The past two weeks have been crazy. The two month lease ran out and we moved on to our new agreement, but this meant that some perks went like the internet. Finally I have internet again so I can get back to blogging. Lots have gone on at the course and I took a little hike again. Eventually I will hike all over the trails here.

In the time I was away the course has greened up, the weather is getting better, and some final projects are finishing up. Brendan keeps stressing that certain projects need to be finished very soon or else there may not be enough time for recovery prior to the NZ Open. This may see crazy since there is still three months till the start of the tournament, but the weather has been unfavorable. We are still getting temps nearing freezing not helping growth and recovery. Cultural practices like core aeration take longer when the soil temperature is not optimum and this could take a while to reach the desired level. For the past couple days the fairways were cored in poor areas; some for drainage and some for dry patches. As I showed in a previous post the fairways are mostly thatch due to years of little aeration and no topdressing. Cores are just thatch and no soil. Brendan has faith that the fairways will improve noting that it will take time. Topdressing sand is still not going down, but this is because the cost to transport sand is very expensive and is usually not of high quality. The USA is lucky to have such cheap options for sand. 

Another project that is nearly finished is the lodge green. I did not get to do much work on this project, but I have seen the change as the par 3 hole was constructed. The green was one of the 3 original holes that Michael Hill had in his backyard before he decided to just create a golf course on his land. The new hole will serve as an additional hole to keep the course at 18 holes with one under construction. Also the hole is for the people who rent out Michael's house. A neat little perk. 

Work I have done has ranged from mowing to applying wetting agent and seeding the fairway nursery. The bunker faces are starting to show the weak areas so me and Sam, from England, put some wetting agent on the weak areas and watered them in. On the weekend the fairway nursery or the "bottom range" used for the tournament was tilled, leveled and seeded. This areas is unique that it is a nursery and a range while having tow different grasses: fescue and browntop bent. 

PGG Wrightson, the chemical supplier for The Hills, put on an appreciation event for the clients. This was held at the Arrowtown Bowling Club and a lawn bowls competition was held. We put in 2 teams and places 3&4th with Hills B beating Hills A to take home 3rd. I had never seen lawn bowling and was thoroughly surprised at how fun the game looks. I did not play for either team, but will have to try it soon.