As the ASTMA has done since 2018, The Cut will carry a series of weekly updates in the lead-up to the Open as the Royal Melbourne crew taper the famed Composite Course for tournament week. Providing an insight across the next six weeks will be East Course assistant Mat Isbester and his West Course counterpart Michael Clavin. 

As all in the turf industry will appreciate, the work that goes into getting a golf course ready to host a major national championship begins many months in advance. This week Clavin kicks off the regular updates by looking at how the course has fared since the announcement to host the Open was made and some of the cultural practices being undertaken to position the course in the lead-up to December. Read on below…

With the countdown officially on, we’re thrilled to be just six weeks away from hosting the Men’s Australian Open here at Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The club has hosted the Australian Open 16 times previously, with the most recent held on the original Composite Course in 1991. 
The Composite Course consists of 12 holes from the West Course and six from the East Course. However, the Presidents Cup layout differs slightly, with four East being replaced by 16 East. This event marks the first men’s professional tournament on the original Composite Course since the 2013 World Cup of Golf.
As the days grow longer and temperatures rise, the Links team has been working tirelessly to deliver the world-class surfaces expected of this historic venue. Drawing on the success of past tournaments, we’re committed to ensuring this year’s event continues that legacy. With close to 50 volunteers joining us for tournament week, a great deal of work is happening behind the scenes. Our management team is focused on ensuring a smooth welcome and an exceptional experience for players, spectators and guests alike.
With plenty to do we have been working meticulously through what seems like an ever-growing list. Mowing frequencies have ramped up now that the warmer weather has arrived (last Thursday in Melbourne was 30 degrees), with our large fleet and our mechanics busier than ever. Our Club Championships are currently underway, with the final round set to be played on the Composite Course.
Fertiliser applications were completed last week, alongside our routine fungicide and insect prevention treatments. With minimal rainfall, wetting agents have helped us make the most of every drop of water.
Poa annua remains an ongoing battle in our unique Suttons Mix greens, but our winter program has produced pleasing results. Alongside broadacre applications, our team continues a hands-on approach quite literally with staff out crawling greens on hands and knees in search of Poa plants. This effort has earned us the nickname ‘The Poa Brigade’ from amused members watching our team crawl across the turf with spray bottles in hand.
Royal Melbourne’s iconic bunkers are always a point of discussion and staying true to their original design is something we take seriously. With their long, deep faces and sharp green edges, shaping and rolling the natural dune sand to a cement-like finish ensures balls roll back to the centre as intended. Meanwhile, path and tree work continues to enhance safety and the spectator experience ahead of the event. From smoothing wind-blown areas and clearing tree roots to managing storm damage, it’s all part of ensuring the course is in top form for December.
This week, we’ve continued with detailed maintenance tasks around the property as mentioned above. These included fertiliser applications on greens and surrounds, as well as miticide and liquid nitrogen treatments on fairways and tees.
We also deployed our Hydroject units on the greens. Maintaining our greens and surrounds in their famously hard and fast condition requires a dry surface and a minimalist approach to watering, all of which is done by hand on the putting surface. To support this and encourage deeper root growth we use the Hydroject, which fires high-pressure jets of water deep into the soil profile, prompting roots to chase the moisture and establish deeper, healthier growth.
The whole team is proudly counting down the days to the opening round on 4 December, eager to showcase the beauty and challenge of Royal Melbourne to the world. We’ll continue to keep you updated as preparations ramp up and we can’t wait to share the results of all the hard work. 

- Michael Clavin (Assistant - West Course)