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Archive for the ‘Padang Golf’ Category

Penjagaan rumput padang golf, bola, stadium dll.

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Golf Resort Mgmt Certificate & Diploma in Malaysia

Posted by mynormas on March 25, 2011

Diploma to a promising future

I’ve been going through a booklet provided by KDU University College, Hospitality and Tourism faculty which is providing a Professional Certificate in Golf Resort Management that will take 2 semesters to complete and a Diploma in Golf Resort Management that will take 2 years.

It seem the students will learn about almost everything in the golf resort; from Front Office, Kitchen, Accounting, Housekeeping, Golf Shop and even Turf Management.

I am an18-year veteran in the industry and I don’t even know what a Fidelio system is! They are learning it as one of the Front Office Management subjects. I guess it won’t be long before a bunch of these graduates will be making dinosaurs like me extinct. I mean, for the Turf Management subject, they are learning about designing a golf course, permits/licenses/approvals to build a golf course, philosophy of golf course maintenance, installation of the irrigation system, pest, diseases and even the golf cart paths. Phew… I don’t know about the rest of you guys out there, but there is a lot more that I need to learn here.

To top it all, the programs are designed in collaboration with Australia’s La Trobe University and Saujana Golf & Country Club!

I suppose we should not tell the public about this Certificate and Diploma, lest the graduates take away our jobs. We should not let the youngsters out of school know that there will be a demand for more professionalism in the industry soon and 5 – 10 years in the future, paper qualifications are as much a necessity as experience. We should keep it a secret that we are getting old and there is not that many second-liners qualified to take our place.

Maybe we should not allow the more ambitious among us to enquire about this course and – God forbid – take the course to further their career. I mean, imagine, someone with 5 year experience, then suddenly he take time off from work to get a certificate or diploma in golf resort management; he is going to teach the boss what to do and (oh my God) be next in line for the boss’ job!

Certificate to a better career.

What about the young golfers or pros? Better not let them know too. Shudder… Professional golfers with professional golf resort management qualifications? Mana orang lama mau cari makan? Lets give them more complimentary green fees so they won’t think of study so much.

Its agreed then. We won’t tell anyone that KDU Damansara Jaya campus is at SS22/41  and their contact number is 03-7953 6688 or that their email is best@kdu.edu.my and website http://www.kdu.edu.my.

Lets keep it our secret.

Posted in Padang Golf | 1 Comment »

I’m mowing in the rain…

Posted by mynormas on March 22, 2011

No one can deny problems of mowing during the current rainy spell. Its not about worrying about the machine being in the rain or operators catching cold, it is more about tyre marks and tracks left behind by the machine.

bekas tayar

Deja vu? You've seen this before? Pretty common sight nowadays.

The tracks can churn up the soil and cause more damage than just un cut grass. However, there are times when out of habit or necessity, the Superintendent has to have a crew out to cut the grass. After all, the rains may have caused the slow-release fertilizer in the ground to suddenly release all nutrients; causing rapid surge growth of the grass. Then there is also the issue of greens, how do you not cut the greens? Especially if the rains has been pouring almost daily?

What are the options open for the Superintendent or the caretaker (some of the concepts apply to parks/stadiums too)?

  1. The Superintendent may try to use a lighter machine, like a triplex on fairways/roughs and walk-behinds or push-mowers on greens or tees.

    This will take forever! What to do? Boss say do, I do lah...

  2. This is one reason I have always specified 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive machines for fairways, roughs, fields and parks; less slippage for mowing on wet ground. Those people that are stuck with 2-wheel drive machines are … well… stuck.
  3. Use bruchcutters – the machines that the crew carry on their backs to mow.
  4. Concentrate on mowing only important places like landing zones, greens, blue & red tees when there is a break in the weather pattern.
  5. Lastly (maybe I should have put this as first) use turf-growth-regulator products (the only brand popular in Malaysia is PrimoMaxx). I highly recommend using this just
    TGR = turf growth regulator

    Same species of grass. Same age. Same fertilizer. Same everything. The one on right is applied with TGR

    before the start of the rainy season, in fact, I use this all year round on fairways, bunker face, slopes, and greens. So when there is prolonged wet weather, the growth of the turf is slow enough that I’m not under too much pressure to mow. Spraying during wet season is tough, it needs 4 hours of dry weather to become rain-fast. Be warned there is a slight discoloration the first time you apply because the stem is visible under the shorter leaves: stem brown, leaves green. The stem will become shorter, later than the leaves. Then it will be back to normal color.

I also advocate marking the worst areas and prioritizing them so that come dry weather (I know some days we despair of ever seeing that!) we know the locations where we want to put extra or repair existing sub-soil drains; reshape the area surrounding it; put an extra layer of topdressing; bring out the deep-tine machines or at the very least spiker/slicer; dethatch or scarify the areas since thatch and mat can become like sponges soaking up water; call a bomoh/medicine man or whatever can be done to alleviate the soggy areas.

I pity the members of the club/field/park that face the same problems in the same areas over and over again. You would think the management would have done something to ensure it does not occur again next season. Oh well… maybe there are other issues that need to be considered: funds for one. I can’t argue with that.

Posted in Padang, Padang Golf, Taman | 2 Comments »

Kelajuan green tak konsisten.

Posted by mynormas on March 19, 2011

Complain biasa yang paling biasa di dengar dari golfer ialah tentang green. Selalunya ialah samada green itu slow, bumpy, berpasir, dan sebagainya.

Bagi saya; salah satu kesilapan paling besar yang boleh di lakukan oleh seorang Superintenden di atas green ialah kelajuan green yang tidak konsisten dari satu green ke satu green yang lain. Walaupun green di satu padang golf itu adalah slow, tetapi jika semua green adalah pada ukuran slow yang sama sekurang-kurangnya golfer tahu kuat mana nak ketuk bola waktu putting.

Stimpmeter

Mengukur kelajuan green

Tapi jika ada green yang 6 kaki ada green yang lapan kaki? Di satu green ketuk tak sampai, di satu green lagi, ketuk pada kekuatan yang sama, bola keluar green. Macamana nak main?

Seorang Superintenden seharusnya mengukur kelajuan green di semua 18 lubang selang beberapa minggu sekali. Saya mencadangkan 6 green secara rawak setiap minggu, 18 green setiap bulan. Mana green yang slow dari green yang lain, haruslah di beri perhatian yang lebih. Ukur green itu lebih selalu dan pada hujung minggu atau waktu tournament, roll green itu atau double-cut green itu lebih dari green yang lain. Saya tidak mencadangkan memotong green pada ketinggian yang berbeza kerana ia adalah kerja yang merumitkan. Selepas roll dan/atau potong double, ukur lagi green tersebut dan lihat kesan kerja tersebut. Saya pernah ada green yang naik kelajuan hanya 6 inci selepas di roll dan ada green yang naik hingga 2 kaki.

Mengukur kelajuan green adalah kerja mudah. Mempastikan semua green adalah konsisten mungkin sedikit susah tetapi tidak mustahil dan… bagi saya adalah penting untuk keselesaan golfer.

Selamat mencuba.

Posted in Greens, Padang Golf | Leave a Comment »

How a consultant can help

Posted by mynormas on March 10, 2011

Whether you are managing a golf club, golf course, football field, stadiums or even municipalities; You should think of hiring a consultant. Reasons:

  • A consultant is able to provide an independent third-party opinion when there is a dispute between two parties, or to provide an independent second opinion when a difficult decision needs to be made.
  • A consultant is someone who is able to bring a wide range of experience to tackle the problems that any golf course would face. He is able to help the golf course to find the solution within its means.
  • A consultant is able to see what the current management has grown used to. He/she will see the same thing from a different perspective.
  • A consultant is someone who can assist the golf course to set up schedules, programs and implement its routine maintenance practices.
  • He or she is well- versed in the latest technologies in golf course maintenance practices or someone not afraid to experiment and try out new techniques or materials that is suited to a particular club.
  • Your consultant should be someone who knows the local weather, the work culture and understands the prior or prevailing conditions of local golf courses.
  • The consultant is not someone who is after the job of the golf course superintendent, but is someone who can/will train the superintendent and his (or her) staff to do a better job.
  • He/she is someone who can work together with your team to achieve a common goal within set boundaries.
  • The consultant is not someone with an ulterior motive of pushing certain products or equipment to you even if you do not need it.
  • And most important of all, hire a consultant not only because of the years of experience due to his age or because of his report-writing skills or his ability to talk in technical terms with a slang; hire a consultant with a known track record you can verify and someone well known in the industry.

You are in luck. I meet all the above criteria…  and more.

Posted in Fields, Landscape, Padang Golf | Leave a Comment »

Bagaimana seorang konsultan boleh membantu.

Posted by mynormas on March 10, 2011

Samada anda adalah seorang yang menjaga padang golf, padang bola, stadium ataupun kawasan berlanskap yang besar, mengupah seorang konsultan boleh memberi impak dan kesan ke atas kawasan jagaan anda.

Bagaimana seorang konsultan boleh membantu anda:

  • Seorang konsultan boleh memberi pendapat pihak ketiga bila berlaku perbezaan pendapat atau perselisihan faham di antara dua pihak. Contohnya; di antara pihak pengurusan kelab dan pengurusan padang. Atau di antara pengurusan kelab dan komiti; atau di antara Persatuan bola dan pengurusan stadium.
  • Seorang konsultan juga boleh memberi pendapat yang bebas bila tiba masa untuk membuat keputusan yang sukar. Contohnya pemilihan rumput; atau samada pembinaan semula di perlukan; atau bila padang perlu ditutup untuk kerja-kerja pemulihan.
  • Seorang konsultan akan membawa bersamanya pengalaman yang luas untuk menyelesaikan masalah yang di hadapi oleh padang atau kelab tersebut. Dia mesti boleh menyelesaikan masalah kelab menggunakan sumber yang berada dalam kemampuan kelab.
  • Seorang konsultan dapat melihat apa yang pengurusan dah menjadi lali. Dia akan melihat benda yang sama dari perspektif baru yang berbeza.
  • Seorang konsultan ialah seorang yang akan membantu pengurusan padang untuk membuat jadual, program dan rutin penjagaan harian.
  • Seorang konsultan akan lebih peka terhadap teknologi terkini dalam bidang pengurusan dan penyelenggaraan padang serta tidak takut untuk mencuba sesuatu yang baharu.
  • Konsultan anda seharusnya seorang yang tahu tentang cuaca tempatan, cara bekerja dan faham tentang keadaan semasa padang dan kemahuan pelanggan anda.
  • Konsultan bukan lah seorang yang mengejar kerja di tempat anda tetapi akan membantu anda untuk melatih pasukan anda untuk menjadi seorang penyelenggara padang yang lebih baik.
  • Seorang konsultan tidak seharusnya mempunyai hasrat tersembunyi memaksa anda membeli  baja, mesin atau lain-lain produk walaupun anda tidak memerlukannya.

Paling penting untuk anda ialah; memilih konsultan berdasarkan – bukan sahaja jumlah tahun dia bekerja dalam bidang tertentu atau umurnya – tetapi juga kepelbagaian pengalaman dan juga seorang yang anda sendiri boleh sahkan cerita-cerita tentangnya dalam industry tempatan.

Posted in Fields, Maintenance, Padang Golf | Leave a Comment »

Tractor mounted mower

Posted by mynormas on March 7, 2011

Having an expensive 5-gang mower is nice. But for those of us in parts of Malaysia that are far from KL and with limited budget; may I suggest using tractor towed or tractor mounted mowers instead? Almost any mechanic can repair a tractor and spare parts are easier to find – and keep.

Unfortunately this option is limited to fairway, rough and open fields mowers only. You can’t mow greens and tees with tractors – and with a high center of gravity, mowing slopes would be difficult. Not impossible, just difficult.

Consider too that a tractor can be utilized for other works when not mowing; for example towing a trailer or even a sprayer.

Of course, I would advise getting the same brand and/or same model of tractors. I have seen golf courses haaving few brands/models. It would defeat the purpose of standardizing training, spare parts and – dare I say it – cannibalizing of parts.

Should you get a big tractor or a mini tractor? As long as it is not a huge tractor that will off-set the savings benefit compared to a 5-gang mower, it does not matter so much though I would insist that it is a four-wheel drive tractor – whatever the size. It stops from wheel slippage on slopes and wet areas and ensure you get the most of  your tractor whatever the weather.

The cut is pretty good and you can still get stripes.

Cutting height: about 15 - 17mm.

I’ve also seen another advantage of these rotary mowers on tractors as fairway/rough mowers: they can cut Lovegrass or Buffalograss flowers that a reel mower would simply roll over. One golf course had to deploy three workers with brush cutters just to cut these flowers!

Huge tractor - sure to create ruts.

Posted in Fields, Padang Golf | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

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