178 Donations totaling $15,000 were collected for the Living Waters - Grenada Relief Fund. Our members supported this effort with their usual stunning support! Blue Notes were handed over with heartwarming ease.

Special thanks go out to La Pique Plaza Dental Center, Long Circular Mall Dental Center, J.W.C. Golding, and St. Andrew’s Golf Club, Ladies Section for their generous contributions.

Catherine Evans accepts the tournament entrance fees for the Grenada Relief Fund from Jean de Meillac, Club Captain.

The 2004 Mid Year General Meeting was held at the clubhouse on Monday September 27. At this meeting our General Manager, Maria Nunes, made a presentation to the members outlining the major issues which the Management Committee has identified as facing the club at this time. The purpose of the meeting was to share information with the membership and to propose solutions to the challenges faced at this time as they relate to the golf course. Also making a short presentation at this meeting was USGA Turf Advisory Agronomist, Todd Lowe. He made a two day inspection of our greens and offered his advice to the club.

Following are the highlights of the General Manager’s presentation.

FOUR MAIN ISSUES WERE IDENTIFIED:
1. Drainage. More and more we are suffering from increased run off of water from the surrounding hills. This is causing major drainage issues which we cannot afford to ignore and to which we must find long term solutions
2. Our greens, the life blood of our course, are not as healthy as they appear. Todd Lowe of the USGA directly addressed this issue.
3. Our irrigation system has outlived its useful life. We will find it extremely difficult to survive another severe dry season unscathed and we certainly cannot do any renovation to the course without a proper means of watering the course.
4. The need for additional means of revenue generation. The Management Committee sees golf carts as providing the club with the means to generate revenue to supplement what is earned from membership fees. They are used world wide as a proven revenue earner.

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Todd Lowe takes time out with our Maintenance Department

We basically are faced with two options in dealing with our problems:
1. We can do nothing.
2. Or, there is the option to pursue a planned strategy of restoration. Solutions are being developed which will have no substantial impact on the membership. To do this we intend to dispose some of our real estate and in fact enhance the value of our property.

OUR DRAINAGE PROBLEMS

The problem of the increased cutting of the hillsides above our back nine by squatters as it relates very directly to the issue of drainage:

( Since the building of the Fond Pois Doux Road in the hills north of our property it has provided easy access to our lands.
( The squatters carefully select their location which may or may not be seen from the Golf Course.
( A number of strategies have been employed to deal with this problem. Our employees have made visits to these people to request them on several occasions to move. We then employed Property Protectors and a private negotiator / Real Estate Manager without significant success. We have more recently consulted with a very experienced estate management company who are willing to take on the challenge. To do so we have to survey our entire holdings which will cost $250,000. This will make it possible to clearly determine all unauthorized occupancy. We estimate that there are approximately 12 gardeners who need to be either evicted or relocated. The cost of this exercise is $25,000 per regularization or relocation. In addition, there is the cost of the regularprofessional patrol of the land which is $25,000 per month.

 

How does this unauthorized farming translate into a major drainage problem for us?
Due to increased cutting of the hillsides both the volume and speed of the water run off create serious drainage problems. We have to find a way to manage the flow of water over our course to channel it as best we can and to fortify the river in such a way that erosion is minimized.
A few specific examples of this problem:

14th Hole. The major problem here is that water coming off the Maracas Road follows a water course that comes down next to the 14 green and erodes the left side. The natural water course crosses the fairway at the bottom of the hill where we are continually having to desilt and replant. We have built a silt trap adjacent to the green to try to manage the problem. The challenge here is that it fills up in one heavy rainfall and can only be emptied by a backhoe and truck when the ground is firm enough. Additionally, we have been advised that there is need for additional silt traps higher up above the green.

13th hole. Water coming off the hills is running across the green and fairway. The gouging of the roadway on the right of the fairway in an ongoing problem.
Examples of the drainage problems on the 12th, 16th, 17th and 18th were also highlighted.

Reference was made to the visit in August of Mike O’Connor, an a golf course builder associated for the past 20 years with renowned architect Pete Dye, who underscored the magnitude of the drainage problem when he stressed that we must address the drainage problems first before we consider doing any renovation work on the greens. Of top priority he advised is solving the problems of erosion in the river wherever it flows adjacent to a putting green, as it does on 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 18.

The drainage issues at St. Andrew’s are indeed serious and in addition to the erosion aspect of this problem the possibility of flooding is real, particularly in the area of 6, 7 & 8. Both the erosion of the riverbanks and the increased threat of flooding in heavy rains continue to cause us concern as we witness the indiscriminate cutting of the hillsides.

THE ISSUES RELATED TO OUR GREENS

The heart of St. Andrew’s Golf Club is our greens. Over the past three years we have sought the best professional advice available, beginning with John Foy of the Florida Section of the USGA Green Section Turf Advisory Service. This section of the USGA is staffed by agronomists whose everyday job is to advise clubs on how to take care of their greens in a proper and efficient manner, using the most informed practices.

 

continued from page 2

Here is an outline of the problems which we have discovered:

1. The issue of subsidence, as well as some existing design issues
Gradually over time we have been experiencing the subsidence of our back nine greens. The front of greens have all visibly dropped, in some cases like on the 10th, this has rendered a significant part of the green useless. From a very practical standpoint this subsidence translates into reduced putting surface available for fair pin positions due to the severity of the slope from back to front and so the pin has to be rotated from the back middle to the back of the green week in, week out.
Additionally, in terms of the amount of surface area available for setting fair pins, there are design issues on the 2nd, 4th and 6th holes in particular which should be corrected in any renovation exercise. While there is no truly severe slope on the 4th for example, the existing contour of this green makes it effectively difficult to set more than a few good pins, and some of the best pin positions cannot even be used in the rainy season because they are in low spots where water notoriously collects.

2. The serious problem of poor root depth of the Bermuda grass on our greens.

 

Some facts:
( Our root depth at present is approximately 1", it should be 4 to 6".
( Why is poor root zone depth a problem? It leaves the greens much more vulnerable to disease. The grass is effectively in a very weak state, not able to feed itself adequately through its roots.
( One of the major contributing factors to this problem is the building up of an organic layer immediately below the putting surface. This is preventing the establishment of a healthy root zone. The problem is two fold, the roots cannot get down to the water below the surface and it also prevents the proper drainage of the green.

These problems are not unique. What we are facing today is a common problem at golf courses of our age anywhere in the world.

Recommendation:
Rebuild our greens, a view endorsed by Todd Lowe of USGA Turf Advisory Section. The Management Committee recommends that this is done in the near future. This will entail removing the entire sub-strata of all 18 greens and re-building the greens to the USGA specifications inclusive of raising the front of the 8 back nine greens which have dramatically subsided. Why all and not some of the greens? While subsidence is an

issue only on some greens, poor root zone is a problem on all.

HAND IN HAND WITH RE-BUILDING THE GREENS IS THE NEED FOR A PROPER IRRIGATION SYSTEM.
A LOOK AT THE ISSUE OF WATER, ITS SUPPLY, DISTRIBUTION AND PROPER MANAGEMENT.

TO MAINTAIN A GOLF COURSE TO ANY REASONABLE STANDARD THERE MUST BE A RELIABLE AND ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY.

The only way we can secure the adequate supply of water is through negotiation with WASA. There is no point re-building our greens unless we can obtain certain assurances from WASA. Discussions with WASA are presently in progress to secure an adequate supply for our needs. Our most recent meeting the Head of Water Resources and the Deputy General Manager took place on September 1. These discussions reflect their willingness to work with us and they have asked us to supply them with technical information which we have already submitted in writing.

There are very specific water requirements for growing in a green properly with the water needing to be turned on several times a day at specific rates of application to ensure the proper growing in of the sprigs of Bermuda grass. Our present system does not come close to meeting these requirements. We need to apply water scientifically through a new computerized irrigation system which can be turned on and off at will, which can deliver specific amounts of water to specific areas.

A REVIEW OF THE EXISTING PROBLEMS WITH OUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM

The age of the system is now as old as the Golf Course which makes it around 30 years old. It was built of PVC pipe which has a useful life of around 20 to 25 years.

During the dry season when the system is most required there are breaks that occur on a daily basis. This means a minimum of two people are assigned every day to repair any breaks in the line.

The main lines are installed below ground in the native soil without a protective layer of sand or fine soil around it to shield it from the shearing effects of stones in the soil. The main lines are subject to constant fluctuation in pressure as the system is turned on and off according to the course requirements. This means that the PVC line will flex and rub on stone in the ground causing breaks. We have been made to understand that it is established practice to encase irrigation pipe with sand to negate this type of problem common in old systems such as our own.

 

continued from page 3

Many of the manual valves and quick couplar heads are worn and require replacement as they waste more water at the head than can be applied at the sprinkler.

The system is normally filled by gravity feed from a spring in the hills which fills the 200,000 gallon water tank behind the 12th green. Silt from the river routinely fills up the spring and has to be cleaned of 8 men using hand tools due to this area’s inaccessibility to a back hoe. This silt gets into the system and clogs up heads that have to be constantly cleaned.

Since the system is manual it requires a minimum of 2 men at night to operate the valves and sprinklers taking care not to subject it to sudden pressure spikes. This means that there is uneven distribution of water to selected areas.

Two men occupied at night means two less men for day time operations.

Furthermore, it is difficult to get anybody to come out for early morning operations which are the preferred times for irrigation scheduling. Irrigating at night means the leaf blade of the plant stays wet for longer periods and thereby creates a suitable environment for diseases to spread. This increases cost for pesticides and potential damage to the environment.

Recommendation:
Well, there really is only one option and that is to redo the entire system by replacing all the pipe and fittings and making the system a fully automated, computer driven system. The irrigation system, inclusive of 5 sprinklers per green must be completed just before planting the greens as this is extremely critical to the successful growing as already stated a short while ago. It will be both foolhardy and a colossal waste of money to do one without the other.

 

THE ISSUE OF GOLF CARTS
The most compelling reason for recommending the introduction of motorized carts is that in golf courses world wide they are a proven money spinner. More than a few members have indicated they would be the first to use this service if introduced. Walking will continue, as will the use of caddies. The use of pull carts will also continue.

The Management Committee is proposing to enter into a 4 year lease for 20 carts. The surplus from the rentals will be used to assist in financing our need for ongoing capital replacement. If we have carts we will also therefore have to build cart paths, as well as a shed for housing the carts. The need for the cart paths is due to the fact that as you well know we experience rain for more months than we do consistent sun. Our fairways would therefore be significantly damaged by even light traffic under damp, far less for wet conditions.

THE ISSUE OF TIME FRAME AND MEMBER INCONVENIENCE FOR THE PROPOSED RENOVATION PROJECT

It is anticipated that the entire project will be done over two dry seasons and as a result nine holes will always be available to members. The best advice we have received so far is that it will be too ambitious to undertake such an extensive renovation in one dry season. We may well run into problems with early rains and do not want to do a substandard or incomplete job.

The presentation concluded by posing the following questions: What is our vision for St. Andrew’s over the next 5 to 10 years and beyond? What kind of club do we want and what standard of golf course do we want to enjoy?

The floor was then opened for questions.

Sports Turf Manager, for which my major responsibilities included management of the sports turf at all five FIFA approved football stadia in Trinidad and Tobago. Also I managed a sod nursery that grew for commercial sale Tifway 419 Bermuda Grass as well as Paspalum and Zoysia for the company’s landscaping projects.

Prior to this I worked at Caroni Limited, where I was a senior supervisor in charge of future crop operations. I enjoyed and learned a lot from Caroni where I did everything from riding the crop dusting planes to fighting fires.

Currently I am pursuing a degree in Agri-Business Management at the University of The West Indies Distance Education Centre. The course teaches a more business approach to agriculture with emphasis on accounting, economics and human relations. Prior to this I graduated with an Honors Diploma in Agriculture from the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Agriculture and Forestry (ECIAF). This gave me a more practical background to Agriculture where you had to do everything from plant cassava to rear pigs. My acceptance at ECIAF, by the way, was via a National Scholarship awarded to me based on my outstanding CXC results.

I have just recently joined the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) who offer a number of online courses and are having there annual conference and trade show in Orlando next February which I will be attending.

It’s all very exciting and I am very happy to be here and look forward to my days at St. Andrew’s Golf Club. I hope that together we can make our course one of the finest and a place we are all proud of. Thank you.

e-mail Project

While we have made great strides with our e-mail addresses we still have not managed to get connected to our entire membership. Our e-mail database is used to advise our membership of anything that affects the membership and we know that you would want to be included on our list.

Anyone who at present does not receive our e-mails, please send your address to golftrinidad@hotmail.com

Club Postal Mailing List

If you are not getting postal mail from the Club we ask that you call us at 629-0066 and see that we have your correct address.

 

 

Best Gross (71)
Beacon Insurance - Duane McIntosh & Chris Woodhams

Best Dressed Team 1st -
ALGICO - Joanne Bryden & Angela Hodgkinson

Best Dressed Team 2nd -
EOG Resources - DeAnna Gregory & Sigrunn Lillelokken

Nearest the Pin #5 - Duane McIntosh
Nearest the Pin #15 - Jamsheed Ali
Longest Drive 1st Hole - Male - Christopher Woodhams
Longest Drive 1st Hole – Female - Tracey Clarke

Open Men
1st Place- Ben Martin 38
2nd Place- Hayden Imam 36
3rd Place- Steven Anderson 36
4th Place- Ramesh Rampersad 36
Best Gross Allan Clayton 76

Ladies
1st Place- Amoy Chang Fong 35
2nd Place- Sigrunn Lillelokken 35

Seniors
1st Place - Fred Hamer 40
2nd Place - Vishnu Pooran 38
3rd Place- Boyer Jaggassar 38
4th Place- Michael Paty 38

Best Gross Anthony Wight 75

Nearest the Pin #5 Barry Rostant

After 16 years of dedicated service Paul Sheppard has moved on to St. Lucia Golf and Country Club where his will take up the post of Golf Course Superintendent. Paul has been replaced by Vedath Singh. We wish Paul well and we look forward to having Vedath as part of our Management team.

 St. Andrew’s
 Golf Club
 P.O. Box 3403
 Moka, Maraval
 Trinidad, WI

 Office:
 868-629-0066/
 6187-8
 Fax:
 868-629-0411
 Starter/ After Hours
 868-629-2314