Course Articles

The greens will be dusted with sand on Monday 22 April.

Dusting of the greens is a necessary component of our greens maintenance program.

The recovery of the greens is much quicker with the intensive brushing process that we use.  The greens will be playable straight after but much improved by the Tuesday. 

Craig Murdoch 
GENERAL MANAGER

EMPTY GLASSES
Members are reminded that any glasses that have been removed from the bar must be returned to the bar.  Unfortunately there has been an increase in the number of empties left around the golf course, in particular on the 1st and 10th tees.

This is a terrible look and very unnecessary.  If you must take a glass from the bar please put it in your golf bag and return it to the bar at the end of the round. 

CIGARETTE BUTTS 
Cigarette butts do not belong in sand buckets or thrown away on the course.  They should always be disposed of carefully in the many bins that we have around the course.

Cigarette butts are also a potential fire hazard when not disposed of correctly.

Cigarette buttes in sand buckets are unsightly and will likely end up in a filled divot which is not acceptable.

It is important that we keep our golf course tidy and all members play a part in this. 

Your cooperation in both of these matters is appreciated.

Craig Murdoch
GENERAL MANAGER

The February Course Superintendent Report is available for members to read by clicking HERE

This report is presented to the Greens and Match Subcommittee at their quarterly meetings.

If any Members have questions regarding the report please do not hesitate to contact me.

Craig Murdoch
GENERAL MANAGER

Dear Members

The Board recently approved the implementation of a Heat Policy at MGC.

Please click HERE to view the MGC Heat Policy and what it could potentially mean for the playing of major events if the the temperature is forecast to to get to a specific number. 

Please click HERE to familiarise yourself with the MGC Extreme Weather Policy that the Board adopted a number of years ago.

If any member has any questions regarding these policies please let me know.

Craig Murdoch
GENERAL MANAGER 

Repairing pitch marks on our greens is vital to the health and condition of the turf and to ensure the best possible putting surface for all golfers.

During winter our greens are more susceptible to pitch marks as they are softer so we tend to see more and deeper pitch marks appearing on our greens. 

It is very important that all members play their part in making sure they repair their own pitch mark and any others that have been left unrepaired.

A two minute clip showing the best technique for repairing pitch marks can be seen below.

If we all work together we can make our golf course better.

Glenn Holbrook
CAPTAIN 

In 2016 our Course Architect, Ben Davey from Contour Golf Design and Course Advisor, Darius Oliver were asked to prepare a long term Master Plan for Mornington Golf Club.  After months of important consultation between the course designers, the Board of Directors and the members a “final” Master Plan was adopted by the Board.

The Master Plan is a document designed to give the Board and Management specific direction with regards to the improvement of the golf course through special projects. A Course Master Plan Subcommittee was formed and they play a very important part of reviewing any proposed Master Plan works and making recommendations to the Board as required.

The key component of the Master Plan is that any special projects will only be done when finance and time permits as there is no specific time frame for the Master Plan to be completed. The suggested order of when works will be completed is also not set in stone as you will see from the reports below, we have already made changes to proposed works order by bringing forward the 9th, 18th and Putting Green improvements.  The order of works are at the Boards discretion but generally the scope of works will fall within the course designers recommendations.

The Master Plan was prepared and recommended improvements to holes were made at a time when the Club had limited water resources.  The Club has now secured an unlimited supply of recycled water and it has been suggested by the course designers that they should review and potentially revise their Master Plan based on the Club now having unlimited water. The access to unlimited water could potentially change their recommendations and the overall scope of works in the Master Plan.

Since 2016 we have had 100’s of new members join our wonderful Club, many of them may not even be aware of what the long term plans are for improving the golf course or even viewed the Master Plan.  I wanted to share these documents with all members as a reminder of the direction the Club is heading in and how we are constantly striving to improve the golf course for members.

The Master Plan can be viewed by clicking HERE

The Master Plan Report can be viewed by clicking HERE

If any members have any questions regarding the Master Plan please do not hesitate to contact me.

Craig Murdoch
GENERAL MANAGER

A vitally important aspect of caring for your golf course is ensuring that you always rake the bunker correctly after playing your shot.

Failure to rake a bunker after use is very poor etiquette and is unfair on fellow golfers who may end up having to play their shot from a bad lie.

Please take the time to watch the above video on the correct way to rake a bunker.

Golfers at MGC should note that when finished raking the bunker, the rake must be left in the bunker in the direction of play.

Craig Murdoch
GENERAL MANAGER

Repairing pitch marks on the greens is very important to maintain the health of the greens and to ensure a smooth putting surface. 

There is a wrong way and a right way to repair pitch marks.  

Please review the short video above to find out the correct method for repairing a pitch mark. 

Remember, always repair more than one pitch mark on every green.

Craig Murdoch
GENERAL MANAGER