Turf Talk Central - NZ

05/04/2026

26/03/2026

Post on a positive note from the weather we had.

Had a huge week started Sunday afternoon. All greens cored-Procore 648. Picked up, sanded and brushed in by Tuesday afternoon. Then mowed the whole course - tees/surrounds, rough and fairways by Wednesday afternoon. Thanks 🙏 to a great team of guys to achieve this 👍.

23/03/2026

23/12/2025

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬.

We hope you manage to sneak in a round or two over the summer break and maybe even test out our 19th hole on Clark Island 😉 (Just jokes...but imagine).

This festive summer beach logo was created by my son Luke, who got a bit creative and also added a Christmas twist to his original design. We reckon he’s nailed the Whangamatā vibe.

Enjoy the holidays and we’ll see you out on the course.

13/11/2025

Quick follow up from yesterday’s update. The drainage work that's put into the Whangamata course has definitely helped move a lot of that surface water, but as mentioned before, if the harbour was dredged it would let everything flow out much faster.

The course is still closed today with conditions still too wet under foot. We’ll keep an eye on things and update everyone regarding weekend play as soon as we can.

12/11/2025

We received these photos from Paul on his way to work at Whangamata Golf Club showing just how much rain they’ve had by the beach, a massive 90mm overnight! The course is looking pretty waterlogged and will likely be closed for the next few days while things dry out. More updates to come.

Did any other courses around the region get hit hard by last night’s rain? Let us know how you’re looking this morning! 🌧️💦⛳

04/08/2025

New Toro ProCore 648 Investment – A Game Changer for Greens Maintenance

The club has recently invested in a Toro ProCore 648, widely regarded as one of the best coring machines on the market. It’s a strong step forward, and as greenkeeping staff, we really appreciate the proactive approach in purchasing fit-for-purpose equipment.

Until now, we’ve managed our own renovations using a 20-year-old verti-drain. While it got the job done, it was slow and less efficient. The new ProCore is not only twice as fast, but it also delivers a noticeably better result. We can now core all 18 holes in a single day, which is a huge time-saver and a big boost to productivity.

So far, we’ve used it to solid tine the greens a couple of times with great success. While we haven’t done a full coring with it just yet, we’re looking forward to seeing the difference it will make.

Traditionally, we’ve scheduled our coring for mid-September, but with browntop greens, the colder temperatures at that time of year slow down recovery too much. This year, we’re making a change and will core in mid-November, after all competitions and club champs have wrapped up. With warmer weather and active growth, recovery will be faster, helping us get the greens back to top condition more efficiently.

Whangamata Golf Club

09/07/2025

🚨 New Gear Alert at Whangamatā Golf Club! 🚨
The crew here have just welcomed two new Jacobsen machines to the fleet – a Jacobsen Eclipse greensmower (ex-demo) and a TR320 surrounds mower (Brand-new). Both arrive just in time to help us keep pushing standards across the course and deliver consistent playing conditions that members and visitors enjoy.
These machines are not only top-tier when it comes to performance and cut quality, but they also come in my favourite colour – so I’m just a little extra excited about them!
The Eclipse gives us precision and versatility on the greens with its hybrid technology and quiet operation, while the TR320 surrounds mower is compact and nimble enough to handle our trickier areas around bunkers and tees with ease.
There's a few more additions and improvements happening behind the scenes, which I’ll share soon – all aimed at lifting presentation and efficiency around the greens.
Bring on the next chapter of turf care here at Whangamatā GC! ⛳🟠🟢

27/06/2025

As expected with the amount of rain we had fall in the hills and with a 9am high tide it’s no surprise Whangamata Golf Club is under water today.

Luke will be heading down with the drone shortly to find the worst-hit areas. Stay tuned! 🌧🏌️‍♂️🌊

14/06/2025

Spotted this Husqvarna robotic turf technician on display at the Hamilton Fieldays today. Not in action, just parked up like it knew it was the future of lawn care.

Not just your average lawn mower, this thing’s built to quietly handle the turf with precision (pretty large but of kit). I’ve seen Whitianga Golf Club trialling one, so it’s clearly more than just a gadget. Could be a game changer for keeping things tidy… as long as the weather plays ball!