Melbourne, Firm and Fast and the Drought

[James Bennett]

The drought in parts of Australia has delivered record lows of rainfall, reducing river flows and dam levels.  Clubs without access to secure water supplies are having a difficult time retaining the presentation level of prior years - many are irrigating tees and greens and some are having to tanker in water to keep greens going.  It certainly has been a problem in the south-east of Australia eg Melbourne and Adelaide.  The water restrictions can be as and more severe in places like Brisbane (and Sydney?).

These courses have generally played firm and fast as it was, but this year are likely to go to new levels of brown and firm.

Some of the more famous clubs have returned to older methods, not watering fairways and having to mix the limited potable water with some less desirable but limited bore water, perhaps irrigating tees and greens every second night.  However, given some summer rains and the onset of autumn, I expect these courses will be playing admirably with the turf bouncing back when rain does return.

Peter Thomson wrote a good article in the Melbourne paper 'The Age' on the drought, and on traditional golf course maintenance.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/golf/no-cause-to-be-browned-off-over-greens/2006/12/19/1166290544967.html

James B

[Matt_Cohn]

Interesting reading!

[ed_getka]

David Kelly and I shall see what April brings. Sounds promising.

[James Bennett]

Ed

we just had an inch of rain - that helps for a week or so.  April, things will be perfect.  That is after the period Thomson talks about.

James B

[ed_getka]

James,
   Thanks for the update. How is your course holding up?

[James Bennett]

Ed

we are like a pig in a poke.  We have multiple bores with low salinity (about 100 parts).  We can draw more water per day than we can irrigate.  However, there is nothing like rain.  And the trees are getting pretty stressed, so more leaf litter and small branch loss in winds.

Other courses are less fortunate.  But most Adelaide courses are doing a lot better water wise than some of the Melbourne ones.  It really is the opposite of San Francisco in Spring this year.

However, everything will be fine for your visit with Dan in April.

James B

[peter_p]

if they don't get burned in the fires

[Matthew Delahunty]

Peter, I think most of the sandbelt courses are pretty safe from the current firefront, some 200km away, although it ha been very smoky in Melbourne over the past 10 days.

We got some good rain last night and there's more forecast for the next few days. It's remarkable how quickly things bounce back with some rain - there is a green tinge returning to the turf already. My home course got about 3 weeks worth of storage in last night's showers. Places like Royal Melbourne and Victoria (who have a dry bore and little in the way of storage capacity) will be hoping for a lot more rain in the coming week.

The weather bureau is forecasting average rainfall for the rest of summer -some may say that's ambitious - but by April when some of you guys are coming down, the courses should be in A1 condition.

[Anthony Butler]

Peter Thomson wrote a good article in the Melbourne paper 'The Age' on the drought, and on traditional golf course maintenance.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/golf/no-cause-to-be-browned-off-over-greens/2006/12/19/1166290544967.html

James B

Peter Thomson, if he came to America to commentate, would own the airwaves much like he did the Senior Tour. He has all the insight of Johnny Miller with none of the preening reminders of his own great career.

The fact that he worked successfully with Brian Crafter (with all due apologies to Neal C.) for many years also shows his endless reserves of patience. They both come through in this article.

[Mark_F]

David Kelly and I shall see what April brings. Sounds promising.

Ed,

You need to say " David Kelly and I shall see what happens on the DAY, HOUR OR MINUTE we are there in April.

Last two days has been hail, and 14 degrees - in Summer.

[Neil_Crafter]

Anthony Butler
Can you please explain what you mean by the reference to my father in your post? It didn't sound very nice to me the first time I read it.
And by the way, my name is Neil, not Neal.
Neil Crafter

[Anthony Butler]

Anthony Butler
Can you please explain what you mean by the reference to my father in your post? It didn't sound very nice to me the first time I read it.
And by the way, my name is Neil, not Neal.
Neil Crafter

Dear Neil,

When listened to Peter Thompson working with your father on TV, he always seemed to be implying that your father had just mentioned something competely obvious to anyone watching... I always wondered if they were getting the same information in their cans.

Thompson is known for his good manners... something which can be used to both welcome people and to put them in their place. Thompson seems capable of both.

I never met your father, but a number of people who met him while he was with us mentioned what a nice man he was... You probably have a more informed perspective on their on air/off air relationship, but ABC was happy to create the impression everyone in the broadcast booth was one step behind Thompson.  

[Neil_Crafter]

Anthony
I understand now what you were suggesting. I have never heard anyone suggest that Brian made the "obvious" comments when commentating. I certainly didn't think it. In the early days of their work together, Peter tended to judge shots that he saw by his own high standards and could be a little condescending at times to some of the players on air but he mellowed on this and became a rather good team with my father, who also needed high patience levels as well I think. Peter is also capable of a rather alarming brusqueness in addition to the good manners you describe, depends who and where you are I suppose.
And don't spell Thommo's name with a 'p' otherwise you'll be hearing from him!
Neil

[Anthony Butler]

Anthony
I understand now what you were suggesting. I have never heard anyone suggest that Brian made the "obvious" comments when commentating. I certainly didn't think it. In the early days of their work together, Peter tended to judge shots that he saw by his own high standards and could be a little condescending at times to some of the players on air but he mellowed on this and became a rather good team with my father, who also needed high patience levels as well I think. Peter is also capable of a rather alarming brusqueness in addition to the good manners you describe, depends who and where you are I suppose.
And don't spell Thommo's name with a 'p' otherwise you'll be hearing from him!
Neil

Neil,

I have been out of Australia too long and had a stressful Xmas so I apologize for all my misspellings.. I managed to type Thomson's name correctly earlier in this thread...

RE: Thomson's high standards. See my Johnny Miller comment early on about his on-air comments esp. when it coming down to the later stages of tournaments. Thomson was brutal on Norman early on in his career... something Jack Newton took up when he landed in the commentary booth sans arm in the late 80s. Anyway, thanks for reminding me of why Peter Thomson was my own father's favorite golfer & commentator.

P.S. I guess many of us here on GCA.com can empathise going through  life being tortured by our own high standards! Perhaps that explains our collective appreciation for Patrick Mucci.