar fertiliser and selective herbicide application to the fairways, tees, and aprons on The Palms golf course
Fungicide application to the greens on The Palms golf course
Continued irrigation and valve box trimming on The Palms golf course
Continued landscape works on the 10th hole on The Palms golf course
Selective herbicide application to tee complexes on The Palms golf course
Foliar application to bunker surrounds on The Palms golf course
Closure of The Pines golf course for annual course renovations, including: scarifying, coring, deep aerification, top dressing, and fertilising of all playing surfaces