Royal Melbourne looking for a Greenkeeper

[Sean Walsh]

Reported in The Age in Melbourne today.  RM are looking for a new Greenkeeper, thought some of you might be interested.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/golf/greenkeeper-sought-to-bring-course-up-to-par/2009/01/31/1232818798171.html

[Chris Kane]

Massive job to get it into shape for the Presidents Cup - the new greenkeeper doesn't have a great base to work from. 

[James Bennett]

The most important thing RM needs is some decent Melbourne weather.

This January 2009 will have been the worst ever for trying to maintain a sandbelt course.  I doubt that Jim Porter would have had any experience in his last 20 years to deal with the recent drought and the three 43 degree days in succession.

All of the Adelaide/Melbourne course superintendents will be stressed at present.

[Neil_Crafter]

I heard last week that Jim Porter had left the employ of RM, but as I had not had it corroborated I didn't want to post a rumour. Will be interesting to see the field of candidates the job attracts.

[Matthew Rose]

Looking at what a week of 112 degree weather has done to my front lawn over here on the western side of Melbourne, I can't think it would bode too well for what I can only imagine must be a very difficult maintenance job right now.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Interesting....I got an email from Jim Porter on Jan 21st and he was still there.

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Colonial. CC
Ft. Worth, TX

[Mark Chaplin]

I'd have thought a rain dancer was more important at the moment.

[Matt Day]

tough gig with not much to gain and a lot to lose

[David_Elvins]

tough gig with not much to gain and a lot to lose

strange comment. I would have thought there would be a massive amount to gain.  Being known as the guy who fixed Royal Melbourne,  got it into shaped for the presidents cup and returned it to the world's top 10 would look good on anyone's CV and be very personally rewarding.

[Joe Hancock]

tough gig with not much to gain and a lot to lose

strange comment. I would have thought there would be a massive amount to gain.  Being known as the guy who fixed Royal Melbourne,  got it into shaped for the presidents cup and returned it to the world's top 10 would look good on anyone's CV and be very personally rewarding.

Not so strange if he's going after the job.....

It's an OPPORTUNITY for the right person.

Joe

[Mark_F]

Being known as the guy who fixed Royal Melbourne,  got it into shaped for the presidents cup and returned it to the world's top 10 would look good on anyone's CV and be very personally rewarding.

How is another Super going to make a difference? 

It's water they lack, not greenkeeping expertise.

[Don_Mahaffey]

tough gig with not much to gain and a lot to lose

Not much to gain? Guess it depends on what you value, but caring for a gem like RM is what a lot of guys dream about. It’s never easy, and it sounds like there are some significant challenges, but they’ll have no shortage of willing applicants.

[David_Elvins]

It's water they lack, not greenkeeping expertise.

I don't think they have lacked expertise, but you would be foolish to think that all the problems the courses have had since the last presidents cup are related to a lack of water.

[Matt Day]

tough gig with not much to gain and a lot to lose

Not much to gain? Guess it depends on what you value, but caring for a gem like RM is what a lot of guys dream about. It’s never easy, and it sounds like there are some significant challenges, but they’ll have no shortage of willing applicants.

no doubt about the value of RM, but knowing a few Australian supers some will be very wary of what's happened in the last couple of years (weather, water supplies etc) and the massive expectations that would be placed on them to get RM to the condition expected of a Presidents cup.

If they do get it back to that condition it will be no more than many expect/demand, if they don't its a pretty public stage in 2011 for failure.

I've never met Jim Porter, but he is very highly regarded in the industry by many of his peers and if he has left (I hope not) its a shame that he didn't get the opportunity to get to 2011.

[Matthew Mollica]

The successful candidate's job just got a whole lot easier.

Channel 9's Melbourne news broadcast tonight reported that RMGC has been granted special exemption by the state government to access 70 million litres of drinking grade water for use on the course, in preparation for the 2011 President's Cup.

Such special exemptions have been granted previously during this drought, most noticeably to the Victorian Racing Club, for use on the track at Flemington, which hosts the Melbourne Cup each November.

MM

[Matt Day]

The successful candidate's job just got a whole lot easier.

Channel 9's Melbourne news broadcast tonight reported that RMGC has been granted special exemption by the state government to access 70 million litres of drinking grade water for use on the course, in preparation for the 2011 President's Cup.

Such special exemptions have been granted previously during this drought, most noticeably to the Victorian Racing Club, for use on the track at Flemington, which hosts the Melbourne Cup each November.

MM

Matt
is that number correct, a 36 hole course would on a normal Australian summer water cycle use somewhere between 2-3 million litres a night (if available). Was it 700 million litres?

edit - that was on sand profile, couch fairways and bent greens

[Anthony_Nysse]

He's a direct quote from former supt, Mr. Jim Porter-
1.Greens – A mixture of bents that have been grown from the original greens sown in the 1930’s to a blend called ‘Suttons mix’.   With poa invasion being an issue.

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Colonial CC
Ft. Worth, tX

[Matthew Mollica]

Matt,

I suspect the number is correct.
The increased water use would likely be applied to composite course holes only, but I may be mistaken.

Here's a link to a newpaper article (published this morning) detailing the issue-

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25004641-661,00.html

MM

[James Bennett]

Adelaide sand-belt clubs use 300ML or so of water in a year, so 700ML will enable a lot of irigation at RM.  Almost to US/California-course levels.  Admittedly, the playing corridors at RM are a lot wider than those in Adelaide, so more ML will be needed.  Especially if there is to be rough irrigation as well.

I expect they will want (at a rough guess) between 1500mm of irrigation on every square meter (about 60 inches).  So, as a kilo-litre is a cubic metre of water (and weighs a metric tonne), then 700ML at 1500mm pr annum will irrigate 467,000 square meters - say 500,000 square meters.  Not sure if I have the calculation right, but that is only an area of 500 metres by 1000 metres square.  Someone else more numerically stute can work this one out.  Of course, if regular Melbourne weather returns, they probably only need 1000mm of irrigation each year, or much less again if they are just presenting the course in typical firm fairway mode (think Hoylake).

I thought the principal concern at RM was greens/surrounds rather than fairways.  The ML will assist the fairways/rough.  A few ML would help the greens/surrounds.

James B

[Matt Day]

Adelaide sand-belt clubs use 300ML or so of water in a year, so 700ML will enable a lot of irigation at RM.  Almost to US/California-course levels.  Admittedly, the playing corridors at RM are a lot wider than those in Adelaide, so more ML will be needed.  Especially if there is to be rough irrigation as well.

I expect they will want (at a rough guess) between 1500mm of irrigation on every square meter (about 60 inches).  So, as a kilo-litre is a cubic metre of water (and weighs a metric tonne), then 700ML at 1500mm pr annum will irrigate 467,000 square meters - say 500,000 square meters.  Not sure if I have the calculation right, but that is only an area of 500 metres by 1000 metres square.  Someone else more numerically stute can work this one out.  Of course, if regular Melbourne weather returns, they probably only need 1000mm of irrigation each year, or much less again if they are just presenting the course in typical firm fairway mode (think Hoylake).

I thought the principal concern at RM was greens/surrounds rather than fairways.  The ML will assist the fairways/rough.  A few ML would help the greens/surrounds.

James B

James
600-700ML for 36 holes would be right then, the article states they're getting 70 ML which is better than nothing but around 10% of what's required for a 36 hole track. If they're only going to do the composite course as MM suggested then its 20%

Wouldn't have the exact area under irrigation at RM, an educated guess would be between 50 to 80 hectares (500,000 to 800,000 square metres). If they're focusing mainly on greens and tees that probably reduces to 2 hectares for green surfaces and 4-6 for tees?

One thing for sure is the average punter in the street just sees the 70 million litre figure and gets a little bit peeved

[James Bennett]

Sorry Matt (and Matt).  My mistake.  If it is 70ML, then it really is tees and greens/surrounds, and perhaps a squirt on the fairways occasionally.

I know the irrigation numbers on a shorter Adelaide course with narrow fairways.  Not dissimilar water requirements per sq metre to RM (and less than the Adelaide sandbelt).  If we (?I) went firm and fast through summer, we could use less than 100 ML over the whole course.  If we (?they) wanted lush fairways (not US lush, but green) but still dry roughs (no irrigation) we would get to 150 ML for the year.  This effectivly combined about 800mm of rain (32 inches) with about a similar amount of irrigation.

Of course, the number of winter course drainage problems 'we' had just about disappeared when we irrigated at the lower level.  They returned in subsequent years with the higher irrigation quantities

By the way, 70ML of water at traditional Melbourne 'town water' pricing of $1/kL is $70,000 worth.  If the water was being 'created' through desalination (the most expensive option) then that price rises to perhaps $3/kL, or $210,000 worth of water.  The pricing of River water has been bouncing around but is often perhaps half of the town water price these days (it used to be much, much cheaper).

James B

[Matt Day]

Sorry Matt (and Matt).  My mistake.  If it is 70ML, then it really is tees and greens/surrounds, and perhaps a squirt on the fairways occasionally.

I know the irrigation numbers on a shorter Adelaide course with narrow fairways.  Not dissimilar water requirements per sq metre to RM (and less than the Adelaide sandbelt).  If we (?I) went firm and fast through summer, we could use less than 100 ML over the whole course.  If we (?they) wanted lush fairways (not US lush, but green) but still dry roughs (no irrigation) we would get to 150 ML for the year.  This effectivly combined about 800mm of rain (32 inches) with about a similar amount of irrigation.

Of course, the number of winter course drainage problems 'we' had just about disappeared when we irrigated at the lower level.  They returned in subsequent years with the higher irrigation quantities

By the way, 70ML of water at traditional Melbourne 'town water' pricing of $1/kL is $70,000 worth.  If the water was being 'created' through desalination (the most expensive option) then that price rises to perhaps $3/kL, or $210,000 worth of water.  The pricing of River water has been bouncing around but is often perhaps half of the town water price these days (it used to be much, much cheaper).

James B

living in Perth has its benefits, still reasonably good ground water available in decent allocations

[Mark_F]

The successful candidate's job just got a whole lot easier.

Not necessarily. 

After all, this person:

I don't think they have lacked expertise, but you would be foolish to think that all the problems the courses have had since the last presidents cup are related to a lack of water.

Would appear to be refuting either water or expertise is the problem.

I might have to alert Derryn Hinch to David's beliefs.  After all, he was upset enough this afternoon that RM were getting an exemption.  The mind boggles at the state of apoplexy he would be in were he to find out they may not need it.

[David_Elvins]

The successful candidate's job just got a whole lot easier.

Not necessarily. 

After all, this person:

I don't think they have lacked expertise, but you would be foolish to think that all the problems the courses have had since the last presidents cup are related to a lack of water.

Would appear to be refuting either water or expertise is the problem.

I might have to alert Derryn Hinch to David's beliefs.  After all, he was upset enough this afternoon that RM were getting an exemption.  The mind boggles at the state of apoplexy he would be in were he to find out they may not need it.

Mark,
I have bolded the word you appear to have missed.

[Mark_F]

The successful candidate's job just got a whole lot easier.

Not necessarily. 

After all, this person:

I don't think they have lacked expertise, but you would be foolish to think that all the problems the courses have had since the last presidents cup are related to a lack of water.

Would appear to be refuting either water or expertise is the problem.

I might have to alert Derryn Hinch to David's beliefs.  After all, he was upset enough this afternoon that RM were getting an exemption.  The mind boggles at the state of apoplexy he would be in were he to find out they may not need it.

Mark,
I have bolded the word you appear to have missed.

David,

Fair enough, my apologies. 

What are the other problems the courses are having are you referring to - boundary issues?