It was meant to be a hot, dry summer, yet much of Australia’s east coast has been peppered by deluges of rain that has some golf course superintendents asking, ‘What El Nino?’.
After South-East Queensland felt nature’s fury last week, yesterday it was Melbourne and Victoria’s turn as up to 145 millimetres of rain struck parts of the city and state.
And if you want an idea of what that looks like for those trying to curate golf courses, check out this video posted to Twitter/X by Brad Owen, the assistant superintendent of the Old course at The National Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula:
It was a valiant effort from Owen and his team, but yes, Mother Nature did indeed win that round – and by knockout.
Closer to town, Cranbourne Golf Club was also feeling the brunt of the wet weather:
Then there’s Kew Golf Club, not far from the Melbourne CBD and beside the banks of the Yarra River. The course has been pounded by flooding in recent years and superintendent Cam Hall shared that they’re facing yet another clean-up operation:
We are yet to reach the midpoint of the summer of 2023-2024, but those working in golf-course maintenance must be wondering what else is in store for this wacky summer of weather.
