A group of work colleagues at Meadowbrook Golf Club don’t mind tending to a bit of grass.
But they admit they’ve had their fill of mud.
The greenkeeping crew has had to repair fairways and greens 10 times over the past 15 months, including the mud that comes with flooding.
As reward for the huge – and seemingly relentless – repair work to the course, the team of eight was recently crowned the country’s best greenkeeping crew.
The course is 27 holes, which covers 88 hectares.
“See that white mark,” director Tom Linskey says, pointing to a mark about 3m up a tree. “That’s where the floods went to.”
The mini golf course was under water. The clubhouse had water lapping at its steps. And the majority of the course was under water during the February-March floods.
Mr Linskey said there were three levels of flooding. Minor water rises takes out about nine holes of the course, which leaves them with 18 to play. There is another level which wipes out another nine, and the final nine goes under during major levels.
Course superintendent Luke Helm said he was indebted to members for their patience and their help when it came to the clean up.
“I can’t thank our members and staff around the club enough,” he said. “They’ve been amazing every time we have to clean the place up.”
He said despite forecast of rain this week, they were hopeful for some reprieve over coming months.
“To work so hard to get the course back and then see it washed away again so quickly, it breaks our heart,” he said.
But Mr Helm acknowledged it was part of the job.
“The support from everyone this summer has been amazing and means the world to myself and the boys,” he told Australian Turfgrass Management magazine.
“Although we are a little battered and bruised, our determination to provide you with the best golf course we can hasn’t diminished at all. We will get through this next chapter together and I’m sure one day look back at what as been quite a season in 2021/22.”
