Good news at Gowrie Farm is that their greens have re-opened for play this week. The Midlands estate-resort has had a torrid winter with temporary greens in place in recent months due to Pythium blight which devastated all 12 greens on the course. Nothing could be done about repairing them until warmer spring weather arrived and they could be hollow-tined and re-seeded. Temporary greens had a big impact on rounds. Pythium disease on greens has been rife in many parts of SA in 2023, notably Gauteng, due to the unusually wet and humid weather the past two years. Warning signs, usually dry spots on greens, are difficult to identify. Unless treated with a fungicide these spots become mottled, and the grass is about to die. A mistake is to keep watering the dry spots. Gowrie have re-seeded their greens with the same L93 bent grass as before. The greens on the 7 new holes were not affected, and these are due to open in March 2024, converting Gowrie into an 18-hole course.
